David Linton

David Linton (January 30, 1815 – August 10, 1889) was an American politician, attorney, and probate judge. He served in the Ohio Senate and was active in the Whig, Republican, and Greenback political parties in Ohio. He was one of the founders of Beta Theta Pi, a college fraternity founded at Miami University in 1839.

Early life Linton was born January 30, 1815, on a farm three miles west of in Wilmington in Clinton County, Ohio. His parents were Nathaniel Matthew Linton and Elizabeth Rachel Smith. He was their fifth child. He received a nomination to the State Senate as the Greenback candidate in 1876.

Personal life Linton married Anna Thomas of Hamilton, Ohio on July 27, 1841. She met Linton when they were both students at Miami University. The couple had seven children.

Linton was ill with lung fever while in law school; the illness returned in 1848, resulting in ongoing health problems. Although he supported President Abraham Lincoln, Linton could not fight in the Civil War because of his poor health. He was also a member of the Society of Friends. Instead, he helped recruit several companies and made donations to care for sick and wounded soldiers.

In 1865, the family moved to a farm in Linn County, Kansas. Linton left his law practice in Ohio because of his health. Within a year of living in Kansas, his sons Frank and Arthur both died.

Death and legacy Linton had a second stroke in the fall of 1883 that paralyzed his left side and left him an invalid. No longer able to farm, he moved to Pleasanton, Kansas. He died on August 10, 1889, in his home in Pleasanton.

There is a historical marker about Linton in Wilmington, Ohio.