BIOGRAPHY: Elias J. Thomas; West Eaton, Madison co., NY

submitted by W. D. Samuelsen
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Biographical Review
The Leading Citizens of Madison County, New York
pub. 1894, Boston, Biographical Review Publishing Company

ELIAS J. THOMAS, a prosperous mill-owner of the village of West Eaton, was
born December 13, 1843, in Newtown, Montgomery-shire, Wales, the son of Elias
and Eliza (Jones) Thomas, both of whom were born in Wales. The grandfather,
Thomas Evan Thomas,-also a native of Wales,-was a spinner by trade. He
emigrated to America in 1854, and settled in Utica, N.Y., where he followed
his trade until his death. His family consisted of five children, of whom
three are now living, namely: John and David, both residing in Utica; and a
sister, Mary, who lives in London, England. The grandparents both died when
seventy-seven years old. They were good and devoted members of the Methodist
church.

The father of our subject was a spinner and weaver by trade. He came to
America in 1848, and was joined by his wife and four children a year after his
arrival in this country. He first settled in Oneida County, and worked at
weaving, but afterward moved to the town of Nelson, Madison County, where he
bought a farm of one hundred and fifty acres, and carried on general farming.
He was an honest, hard-working man, and, besides running his farm, made a
specialty of raising full-blooded Durham cattle, his herd consisting of about
twenty head. To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were born seven children, of whom three
are now living, namely: Elias J., our subject; Mary E., wife of John E. Lewis;
and Anna S., wife of Frank Blair, residing in the town of Nelson. The children
who died were : Sarah, aged twenty-six years; Jane, eleven years; Evan C.,
nineteen years; and Anna, three years. The father and mother died on their
farm in the town of Nelson, aged respectively sixty and seventy-four years.
They attended the Baptist church, of which the wife was a devout
member.

Our subject came to the town of Eaton when he was but nine years of age, was
educated in the district school, and when twelve years old began to work in
the woollen mills at West Eaton, owned by Captain Smith. He commenced in the
card-room, receiving at first only seven dollars and a half per month, and
continued to work in this mill until the firm suspended in 1854. He then
obtained employment in the various mills along the valley until 1862, when he
enlisted under Captain Henry B. Morse in Company D, One Hundred and Fourteenth
Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry. He fought in several battles, among
which were the siege of Port Hudson and Sabine Cross Roads, under General
Banks. He was also with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley. He made a splendid
record, and was honor-ably discharged at the close of the war, at Washington,
D.C., June 8, 1865. He then returned to his home, and worked at his trade
until 1882, when, with his brother-in-law, John E. Lewis, he bought the mill
now owned by them, for a description of which see biography of John E. Lewis.

Mr. Thomas was married in 1867 to Miss Thirza C. Lewis, who was born in 1845.
They have two children. Arthur R., born in 1868, was educated at Cornell
preparatory School, and afterward a graduate of the Chicago Medical College of
Chicago, Ill. He is now attending physician of the Cook County (Illinois)
Hospital. A daughter, A. Luella, born in 1879, is at home with her parents.
The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and have a
delightful residence in the village. Mr. Thomas is a pleasant, agreeable man
in social life, liked by his employees, popular as a citizen, and a thorough,
energetic Republican in politics, as were also his father and grandfather.