He co-owned a printing and binding firm with John H. Freligh in Memphis called Hutton & Freligh. They did a lot of business during the Civil War with the Confederacy. After the war, like so many other people, Hutton had to file bankruptcy in 1871. In July 1880 a notice in the Public Ledger reported the following: The delinquent subscribers to the erection of the Hutton Cotton Picker, now being erected in the city of St. Louis by the inventor, will be barred if the same is not paid to Louis Hanauer by August 1st, W.M. Hutton, Inventor, Louis Hanauer, Trustee. Hutton was a veteran of the Mexican war. He was a private in Co. C, 1st Tenn. Mtd. Infantry. He joined on June 6, 1846 at Lewis Co. TN and mustered in at Columbia TN. He was 23 years of age. He mustered out at New Orleans on May 29 1847 and discharged on a surgeon certificate of disability.

Widower.
Age 88
Father: James Hutton, TN
Mother: Winney Weathers, TN
Cause: Pneumonia
Source: Memphis Burial Permit

Married Margaret Jane Taylor Nov 6 1850, Davidson County TN.

1880 Census Memphis
-William M. Hutton, age 59, Printer, TN
-Margaret J. Hutton, age 51, wife, TN
-William P. Hutton, age 28 Son, Collecter, TN, (married Mary Egnew in Memphis. Moved to Little Rock. Had two children William George Hutton and Norma Hutton. Died Feb 14 1919 in Little Rock Ark.)
-James Seabure Hutton, age 26, son, artist, TN (Artist and Theatrical owner. Wife's name was Clara Marie Jackwell/Jackel. Two children Margarite and Joseph Maury Hutton. He died in Nashville TN Jan 25 1930 and buried in Cincinnati Ohio. Informant: Mrs. J. Maury Hutton. Source: TN Death Certificate. Newspaper sources say he was interred in the family lot at Memphis but the burial map does not list him in the family lot.)
-Winnie Hutton, age 24, daughter, seamstress, TN
-Joseph H. Hutton, age 23, son, Printer, TN
-George Dixon Hutton, age 21, son, Printer, TN
-Marcus T Hutton, age 16, son, Printer, TN
-Margaret Hutton, age 14, daughter, TN
-Otey Hutton, age 8, son, TN

1900 Census Shelby Co TN
William Hutton, head, age 78, born Feb 1822, TN
Maggie?, wife, age 73, born Feb 1827, 8 births 4 living children
Dixon, son, age 31, born May 1869