Thomas, Fred. S. (1845-1899)

THOMAS

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 9/24/2008 at 13:56:46

Frederic S. Thomas
Sep 23, 1845 - Aug 13, 1899

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.169, Macedonia Twp.)
Dr. F. S. Thomas, physician, Carson, was born in Chatham Village, Columbia County, N. Y., September 23, 1845. His father, Caleb J. Thomas, was born in Champlain, Clinton Co., N. Y., March 10, 1807. He was engaged in the cotton and woolen factories of the East, in which he was very successful until 1837, when the financial crisis swept away so many hard-earned fortunes. He was among the unfortunate, but paid every dollar of debt, thus being left without anything to begin life anew. This he did by going onto the railroad as a brakeman, where he continued till promoted to conductorship; then he left the railroad and came to Illinois in 1847, and located at Warsaw, Hancock County. There he followed painting for two years, then bought a farm of eighty acres three miles south of Warsaw. Here his children grew up. He moved from the farm back into Warsaw to afford his children better opportunities of education. From this town he moved to Atlantic, Iowa, in 1874, where he, with his wife, made their home with their daughter, the late wife of Hon. J. K. Powers, until 1878, when they made their home with the subject, then at Walnut, Pottawattamie County, where his father died July 21, 1880. Subject's mother, Catharine (Smith) Thomas, was born in Livingston, Columbia Co., N. Y., September 16, 1806. She died August 25, 1881. She was the mother of six children, all of whom are dead but the subject. Three died in New York - Edward, Charles and William; one is buried in Illinois - Mrs. M. F. Clark, and one is buried at Atlantic, Iowa - Mrs. Anna L. Powers, late wife of Hon. J. K Powers, of Atlantic, Iowa. Dr. Thomas began his educational work in the common schools of Illinois; thence he entered the Warsaw High School, where he graduated in 1864. He then went into the army as a private in the One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Illinois Infantry, where he continued six months. The war was then over, and Dr. Thomas clerked about one year in the Keokuk Post Office, Iowa: thence he spent one season on the Keokuk Mail Packet Line as mail agent. Then he entered the drug store of Dr. C. G. Strong, at Warsaw, Ill., and began reading medicine; attended two courses of medical lectures at Keokuk Medical College (now College of Physicians and Surgeons), graduating February 21, 1870. He then took a special course in surgery under the late Prof. Hughes, of Keokuk. He began practice at Bentonsport, Van Buren Co., Iowa, in April, 1870. He removed to Atlantic in the spring of 1871, entered the drug business under the firm name of Tobie & Thomas, continuing there till 1872 and then moving to Macedonia, Pottawattamie County, where he practiced medicine, doing remarkably well, but, owing to the ill health of his wife, he moved to Walnut in 1877. There he continued practice until August, 1880, when he moved back to Carson, where he is now located, and has a very fine practice. The Doctor it the oldest graduate of medicine in the portion of Pottawattamie County. He has a fine residence and other property in Carson. He is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities, and in politics he is a (Blaine) Republican. Dr. Thomas married Miss Mary Ella Ferrier at Atlantic, Iowa, October 15, 1873. She was born in Platte City, Platte Co., Mo., September 4, 1850. Her father, John Ferrier, born in Virginia April 29, 1819, is living near Atlantic, Iowa. Her mother, Jane E. (Walker) Ferrier, was born in Virginia February 29, 1821, died February 3, 1867, in Des Moines, Iowa. Dr. Thomas and wife have two children - Ethel, born February 21, 1878, and Edith, November 25, 1880. Dr. Thomas was Coroner of Pottawattamie County from 1873 to 1875. he was prominently mentioned for Representative in 1875. He is a member of the Town Council of Carson, also a member of the Schoool Board of that place.

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.369)
FREDERIC S. THOMAS, a physician and surgeon of Council Bluffs, has been identified with the interests of Pottawattamie County since 1872. He is a native of New York, born at Chatham, Columbia County, September 23, 1845, the youngest of six children of Caleb J. and Catherine (SMITH) THOMAS. The father was a native of Clinton County, New York, born March 10, 1807, a son of Caleb THOMAS, who came from Lime, Connecticut, and served as a soldier during the Revolutionary War, entering the army when 17 years old, first as a drummer and then serving in the ranks for seven years. After the War, he located in New York state. He was of Welsh descent, and married a Miss ROLAND, who was a niece of Richard Lightfoot LEE, of Virginia. They reared six children, of whom the father of our subject was the fourth child. Caleb J. THOMAS was reared in New York, and his early youth was spent on his father’s farm and later in the factories of that state. His father died when he was 17 years old. He subsequently became a manufacturer in Kinderhook, New York, but on account of the free trade law, he was obliged to abandon a profitable business and start in life anew. He became a brakeman on the Boston & Albany Railroad, and from that was promoted as conductor, where he remained for a period of years. In 1848 he came west to seek his fortune, locating near Warsaw, Hancock County, Illinois, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits, which he followed until 1861, when he removed to Warsaw.
He was married in 1831 to Miss Catharine SMITH, a native of Columbia County, New York, and a daughter of William SMITH, who was a native of New York and of German descent. They reared a family of six children, of whom our subject was the youngest, and the only one now living. The father died at the home of our subject, August 29, 1880, and the mother survived until September 3, 1881.
The subject of this sketch received his education in the schools of Warsaw, and during the late Civil War went into the army, serving in Company A, 137th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, as a private until nearly the close of the war. After this, he began the study of medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. Collin G. STRONG, now of San Francisco, California, with whom he remained for four years. He graduated at the State University of Iowa, at Keokuk, now known as the College of Physicians and Surgeons, February 21, 1870. He first located at Bentonsport, Van Buren County, remaining for one year. He then went to Atlantic, Cass County, and engaged in the drug business one year, and in 1872 he came to this county, engaging in the practice of medicine at Macedonia. Dr. THOMAS remained in the east end of the county until he came to Council Bluffs in 1877, where he formed his present partnership with Dr. D. MACRAE.
He was married October 15, 1873, to Miss Mary Ella FERRIER, a native of Missouri, and daughter of John and Jane (WALKER) FERRIER, of old Virginia families. They have three children: Ethyl, Edyth, and Evelyn. The Doctor has served as Coroner of this county from 1873 to 1875 and has also served on the School Board at Carson for several years. He is ex-president of the Council Bluffs Medical Society, a member and secretary of the Medical Society of the Missouri Valley, a member of the Iowa State Medical Society, and the American Medical Association. He is Professor of Diseases of the Mind in the Omaha State Medical College; President of the Board of Examining Surgeons of Pensions at Council Bluffs; is Medical Director of the National Fraternal Association of that city. He is a member of the G.A.R. and served as Medical Director of the State Department in 1889; is a member of the A.F.&A.M. Coral Lodge No. 430, at Carson, and the Chapter and the Scottish Rite bodies at Council Bluffs. He is a member of the I.O.O.F. and the A.O.U.W. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Thomas’ father died in Cass County in 1886; her mother died in 1867.