Early life

This Census Record from 1870 lists Marvin's father, David Bolton, as a retired farmer, still living in Michigan with his wife, Lydia and 14-year-old daughter Emma.

Farm records from 1850 show young Marvin living on a fairly small farm--35 improved acres, with just a handful of livestock--2 cows, 2 oxen, and 12 swine.

By 1860, the David Bolton farm had grown signicantly. Improved acerage had more than tripled and the value of the farm also increased drastically. The livestock inventory had also increased--now housing 5 horses, 9 cattle, 37 sheep, and 4 swine.

1850 Census

The 1850 Census, shows Marvin as the fifth of eight children in the David and Lydia Bolton family. Later records indicate the birth of at least one more sibling--Emma, born in 1856

1860 Census

In 1860, Marvin Bolton is listed as a serving man on the farm of John B. Sutton. Like Bolton, Sutton served in the Civil War. He was a member of the Michigan 24th Infantry Regiment.

Marvin Bolton was born in Dryden, Michigan to Lydia and David Bolton. Marvin was the fifth of nine children. He grew up on a family farm in Attica, which saw considerable growth between the years of 1850 and 1860, indicating that Marvin's family experienced an increase in standard of living and income during those years.

As a young man, he was hired to work on the farm of John B. Sutton, who eventually, like Bolton, left Michigan to join the Union forces in the American Civil War.