Norton was born in
Greenwich, in
Washington County, New York, one of eleven children born to Captain Elijah Norton and his wife Rebecca (Moore) Norton. His father, Elijah, had served as a captain in the
militia during the
American Revolutionary War. When he first arrived in the
Wisconsin Territory, Norton was involved in the lumber industry, and was president of the Oconto Lumber Company. He located at the village of
Racine in 1842, purchased a large farm, and engaged in
grain trade and warehousing. In 1843, Norton established the first meat-packing plant in Racine, assisted by his brother-in-law Alexander Mosher. The business was located on the south bank of the
Root River, near the present location of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad overpass at 9th Street. They purchased and slaughtered cattle from southeast Wisconsin and northern Illinois, then packed and shipped the meat down the river to
Lake Michigan, and on to markets in New York and Boston. After the incorporation of the city of Racine, an election was held for the first city officers. Norton was nominated by the new
Free Soil Party as their candidate for Mayor. Norton was elected with 47% of the vote over Whig and Democratic candidates Matthew B. Mead and Henry Bryan. Following his term as Mayor, Norton continued to grow in influence in the Racine business community. In 1854, Norton was one of the co-founders of the Racine County Bank, and was the first president of the company. He was also a major shareholder and a member of the board of directors of the Racine and Mississippi Railroad Company, and later became the first president of its successor company, the Western Union Railroad Company, which subsequently became a component of the
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. In the 1860s, he ran into financial trouble and had to sell much of his property. He moved to
Chicago and went into business with his son-in-law, Augustus R. Gray. His former home on Main Street was purchased by
Jerome Case. ==Personal life and family==