Isaac Thornton, P. O., Little Rock. Was born in East Tennessee, January 26, 1816 in the spring of which year his parents moved to Saline county, Missouri. His father being in very moderate circumstances, Isaac did not go to school much, but worked on the farm. He remained with his father until his marriage. 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. Until Isaac was grown he did not know what it was to go to a store to buy clothes. On the 2d of February, 1837, Mr. Thornton was married to Miss Rebecca Chapell, daughter of E. Chapell, a native of North Carolina. They have had eight children, six of whom are living, five boys and one girl; James H., D. B., A. J., E. E., William H. and Mary Frances. In 1858 he moved to Saline City and commenced running a grist and saw mill, which now has an engine of forty-horse power, that only requires sixty pounds of steam to run the whole machinery. In 1838 he moved up to Buchanan county and set up a mill about six miles east of St. Joe, and staid there until 1855. He then sold his mill and returned to Saline, and put up a mill three miles west of Saline City, and in 1858 moved to Saline City, as related. 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.
