Norton
Settlers that were living on and near
the present site located the town of Norton in 1872. They used
the name of the county for the town because it would probably
be a big help when it came time to select the county seat. Norton
was not platted until December 7, 1878; W. B. Rogers owned land
west of the present State Street and he filed a plat of a town
site on that land. A little bit later when the claim contest was
being settled on Mr. Rogers' land, the Norton Town Association
platted and filed land that was east of State Street. This led
to a disagreement over the location of the town for many years.
Merchants on the Town Association side built their stores with
the back door just across the street from Mr. Rogers' plat. Trash
was thrown out these back doors onto the front steps of their
neighboring merchants in Rogers' part of town.
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railroad built their tracks in 1885, while the Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific Railroad laid their tracks in 1887. The town of Norton
developed rapidly from that point. It is presently the largest
town in Norton County.
The ethnicity of its settlers is unknown.
Sources
Bowers, D. N. Seventy Years in
Norton County, Kansas, 1872-1942. The Norton County Champion,
Norton, Kansas, 1942.
Nicholson, John H. A History of Norton County, Kansas. Masters
Thesis,
Colorado State College of Education, 1941.
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