Thornton, Idaho, originally called Texas Siding, is a townsite founded in 1917. It exists today as a township of Madison County, Idaho. Thornton was named in honor of William Ezra Thornton, who had been prominent in the establishment of the townsite, and who also was for a time Thornton's postmaster. History Though Thornton once thrived as "an enterprising center of commerce," Thornton is now primarily a rural community. It is home to a potato warehouse and the original Thornton Merc convenience store. Thornton's original store was called "The Country Store". It was owned by William Ezra Thornton, and run by him and his wife, Wilhemina Hansas Lyman Thornton. At one time, Thornton "boasted of two fine general mercantile stores". Thornton's store was owned in the early 1900s by George Marler. A competing store in Thornton was owned by C. L. Galbraith. In 1971 Thornton Merc, which replaced the two prior mercantile stores, was opened at the old Marler's location by Mrs. Geraldine Evans. As of 2010 it is still in operation, and "Marler" can still be seen faintly painted on the north side. Descendants of the Marler family still own property in Thornton. Thornton was once a place for recreation and amusement, featuring a movie picture house operated by Mr. Fritz Hansen, a saloon, and a dance hall. In the mid-1940s, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints purchased a grain elevator in Thornton from M.G. Koon and Sons. This elevator served to store welfare grain for church stakes until 1959, and can still be seen from U.S. Highway 20 for many miles north and south of Thornton. When Thornton had a train depot, the Yellowstone Park Special passenger train would stop in Thornton on its way to Mack's Inn and Yellowstone Park. Visitors to Heise Hot Springs would arrive by railroad at Thornton and travel by horse-drawn vehicle to the nearby mineral springs. Thornton once had a community church directed by Reverend Baird. He presided over the church until religious services were discontinued due to insufficient numbers of attendees. The LDS Church also supported a primary and Sunday school service in Thornton for a few years. This was also discontinued as the population of Thornton diminished. The LDS Church continues to thrive in the nearby area, as expansion of Rexburg, Idaho has caused commuters including employees and students of Brigham Young University Idaho to seek available housing in