John Aiton was born in Stonehouse, Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1816 and immigrated to the United States in 1835. He attended the Mission Institute in Theopolis, Illinois from 1841 thru 1844 and in 1845-1848, attended Lane Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was licensed by the Cincinnati Presbytery and ordained on June 18, 1848.

On July 5, 1848, He married Nancy Hunter of Theopolis, The daughter of Rev M. and Elizabeth Hunter. Shortly after their marriage the couple moved to Red Wing, Minnesota Territory, as missionary teachers to the Dakota Indians under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Late in 1850 Aiton returned to Illinois to which Nancy had returned earlier in the year. Aiton taught school in Chili, Hancock County in 1851 but by May 1851 the Aitons were back with the Dakota Mission in Kaposia, Minnesota (South St. Paul). Nancy soon returned to Illinois where she died of pulmonary consumption in the spring of 1854. Aiton remained with the Dakota Mission in Minnesota untill 1856 when he moved to a farm near St. Peter, Minnesota with his second wife, Mary Briggs.

In August, 1857, John and Mary Aiton and children Thomas H., George B., moved to New Hartford, Pike County, Il, where Aiton returned to school teaching. two children, Jean M. and Rachel M.J.L. were added before they made the final move to Ten Trees Farm in Minnesota where they raised five more children. In August, 1862, John enlisted in Co D, 9th Minnesota Regiment serving 3 years first in the Indian Wars of Southern Minnesota then in the Civil War in Tennesee. John died in 1892 and Mary in 1922.

Contributed by Bruce Aiton
Both John F. Aiton and Thomas Aiton, whom I am unable to prove or disprove, to be the brother of John F. Aiton, are listed in the 1860 Census for Martinsburg or Martinsburgh, Pike County. Thomas first married Abigail Shinn in Pike County on 12 April 1849. Abigail died in 1856. Thomas married Mary Hannah Goodin on Dec 6, 1856. They had four children born in Pike County, the last in 1867. They next show up in the Creedmore County, Texas Census of 1880 where the family continues to this day.