Hooper, Thomas 1842 - 1920

HOOPER, FURMAN, CRAIG

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 10/29/2025 at 13:02:05

Source: Cresco Plain Dealer Oct.29, 1920, P5 C6

The community was shocked Thursday when they heard the news of the death of Captain Thomas Hooper, who possed{sic} away early Thursday morning at the home of his son, Geoge, at Victosia{sic}, Michigan. The remains will be brought here for burial, but the date of their arrival is not yet known.

Source: Cresco Plain Dealer Nov. 12, 1920, P2 C3-4

CAPTAIN THOMAS HOOPER
Life Sketch of Veteran Pioneer in Michagan{sic} Copper Mining
The following sketch of the life of Capt. Hooper was written by an old friend and associate of the deceased and published originally in the mining Gazette of Houghton, Mich.
Captain Thomas Hooper, a real pioneer of the Copper Country and one of its veteran mining men, died Thursday at Victoria. Capt. Hooper, who was 78 years of age, spent the greater part of an active lifetime in the Copper Country and his life was intimately connected with the development of the district’s basic industry.
The remains were taken to his old home in Cresco, Ia., Friday, and the funeral was held there Sunday under the auspices of the Masonic order to which he belonged.
Capt. Thomas Hooper was born at Chasewater, Cornwall, England, on the first day of March, 1842. He came to the United Stated in 1859, and commenced his career as a mining man at the Quincy mine, Houghton county, Michigan working as a miner.
He then went to Ontonagon county and worked in the Rockland group of mines. It was at the National mine that he took his first contract sinking a shaft when he was 20 years old. He was married at Rockland the Fourth of July, 1862, to Miss Henrietta H. Furman. They celebrated their golden wedding at the Victoria mine, July 4, 1912. His wife passed away at Cresco, Iowa, three years ago.
He accepted a situation at the Champion iron mine, as mining captain, and remained there one year. From there he came to the Union mines, Ontonagon county Carp Lake township as timberman and remained there as a caretaker until appointed superintendent of the Ontonagon Silver mine in 1873. In 1874 he accepted a position as superintendent of the Nonesuch copper mine. In 1875 he leased the Nonesuch for seven years. He built a stamp mill there and tramway to Lake Superior, and engaged actively in the mining and production of copper. In 1881 he sold his lease to the Nonesuch Mining syndicate, and remained at the Nonesuch as agent until 1883. In 1881 in connection with Byron N. White, and Charles A. Parker, he opened up the White Pine mine, took out the first cooper{sic} and shipped it.
In 1883, he moved his family from the Nonesuch, and took up his residence in Ontonagon. That same year he accepted the position as agent for the Michigan State Quarry company, at the “Arvon” near Baraga, Michigan. He remained there for five years. In 1888 he went to Port Arthur, Canada, as agent for the Beaver Silver Mining company. In 1893 he removed to Cresco, Iowa, near where he had a large farm and in 1899 he was appointed as agent for the Victoria Copper mining company, which position he held for seven years, when he resigned and his oldest son George, succeeded him as agent.
During his stewardship at the Victoria, Capt. Hooper was instrumental in installing the compressed air plant, which is one of the wonders of the mining world. He laid out the underground workings, had all machinery installed, had all necessary buildings erected, including a sawmill, and houses for the benefit of the workers at the mine, and their families, and put the location in a first class mining condition. After resigning from Victoria in 1906, he went to Goldfield, Nevada, as superintendent of the Goldfield Mines syndicate, and spent the ensuing years inspecting and examining mineral properties all over the mineral zone of the United States, also in Mexico. A few years ago he retired from active work to his home in Cresco, Iowa, coming to Lake Superior and spending his summers among his children.
Captain Hooper is survived by one sister who still lives in England, one daughter, Mrs. Jamse Craig of Greenland, and five sons, George and Charles of Victoria mine, James of Jarbridge, Nevada, Thomas and Stanley of Cresco, Iowa, 20 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. He always took active interest in county politics and served four years on the board of supervisors.
He was raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason at Rockland, 58 years ago. He was a member of Montrose commandery, Calumet, and took the Scottish Rites degrees at Grand Rapids, Mich.
He died at 6 a. m., on the 28th day of October, 1920. He had at no time been confined to the house and the evening before he enjoyed himself with some of his family and friends until after 11 p. m., and retired feeling well and cheerful.
“Capt. Hooper was the last of the old line of mining men of the early days” a friend of 60 years says in a letter to the Gazette. “A man—that sums up his character. He was a self-educated mining man and a practical one. His schooling and knowledge of mining was gained thru contact with actual work and the knowledge received was crammed into him thru practice. He was a man of rugged constitution, one well fitted for the pioneer’s life of the early days.
“Now he has left his children to mourn his loss, and a few surviving friends, while he has started out over the last trail, and will make his last portage to that undiscovered and unknown country—to that house not made with hands, still pioneering, still exploring and prospecting the unknown. May his quest not be in vain; may he find the precious jewel in eternal life. And I believe he will.”

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows he is buried in Oak Lawn Cemetery.

Oak Lawn Cemetery
 

Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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