Rebecca Melvina Florentine Norton Martin Smith (116) was born in North Carolina, married Robert Samuel C. (Sam) Martin (115) and they had two sons, Hubert and Gatis, before her husband died of typhoid fever in 1881.
In those days single women did not live alone with their children, so her brother, Nicholas Norman Sidney Sylvester Norton, the straight-laced Methodist preacher referred to above, built her a "little house" near his own house. I wonder if his parents were still with them too but possibly they were living with other children. Anyway "Preacher" Norton did not look kindly on male suitors for Melvina, so when his two small children, Mary Edith and her brother, came running in reporting, "Gas Smith is going to the little house!" they expected him to be grateful that they notified him. Instead they were spanked – not for tattling but because they didn’t call him "Mr. Smith!" This story was told to me by Ava (Sutherland) Baker, daughter of Mary Edith. Ava was able to give me considerable information about the Norton family and their ancestors. She said that neither her grandfather, the straight-laced Norton, nor other relatives approved of "Gas" (Gaston) Smith, but she married him anyway.
Ava says that in those days many people from North Carolina looked on Arkansas as a vastly improved place to live. The soil in North Carolina was a reddish color whereas in Arkansas it was brown and looked richer, though often rocky. The saying among Arkansas "boosters" was "Arkansas soil would fertilize North Carolina!" Not surprisingly some came to Arkansas and found that an exaggeration and returned to North Carolina.
Melvina and her husband, with their children and Hubert and Gatis made the move to Arkansas probably around 1890. They moved down to an area near Wilburn where she became ill with malaria. She died in 1899 and was buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery at Wolf Bayou.
The will of George McKnight (141) was dated July 11, 1811 and "proved" February 1814. He left everything to his wife, Mary, during her lifetime; after her death the estate was to be divided equally between daughters, Elizabeth Ellis and Sally Norton. Executors were Ethelred Ellis (older brother of Lucy) and Nicholas Norton (George’s son-in-law.)
Sarah McKnight Norton (140) died at the home of her son, Nicholas Norton, Jr. on February 2, 1867. She was at that time the oldest Methodist in the Alexander circuit. She was a member of the M.E. church for 75 years, had heard renowned evangelists speak including Dr. Coke and Bishop Asbury.
Rev. N.S. "Sid" Norton, about 1900.
NORTON
Nicholas Sidney Norton moved to this area in December 1889. He had relatives here and no doubt had information about the place before moving. He lived in several locations before finally settling at Crossroads (now Drasco) where he had a store. He spent the last years of his life at this place. "Uncle Sid" as he was called, was a Methodist preacher. Many descendants still live in this vicinity. The census show Nortons in the area much earlier, but we have not been able to make any connection with this family, nor find what became of the earlier settlers.
Nicholas Sidney Norton and wife Amanda McClelland. Standing behind is his brother Shelton and wife Dea, at Sidney’s home in Drasco, about 1931.
Rev. N.S. Norton (1847-1932)
Amanda McClelland Norton (1849-1939)
Rev. N.S. "Uncle Sid" and Amanda Norton at their store in Drasco about 1928. Note hand operated gasoline pump, thought to be the first at Drasco. Uncle Sid is said to be the first post master but the records shows his daughter Mertie in that capacity. She served from 1917 to 1935. The Norton family came here from North Carolina as did many others
{moscomment}