Thompson, James F. 1844-1905

THOMPSON, DRAKE, SPEEGLE, GEORGESON, POWELL

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 2/28/2023 at 16:49:45

Elkader people received word yesterday that J.F. Thompson, of Eureka, Cal., had passed away at a hospital in San Francisco on Dec. 27th. Mr. Thompson visited our city, his former home, last summer and his friends knew him to be in poor health at the time.

The 'Eureka Daily Standard' has the following concerning him:
"James Franklin Thompson was born in Union County, Pennsylvania, May 29, 1844. In 1856 he moved with his parents to Grant County, Wisconsin, where he was educated in the public schools, Allegheny College and Tafton Collegiate Seminary, and on August 15, 1864, he was married to Miss Minerva Drake.

In 1870 he removed to Monona, Iowa, to take charge of the public schools there. From Monona, in 1872, he removed to Elkader, Iowa.

He began life as a teacher in the public schools in Wisconsin and from 1865 to 1870 was principal at Cassville and Lone Rock in that state. From 1870 to 1878 he was principal of the schools in Monona, Iowa. At Elkader, he was County Superintendent from 1874 to 1878 and principal of the Elkader schools from 1878 to 1880, when he resigned to enter upon editorial work there. In 1883 he was elected Clerk of the Courts of Elkader, serving until 1885, and in the following two years was a Representative in the Iowa Legislature.

In 1888 Mr. Thompson came to California and Humboldt, purchasing a half interest in the 'Humboldt Standard', then printed on F Street, between Third and Fourth, from Frank P. Thompson, and in the following year acquired the sole control of the paper which was moved to the present site of the Arcade dry goods store. From that time he continued in the sole ownership and editorial management of the paper until December 1, 1902, when he sold the business to his son-in-law, W.N. Speegle and Major Harry W. Patton. The firm of Patton & Speegle, as it was known, continued the management of the paper for a year when G.K. Coleman purchased the Patton interest and with Mr. Speegle has since conducted the paper.

During his newspaper career here, Mr. Thompson was a recognized power and the recognition of this fact was made patent by his appointment by President Cleveland as Register of the Eureka Land office in 1894, to which office he was reappointed successively by President McKinley and President Roosevelt.

He was very prominent in fraternal circles, having been a Mason, Odd Fellow, Knight of Pythias and Workman. It was in the order of Odd Fellows however that he received the greatest honors. In this order he was a member of every branch. He was initiated into Longworthy Lodge, No. 102, Wisconsin, October 11, 1869. In 1870 he was elected Vice Grand, but removed to Monona, Iowa while serving in this office.

Here he joined Northern Light Lodge No. 156 and within the next two years passed through the chairs. In 1872 he moved to Elkader, Iowa, and organized Elkader Lodge, No. 304, and was elected the first Noble Grand. District No. 88, composed of ten Lodges sent him to the Grand Lodge of Iowa in 1878 and retained him in that position most of the time until 1888. During a portion of that time he occupied the position of District Deputy Grand Master, and served in the Grand Lodge on the Committee of Appeals.

In 1888 he came to California and located in Eureka, where he joined Fortuna Lodge No. 221. In 1889 he entered the Grand Lodge of California, and in 1891 was elected Grand Warden, in 1892 Deputy Grand Master; in 1898 Grand Master; in 1904 Grand Representative, attending the Sovereign Grand Lodge that year at Chattanooga, and in 1895 at Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1897 he was elected Trustee of the Odd Fellows' Home and served as Vice President and President of the Board of Trustees.

Of his immediate relatives he leaves a wife and four grown daughters; Mrs. Fred W. Georgeson, Mrs. W.N. Speegle and Mrs. W.E. Powell of this city and Miss Dedie Thompson at San Francisco. He also leaves a half-brother, Ira F Thompson, formerly of this city but now a student at the University of California.

~Elkader Argus, Wednesday, January 10, 1906; pg 4

Note: He and his wife Minerva are buried in Myrtle Grove Memorial cemetery, Eureka, Humboldt co., CA. Their son Charles died of an accidental gunshot in 1887 and is buried in the East Side cemetery, Elkader. Charles' obituary is also posted on this Obituary board. Sadly no mention of Charles was made in his father's obituary.