1906 Miner's History of Richland County JAMES W. LAWTON is known as one of the leading farmers and stock-growers of his native town of Forest and is the owner of the fine homestead farm which was the place of his nativity, his birth having occurred Aug. 27, 1860. He is a scion of one of the honored pioneer families of Richland county, being a son of Isaac R. and Melissa (Southworth) Lawton, both native of Cattaraugus county, N. Y., where the former was born in 1829 and the latter in 1831. Isaac R. Lawton came to Wisconsin in an early day, with his parents and Jennie (Green) Lawton, who first located in Waukesha county, whence they came to Richland county in the early fifties, locating in Forest township, on the farm now owned by the subject of this review. Here they passed the remainder of their lives, both having been laid to rest on the old homestead. They maternal grandparents were Edward and Huldah (Stearns) Southworth, both of whom were native of the state of New York, where the latter died, Mr. Southworth having been a resident of McHenry county, Ill., at the time of his death. Isaac R. Lawton came to Richland county in 1855, in which year his marriage was solemnized, and Mar. 10, 1856, he located on a tract of 160 acres of land, in the town of Forest, and here he continued actively engaged in agricultural pursuits during the remainder of his active career, his death occurring April 26, 1903. His wife still survives, as do three of their four children. In politics Isaac R. Lawton was a stanch Republican and he served a number of years as justice of the peace. He was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Grand Army of the Republic, and his proclivities in church matters were liberal. In 1864 he enlisted in the Forty-sixth Wisconsin volunteer infantry, with which he served about five months, when he received his honorable discharge, on account of physical disability. Seven of his brothers were likewise soldiers in the Civil War, and all of them survived the great internecine conflict, the greater number having been in service during the entire course of the war. The subject of this sketch was reared to manhood under the sturdy discipline of the homestead farm and is indebted to the public schools of the locality and period for his early educational training. He has never severed his allegiance to the vocation to which he was reared, and is now the owner of a finely improved landed estate of 200 acres, devoted to diversified agriculture and to the raising of high-grade live stock, including Holstein cattle. He also makes a specialty of raising fine poultry and is a successful apiarist. His political influences and franchise are exercised in support of the principles and policies of the Republican party, and he has been called upon to serve in various public offices of local trust and responsibility. He has been treasurer and constable of his townhsip and represented the same on the county board of supervisors, having been chairman of the town board for one term. He is affiliated with the Lafarge Camp, No. 5168, Modern Woodmen of America, and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He and his wife are liberal in their religious thought and are prominent in the social life of the community. In 1883 Mr. Lawton was united in marriage to Miss Sarah E. Saubert, who was born in Vernon county, this state, Nov. 13, 1864, being a daughter of Carl and Christina (Glassel) Saubert, who took up their residence in that county in 1855. Mr. Saubert became a successful farmer and continued to reside in Vernon county until his death, in 1895, at the age of eighty-three years. His widow is now eighty-two years of age. Of their seven children five are living. Mr. and Mrs. Lawton have two sons: Alva Ray, who was born May 30, 1884, completed the curriculum of the public schools and was thereafter graduated in the agricultural department of the University of Wisconsin, being now a successful farmer in his home township. June 15, 1906, he was united in marriage to Vesta Greenwood, a native of Sauk county, Wis., daughter of Robert and Evaline (Miller) Greenwood, honored pioneers of Wisconsin. Jay W., who was born Mar. 7, 1891, is a member of the class of 1907 in the high school at Lafarge.

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