In 1837, Alanson Horton moved from Connecticut to Perry, Michigan in Shiawassee County. By 1841, he had purchased a farm and moved his family there, constructing a wood frame Greek Revival house in the mid-1840s. Farming was difficult at first, but by the 1860s, the farm was prosperous, as were the farms and communities in the surrounding county. Alanson's eldest son, William Horton, joined his father in farming the land, but his career was interrupted when he enlisted in the 9th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. William returned home after the war, and by the late 1860s gained control over his father's farm and house, purchasing the shares that his two brothers and sister had inherited.[2]
William Horton was a successful farmer, concentrating on wheat and cattle, and in 1870 and 1871 he constructed a new farmhouse on the farm. He continued to farm until around 1900, when his eldest son George took over the farm. With wheat becoming less profitable, George Horton turned to sugar beets and beans. George Horton died in 1948, and his eldest son Blain Horton took over the farm. However, small family farms such as the Horton's were becoming less competitive, and Blain soon was working for Fisher Body, and growing corn and hogs part time. By the 1950s, Horton was leasing most of the farmland to other farmers, and in 1978, the house and land were sold out of the family.[2]
