Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Sutton, James C.

Born: 1813-08-22 Somerset County, New Jersey

Died: 1904-08-11 Springfield, Illinois

James C. Sutton was a carpenter and architect in Springfield, Illinois. He received his education in subscription schools in his native New Jersey, and spent his early years working on his father's farm, where he cultivated crops and worked in a cider mill and distillery. In 1839, he left New Jersey for Illinois, settling in Jacksonville, where he became a carpenter. In 1841, Sutton moved to Springfield, where he found employment as a journeyman carpenter. In November 1843, he married Clementine Simpson, with whom he would have five children. Sutton continued work as a carpenter until he entered into a partnership with his brother, Goyne A. Sutton, in a building and architectural firm. The first work they did was as sub-contractors on the Illinois State Capitol. In addition to his business activities, Sutton was deeply involved in civic affairs, serving as a city supervisor and judge for Springfield city elections in 1849 and 1859. He was also a member of the water works commission. From 1852 to 1853, Sutton served as a director of the Mechanics and Farmers Bank. He was an active member of the Democratic Party, representing Ward One in the Springfield Democratic Convention in March 1852. He later became a strong advocate for the Republican Party. Sutton's partnership with his brother proved lucrative, and in 1860, he owned real property valued at $6,000 and a personal estate of $180. During the Civil War, he supplied military supplies for soldiers at Camp Yates.

Joseph Wallace, Past and Present of the City of Springfield and Sangamon County Illinois (Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1904), 199-200; Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, Sangamon County, 23 November 1843, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, IL; Illinois Journal (Springfield), 5 September 1849, 4:1; Illinois Daily Journal (Springfield), 7 April 1849, 3:1; 8 April 1852, 2:2; 25 August 1852, 3:2; Daily Illinois State Journal (Springfield), 16 March 1859, 3:1; U.S. Census Office, Eighth Census of the United States (1860), Springfield, Sangamon County, IL, 253; Gravestone, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, IL.