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Subject: Biography Of Thomas H. Thompson
Date: 3 Feb 2002 14:26:45 -0700

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.

Surnames: Thompson, Abbott, Lockhart, Hallawell, Smith, Crul, Laws, Hunter, Kohlmeier, Levy
Classification: Biography

Message Board URL:

http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/4h.2ADI/1405

Message Board Post:

This book has no cover, and no index, I bought it on Ebay, it just has the insides, but it full of Indiana biographies. I am not researching this family, just thought I would share. I do not know anymore about these families or these surnames.

Typed by Lora Radiches:

Surnames in this biography are: Thompson, Abbott, Lockhart, Hallawell, Smith, Crul, Laws, Hunter, Kohlmeier, Levy



THOMAS H. THOMPSON

A promoter of stable and conservative interests, and supporter of standards in keeping with the best welfare of the community. Thomas H. Thompson, president of the Milan furniture Company, is justly accounted one of the leading business citizens of his locality. Starting life with only an intermittently acquired public school education, and without the assistance of money or influential friends, he has worked his way steadily upwards to affluence and position and to a firm place in public confidence and esteem. Mr. Thompson was born October 10, 1872, on a farm in Ripley County, Indiana, and is a son of Jacob Thompson and a member of a family that came to, the Hoosier State from Maryland. His father who was a cooper by trade followed farming, died when Thomas H. was still a young child, and when he was sixteen years of age the youth left country school in order to assist in the support of his mother, who died recently at Milan. His first work was as a huckst!
er, driving his wagon through Ripley County, where he disposed of his produce, and subsequently he engaged in farming for a few years. Becoming tired of his agricultural surroundings, he went to Milan and in 1900 secured employment in a sawmill, at one dollar per day. After working thus for two years he and Ed Abbott rented a sawmill for one dollar per day and entered the lumber business in a small way, doing custom sawing at Pierceville. Still later he managed to borrow $150, which he invested in a small tract of land, and with Mr. Abbott entered the mill business, under the style of Abbott & Thompson. After two years they conceived the idea of the veneer business and returned to Milan, where they built a small plant, in which they installed a few modest pieces of machinery. At the end of six years Mr. Thompson-bought Mr. Abbott’s share in the business and operated under the name of T. H. Thompson until his son!
had reached years of maturity and had been admitted to partnership, when the firm became T. H. Thompson & Son. In 1904 Mr. Thompson bought the light and power- plant at Milan, in partnership with Mr. Abbott, who sold out later, and at the beginning light was sold at a fiat rate to the people of the community. Subsequently meters were installed, and after the plant had been developed to a highly successful enterprise Mr. Thompson sold out to the Interstate Public Service Company, in 1926, at which time there were over 400 meters in use. In 1924 Mr. Thompson organized the Milan Furniture Company, in partnership with F. Lockhart and W. S. Hallawell. This business has been incorporated as the Milan Furniture Manufacturing Company, with a capital of $160,000. Mr. Thompson is president of this concern; Carl Smith, vice president; Frank Lockhart, treasurer; and Floyd Crul, secretary, and these gentlemen with Charles Laws, form the board of director!
s. The firm manufactures a general line of walnut and oak furniture and finds a ready market for its product, shipping about eight cars a week. Seventy-five men are given employment in the furniture plant and forty men in the veneer plant, and both departments are modern in every respect, with the latest improved machinery and equipment installed. Mr. Thompson is greatly respected in business circles as a man of cool judgment and foresight, of great industry and of uncompromising integrity. He has various interests and is a member of the board of directors of the Milan State. Bank. Fraternally he is a Royal Arch Mason, and a member of the Order of the Eastern. Star, the - Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Republicans. In politics he gives his allegiance to the candidates and principles of the Democratic Party, and is active in the ranks, although he has not sought office on his own account. On November 13, 1894, Mr. Thompson married Miss Elizabeth Hunter, a native of!
Ripley County, and to this union there have come two children Mary, the wife of Walter Kohlmeier, a merchant of Milan, who has three children, Jean, Robert and Thomas; and Thomas H., Jr., junior member of the firm of T. H. Thompson & Son, and who volunteered during the World War and saw tine months of service in the United States Navy. He married Janette Levy, and has one child, Thomas William.

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