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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
Genealogical & Biographical Record
of Miami Co., Ohio
Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
1900
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BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX of History Publ. 1900 >
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LIST of BIOGRAPHICAL INDEXES >
HENRY M. TELLER |
Source:
Genealogical & Biographical Record of Miami Co., Ohio - Chicago: The
Lewis Publishing Company - 1900 - Page |
W. B. TEN EICK |
WILLIAM B. TEN EICK
Source: Genealogical & Biographical Record of Miami Co., Ohio -
Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company - 1900 - Page 484 |
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WILLIAM M. THOMPSON.
William M. Thompson follows farming in Newberry township,
being connected with the pursuit that for many years has formed the
means of livelihood of representatives of the Thompson family
living in Miami county. Sylvester Thompson, his great
grandfather, was born in North Carolina, and about the year 1807,
with his wife and five children, emigrated to Miami county, Ohio,
taking up his abode in Newton township, where he entered a claim now
known as the Landis farm. He afterward entered the west
half of section 32, Newberry township, removing to that property
about 1817. He also entered two quarter-sections on Greenville
creek about the same time, his landed possessions thus becoming very
extensive. He conducted a still house on his farm and was one
day found dead, lying in the spring branch. It is supposed
that he had lain flat on his stomach in order to get a drink, and
died in that position. This was in 1826, when he was about
sixty years of age. In politics he was a stanch Democrat.
His wife, Mrs. Polly Thompson, who was noted
for her kindness of heart and sweet, gentle disposition, died in
April, 1843, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John Hill,
near the town of Pleasant Hill. After the death of her first
husband she was again married, becoming the wife of a Mr.
Freeman, of Newberry township. The children of
Sylvester and Polly Thompson were five in
number: John, the eldest, married Catherine Rench,
and resides in Covington. In connection with his brother
William he owned the site on which the east half of Covington
was built, and conducted a tavern where Doctor Mover's
house now stands. He afterward sold that and later engaged in
the hardware business on what was then called Water street, close to
the river. He died on his farm east of Covington, on the 8th
of July, 1841. James Thompson, the second member
of the family, was born about 1800, married Elizabeth
Bierly and located on Greenville creek, becoming an influential
agriculturist of that community. He died on his farm several
years prior to the death of his wife. Samuel, the third
member of the family, was born in 1802, and was married in 1823 to
Hannah Rench, daughter of Peter Rench.
He died in 1895, on the farm where his son Josephus now
lives. William, the fourth member of the family, wedded
Nancy Rudy, and located on what is known as the
Teague farm, which was part of the land entered by his
father from the government. He died at his pleasant home near
Pleasant Hill in 1882. Nancy, the only daughter and the
eldest of the family, was the wife of John Hill and
lived on a farm near Pleasant Hill, which is now owned by Nate
Iddings, of Bradford. There she spent her remaining
days.
It was William Thompson who became the
grandfather of our subject. He was born in North Carolina, in
1804, and was consequently three years of age when his parents came
to Miami county. His father entered land from the government
and gave to him one hundred and sixty acres after his marriage.
He wedded Nancy, daughter of Samuel and
Sally Rudy, and about 1834 he sold his farm and removed
to Illinois, but as he could find no land to suit him in that state,
he returned to Ohio and repurchased the old homestead from his
brother John. He then engaged in farming for a time,
but afterward once more sold the property to his brother John
and purchased what is now the Kilworth farm, which was
entered from the government by Samuel Rudy. On
disposing of that property he purchased the Fox farm, near
the Darke county line, remaining thereon for a few years, when he
again sold and bought thirty acres in Newton township from Mr.
Butterfield. When he found a purchaser for that land he
bought ten acres east of Pleasant Hill, and there practically lived
retired until his death, which occurred May 18, 1882. His
wife, Nancy Thompson, passed away in 1847, and he afterward
married Rachel Spillers, widow of William
Kendall. She survived him for a few years.
William Thompson was laid to rest in the Greenville creek
cemetery. The children by his first marriage were:
Mary, who married John Arnold and afterward
married William Murphy, but is now a widow, and makes
her home in Bradford; John, who married Catherine
Coates, and resides in Newberry township; Samuel, who
married Mary Ann Fachler and died near Red
River, Darke county, as did his wife; James, the father of
our subject; Sarah, widow of Emanuel J. Beard, of
Newberry township; Martha, wife of Calvin Brant,
both now deceased; Margaret, who became the wife of John
Swisher, and died in Newberry township; Hannah, who
became the wife of Isaac Hollopeter and died near
Houston, Shelby county, Ohio, where her husband's death also
occurred; William, who married Elizabeth Smith,
and died in Covington; Nancy Ann, who became the wife
of Henry Cassal, with whom she removed to Illinois,
where her death occurred, her remains, however, being interred in
Greenville creek cemetery; Henry, of Fort Wayne, Indiana;
Nathan, who married Amanda Muck, and is living in
Ludlow Falls; and Sylvester, who married Miss Long,
and resides in Pleasant Hill. There were two children by the
second marriage, Matilda, wife of Edward Carson, who
resides near Sidney, Ohio, and Susan, wife of Samuel Burns,
of Piqua.
James Thompson, the father of our subject, was
born in Newberry township, in 1826, and was reared in the usual
manner of farmer lads of that period. He had no educational
privileges and after the children attended school they taught him to
read and write. He married Mary Moss, who was
born in Newberry township in 1826, a daughter of William
Moss. They resided in Newberry township, where the father
died in 1862. In the fall of 1861 he enlisted in his country's
service as a member of Company B. Seventy-first Ohio Infantry, under
Captain McConnell. In May of the following year
he was sent home on account of illness, and died on the 21st of that
month. His wife, long surviving him, passed away in 1882, and
both wore buried in the Greenville creek cemetery. Their
children were William M.; Charles, who married
Salome Matthews and died in Newberry township in 1876;
Peter, who married Catherine Sheffbaugh and is living in
Covington; James, of Darke county, who married Catherine
Rike, who is now deceased; and Rachel M., who died in
infancy.
William M. Thompson was born Jan. 25, 1846, on
what is known as the James Teague farm, in Newberry
township. There he was reared to manhood and obtained his
education in the district school near his home. His privileges
were somewhat limited, however, for his services were needed in
clearing and developing the home farm. On the 8th of February,
1864, at Covington, he responded to his country's call for aid,
enlisting as a member of Company A, Eighth Ohio Cavalry, for three
years' service. He went to Camp Dennison and after a short
time to Camp Pratt, Virginia. The troops thence proceeded on
the Lynchburg raid, but were driven back to Camp Pratt and afterward
sent to Martinsburg. in the Shenandoah valley, and thence through
Maryland and Pennsylvania, being present at the burning of
Chambersburg. Mr. Thompson also participated in
the heavy skirmish which was continued through thirteen days.
The troops were pursued to Beverly, Virginia, where Mr.
Thompson and four hundred of his companions were taken
prisoners, being taken to Staunton, where they were put on board
trains bound for Richmond. He was incarcerated in Libby prison
from the 16th of June until the 26th of February, 1865, when he was
paroled and returned home. After visiting in Ohio for thirty
days he started to rejoin his regiment, but learned of Lee's
surrender and went to Columbus, where he reported for duty. He
was then sent to his regiment in Philippi, West Virginia, where the
command was given the duty of gathering up United States property,
being thus engaged for about four weeks. Mr.
Thompson was then discharged at Clarksburg, Virginia, July 13,
1865. He saw hard service throughout his connection with the
army, and spent the nineteenth anniversary of his birth in Libby
prison. While at Beverly he and his companion, Martin
Van Kirk, had pictures taken together. Mr.
Thompson mailed one to his mother in Ohio, but the mails were
robbed by the rebels and the picture did not reach its destination;
but when Mr. Thompson was gathering up government
property in Crab Bottom, Virginia, one of his comrades happened to
visit the home of a Confederate and saw the picture there. He
then informed Mr. Thompson, who visited the place, and
after considerable parley the photograph was returned to him.
At the time of the capture of Beverly the Union troops were
surprised in their bunks by the rebels. He and his friend, Van
Kirk, were together as usual, and the latter went out to see
what was the matter, whereupon he was seized. He then shouted
to Mr. Thompson, who seized his gun with the intention
of making a dash for liberty, but he found that the rebel force were
too many for him, and after exchanging some lively words was forced
to surrender. By the side of his friend, Van Kirk, they
started to march away shoulder to shoulder, but a volley was fired
by some unknown scouts and Van Kirk fell, hit in the forehead
by a bullet. Such, in brief, are some of the experiences
through which Mr. Thompson passed while loyally defending the
Union during the civil war.
After he returned home he resumed work on the home
farm. During his boyhood he had been employed as a farm hand
for two dollars per month and his board. After his marriage he
received as high as three dollars per day for cradling wheat, being
able to cut four acres per day.
On the 10th of March, 1867, Mr. Thompson was
married to Miss Nancy J. Green, a daughter of Samuel Green,
deceased, of Newberry township. They remained on his mother's
farm where they lived for one and a half years and then rented land
in Concord township, where they made their home for eight years.
On the expiration of that period they returned to his mother's farm,
and after her death Mr. Thompson purchased the
property, to which he has since added twenty acres, and there he
built a substantial and comfortable residence. He raised
tobacco and garden produce and attends the market at Piqua twice a
week. He purchased forty acres of land near Fort Recovery and
removed there in 1882, but after remaining there a year and a half
he returned to his present home. He is enterprising and
progressive in his business methods and receives a good income as
the result of his energetic labors.
Mr. and Mrs. Thompson now have six children:
Charles, who died at the age of twenty years; Oscar, who
married Emma Stauffer and lives in Covington; Walter E.,
who married Flora Reiber, and resides in Newberry
township; Myrtie E., who married Asa Reck, a farmer in
Darke county; and Hattie and George W. at home. The
parents hold membership in the Greenville Creek Christian church, of
which Mr. Thompson has been a member for many years.
In politics Mr. Thompson is a stanch Republican and
keeps well informed on the issues of the day, but has not sought
office, desiring rather to give his time and energies entirely to
his business interests, in which he has met with signal success.
Source: Genealogical & Biographical Record
of Miami Co., Ohio - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company - 1900 - Page
722 |
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ELMER E. THOMSON.
Elmer E. Thomson is a leading undertaker and embalmer
of Miami county, and is a representative of a family that
for many years has been prominently connected with the
business interests of this section of the state. In
tracing the genealogy of our subject we find that he is
descended from a long line of sturdy, intelligent and
honorable ancestors, and that in both the lineal and
collateral branches representatives have been prominent in
the history of the nation. His paternal grandfather
was born in Virginia and served in the war of 1812.
When he went to the front he left his wife, whose maiden
name was Catherine Tullis, and his two children, in
Troy, Ohio, rejoining them at that place when his services
were no longer needed in defense of American interests.
He was a prominent factor in public affairs in his section
of the state and afterward entered the land upon which the
town of Muncie, Indiana, now stands, becoming one of the
pioneer settlers in that locality. He served as keeper
of the Miami county jail, and it was in that building, at
the southeast corner of Main and Plumb streets, in Troy,
that Joel T. Thomson, the father of our subject, was
born. Mr. Thomson often referred in a jocular
manner to the fact that he was born in a jail. In his
native city he became an active and influential business
man. In 1840 he established there a furniture store to which
he gave his constant personal attention for fifty years, or
until the time of his death, which occurred in 1890, when he
had attained the age of seventy-three years. He
enjoyed exceptionally good health, was strong and vigorous
and thus was well fitted to meet the arduous duties of
business life. He advocated abolition principles at a
time when it required great personal bravery to announce
oneself as a friend and protector of the colored people.
He made his home a station on the underground railroad, and
thus assisted many a dusky fugitive on his way to freedom,
beyond the reach of southern masters. On the breaking
out of the civil war he closed his furniture store and
carried on only the undertaking department of his business
in order to allow his three employes to enter the Union
ranks. All three served in many sanguinary battles,
but returned unharmed at the close of the war and are yet
living, being numbered among the valiant heroes to whom the
Union owes her preservation. However, many brave
soldiers from Miami county gave up their lives on the
battlefields of the south. Eighty-two of the number
were brought to their homes, and Mr. Thomson
officiated as undertaker at eighty-one of these soldier
funerals. During the fifty years of his business
career he acted as undertaker at over eleven thousand
funerals in Miami county. During all those years he
enjoyed the esteem and confidence of his fellow men and was
often honored with positions of trust in administering the
affairs of the town of Troy. In early manhood he was
united in marriage to Miss Mahala Helen
Gilkerson, who is still living in Troy, and who came to
this state with her parents from West Virginia, then a part
of Virginia. She traces her ancestry back to the
Virginia pioneer and explorer, the famous Captain John
Smith, and on her mother's side she is related to the
family of John Randolph, one of the colonial
governors of Virginia and one of the leading spirits in the
Revolutionary war, whose memory will ever be honored on
account of his lofty patriotism, his unswerving devotion to
his country and his noble character. Other members of
the family were equally loyal and prominent, and well may
Mr. Thomson be proud to trace his lineage to such
a source. Four sons and three daughters were born to
the parents of our subject, namely: Wilbur, who
was for many years a teacher in the county schools, and his
death, at the age of thirty-five years, was a great loss to
his family and the community. Emma is now the
wife of John H. Stafford, of Meridian, Mississippi,
and the mother of Harry Stafford, — her only
son,— who entered the Spanish-American war as first sergeant
in Colonel Roosevelt's Rough Riders and took part in
the arduous campaign of that now famous regiment in front of
Santiago, resulting in the capture of the city.
Sergeant Stafford captured General
Toral's pony and brought it as a trophy to New York.
On the disbandment of the Rough Riders he enlisted as
sergeant in the company that was sent to the Philippines,
and while bravely fighting in the front he was severely
wounded in the breast, but finally recovered from the
injury. Mary, the third of the family, is now'
deceased. Charles is a leading undertaker at
Sidney, Shelby county, Ohio. Walter J. was a
prominent physician in Union, Ohio, at the time of his
death, which occurred July 12, 1896. He was a surgeon
on the pension board of Montgomery county for seven years,
and occupied a position of prominence in professional
circles. In politics he was a Republican and a man of
marked influence in the councils of his party. His
wife has also passed away, but two children survive them.
Our subject, Elmer E., is the sixth of the family,
and Mrs. Etta Bizer, of Piqua, Ohio, who is now
deceased, is the youngest.
In early youth Elmer E. Thomson attended the public
schools of Troy and was graduated in the high school at the
age of eighteen years. From early youth he was more or
less connected with his father in business and very
naturally was his successor. He became thoroughly
proficient in his chosen vocation, and after spending two
years in the study of medicine with Dr. J. H. Green,
an eminent physician of Troy, he took two courses of
lectures in the college at Columbus, Ohio, making a
specialty of surgery. He introduced arterial embalming
in this section of the country, and has practiced the
embalming art with great skill and success, having received
professional calls not only to all parts of Miami county but
to distant parts of the state as well. For the last
five years he has been a member of the Undertakers"
Association of the United States. In 1887 he entered
into partnership with his father, at Troy, and since tht
latter's death, in 1890, he has carried on the business
alone. On April 16, 1900, his place of business and
its contents were destroyed by fire, since which time he has
had quarters a few doors north on Market street, and with
the assistance of new and improved inventions is better able
than before to carry on the undertaking profession.
On the 11th of July, 1889, Mr. Thomson
was united in marriage to Miss Carrie J. Riley, who
is a graduate of the Troy schools and of Miami University,
at Oxford, Ohio, and a lady of superior culture and
refinement. For about seven years prior to her
marriage she was a popular teacher in the public schools of
Troy, and she still takes great interest in educational
matters and in the intellectual advancement and progress of
the town. She is especially active in promoting higher
education and the advancement of women and is a member of
the executive committee of the Standard Club, an association
of ladies formed for mutual improvement. Clifford,
the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Thomson, is an
extremely bright little lad of six summers, who has just
entered school and gives promise of special aptitude and
al)ility in matters of education. The parents are
consistent and active members of the Presbyterian church,
and their labors are effective in promoting that
denominational organization of Troy.
Mr. Thomson is a stalwart Republican in
politics, and is a member of the local committee. He
was elected county infirmary director for Miami county,
serving from 1891 until 1894, and during that time was clerk
of the board. He is justly proud of the fact that no
deserving person was denied the necessaries of life during
that time, owing to his unremitting interest in this great
work, established for the relief of the worthy but
unfortunate people of the county. Mr.
Thomson is a member of the Odd Fellows Society, the
Knights of the Golden Eagle and the Knights of Honor, and
has served as noble chief of the second order. He is a
perfect specimen of physical manhood, well developed and
vigorous, with a strong, pleasant face and clear-cut
features and a cordial manner that enables him not only to
win but to retain his friends as the years pass by.
Such in brief is the life history of Mr. Thomson.
His character has been shadowed forth between the lines of
this review, and in the summary of his career we note only a
few of the salient points,— his activity and sound judgment
in business affairs and his conformity to the ethics of
commercial life, together with his faithfulness to public
office, his genuine friendship and his regard for true worth
of character. These are the qualities which make
Elmer E. Thomson a valued citizen in whatever community
he has made his home.
Source: Genealogical & Biographical Record
of Miami Co., Ohio - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company - 1900 - Page
670 |
S. J. TILDEN |
Source:
Genealogical & Biographical Record of Miami Co., Ohio - Chicago: The
Lewis Publishing Company - 1900 - Page |
NOTES:
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