Bio: Francis Marion Thornhill, M.D., Bienville & Caldwell Parish
Louisiana
Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana
The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville,  1890
Submitted by Kay Thompson Brown
Date: Oct 1998



**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************



FRANCIS MARION THORNHILL M.D.
Arcadia, La

Dr. Thombill is a man of decided intellectual ability, is ever
ready to obey the call of all classes, and is in truth a physician
of thorough learning and experience.  He was born in Caldwell
Parish, La., September 10,1850, and was third of a family of seven
children-six sons and one daughter--who are named as follows: A. G.
(married and resides in Texas, where he is engaged in farming),
Joseph J. (deceased), Francis M., J. C. (married and resides in
Texas, where he is also engaged in agricultural pursuits), Louisa
(married Orin 0. Gray, who is a farmer of Caldwell Parish), W. H.
(resides in Caldwell Parish), C. P. (is the youngest and also a
resident of the last-named parish). The father of these children
was a native of Mississippi, born in 1816, was fairly well
educated, and is  now  a successful agriculturist. The mother,
whose maiden name was Matilda Blackburn, was also born in the Bayou
State and was educated in the common schools.  She is also living.

Dr. Thornhill received the rudiments of an education in the common
schools, and then attended academy about two years before
commencing to read medicine under Dr C. C. Meredith, at Columbia,
La., in the fall of 1868. There he remained until 1870, and in
October of that year he entered Tulane Medical College now, but at
that time it was called the University of Louisiana. There he
completed the full course of medicine in this far-famed
institution, which has a national reputation, graduating in a class
of seventy-five in March, 1872.  He then at once began practicing
at his home in Columbia, La., and remained there in 1882, during
the noted flood year, when the whole surface of the parish was
under water.  There he established a large and extensive practice,
but not a paying one, so he wisely changed his base of operations
and located in Arcadia, La., in 1882.  Here the Doctor has resided
since, and he stands today, not only one of the leading physicians,
but a liberal-minded, public-spirited citizen.

The Doctor was married, January 26,1874, to Miss Anna Meredith. a
native of Caldwell Parish, La., who was educated in the female
seminary. Only one child was born to this union and that died in
infancy.  Dr. Thornbill has always been a Democrat in politics. But
he has never been a bitter partisan. He has aimed to support men of
principle and honor.   He is one of the directors of the Arcadia
State National Bank, and is a man full of energy and determination.
He is a Master Mason of Arcadia Lodge.

Like a few others of the prominent men of Arcadia Dr. Thornhill
started out in life for himself with limited means, but he had the
push and determination to succeed in whatever he undertook, and he
now has a large and lucrative practice. He also has a full line of
drugs, and is doing well in this business.  He is a land owner, and
is not only the owner of his residence property, but owns his place
of business as well.  Mrs. Thornhill is a member of the Baptist
Church
in Arcadia, La.