Otis Reed Thompson

As printed in 1908

OTIS REED THOMPSON, proprietor of the Crystal Creek Celery Farm, a tract of 171 acres, situated in Stow Township, has been a prominent citizen of this section for a number of years. Mr. Thompson was born September 12', 1849, at Hartville, Lake Township, Stark County, Ohio, and is a son of Benjamin F. and Susanne (Werner) Thompson.

Benjamin F. Thompson, was born January 13, 1820, in the same house and on the same farm in which his son Otis R. was born, his father John Thompson, having been a very early settler in Stark County. All through his active life he has been engaged extensively in farming, has bought and sold cattle on a large scale and raised many sheep. In politics he is a Republican, but he has paid less attention to office-holding than many others whose business interests were not so large. He has been twice married and he and his first and second wife have been consistent and active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Benjamin F. Thompson was married (first) to Susanne Werner, who died in 1863. She was a daughter of John Werner, of Stark County, Ohio, and she became the mother of eight children, six of whom reached maturity, as follows: John L., residing at Cuyahoga Falls; Henry, residing in Cuyahoga Falls Township; Emily, who married Travella Wilcox, and resides in Cleveland; Mary, wife of Cyrus Yerrick, and residing in Akron; Otis Reed; and Loretta, who married William Lane. Emily and Loretta are deceased. Mr. Thompson was married (second) to Martha

Linn, of New Berlin, Ohio, and they have hud one son, Harvev, who resides at Cuvahoga Falls.

Oti.s Reed Thompson was reared in a home where all material comforts were abundant, but his educational advantages were very limited. He was only fifteen years of age when he enlisted as a drummer boy in Company A, 19th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Col. Charles F. Manderson, and he remained in the service a little over two years. The first battle in which his settle was tried, was at Ringold Station, below Chattanooga. He later took part in the Atlanta campaign, was engaged in battle of Franklin, Tennessee, later on participated in the second battle of Nashville, after which he went with his regiment to Texas. After his honorable discharge from the army in which he had displayed the enthusiasm of youth and the bravery of manhood, Mr. Thompson returned to Lake Township and remained at home with his father whom he greatly assisted. Some two years later he accompanied his father and step-mother, the latter of whom was a kind, motherly woman, to Stow Township, where they settled on a farm on which the Test Station now stands. His parents subsequently moved to Cuyahoga Falls, but Otis Reed remained on that farm for fourteen years.

From the age of fourteen Mr. Thompson was trusted by his father with business affairs, having shown rare good judgment, even in childhood, concerning the handling of stock. During most of his subsequent life, Mr. Thompson has given special attention to this line of industry, for many years being a noted breeder of stock and fine horses; and even now, when his main attention is directed to another industry, he still breeds Shetland ponies and at the present writing (1907) has twenty-four head of these beautiful little animals. On the above farm, Mr. Thonij)Son also ran a dairy, raising many cows at that time and there started his horse-breeding industry which later assumed such large proportions. In 1888 he bought his present farm of 171 acres, naming it appropriately the Crystal Creek Stock Farm, for the breeding of trotting and draft horses from registered stock. Mr. Thompson improved hi.s farm with the idea of developing speed, along with other good qualities in the horses he bred, to this end building a half mile track, where matinee races were held as long a.s he devoted his attention to that industry. lie raised many notable horses, among them b;'- ing Fariny Wilki's, who ea.sily made a record of 2.26 1-4, and that wa.s not the limit of her speed. She was used mainly as a brood mare. Mr. Thompson also bred the noted horse Jessie Wilkes, who made a record of 28 1-4 and a trial mile of 2.11. Mr. Thompson was offered $7,000 for her, but she died on his hands. Mr. Thompson has since bred Cardinal Wilkes, and Noble Wilkes, who made a mark of 29 1-4.

Mr. Thompson continued in the horse business on his place until within the past twelve years, and he is still interested in the breeding of "draft horse.s, being president of the Springdale Horse Company, which imported the Belgian stallion, Toto to improve the breed of local draft horses. This noble animal was imported July 27, 1903, at a cost of $3,000. He was approved by the Belgian government to stand for public service in Belgium, and was also approved by the French government to stand for public service in France. It is generally conceded that the Belgian is the coming breed of draft horses. During all the time that Mr. Thompson was engaged in the horse business, he also ran a large dairy, having a milk route at Cuyahoga Falls and supplying milk to Fair Oaks 'ilia for many years.

About the time that Mr. Thompson retired from the breeding of horses, he turned his attention to another profitable industry, the growing of celery, his celery tract covering about twenty-five acres, on which he raises something like $5,000 worth of the succulent vegetable a year, with the work of eight employes. He raises also corn, wheat and oats, and, as mentioned above, gives attention to his Shetland ponies. It will be seen that Mr. Thompson is a man of great business capacity and occupies a very prominent place in the attention of his fellow citizens. He has had the foresight to enable him to see favorable business opportunities, and has had the courage to push forward and make every enterprise to which he has given direct attention, a success.

When nineteen years of age Mr-. Thomj).<on was married to Isabella Machmer, who is a daughter of John Machmer, of Lake Township, Stark County. They have three children, namely: Pinetta, who married Frederick Hibbard, residing in Stow Township; Lillian, who married C. Keenan, residing at Akron; and Roy Otis. In 1906, Mr. Thompson erected what is probably the finest rural residence in this county. It is modern in every particular, equipped with hot and cold water, with a sewerage system that carries the waste to a distant creek running through the farm. The house is placed on an eminence which gives a beautiful view of the surrounding country, with a handsomely shaded lawn sloping from the front to the highway. He luis three other dwellings on the farm which are occupied by his employes. Other substantial improvements made by Mr. Thompson, include the fine bank barn which was built in 1895, its dimensions being 40 by 60 feet, with 18-foot posts. Prior to this, in 1887, he built the horse barn which is 70 by 26 feet in dimensions, with 1 6-foot po.sts. For fourteen years he has been a director of the Summit County Agricultural Society and he has served as expert judge of homes and cattle at county fairs all over the State. In politics he is a Republican, but he has never sought political office. Since its organization, he has been a member of Eddy Post, Grand Army of the Republic at Cuyahoga Falls. He is termed the "celery king" on account of his success in growing celery and to the fact that he is the largest grower in this part of Ohio. Personally, Mr. Thompson is a man who impresses one with his vigor and enterprise.

As printed in Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.