JAMES ISOM DOLTON
Joseph Hahn Dolton (1840-1918)
James Isom Dolton was born 7 June 1868 in DeKalb County, Missouri, to Joseph and Sarah (Thornton) Dolton. Joseph, was 27 and his mother, Sarah, was 29 at the time of his birth. He was born sixth of his parents ten children.
The 1880 US Federal Census for Washington Township, in the County of DeKalb, State of Missouri, was enumerated on the tenth day of June 1880. There is a record of the household of Joseph Dolton, white, male, age 40, farmer, born in Illinois (his father was born in Kentucky and his mother in Iowa). Also in the home is his wife Sarah Dolton, white, female, age 40, wife, who is keeping house, and was born in Missouri (her father was born in Missouri and her mother in Kentucky). Their children are: Almeda A. Dolton, white, female, age 19, daughter, born in Missouri; Frank Dolton, white, male, age 15, son, farmer, born in Missouri; James Dolton, white male, age 12, son, farmer, born in Missouri; Edmond R Dolton, white, male, age 7, son, born in Missouri; Birdy, white male, age 3, son, born in Missouri; Ennis, white male, age 2, son born in Missouri.
In 1880 the the census taker for Washington, DeKalb County, Missouri, D. B. Todd, where James lived with his family marked the column that indicated James had attended school that year. Mr. Todd did not mark the two columns indicating that James could NOT read and write; meaning that he could read and write. However, Mr. Todd didn't mark these two columns for anyone on this page including the four month old daughter of George Chamberlin who lived close by. It appears that Mr. Todd was not much concerned about the integrity of the data in these columns.
Well, in 1889 James was only twenty-one years old but he has found his soul mate. On 19 Nov 1889 James and Miss. Hattie L. Linley were married in Buchanan, Missouri.
In 1900, James was living with his wife, two children, and two boarders. James I. Dalton a white, male, born June 1868 in Missouri, 31 years of age and married for ten years was working as a machinist. The family was renting a house at 2025 Savannah Ave., St Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri. James' wife Hattie E. Dalton was white, female, born Jun 1869 in Missouri, age 30 years. She had four children and two were still living. Fay Dalton was James' daughter, white, female, born November 1897 in Missouri, age two years. James H. Dalton, was the son of James and was one month old, white, male, born April 1900 in Missouri. Mary Widows (really?) was a boarder with the Dalton's, white, male, born Apr 1868 in Kentucky. Her/his parents were also born in Kentucky and she/he was working as a seamstress. Lula P. Crouch was also a boarder, white, male, born September 1878 in Indiana. Her/his father was born in North Carolina and mother was born in Indiannia. She/he was working as a seamstress.
In 1910, James had moved his family to Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri. They had been joined by Frank L. Dolton, James' son, male, white, six years old, born about 1904 in Missouri. The census taker had spelled their surname Dolton this year whether at the direction of the person responding to the census or because that's what he heard. Fay's name was spelled Fay M. Dolton this year and James was listed as J. Harold Dolton; he had apparently begun going by his middle name. All three of the children were attending school. And although it was mortgaged James and Hattie owned their own home at 4039 Oak Street. James was working as a armature winder at an electric shop.
In 1914, Germany used the assassination of a distant member of the royal family in Austria as the excuse to start a major war in Europe. Until World War II this war was called the World War or the Great War. The Great War (now called World War I) began in 1914. America entered the war by declaring war on Germany April 6, 1917. Eighteen months later the war was over over there.
The 1918 flu pandemic (January 1918 - December 1920) was an unusually deadly influenza pandemic which killed 50 to 100 million people across the world, including remote Pacific islands and the Arctic, an estimated 1 to 3 percent of the world's population at the time, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history. This whole family survived.
In 1920, the Dalton's were living in Richmond, Ray County, Missouri. The same five were still together: James I. Dalton, Hattie D. Dalton, Margret F. Dalton, Harold J. Dalton, and Frank L. Dalton. Frank was the only one in school. Added to the company is Lawrence G. Dalton, grandson of James, male, white, eighteen months old, born in late 1919 in Missouri. James is farming on his own account.
In the 1930 US Federal Census for Richmond, Ray County, Missouri, we still find the household of James and Harriett Dalton. The four kids are no longer in the house: Fae is 33 years of age, James Jr. is 30 years of age, Harold is 29 years of age, and Frank is 26 years of age. In the house with James and Harriet are Larence G. Seward, grand-son, age 11 years, born 1919 in Missouri and Jacqueline Dalton, grand-daughter, age 7 years, bor 1923 in Missouri. James is working as an electrain (probably an electrician) at a coal mine. The family owns their own home valued at $2,500 and they have a radio.
The government asked about radios in the census because they thought of them as civil defense and disaster recovery devices and they wanted to know how many people had them. In 1925 10 percent of households had radios. Five years later, it was still unusual enough to have a radio in the home that it was a question on the decennial US Federal Census. According to the 1930 Census 40.3% of households had a radio.
Since, James' grandson Lawrence changed his surname since the last census it appears likely that Lawrence is the son of Margret and Lawrence decided to take the name of his father. But, now we have Jacqueline and again we don't know who her parents are.
In the 1940 US Federal Census for Richmond, Ray County, Missouri, there is the record of the James and Harriet E. Dalton household. The household is the same as in 1930 minus grand-daughter Jacqueline Dalton now age 17 years. Laurence Seward is now 31 years of age and is working as a machine operator at a threater. James is working as a mechanic at a coal mine.
On 25 Oct 1954 James lost the love of his life. The grim reaper, Death, has cast his merciless sickle with unsparing hand into the midst of the harvest-field of our brother James' fire-side, and thus garnered for eternal keeping the beloved wife of his youth, the sharer of his hopes, joys and sorrows, the loving mother now grown children, thereby darkly overshadowing his life in its wintertime and depriving him of his best and truest earthly friend and comforter.
On 23 June 1957 James took his own life. See his obituary below.
Man, 89,Commits
Suicide
James I. Dalton, 89, 427 West Main street, was found dead Sunday morning at his home with a bullet wound in the right temple.
According to a report by Dr. Tom Cook, county coroner, the wound was self-inflicted.
The body was discovered at 10:30 a.m. by a grandson, James Dalton. Coroner Cook judged the suicide probably took place Saturday night. Mr. Dalton had been in ill health for some time.
Mr. Dalton was born June 7, 1868, in Clarksville, Mo., the son of Joseph and Sarah (Thornton) Dalton. He has lived in Richmond since 1912, moving here from Kansas City.
On Nov. 19, 1889, he was married to Harriet Elizabeth Lindley, Union Star, Mo., who preceded him in death in 1954. He was also preceded in death by three sons and one daughter.
He was survived by a daughter, Mrs. Carl Williams, San Antonio, Tex., a brother, Bird Dalton, St. Joseph, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Mr. Dalton, a former Pickwick Coal Co. engineer, was a member of the Richmond Baptist church.
