... Daniel Thornton, was born in South Carolina, October 26, 1788, and went to Tennessee when quite a boy; and was married to Mary Neff, sister of Isaac and Henry Neff, in Tennessee, about 1816. They came all the way from North Carolina to Missouri by water – down the French Broad and Tennessee rivers to the Ohio.
... His father, Daniel Thornton, came to Saline county by water, on a keel-boat worked by oars. There were four men, two women and four children in the boat. The children were John, Susan, Rebecca, and Isaac Thornton. They landed at Cooper’s fort, in Howard county, where they remained a couple of weeks, and then pulled on up the river and landed in Saline, one mile and a half above Arrow Rock, and settled in the timber, two miles from the river, on the farm now owned by John Thornton. They first lived in a single room log cabin, and had to endure many hardships. ... His father, Daniel Thornton, died in 1855, and was buried at Concord Church. His wife died in 1874 and was buried at the same place.
... His father Daniel Thornton, a native of South Carolina, moved with his father to Tennessee, and was married there to Mary Nave, sister of Henry and Isaac Nave. They had twelve children, four boys and eight girls. In 1816 he came to Saline County with his family, traveling by water, on a keel-boat. At that time John was about three years old, yet remembers the start from Tennessee. They first landed at Pier Flesh Creek, just above the present town of Arrow Rock. Just previous to his arrival the inhabitants had been greatly alarmed on account of the killing of a man named Gray, by the Indians. Gray lived in the bottom below Saline City. On arriving, Mr. Thornton went with his family to Cooper’s fort, and remained there a couple of weeks, and then settled in Saline county, two and a half miles from Arrow Rock. He stayed there until the land sales of 1819, and when the speculators bought the land on which he had settled, he moved two and one half miles further out, into the prairie, and entered the land now owned by H. Price. He died August 31, 1855, and was buried at Concord church. His widow died March 3, 1874, and was buried at the same place. ...
