Philo Orton (New York politician)

Philo Orton (September 9, 1778 – August 12, 1856) was an American politician and judge. He served as Supervisor of the Town of Pomfret (1809—1818), an associate judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Chautauqua County, New York (1811), and a member of the New York State Assembly (1818—1819).

Philo Orton
Member of the New York State Assembly
In office
July 1, 1818 – July 1, 1819
Preceded byRobert Fleming
Succeeded byElial T. Foote
Oliver Forward
Pomfret Town Supervisor
In office
1811–1817
Preceded byPosition Established
Succeeded byLeverett Barker
Personal details
BornSeptember 9, 1778
Tyringham, Massachusetts
DiedAugust 12, 1856(1856-08-12) (aged 77)
Pomfret, New York
Resting placeWest Main Street Cemetery
West Pomfret, New York
NationalityAmerican
Parent(s)Dr. Thomas Orton
Sarah Atwood
OccupationPolitician, judge

Biography

Orton was born on September 9, 1778, in Tyringham, Massachusetts, a son of Dr. Thomas and Sarah (Atwood) Orton. He lived in Augusta, New York before moving to Canadaway in Chautauqua County (now the Town of Pomfret), purchasing land there 1806 and had a farm and also worked as a surveyor.[1][2]

In 1809, Orton was elected the first Supervisor of the Town of Pomfret, in which he also served on the Board of Supervisors for Niagara County at first, when Chautauqua County was governed by Niagara County, and then as a member of the Board of Supervisors for Chautauqua County once Chautauqua County was founded in 1811.[3] Orton was also one of the first associate judges of Chautauqua County, along with Matthew Prendergast, Jonathan Thompson, and William Alexander, who were elected in April 1811.[2][4] In 1813, he served as Chairman of the Chautauqua County Board of Supervisors.[5]

Orton was elected to the New York State Assembly, serving in the 42nd New York State Legislature from July 1, 1818, to July 1, 1819, and representating Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Niagara Counties, succeeding Robert Fleming. He served alongside Isaac Phelps, as the district had 2 seats. In 1832 and 1840, he was a Presidential elector, and when William Henry Harrison was elected, Orton was one of the 42 electors.[1]

Orton was married to Irene Hurd in 1802 and had three sons: Thomas, Abiram, and Charles. After Irene's death, Orton married Clarissa Sage in 1818. His brother, Thomas, is the grandfather of Philo A. Orton, a Wisconsin politician.[1]

Electoral history
1826 New York State Assembly election[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Clintonian Samuel Brown 1,696 24.85%
Bucktail Elial T. Foote 2,312 33.88%
Bucktail Nathan Mixer 1,619 23.73%
Clintonian Philo Orton 1,197 17.54%

References
  1. Orton, Edward (1896). An Account of the Descendants of Thomas Orton of Windsor, Connecticut, 1641. Nitschke brothers. ISBN 9780598651969. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  2. Chautauqua County Board of Supervisors (1868). Abstract of the Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Chautauqua. The Board. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  3. Sampson, Caryl (2010). "A Historical Vignette of Chautauqua County Politics". Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  4. J H Franch and R P Smith (1861). "Gazetteer of New York, 1860 & 1861". Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  5. The Chautauqua History Company (1904). "The Centennial History of Chautauqua County A Detailed and Entertaining Story of One Hundred Years of Development Volume 1". The Chautauqua History Company. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  6. Young, Andrew White (1875). "History of Chautauqua County, New York From Its First Settlement to the Present Time; with Numerous Biographical and Family Sketches" (Document). {{cite document}}: Cite document requires |publisher= (help)
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