Noah T. Thompson

As printed in 1910

NOAH T. THOMPSON.

One of the substantial citizens of Polk township, Nodaway county, is Noah T. Thompson who is deserving of the large success that has attended his efforts, for he has been a man who has relied upon no one to assist him in the battle of life, preferring to push forward on his own account until he accomplished what he meant to do, and his fine farm near Bedison Station is an evidence of his ability in this direction. He was born in the southeast corner of Polk township, in what was then Washington township, June 29, 1865, the son of Squire and Julia Ann (Jones) Thompson. He and his two brothers, Boge and John B., came to Putnam county, Indiana, in 1856 or 1857 and entered land there. Loge removed to Oklahoma and died there four years later; John B. came to Maryville, Missouri, and died here in 1907. Squire Thompson later went to near Barnard, where he lived five or six years and about 1878 came to the farm at Bedison village. His wife died there and he sold his property and lived with his sons until his death. While in the village of Guilford in company with his son, Noah T., he fell dead, in July, 1903, at the age of sixty-seven years. He traded a great deal in a general way in his earlier years, but his life was devoted principally to farming and he was well liked in his community.

To Mr. and Mrs. Squire Thompson fourteen children were born, twelve of whom reached maturity, and ten are still living, six in Nodaway county, four near and at the old home, Noah T. at the old home.

Noah T. Thompson worked on the farm in his youth and attended the common schools. He began life by renting land in partnership with his brother and he has continued this line of endeavor ever since. On March 17. 1889, he married Sina Newcomer, daughter of Martin D. and Susan (Schechter) Newcomer, who came to this county from Illinois when their daughter Sina was seven years old, locating in Maryville in 1876. Both are still living at Guilford, Nodaway county.

For two years after his marriage Mr. Thompson rented land, then bought fifty acres, one and one-half miles from Maryville, for which he paid twenty-five dollars per acre, going in debt for nearly all of it, having only two or three hundred dollars to pay on the place, but he had a team and went to work with a will and soon had a good start. Selling this place in about a year, he bought nearer Maryville, about the same time getting nearly out of debt. In two years he traded for Phelps county land without going to investigate it. This he traded for one hundred and five acres adjoining his father's old place. This he sold in time and bought eighty acres. Selling this, he rented one year and then bought eighty acres at Barnard, selling and buying one hundred and ten acres one mile south of Barnard. He sold this and bought his present farm. He was a close observer and a good trade, and in all these exchanges he had accumulated the sum of ten or eleven thousand dollars. His present excellent farm of one hundred and sixty acres lies north of Bedison, for which he paid the sum of seventy-five dollars per acre. He moved on the place in March, 1907. He has added many important improvements, his farm ranking with the best in the vicinity, and on it stand substantial and comfortable buildings. The place was mostly in grass when he came here and he has raised some large crops of corn on this rich land. Mr. Thompson is not a public man, but he is active in the affairs of the Democratic party.

Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, named as follows: Alvin, Edgar, Nellie, Merle; Ophelia died when ten years of age, and Leland.

Mr. Thompson has made what he has as much by the use of his brain in buying and selling or exchanging land as in the use of his muscle, although he has been a very hard worker all his life. In the successful management of a farm he has no superior in the township.

As printed in Past and present of Nodaway County, Missouri (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.