Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 647 - 648 

EDWARD P. THOMPSON. Among the agriculturists of this county who have attained success from a financial point of view, is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He is one of the largest land-owners and most progressive and energetic farmers and stock-raisers in this section of country, and is a complete master of the calling which he is following. His sterling integrity and honorable, upright manhood, fully entitle him to the position which he holds in the estimation of the people of the community.

            Mr. Thompson, who resides on section 18, Kechi Township, was born in that portion of Mifflin County, Pa., which is now known as Juniata County, May 24, 1817, and is the eldest in a family of ten children of his parents, William and Charlotte Chambers (Patterson) Thompson, who were also natives of the Keystone State. The family from which he sprang have always occupied an important place in the history of Pennsylvania, and greatly assisted in the development of that portion of the country. William Thompson, the grandfather of our subject, was one of the noble band of heroes who made up the Continental army during the Revolutionary War, and participated in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Yorktown, and many others during that conflict. Mr. Thompson has in his possession as a relic a commission dated May 31, 1775, appointing William Thompson Lieutenant in the Provincial army. A great-uncle of our subject, Isaac Thompson, who was also a soldier in the Continental army, was with Gen. Montgomery on his march into Canada, and was with that unfortunate General when he was killed before Quebec. George Patterson, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was one of the earliest settlers in the Juniata Valley, in what is now Juniata County, and was engaged in the hostilities with the Indians which preceded the Revolution. He was a commissioned officer during the French and Indian War, in the Colonial troops, raised to support the claims of George III. Mr. Chambers, the founder of Chambersburg, Pa., and William Allen, the original proprietor of Allentown, in the same State, were both uncles of the mother of the subject of this sketch.

            William Thompson, the father of the gentleman of whom this sketch is written, was engaged both in the farming and mercantile business in Pennsylvania until his death, which occurred on the old homestead in Juniata County, in 1834, when he was but forty-nine years of age. His excellent wife survived him many years, and died in Lancaster County, in the same State, in 1863, at the age of sixty-nine years.

            Mr. Thompson, of whom we write, was reared in the county of his birth, and received his primary education in the district schools of that locality, which was supplemented with a partial course at Columbia College, New York. He received in his youth a training on the farm and in his father's store, and was connected for a short time with the milling business. At the expiration of his collegiate course he returned to his home, and entered the store of his father, in the village of Thompsontown, which was situated on the old homestead. He remained there about three or four years, and while a resident of that place, on March 4, 1839, was united in marriage with Miss Matilda Snyder, a native of Milton, Northumberland Co., Pa., born Oct. 13, 1821, and daughter of John and Elizabeth (Fredericks) Snyder, also natives of the Keystone State.

            After his marriage our subject removed to Schuylkill County, in the same commonwealth, where for about a year he was engaged in erecting buildings and selling them, and then returned to the family homestead, where he remained four years. His next removal was to Oakland Mills, a village in his native county, where he followed milling, merchandising and farming for about twelve years, and then moved back to Schuylkill County, where he was employed in the mercantile business for about ten years. Philadelphia was the next scene of his labors, and for the space of two years he was actively connected with the commercial interests of that great city. With a natural desire to expand his efforts, he, in November, 1868, came west to the State of Kansas, and settled in Topeka, where his family made their home until 1874. On the 23d of June, 1869, however, Mr. Thompson came to Sedgwick County, and purchased 960 acres of college script land, which had been located by the Lawrences of Boston, Mass. This property was in one body, and situated along the Little Arkansas River, in Kechi Township. He commenced the improvement of the land in the spring of 1870, living at first in a cabin which he erected at that time.

            Our subject has added to his original purchase until he is now the owner of 1,016 acres of fine, arable land, 200 of which he has brought to an excellent condition of culture, the rest remaining in pasture. The place is well stocked with good horses and high-grade Durham and Galloway cattle, he giving the greater proportion of his attention to stock-raising. When he came to Sedgwick County it was an apparently uninhabited waste, and all the supplies were hauled to this locality by team from Topeka or Leavenworth, as it was at least 100 miles to the nearest railroad. At that time this county was yet a portion of Butler County, and our subject was one of the prime movers in the organization of this political sub-division of Kansas. He had been several times through the State previous to his removal here, the first time in 1838, when he crossed the northeastern portion of it into Nebraska, in company with three Indians. At that time Gen. Sumner was a Captain in the regular army, and located at Ft. Leavenworth. On his location in Sedgwick County he entered into the cattle business, as he had an extensive range, starting with some 600 head of stock, and regrets that he did not procure more at that time.

            In his political views our subject coincides with the principles of the Republican party, and takes an active part in the local campaigns of that organization. He has filled the position of Township Trustee from the time of the establishment of Kechi Township until the present year. To him and his wife have been born a family of four children, of whom the following three are still living: Cora, Josephine and Matilda.

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