admin NATHANIEL WILLIS NORTON, a leading lawyer of Buffalo, is known not only as a legal practitioner, but for his identification with civic, educational and benevolent interests. He was born at Porter, Oxford County, Me., on the 3d of March, 1853. He attended district schools, worked on his father’s farm, and as a young man taught school for five years. He was prepared for college in the Nichols Latin School at Lewiston, Me., and entered Bates College, where he spent his Freshman year. In 1875 he joined the Sophomore class of Dartmouth College, and was graduated from the classical course in 1878. Five years later he received from Dartmouth College the degree of Master of Arts.
After leaving college, Mr. Norton became principal of the High School at Ware, Mass., and registered as a law student with Henry W. Davis of Ware. He graduated from the Law School of Union University in 1880, was immediately afterward admitted to the bar, and located in practice at Buffalo. In 1885 Roswell M. Norton, and in 1894 another brother, Herbert F. J. Norton, became associated with him, the present firm style being Norton Brothers.
Mr. Norton is a Republican, and served in 1889 and 1890 as Assistant United States District Attorney under Col. D. S. Alexander. He also served four years as County Attorney, from 1902, and was President of its Executive Board for three years. He is one of the trustees of the Buffalo Library, and has been a life member and trustee of the Buffalo Orphan Asylum for more, than fifteen years. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Buffalo, Saturn, and University clubs, and the Delta Kappa Epsilon college fraternity, and is a life member of the Buffalo Historical Society.
June 30, 1880, Mr. Norton married Mary Estella Miner, daughter of Dr. Julius P. Miner of Buffalo. Mrs. Norton died in 1889, leaving one child, Martha Miner Norton, who was born in 1882. June 17, 1903, Mr. Norton married his second wife, Mrs. Mary Louise Cilley, daughter of James P. Golding of Buffalo.
SOURCE: Memorial and Family History of Erie County New York; Volume I