Tompkin, William

TOMPKIN

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 20:44:53

William Tompkin

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.667)
WILLIAM TOMPKIN, proprietor of the Macedonia Breeding Farm, has one of the leading establishments of the kind in southwestern Iowa. Mr. TOMPKIN was born in Derbyshire, England, near Yorkshire, April 25, 1829, a son of Thomas and Ann (PILKINGTON) TOMPKIN. His father was a dealer in and breeder of good horses, and he therefore learned of him a great deal in that line. In early life he also learned the butcher's trade, which he followed some years. In 1855 he came to America, settling at Peru, LaSalle County, Illinois, and a short time afterward at Mendota, same county, where he lived nine years, engaged in butchering, shipping stock and dealing in horses. In 1864 he went to Central City, Colorado, where he conducted a grocery and meat market four or five years. Then he located at Council Bluffs and here engaged in the horse trade, in company with Rev. William ARMSTRONG. He also bought the Star Meat Market, which he ran for a time. In 1867 he made a trade for 160 acres of land where he now lives. He has bought and sold other land, and has now 320 acres of good land, adjoining the town of Macedonia. He has spent thousands of dollars in stocking his farm with the best specimens of the horse genus. On his place are some mares and fillies that would make a "blue-grass" horseman of Kentucky proud to own; and he has forty or fifty head that are bred most royally. In 1884 he purchased "International," which was bred at the Meadows Farm near Carlinville, Illinois. He took the first premium at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1882, over thirty-four competitors, from ten different States. His sire was the sire of Stockines' dam, and was at the head of Mr. TOMPKIN's herd for four seasons.

Among Mr. TOMPKIN's best mares are Mary G., sired by Pat Malloy; Beeswing, sired by Council Bluffs and from the dam Mary G.; Lady Tompkin, a full sister to Beeswing; Lady O'Neil; Nettie Bray, full sister to the two last. All these are thoroughbred, and are as fine as can be found in Western Iowa. Copper Glance, a standard-bred trotting horse, was at the head of the herd in 1889. No. 8,888, from a half-sister to Isaac, was sired by Mambrino Patchen, No. 58. Copper Glance's colts, seven of which are upon the farm, give good promise. For him Mr. TOMPKIN gave $5,000. Vidal, a thoroughbred, is the son of Vandal, Jr., by the dam Ida B., which was sired by Monarchist, bred at the preekness stud at Lexington, Kentucky. Vidal is now at the head of the thoroughbred stud. Ironwood, No. 3,819, standard, and registered in Wallace's American Trotting Register, volume 6, was sired by Iron Duke, a Hambletonian sired by Dexter. Ironwood is one of the best bred horses in the West. His first dam was Lady Dixon, by Vermont Hero, and his second, Nellie F., by Young Consternation. Mr. TOMPKIN bought Ironwood at Ellis' Grove, near Janesville, Wisconsin. Delavan, No. 6,575, is a remarkable, well-bred horse, having the popular Hambletonian-Mambrino Chief cross that has produced so many fast horses, such as Phallus, Onward and Guy Wilkes.

Mr. TOMPKIN has a good half-mile track upon his farm, where he can train and inter-cross his stock. Every animal on his place is thoroughbred, even to the swine, poultry and dogs. His fine residence cost $3,000. In orchard there are five or six acres, of all kinds of fruits. Mr. TOMPKIN was first married to Mary Ann GODDARD, in New York State, and had three children: George, Walter and Emma. Secondly he married, at Mendota, Illinois, Mrs. Eleanor MILLER, whose maiden name was FRANK. She was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. By this marriage there are two sons: Jacob and Aaron.