Born in Burlington County, New Jersey in 1810, Nathan Borton was one of nine children born to Bethuel and Rebecca (Clifton) Borton. When his father died in 1831, Nathan took his mother and four of his siblings westward to German Township of Fulton County in 1836, where Rebecca Borton died. A preacher of the Quakers, Nathan was the first Justice of the Peace in German Township. Prior to relocating to Franklin Township in 1841, he was married to Mary T. Ayres on November 22, 1839. She died April 17, 1850, leaving Nathan with two children, Rebecca and Emily A.
Nathan did not play the role of widower for long, as on December 21, 1850 he married his second wife, Mary G. (Butcher) Borton, the widow of Bethuel Borton, Jr. Together, they added to their combined family another three children: Hattie P., Mary L., and Priscilla.
Hattie married David Stoner in 1869. He died in 1885 leaving one son, Clarence E. Mary L. married N. Leonard and Priscilla married John Ely in 1881; Rebecca married L. Connaway and Emily A. married James Town.
Mrs. Mary had by her first husband a family of four children: Charity, Samuel, Ruth and Rulon. Samuel Borton was married to Sarah J. McLaughlin; Charity married Ely Stoner; Ruth married David Carpenter; and Rulon married Esther A. McFaul.
It is understandable that today, the Borton surname is very common between West Unity and Toledo.
As previously mentioned, Nathan Borton was the first justice of the peace in German township. Although he was prosperous and well respected by his peers, he pulled up his stakes and moved to Franklin Township in 1841, his good fortune and reputation making the journey with him.
He held several township offices, including that of Franklin Township Treasurer, and the Borton homestead in Franklin Township grew to a size of 200 acres.
