THOMPSON, JOHN

THOMPSON, HARDY, CLEMENS, ARTZ

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/22/2004 at 13:39:37

Biography reproduced from page 547 of the History of Kossuth and Humboldt Counties, Iowa published in 1884:

The pioneer carpenter to locate at Wesley and open a place of business was John Thompson, who came here from Algona in 1878. Mr. Thompson is noted throughout the country as a contractor and builder of no mean ability, and work entrusted to him will be always well done.

John Thompson, son of Norman and Susan Thompson, was born in Hamilton township, Northumberland Co., Canada West, Oct. 12, 1833. His mother died when he was only six months old. He lived in Canada until twenty-one years of age, when he and his father removed to Ogle Co., Ill., and purchased a farm. He lived in Ogle county until September, 1862, when he enlisted in the 8th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. He served through the war. In 1863 he was out with a scouting party, and was severely wounded by his horse falling down a stone quarry and falling upon him. He received his discharge in St. Louis in August, 1865. He participated in many hard fought battles, his company or regiment being a part of the army of the Potomac. Among the hardest battles were: Williamstown, seven days fight on the peninsula, battle of the Wilderness, Antietam, Gettysburg, Manassas, second battle of Bull Run, and Beverly Ford, a strictly cavalry battle, which lasted one whole day. He returned to Ogle county after the war, and followed farming. In 1867 he helped get up a map of Ogle county. In April, 1876, he came to Iowa, locating in Algona, this county. Before coming west, however, he had traded some property for 240 acres of land in this county, 160 acres in Wesley township, and eighty acres in Lott’s Creek township. In 1878 he removed from Algona to the village of Wesley and engaged in carpenter work. Mr. Thompson has been married three times. In 1854 he was married to Sarah M. Hardy, of Canada. They had four children—Teresa J., Norman E., Everett W. and Charles W. Mrs. Thompson was a member of the Presbyterian Church. After she died he was again married, but his second wife died in the summer of 1875, and was buried in Byron, Ogle Co., Ill. In 1876 he was married to Mrs. Mary (Clemens) Artz, of Ogle Co., Ill. Mrs. Thompson had two children by her first husband—Ozzy and Ella. Mr. Thompson is a republican. He owns nice residence property, and also a good carpenter shop, which, by the way, is the building erected by Comstock & Baker, the first one built in Wesley village.