SIDNEY
DAVIS THORNTON, Sr. was born February 4, 1854 in De Peyster, St Lawrence County,
New York. The Thornton’s written history seems to have started with Josiah
Thornton’s wife, Phoebe Rounds, whose grandfather, Bartram Rounds, was in the
Revolutionary War. He fought with a
company of Minute Men called the “Scituate Hunters”. Josiah married Phoebe in 1803. Their son, Nelson, born in 1808, married
Clarrinda Wilson and had a son, Hoses, born 1828. He married Harriet Smithers and their son was Sidney Davis
Thornton who married Florence Putney. Their children were William, Sidney, Agnes, Guy, and Albert who died
in infancy. In 1873, H B and Harriet
Thornton homesteaded on Ives Creek near Oakdale, Nebraska. Sidney was 19 years old when he came to
Oakdale. He was admitted to the bar
in 1875. Sidney’s brother, Charles,
was a farmer. Sidney became a County
Judge at age 23. Sidney and Florence
Putney were married January 1, 1879. Sidney
served three terms as County Attorney, three terms as County Judge, two terms
as Mayor of Neligh and 14 years on the Board of Education. Sidney died August 21, 1934.
Source Unknown: Originally submitted for this website in Dec 2007