"An Illustrated history of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties : with a brief outline of the early history of the state of Oregon." Chicago?: Western Historical Pub. Co., 1902. Page 625. Malheur County. THOMAS A. BARTON The subject of this sketch is a man of enterprise and vigor, he is evinced by his active and energetic career, having traveled all over the United States, visiting every state and territory in its precincts, and being possessed of a keen perception, skillful adaptability, and executive force, we would expect that he would have been in many enterprises, which is a fact. At the present time he is one of the substantial and capable citizens of Malheur county and a hard worker for the benefit of the county and the progress of its interests. Mr. Barton was born in Fairmount, West Virginia, on May 12, 1849, being the son of Jackson and Malissa Barton, and while a child had the sorrow of losing his mother. Then he came with his father to Wooster, Wayne county, Ohio, received a good common school education, and later went to Oberlin college in that state. Subsequent to this course he served an apprenticeship of five years in the painting art in his town. And then we find him operating at the trade and afterwards learning the carpenter trade. But on account of failing health, he migrated to Salt Lake, Utah, in the spring of 1877, and thence in the fall of the same year to San Francisco, where he embarked on board of a steamer and landed in Portland. Later we find him in Seattle and in 1881 he was in Spokane, where he was installed as foreman of the painting department of the N.P.R.R. Early in 1883 he went to Sprague and purchased the Villard house, which soon afterward was destroyed by fire, when he turned his attention to handling lumber in Dayton, Washington. The he went again to carpentering and later joined a bridge crew and traveled into various portions of the country. It was in 1890 that he determined to settle down and accordingly made his way to Jordan Valley in the southern portion of Malheur county and located. In that place on November 13, 1900, he married Mrs. Martha A. (Dunbar) Castle, a native of New York. The own a residence at Jordan Valley and Mrs. Barton is postmistress of the office at that place. In 1900 on the Republican ticket, Mr. Barton was elected to the important position of county commissioner with a term of four years. He is at present serving in that capacity and has done much for the advancement of the interests of the county, manifesting the same energy and wisdom in handling the affairs of the county as in his private enterprises. Mrs. Barton came to Jordan Valley in 1882. Mr. Barton is a member of the I.O.O.F., Vale Lodge, No. 100. He and his estimable wife are worthy citizens of the county and are well and favorably known, being esteemed and highly respected. Mrs. Barton's first husband, S. J. Castle, was one of the first settlers in Jordan Valley, coming there in 1874 and participating in the Indian troubles. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2006 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.