John M. Felton, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of John M. Felton
JOHN M. FELTON, County Clerk, was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, January 6, 1834. His father, William Felton, was a native of Pennsylvania, a railroad engineer by occupation, and married about 1825, Margery McCallister, who bore him two sons, both yet alive. The mother died there in 1829, and in 1831 Mr. Felton married Miss Margaret Mourer, and to this marriage were born eight children, six of whom are yet living. Mr. Felton continued the life of a railroad man until his death in May, 1862. His widow survived him until 1871, when she, too, died. Two of their sons served their country in the late ware - one Robert K., being killed before Petersburg. John M. Felton was reared in the "Keystone State," receiving a common school education. He learned his father's business of Civil Engineer, and the spring of 1857 was employed by the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, on a new survey through northern Indiana. Previous to this time, he had been employed in Pennsylvania, and in Tennessee and Mississippi, as a railroad engineer. In 1860, he located permanently in Valparaiso - although he first came in 1857 - and since that time has always made porter County his home. He engaged as a salesman in a hardware store here until August, 1875, when he was elected on the Democratic ticket to the office of County Treasurer, and, two years later, was re-elected, serving all four years. In 1878, he was elected Clerk of Circuit Court of the county, and took his office November 1879. Although Porter County gives a Republican majority of about 500, Mr. Felton has, by personal popularity, been elected every time he has received a nomination. He was married, November 18, 1863, to Miss Mary Jane Marshall. This lady died April 24, 1873, leaving two children - Robert L. and Lizzie M. The mother was born April 15, 1841, in Wells County, Ind., and died a member of the Presbyterian Church.
Source: Goodspeed, Weston A., and Charles Blanchard. 1882. Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated. Chicago, Illinois: F. A. Battey & Company. 771 p.
Page(s) in Source: 244
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook