James Thomson

As printed in 1902

JAMES BOYD THOMSON.

James Boyd Thomson is now. living a

‘retired life at No. 284 West High street, having accumulated a handsome competence which has enabled him to put asde the arduous cares of business career. He was born in Pleasant Ridge, Mad River township, September 14, 1841, and is a son of Robert Thomson, whose birth occurred in county Antrim, Ireland, in 1814.. The pa-

‘ternal grandfather, James Thomson, was a native of Ireland, and spent his last days on the Emerald Isle. Hle followed the occupation of farming. In the family were ` three sons, of whom James died in Iowa, Robert in Ohio, and William in Ireland. The grandfather of our subject lived to the advanced age of seventy-eight years, and his wife passed away when Robert Thomson was only two years of age. The little lad then went to make his home with his grandparents and was reared under their roof, pursuing a common school education in his native country. He served an apprenticeship to the mercantile business with an uncle, and on the 27th of June, 1837, he landed at Castle Garden, New York, with but little money, yet possessed of a resolute determination to make the most of his opportunities and thus advanced in life. He opened a night writing school in ¡Philadelphia, being a good penman. He afterward went to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and secured a clerical position, which he later resigned im order to remove to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he became wharf clerk. In 1840 he was married in- Dayton and there secured a situation as a clerk in a store which was conducted by Samuel McPherson. In the same year Robert Thomson came to Clark county. His wife who bore the maiden name of Charlotte Patton, was born in Warren county, this state, in 1815, and was of Scotch-Irish lineage. She inherited considerable property from her people, being one of the heirs of a bachelor uncle, James Ferguson, who died in Hagerstown, Maryland. He was a great hunter. He visited Clark county in company with Henry Bechtle, and had located land here, having purchased eight hundred acres. Through his judicious investments and well directed business affairs he accumulated much wealth.

Robert Thomson and his bride came to Clark county and settled upon some of this land which had been entered by her uncle. They remained upon the farm there twelve years, and in 1852 came to Springfield. Mr. Thomson did not achieve very great success as a farmer for he had been reared in mercantile lines. He therefore opened up a grocery business in Union Hall, in connection with Samuel McPherson, which part- Ele then opened a store of his own on the east side of Fountain avenue, between High and Main. This he carried on for three years, after which he began the manufacture of nership continued about two years.

candles, a business which claimed his time and energies for twenty years and proved a profitable source of income. During tis time Mr. Thomson also became connected with business enterprises which were successfully conducted, and thus he won a very gratifying and handsome competence. His was a sturdy manhood and an active, industrious nature, and in matters of citizenship he was found to be progressive and public-spirited. He accumulated considerable property, but before his death he disposed of most of this. Although his school privileges were limited he read widely, keeping well informed on the questions of the day. His death occurred at the family home at the corner of Thomson avenue and High street in 1886. His wife had previously passed away on the 21st of 1873, and Mr. Thomson had been again married, his second union being with Elizabeth Faber, who was born in Pennsylvania and is now living in Springfield. In politics Mr. Thomson was a Whig until the dissolution of that party, when he became a stanch Republican. By his first marriage there were two children, James B. and Annie, the lat-

August, ter the wife of William C. Smith, who resides on West Main street in Springfield. Her first husband was Hudson B. Clark, who was a descendant of the founder of this. county. By her first marriage she had one son, Robert Clark. There were no children by the second union of Mr. Thomson. James Boyd Thomson spent his childhood days in Springfield, and after pursuing his preliminary education in a select school he entered Wittenberg College. At the age of nineteen he began his business career as a salesman in the dry goods store of Isaac McCreight, and on leaving that employer he entered the United States army for one hundred days’ service under Captain Asa Bushnell. On the expiration of that period Mr. Thomson returned home and entered the candle manufacturing business of his father, continuing until the business was closed out, a period of twelve: years. He acted as its manager, thus relieving his father of the care and responsibility in his old age. Their factory was. equipped with modern machinery for making candles, and the enterprise was successfully conducted. Mr. Thomson is a man of resourceful business ability, and he extended his affairs into other lines of activity. He carried forward to a successful completion whatever he undertook, and his counsel and judgment have proved valuable in the conduct of many leading enterprises here. In 1879 the candle factory was. closed and Mr. Thomson joined Montgomery Patton in the establishment of a grocery the same store, which they carried on until 1884, when they closed out the enterprise. Mr. Patton was one of the heirs of Mr. Ferguson, from whom Mr. Thomson’s grandmother had received her legacy. Since retiring from merchandising-our subject has.

ee ey the BIOGRAPHICAL. RECORD.

been engaged in handling real estate, but is largely living retired, save for the personal ‘supervision which he gives to his invested interests.

In 1875 in Springfield occurred the marriage of Mr. Thomson and Miss Julia McPherson, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and a niece of Samuel McPherson, who was the first employer of the father of ‘our subject. Her parents were John and Elizabeth (McKinnell) McPherson, both natives of Scotland. They had but two children—Mrs. Thomson and Mrs. Virginia Heckler, both of this city.

In politics Mr. Thomson is a Republican and has been registrar in his precinct since 1892. He has never been an aspirant for office, although he has been tendered official preferment many times. In 1900 and 1901 he served as a member of the board of ‘revision and equalization, faithfully discharging his duties to the satisfaction of all concerned. He has been appointed executor of many states and has thus gained an insight to legal matters. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic. He is interested in matters of general good and his cooperation is never withheld from any movement for the substantial improvement of his community. His memory carries him back over a long period in the development of Ohio. He was a boy in. Enon when in 1848 the Sandusky Railroad was being built. The old men of that day greatly opposed the railroad, but the work of progress cannot be impeded by a few individuals, and the building was continued. Mr. Thomson has also witnessed many changes in Springfield, as it has grown and developed into one of the most enterprising manufacturing cities of the central west. Through his long connection with business affairs here he has ever borne an unassailable reputation for honesty in dealing and for fidelity to duty and well does he merit the rest which is now vouchsafed him, as he lives in his pleasant home surrounded by all of the comforts which go to make life worth the living.

As printed in A Biographical Record of Clark County Ohio (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.