return to First Families of Dry Fork Church

Dorton Family

The Dorton family lived neighbors with many of the families in the area of Dry Fork. Nancy (Clatterbuck) Dorton, the founding member listed was the wife of George Dorton, who was deceased ca 1833, 11 years prior to the founding date of 1847. His probate record admitted intestate in Callaway County February 1833, listed wife Nancy ; four sons: William , Lewis, Willis, Reuben and one daughter, Matilda Ann .

According to a descendant of this family,(Cindy Blankenship's online website) both Nancy and George are buried in the Dorton Cemetery on their original homeplace. Cindy and her family located the cemetery in 2003 and have made repeated trips uncovering tombstones, clearing the cemetery area, and generally cleaning up the cemetery. Quoting her website, "We have now found a total of 42 stones. I could not believe it!!" ( re: recent conversation with Cindy, the count is now over 50)

The cemetery Located approximately 3 miles West and 2 miles North of New Bloomfield, MO, on Federal Forestry land. Proceed West on Hwy MM out of New Bloomfield, turn North on CR-363, turn West on CR-364, turn North on CR-375. Park at the Forestry Service steel gate and proceed around the North side of the pond and along the edge of the woods for approximately 120 feet. The cemetery is approximately 40 feet into the woods on the left.

George and Nancy came to Callaway County in the 1830's from Shelby County, Kentucky.
1820 federal census for Shelby County, Ky., Shelby City:

George Dorton 3 males under five, 1 male age 16 to 26, 1 female 16 to 26. Next door to Lewis Dorton. Two houses from Rueben Clatterbuck.

1830 federal census: Callaway County, Mo. No township listed, page 82.

George Dorton 2 males 5 to 10, 3 males 10 to 15, 1 male 30 to 40, 2 females under 5, 1 female 5 to 10, 1 female, 15 to 20 and 1 female 30 to 40. From microfilm)

George Dorton is an original patentee in Callaway County, having obtained 80 acres through the Franklin land office, March 1, 1831. E 1/2se section 27, township 46n, range 11 west.

Their son Willis E. Dorton married April 5^th, 1848 to Harriet Leopard ( dughter of John Leopard of Boone CO) born April 20 1828-died July 3 1864.
He is buried at Dry Fork Cemetery - Willis E Dorton November 11, 1820-February 14, 1882.
Harriet Leopard Dorton is buried at the old Dorton Cemetery according to old cemetery records.

No other male Dorton marriages listed . Females are:
1. Dorton, Mrs Eliza married Stanley, Moses Sep 27 1848
2. Dorton, Terilda Ann married Blythe, William Nov 6 1845. This is probably Mathilda, with a transcription error.

From Cindy Blankenship's World Connect at rootsweb-

NOTE: This Dorton burial ground was in existence at least 15 year prior to Dry Fork Church. Due to the number of burial plots noted there, there could be a number of people connected with the founding families of Dry Fork Church buried there.

this is the 1830 census list of names in order of entry by census taker:
Joseph Nevins, John Nevins, William Dozier, Elijah Foster, George Grey, George Dorton, John Curry, Thomas Tureman,  Nathaniel Duley, JohnDunlap, James "Eavens", Joseph Taylor, Josiah Williams, William Holland, WilliamBarnet, William Nevins, Martin Miller, Alfred C u o ruth? Samuel Duley, William Duncan, Larkin Craig, Gideon Goodrich, Joseph Grinstead, Creed Carter.

there was only one male,. age 60-70 (John Nevins household)   and  four females ( didn't look which HH ) aged 50-and under 60 on the page.

( onlyavailable is the name of the head of household,gender and age group range,plus the remainder of residents in a household is only gender and age ranges prior to 1850 census)