Abraham Lincoln Norton was born in Jonesboro, Maine to Jeremiah Beal Norton and Hannah Sawyer Norton. On 15 Dec 1849 Abraham married Phoebe Parker Drisko daughter of John Drisko and Lucy Worcester Leighton of Addison, Maine. Together Abraham and Phoebe had 6 children. Those children were George Edward, Lucy A, John Lincoln, Rebecca Ann, Daniel J, and Norton Norton (who was born and died in 1861). On 11 Aug 1866, Abraham, Pheobe and their 5 children, left from Jonesport, Maine aboard the sailing ship, Nellie Chapin, headed for Joppa, Palestine. They were accompanied by many families from Jonesport, embarking on a religious trip inspired by a zealot leader, Geo J Adams, founder of the Adams Colony. The followers believed they would prepare the way for the return of the Jews to their own Homeland. It was a group of 156 souls and they met with death, misfortune, illness and discouragement, as all had sold all they had to prepare for the journey. By 1868, most were prepared to return to their homes in America. Some stayed. Many of the Community were so ashamed and embarrassed, they never returned to Jonesport, Maine. Some even made a living in the Jerusalem area. One family opened up the first Theater in Jerusalem. Pheobe had died on 18 Nov 1866, in Palestine, Jerusalem and Abraham returned to Jonesport with his children. He lived with his sister Eliza Norton Dobbins for a time. On 3 Mar 1873 he married Henrietta Bernice Lord, daughter of Oliver Cleves Lord and Eliza Ingersoll Lord, and the widow of Captain Coffin C Cole. Abraham and Henrietta had one child, Ulysses Charles Coffin Norton. Henrietta brought two children into this family, Daniel J Cole and Carrie Bernice Cole. Samuel Clemmens, aka Mark Twain wrote about the tragic trip to Palesting in his book, "The Innocents Abroad".