Colton, Samuel Horton, 1804-1875

Samuel Horton Colton (1804-1875), son of Reuben and Rozana Atkins Colton, was born in Longmeadow, Mass. About 1825 he entered into partnership with John Milton Earle in the publication of the _Worcester Spy_. Under the name of S.H. Colton & Company the paper was published for twenty years. In 1845 Colton retired from the newspaper business and engaged in the tree nursery business; he was later in the insurance business in Worcester. He served the town as selectman and the city (after 1848) as a member of the Common Council. He invested extensively in real estate in Worcester, and was for many years treasurer of the People's Fire Insurance Company. He was a member of the Society of Friends in Worcester and was prominent in the anti-slavery movement. Colton did much to promote interest in agriculture, arboriculture, and horticulture in Worcester County.