Gilbert, Frank T. "Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and Garfield Counties, Washington Territory; and Umatilla County, Oregon." Portland, OR: Print & Lithographing House of A. G. Walling, 1882. p. a8. NATHAN T. CATON of Walla Walla, who gained his prominence at the Bar, through a persistent exercise of talents peculiarly adapting him to that position, is counted among the most successful and prominent attorneys in Washington Territory. He is a man of nervous temperament, positive ideas, and an active mind, but though possessed of strong feelings, and by some may be considered capable of prejudice, yet the writer has seen him so farm control such feelings, as to do his enemies the justice to write and speak in complimentary terms of them. It may be strongly asserted that he is true to his instincts of friendship, that his friends know where to find him, and so do his enemies. Born in St. Louis, January 6, 1832, he, at sixteen years of age, entered the mercantile business as a salesman and bookkeeper, and a year later crossed the plains to California. In 1850, he reached Oregon, and resided in Marion county, where he taught school for years, prosecuting the study of law at the same time. In 1856, he became, and remained for four years, Postmaster at Salem, after which the people elected him County Clerk. While serving in this last capacity, he was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of that state, at its December term of 1861. In 1866, he went to Idaho (leaving his family in Oregon) and for a year edited the Owyhee Bulletin of Silver City. While in that Territory the Democrats placed his name upon their ticket for the position of County Judge, and he withdrew it, refusing to run. Later he was elected to the Legislature of Idaho, but being ineligible, did not serve. In September, 1867, he moved with his family to Walla Walla, since when he has practiced his profession and continued his residence in this city. In 1869 he was elected from this county to the Territorial Legislature of Washington, was re-elected in 1873, and became Speaker of the House. One term he served as District Attorney, was the Democratic candidate, in 1878, for Territorial Delegate at Washington, and was defeated by his Republican opponent, T. H. Brents, and lastly, while absent in San Francisco, Cal., was elected, in 1882, a member of the Council in Walla Walla City. In 1853, April 14, he was married to Miss Martha A. Herren, of Marion county, Oregon, and the dates of birth and names of their children are as follows: Edwin, July 22, 1854; George W., March 28, 1856; Martha L., September 11, 1857; Bertha C., September 25, 1864, died November 15, 1878. * * * * Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2006 by Diana Smith. Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.