The Thompson Families of Greene County, Missouri

WILLIAM L. THOMPSON.

Mr. Thompson is a son of Edward and Elizabeth (DoUison) Thompson, and was born in Henry county, Tennessee, December 13, 1822. His father was a native of Maryland and his mother of Kentucky. After their marriage they moved to Henry county, Tennessee, where they lived until 1829, when they came to Greene county, Missouri. He purchased a claim, but soon sold it and in 1831 moved to what is now known as the Grabtree Price farm, where he lived until 1841, when he moved to Clay township and settled upon the farm where he died in 1850. William was reared and educated in this county, where he has lived, except from 1863 to 1868, he resided in Kentucky. When the war. began he owned a farm of five hundred acres, but owing a few hundred dollars his land was sold to pay his debts in his absence. He returned a poor man and has since endeavored to recuperate his fallen fortunes. He has now a good farm of one hundred and sixty-seven acres, and is regarded as one of Greene's best citizens. Mr. Thompson was married March 27, 1851, to Miss Elizabeth P., daughter of John M. and Elizabeth (Blakley) Hagan. She was a native of Logan county, Kentucky, and was married while upon a visit to this county. They are best with five children, M. E., Mary A., Edward E., Georgia Ann and Willie Douglas.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JAMES M. THOMPSON (deceased).

This gentleman was the son of Edward and Elizabeth (Dollison) Thompson, and was born in Henry county, Tennessee, and when he was quite a child his parents moved to Greene county, Missouri, reaching here in 1829, and were thus among the earliest settlers. James grew to manhood here and made it his home until his death. He was married May 21, 1854, to Miss Elizabeth E. Dabbs, and settled in Clay township. He became a very prosperous farmer, dealing largely in cattle, and owned a farm of eight hundred acres. He was assassinated October 5, 1864, while upon his way home from Springfield. He had, or was supposed to have, a large amount of money upon his person. The money was never found and it is supposed the murderers got it. He left a widow and four children, which she reared to be grown, and kept the estate intact. She was killed by the cyclone of April 17, 1880. Her oldest son, Abner, was born July 28, 1855, and was married December 4, 1879, to Miss Jane, daughter of Major Charles and Susan Galoway of this county. Her mother was killed in the same cyclone. Their union has been best with two children, Jesse L. and Susan E. Besides Abner, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson left three children, James P., Mary L. and Betty C.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JACOB R. D. THOMPSON.

This gentleman is the son of Edward M. and Elizabeth (Dollison) Thompson, and was born July 12, 1836. His father was a native of Maryland and his mother of Kentucky, His father was among the very first settlers, coming to this county in 1829, where he died in 1851. Jacob R. D. Thompson grew to manhood in the county and has always followed farming and stock rearing. He has a fine farm of two hundred and twenty acres, all but sixty of which he acquired by his own industry and energy. He was married in 1866 to Miss Eliza, daughter of Junius T. and Mary A. (Blackwell) Campbell, who were among the early settlers of Greene. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson where best with three children, Mary J., James C. and Elizabeth A.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ABNER D. THOMPSON.

One of the most enterprising farmers of Clay township, Greene county, is Abner D. Thompson, who has considered himself fortunate, and indeed he might well do so, that he has been permitted to spend his life on the homestead, for, in the first place, as one of our great writers said long ago, “There is no place like home and also because his home happened to be in a country greatly favored by nature. It is true that it took a great deal of hard work to get Greene county in proper shape for agricultural purposes, but once in condition there is no better.

Mr. Thompson was born in Greene county, Missouri, July 28, 1855. He is a son of James and Elizabeth (Dabbs) Thompson. The father was born in Henry county, Tennessee, December 13, 1822, and in 1829, when seven years old, he came to Missouri with his parents, the family having made the trip in wagons, experiencing a number of hardships en route. They settled in Greene county among the earliest pioneers, when this locality was indeed a wilderness, the vast forests having as yet heard the ring of the axe but little and the wide rolling prairies were still unscarred by the plowshare. It was amid such environment that the father of the subject of this sketch grew to manhood. He found plenty of hard work to do in assisting to develop a farm, and he received a meager education in the old-time subscription schools. He remained under his parental rooftree until he was twenty years of age, then began life on the farm for himself, entering land from the government and purchasing other tracts until he became owner of valuable holdings aggregating eight hundred acres. He had some of the finest farms in the county. He kept his land in good shape and was a prosperous farmer and extensive raiser of live stock and also a large dealer in stock, was very successful as a trade. He was one of the prominent men of the county in the early days. In the fall of 1864, during the Civil war days, he drove a large herd of cattle to the northern part of the state, where he sold them and upon his homeward trip was waylaid and killed, October 5, 1864, about a mile from his home. It was supposed that he had a large sum of money on his person at the time, and bushwhackers murdered him; however, the mystery has never been cleared up. Politically, he was a Democrat. On May 21, 1854, he married Elizabeth Dabbs, who was born in North Carolina, March 27, 1831, who came at an early age to Missouri with her parents, the family locating in Greene county. After her husband’s death she reared her four children. She, too, met a tragic end, having been killed by a cyclone April 18, 1880. In all, five children were born to James Thompson and wife, namely: Abner D., of this sketch being the eldest; William Edward, born February 3, 1858, died August 13, 1861; James P., born May 16, 1860, is living in California; Mrs. Mary L. Fulbright, born May 15, 1863; Mrs. Elizabeth C. McCracken, born January 25, 1865, is living in California.

Abner D. Thompson was born and reared where he is now living, and was educated in the district schools. Being the oldest child he took the lead in making a livelihood for the family after his father’s death, being only nine years old at that time. He finally became owner of the homestead, and at this time has one of the best farms in the township, consisting of three hundred and ten acres. He has kept the place well improved and has a good home. The land is all in cultivation with the exception of about thirty-five acres which is in timber. He has been very successful as a general farmer. Mr. Thompson deals extensively in live stock, shipping on an average of twenty cars of hogs and cattle each year.

Mr. Thompson was married, December 4, 1879, to Janie S. Galloway, who was born in Barry county, Missouri, and is a daughter of Major Charles and Susan (Carney) Galloway. She came to Greene county when a young girl and was reared on a farm. She received a common school education. She had a narrow escape from death in the cyclone of April 18, 1880, in which her mother was killed.

Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, namely: Mrs. Jessie Anderson lives in California; Susie E., born November 15, 1883, lives at home; Charles E., born March 15, 1885, is farming in Greene county; Catherine Rena, born February 14, 1887, is working in Springfield at the McDaniel National Bank; Mrs. Janie Dee Gibson, born June 1, 1889, lives in Greene county; Mrs. Ruth Gibson, born June 18, 1893. Janie and Ruth married brothers. Bettie, born July 20, 1895, lives at home; Anna Lee, born July 27, 1897, lives at home; Mary Eunice, born February 8, 1903, is at home.

Politically, Mr. Thompson is a Democrat. Fraternally, he belongs to the Modern Woodmen.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WIN FIELD SCOTT THOMPSON.

This gentleman is the son of Samuel S. and Mary H. (Flanagan) Thompson, and was born at Penn's Grove, Salem county, New Jersey. He was educated in his early youth in the common schools of his neighborhood, and at the age of eighteen he entered the Methodist Seminary at Pennington, N. J., where he remained three years, teaching during vacations to help defray his educational expenses. Immediately after leaving the school he began the study of law, which he prosecuted a year before entering a law school. In September, 1864, he entered the famous law school of Albany, N. Y., and graduated from that institution in May, 1865. Upon the suggestion of his friend, Hon. Henry T. Blow, of St. Louis, he settled in Marshfield, Webster county. Mo,, in November, 1865, and entered upon the practice of his profession. In 1866 he was appointed county attorney, and held that responsible position until 1870. He was then appointed attorney and general agent of the Atlantic and Pacific railroad. In that capacity he settled the land question that had arisen between the "squatters" and the railroad company, to the entire satisfaction of both. In 1875 he assisted in the organization of the Webster County Bank, at Marshfield, and was elected cashier, being one of the stockholders. In May, 1879, he sold out his banking business at Marshfield, and engaged in the same business at Wellington, Kansas, for a year. In October, 1880, he came to Springfield and was right of way agent for the Gulf railroad east of this city. He is now town site agent for all towns upon that road east of Springfield. Mr. Thompson is a member of the I. O. O. F., and has been a representative to the Grand Lodge several times. He was married September 16, 1866, to Miss Susanah W., daughter of Lazarus and Elizabeth Nichols, of Wright county, formerly of Kentucky.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.