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Nathan Slawson, of the firm of N. Slawson & Co., hardware dealers, of
De Soto, was born in Orange County, N. Y., in 1827, and is a son of Dr.
William B. and Mary (Millspaugh) Slawson.  The former is a descendant 
of one George Slawson, who came to America from Scotland and located in
Salem, Mass.  Dr. William B. Slawson was born in Orange County, N. Y.,
in 1805.  His father and grandfather, named respectively, Nathan and
David Slawson, were soldiers of the Revolution.  He received his medical 

education in Fairfield Medical College, and in 1831-32 commenced the 

practice of his chosen profession at Bloomingsburgh, Sullivan Co.;
three years later he moved to Genesee County; from there went to Wat-
kins, N. Y., returning to Genesee County in 1856, when he located at
Batavia; he came to De Soto about 1880, but has not been engaged in the
practice of medicine for the past twenty-eight years.  Mrs. Mary Slaw-
son was of Dutch descent and was born in Orange County, N. Y., in 1803;
she died in 1871, the mother of twelve children, five of whom are now
living, Nathan being the second.  The latter was educated in the common
schools, and at the age of seventeen commenced to learn the tinner's
trade in Batavia; he worked three years as an apprentice and nine years
as journeyman.  In 1856 he married Miss Anzolette Cowden, a native of
Genesee County, N. Y., born in 1831.  The young couple settled in Fall
River, Wis., where Mrs. Slawson died in 1858, leaving one child, 
Augustus F.  In 1864 Mr. Slawson married Miss Phoebe M. Shepard, also
a native of Genesee County, N. Y.  To this union one child was born,
Jennie Elnora.  In 1865, in partnership with his son, he established 
his present business, which is the oldest hardware firm in De Soto.  
They carry a first class stock of hardware, stoves, tin, sheet iron and
copper wares, etc., and are highly esteemed by customers and friends.
In politics Mr. Slawson has been a life long Democrat, casting his 
first presidential vote for Gen. Cass in 1848.  In 1881 he served as
city collector of De Soto.  He also served as mayor of the city a short
time, having been elected in 1886 to fill a vacancy.  He and wife are
members of the Presbyterian Church.