Thompson, John (1812-1893)

THOMPSON

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 12:51:22

JOHN THOMPSON (1812 - 1893)

Pioneer Sketches - by Leonard S. Spencer [The Advocate Tribune, Indianola, IA, Thursday, Jan 8, 1885, p.4, col.2]
In order to find the country where the subject of our present sketch first drew his breath, we must search the map of Europe. By so doing, if we look on the western coast, in longitude ten degrees west, and fifty five degrees north latitude, of the British Isles, we can find a county by the name of Down, Ireland, laying on the north and eastern coast of this island, between the north channel and the Irish sea. This is where John Thompson was born. In conversation with him as regards his age, he said he could not tell the month or the day of the month that he was born; but it was in the year 1812. The writer of this could find out but very little as regards the ancestors of our subject, for he knows but little of them himself. Being born of poor parents, he received but little advantages as to a good common education – what we call a common school education.
At an early age he was taught the shoemaker’s trade. In his boyhood days and in the country where he was born, all apprentices had to work seven years before becoming full-fledged as a workman. This contract our subject fulfilled to the letter, learning his trade thoroughly before leaving his employer. He worked at his trade for some years, when he was attacked with the emigration fever, and he determined to come to this country and try and get himself a home for his old age.
After arriving in this country, he came from New York to Ohio, here he worked a part of the time at his trade and part of the time on a farm, working at anything he could get to do and make an honest living. He worked on a steam boat, running on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers for a couple of years, from Pittsburg to New Orleans, and as far north as St Louis, MO. But this business was not congenial to the feeling of John, the work was hard and laborious, his associates were rough, spending all of their earnings, he made up his mind to quit the river and go west and buy him a farm of Uncle Sam as he had land to sell cheap, for those that wanted a home.
In the fall of 1849 he came to Iowa on an inspection tour, came to Warren County, located the farm he now lives upon. He then went back to Ohio, was married in the fall of 1850 to Miss Catherine C. Wheeler, of what is now Noble County. A few days after his marriage he left for Iowa again, and made a permanent home here in the fall of 1850.
Mrs. Thompson was a native of Ohio, born in Washington County in 1819.
Here they have lived for 34 years and seen the state and county from their birth until the present day; followed their children to their present manhood; have seen them in the days of prosperity and in adversity; seen the state rise from infancy, to become a giant in influence; seen the wild and lonely prairies covered only with grass, but now covered with well tilled farms and good buildings; seen the country covered with deep snows of winter, and its blooming flowers of summer.
Great has been the change since his arrival here, great has been the tides of emigration from other states until Iowa is the coming metropolis of the Union.
He has a farm of 230 acres and is fixed well for old age. They have had five children, all girls, have but two living; one is married to Charles Stark and the youngest is at home. In religious belief, he is Scotch Presbyterian, and politically a Democrat. For the last two years he has failed in health, being scarcely able to do any work. But a few more year, at the longest, can he or his wife be permitted to stay here. They will take that journey from whence no traveler returns. If our country was all settled with such men and women as Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, the lawyers of Iowa would have no law business to make their living by. [Note: John Thompson was born March 1, 1812 in County Down, Ireland and died Nov 25, 1893 in Warren County, Iowa. He came to Warren County in 1849 and married Catherine C. Wheeler in 1850. She was born in 1819 and died in 1907. Both John and Catherine are buried in Linn Grove Cemetery, Linn Township, Warren County, Iowa]