The Thompson Families of Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Unconscious recognition of the true worth of a man who has made his opportunities and opened his own way through hardships and financial struggle is found in the ultimate conclusion of a well-rounded career. Mr. Thompson, whose name mentioned above, has demonstrated a firmness of purpose in his chosen vocation that cannot but win the admiration of those familiar with his steadfast and thrifty methods.

Esten Thompson, farmer, Fergus Falls township. Otter Tail county, was born on September _>o. 1856, at Trondkjem, Norway, and is a son of Bernt Thompson. His rudimentary education was obtained in Norway, and at the age of ten years be came to America with his parents, where he attended the public schools for a short time. When quite a young man. Mr. Thompson began farming for himself in Wilkin county, Minnesota, where he took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, which he sold in 1903, and bought his present farm consisting of one hundred and ten acres, his time and attention being devoted to general farming. Mr. fhomppon has put valuable improvements on his place, which, although not one of the largest, is one of the best places in the township. He is a brother of Anton Thompson, whose name is mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Politically, he is a Republican, and in religion, a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church.

Esten Thompson was united in marriage with Christina Void, by whom he has had eight children [names omitted for privacy].

Mr. Thompson is a gentleman of mure than ordinary intelligence, and keeps well up with the times, and can honestly claim all the honor accorded him as a substantial and prosperous citizen.

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

Anton Thompson, a prosperous attorney and the present county attorney of Otter Tail county, is a native of this county, where he was born on February 8, 1870, son of Bernt and Enga (Goldseath) Thompson, natives of Norway and farming in Dane Prairie township, this county. Anton Thompson was reared on a farm in Dane Prairie township, and obtained his elementary education in the district schools of the township.

When Mr. Thompson was fifteen years old, he entered the seminary at Wilmar, Minnesota, and was later graduated from that institution. After teaching school for five years successfully in Otter Tail county. Mr. Thompson entered the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, in [896, and three years later was graduated from the law department with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. The year following his graduation, he engaged in the practice of his profession at Henning. Mr. Thompson still retains his office at Henning, although in [908 he formed a partnership with Clifford L. Hilton, under the firm name of Hilton & Thompson, and lias since been in the practice of law at Fergus Falls.

Having been elected as county attorney of Otter Tail county in 1908, Mr. Thompson has held the office continuously for the past seven years.

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

JOHN T. THOMPSON.

Born on October 25, 1872, in St. Olaf township. Otter Tail county. Minnesota. John T. Thompson, who is a farmer and business man of Dalton. Minnesota, is the son of Isaak and Ingeborganna Thompson, both of whom were natives of Norway. Mr. Thompson's father was born in Stod, Norway. January 18. 1822, and was a laborer in his native land. In 1857 he came to America and made his home in Iowa, for ten years. Mr. Thompson's mother was born in Stod, Norway, Octoher 18, 1833. She came to America in 1865 and they were married at Decorah, Iowa, in 1866. In 1867 they moved to St. Olaf township where the father homesteaded one hundred and seventy acres of land where he lived the remainder of his active life on the farm. They spent their last years at Dalton, Minnesota.

Mr. and Mrs. Isaak Thompson were the parents of three children. One boy who died an infant. Annie was born on November 18, 1868. On November 18. 1891, she was married to Fred Anderson. They are farming at Aurora, Oregon. The third child was John T., the subject of this sketch. They were members of the Lutheran church. Isaak Thompson died on February 17, 1915, and Mrs. Thompson died on January 17, 1914.

John T. Thompson was educated in the common schools of Si. Olai township, Otter Tail county and. when a young man. began life on his father's farm on his own responsibility. When he was twenty-one years old he was presented with the home farm by his father and has owned it ever since. In 1900 he engaged in the clothing business at Dalton, Minnesota. He retired from the clothing business in 1915. He is now interested in the Northern Oil Company. Mr. Thompson is a stockholder and director of the First State Bank of Dalton and is otherwise prominent in commercial circles in this section of Otter Tail county.

On May 25, 1913, John T. Thompson was married to Dagny Vinje, and to them has been born one child [names omitted for privacy].

Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church. Mr. Thompson is independent in politics. He is an intelligent and prosperous business man and is popular, not only in his home community, but throughout this and adjoining counties, where he is so well known.

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

Although the immediate subject of this sketch has passed from the land of the living, he is still remembered by friends and neighbors near his home in Tordenskjold township, where his widow still resides. He was a man of kindly nature, who easily made friends, and was possessed of such integrity and industry as won for him the respect of all who knew him. By his labors he made for his family a comfortable home, practically hewing it out of the wilderness

Jacob Thompson was born in Larwick, Norway, and when a boy of sixteen years, ran away to sea. He was on the sea during the years of the nil War of this country and was on a vessel captured by the Confederates and held a prisoner for some time. Upon his release, after the close of the war. he came to Minnesota and settled in Otter Tail county, homesteading a tract of one hundred and sixty acres in Tordenskjold township. He later purchased twelve additional acres and was possessed of one hundred and seventy-two acres at the time of his death, which occurred on June 3, 1800. His land was all covered with forest when he obtained it and he cleared it all and made other great improvements, the house which he originally built still standing.

On August 6, 1871, Jacob Thompson was united in marriage with Martha Torstenson, who was born in Norway, June 24, [847, a daughter of Torsten and Mallena Torstenson. The family came to America in [869 and located in < )tter Tail county, where they lived for a great many years. To Jacob Thompson and wife were born five children. Thorn, the eldest, lives in Underwood, where he is a drayman; Matilda is the wife of William Mags of Sauk Center, this state; Annetta married Andrew Olson and lives in Fergus Falls; Theo is Mr>. John Lindeblo, of Raymon, Montana, and Julius, the youngest of the family, follows the trade of blacksmith and makes his home with his mother. Both Jacob Thompson and his wife were members of the Lutheran church and were active in the early yearof that faith in this vicinity, as she-till is. lie was an excellent man and left to his children that richest of all heritages-— a good name.

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

Probably no man of the town of Erhard, in Otter Tail county. Minnesota, has taken a more conspicuous or important part in the business life of Erhard and the vicinity than has Edward Thompson, who is cashier of the Erhard State Bank. A man of broad experience, one who has been a farmer, a merchant, a public officer, and now as a financier conducting the affairs of one of the most prosperous of the smaller banking institutions of the commonwealth, he has a record which is most enviable and one to which his friends and many admirers point with justifiable pleasure and pride.

Edward Thompson was born in Norwood, Carver county, Minnesota, November 13, 1877. the son of Knut D. and Mary 1 ( gunderson) Thompson, the father a native of Norway, in which country he was born in 1847, and the mother a native of Carver county. Minnesota. Knut Thompson came to America in 1867 and settled in the state of Wisconsin, where he lived for some years and then went to the city of Minneapolis. Minnesota, accepting employment there for some time, after which he went to Carver county, Minnesota, there starting a blacksmith shop, which he operated for about five years and then came to Otter Tail county, locating in Maplewood township for one year. Coming to the town of Erhard, Knut Thompson established the first blacksmith shop of the town, following his trade at this place until the year 1906, when he went to Stanley, North Dakota, there homesteading one hundred and sixty acres of land on which he lived for a short time and then went to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where he has since lived a retired life.

Mary (Gunderson) Thompson, mother of the subject of this sketch, is the daughter of John Gunderson and wife, who shortly before the Civil War left his native land of Norway and came to America, settling in Carver county. Minnesota, where he engaged in general farming until the year [883, when with his family, he moved to Erhard, Minnesota, and lived in retirement for the next twenty years, and then, his wife having died, he moved to Audubon and there spent the remainder of his days with a son. To the marriage of Knut and Mary (Gunderson) Thompson were born the following children: Edward, the subject of this sketch; Emma, a school principal at Jamestown, North Dakota; Juanita, who married George H. Newbert, president of the First National Bank, at Mora, Minnesota, and Anton, who died in 1903.

Edward Thompson was educated in the public schools of Erhard and in the schools of Fergus Falls, after which, with his father, he conducted a hardware store at Erhard for seven years and then accepted a position as grain buyer for the Minneapolis and Northern Grain Company, a business in which he continued for five years. In the year 1907 he went to Mountrail county. North Dakota, there taking a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land, on which he lived for one year, afterward returning to his former position as a grain buyer, a work which he followed for about four years, then became a grain buyer for the Farmers Elevator Company, of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In the year 1913 Edward Thompson, with other progressive citizens of Erhard and vicinity, organized the Erhard State Bank, of Erhard, Minnesota, he at the time being elected as cashier of the institution, an office which he has since held to the satisfaction of all, managing this flourishing banking house with its capital of ten thousand dollars and its surplus of two thousand dollars, without criticism or complaint from its one hundred and fifty depositors, with their fifty thousand dollars of deposits. Associated with Mr. Thompson in the conduct of this financial institution are the following directors, all well-known men of Otter Tail county, Minnesota: E. A. Jewett, president: Knut Stenerson, vice-president: H. H. Knobel, Axel Knutson, P. M. KnolT and I. O. Grina.

On June 29, [904, Edward Thompson was married to Julia Anderson, a native of the state of Minnesota, and to this marriage have been born six children [names omitted for privacy].

Edward Thompson has found time to serve his township in public office, for more than twelve years having served in his usual efficient manner as township clerk. In politics, Mr. Thompson is independent of party. In fraternal circles, Edward Thompson is a leading member of the lodge of Ancient Order of United Workmen, an organization in which he takes a prominent part.

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