Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Thompson, Peter 1839 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 18, 2006, 10:35 pm Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908) PETER THOMPSON. In the whole of Nobles county there is no man who enjoys a larger acquaintance than does the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. Coming to the county with the vanguard of the colonists, he at once became identified with its business, social, religious and political life. In an unassuming and unpretentious manner he became a leader. He has engaged in more business enterprises than any other man in the county. During his residence of thirty-six years in the county he won the respect and esteem of all with whom he was thrown in contact. Peter Thompson is a Scandinavian by birth. He was born in Jerfjo, Helsingland. Sweden, Jan. 27, 1839, the son of Peter and Karin (Goranson) Thompson. The father lived to an age of 87 years, passing away at Waupaca, Wis., about 1896. The mother lived to be 94 years of age, and died in the same Wisconsin town in 1903. In his native land Mr. Thompson lived until he was eleven years of age, and there he secured the foundation of his education in the Swedish public schools. In 1850 the family came to America and located at Pine Lake, Wis. They were residents of that place only one year, when they moved to Waupaca, in the same state. There young Thompson engaged in farm work for two years, working during the summer months and attending school in the winters. He then took employment in a drug store, at which business he was engaged five years. During the first few years of his work there he was employed only part of the time, and he took advantage of the conditions to further his educational ambitions, attending the public schools whenever opportunity afforded. He became proficient in the drug business, and during the latter part of his employment was given entire charge of the store, with two men under him. In the fall of 1858 the Thompsons became residents of Minnesota, making their home in Carver county. In the village of Carver Peter Thompson grew to manhood. For five years he was a clerk in a general store; the next year was spent as clerk on a steamboat plying the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. He then started in business for himself, conducting a general store at Carver for seven years. When it became known that the railroad was to be built through the southwestern portion of Minnesota and that the hitherto frontier country was to be opened, Mr. Thompson decided to cast his lot with the new country. One of his friends was J. O. Brunius, of Carver, who was one of the surveyors of the Sioux City & St. Paul company. Through him Mr. Thompson became interested in the Nobles county country. The surveyor gave Mr. Thompson the description of a piece of land along the new road, and in September, 1871, he went to Jackson, and in the land office there filed on the west half of the southeast quarter of section 34, township 103, range 40—the first filing made on land in what is now Elk township. He made the filing on the recommendation of Mr. Brunius, and had not visited Nobles county at the time. Mr. Thompson was a personal friend of Ex-governor Stephen Miller, who was at that time the agent of the railroad company, and that official kept Mr. Thompson informed of the doings of the railroad company and the operations of the National colony. Realizing the advantages of being on the ground early, Mr. Thompson came to the site of the proposed, new town of Worthington early in October, 1871. The day after his arrival the surveyors came and laid out the town. The next day Mr. Thompson purchased three lots—the first sold in the town. Two business lots were purchased on Ninth street, where the store of Mr. S. V. Wyckoff now stands. The third was at the corner of Eleventh street and Third avenue, where the purchaser proposed to erect a residence. He remained only a few days, and then returned to his home in Carver. On Sunday, April 16, 1872, he returned to the new town, coming on the first regular train that ran into Worthington. He brought with him three or four car loads of lumber and several carpenters, and at once commenced the erection of his store building on Ninth street. Besides his general store, he engaged in several other lines of business, establishing them in 1872. He engaged in the farming machinery business, which he conducted until 1886. He built a warehouse (the building now stands in the rear of the Worthington Globe office) and engaged in the grain business. He also engaged in the real estate business, in which he has ever since been interested. He disposed of his store in 1879, selling to B. W. Lyon, and discontinued his grain business about the same time. In 1878 he started in business in Adrian, his enterprises there being managed by A. M. Crosby. He purchased a stock farm near there, built an elevator and engaged in the agricultural machinery business. He conducted these enterprises until March 30, 1886, when he sold to A. G. Lindgren. Mr. Thompson prepared a set of abstract books in 1879, and since that date has been engaged in the abstract business. He received the appointment of official county abstractor in 1904. On the first day of January, 1880, in partnership with Geo. J. Day, he founded the Nobles County Bank, of which he was president. On Feb. 13, 1888, he became sole owner of the bank, and thereafter until 1894 he was engaged in the banking business. He then sold to Lynd and Evans, since which time he has been engaged in the abstract, real estate, insurance and loan business. For many years he has been the owner of the Worthington Globe plant, and is at the present time the publisher of that paper. In an official capacity Mr. Thompson has served his city and county many times. He was elected the city's first treasurer in 1873 and again the following year. He was president of the village council in 1876 and 1877. He was elected county treasurer in 1877, and served a two year term. He was chosen county commissioner in 1892, and became chairman of the board. He resigned the office in July, 1893. In church matters he has taken a prominent part. He was instrumental in organizing the Swedish Lutheran church in 1872, and took a prominent part in its reorganization in 1876. From the date of the first organization he has held the office of deacon—a continuous service of thirty-six years. At times he has also held the offices of treasurer and trustee. He took part in many of the events of historical importance that have been described in the historical section of this work. Among other things, he took part in the organization of township government in Bigelow township. He was a notary public, and in the spring of 1872 swore in the first officers of that township, the initial meeting having been held at the home of Lars Elofson on section 14. Peter Thompson was married at Carver, Minn., March 18, 1860, to Christine Danielson. Mrs. Thompson was born in Sweden, came to the United States and to Carver, Minn., in 1854, and there met her future husband. Her father died when she was an infant; her mother died at her home in Carver in 1905, at the advanced age of 93 years. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are the parents of two daughters: Hannah (Mrs. Fred Parker), of Duluth, Minn., and Nellie (Mrs. James W. Parker), of Sioux Falls, S. D. Additional Comments: Extracted from: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY MINNESOTA BY ARTHUR P. ROSE NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA PUBLISHERS 1908 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/nobles/bios/thompson24gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 8.0 Kb