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File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project
Copyright 2008, all rights reserved.

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Source: Atlas Map of Fulton County, Illinois, 
Andreas, Lyter, and Co., Davenport, Iowa. 1871
(page 42)

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Stephen Y. Thornton was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 13, 1831. His father was killed by the falling of a tree, when Stephen was but seven years of age. His mother is a resident of Canton, and is now seventy years of age. 
    
Mr. T. learned the art of printing in the office of the Doylestown (Bucks county, Pennsylvania) Democrat. He came to Illinois in June, 1854, settling in Canton, and was employed in the office of the Ledger until the fall of 1856, when he purchased an interest, buying out Mr. Griffith, the firm being Griffith & Bidamon. In the spring of 1857 he purchased Mr. Bidamon's interest, since which time he has had the honor of conducting one of the ablest, neatest, and most interesting papers in the country. 
    
Mr. Thornton, although not an aspirant for office, has been called upon by his neighbors to fill several important local offices. He was school commissioner for two terms, from 1859 to 1863; was alderman of the fourth ward in 1865 and re-elected in 1866, and alderman of the third ward in 1870; was elected one of the members of the board of education in 1869 and re-elected in 1871. Mr. Thornton edits a democratic paper in a community in which his party is greatly in the minority; yet all parties admire his many gentlemanly qualities, and few men are more esteemed in Fulton county by all parties than the subject of this sketch.