BIO: John Irvin THOMPSON, Centre County, Pennsylvania Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Wayne Barner Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/ _______________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898. _______________________________________________ COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, pages 97-99 JOHN IRVIN THOMPSON, JR., M. S. A., the able and efficient bookkeeper at the Pennsylvania State College, is also well known in that section as a progressive agriculturist and a reliable and substantial business man. He was born October 11, 1843, at Centre Furnace, Centre County, and is a son of Moses and Mary (Irvin) Thompson. The early years of our subject were spent at his native place, and in 1859, having progressed beyond the somewhat limited course offered in the local schools, he entered The Farmer's High School for a wider range of study. His course, however, was interrupted early in the war of the Rebellion by his enlistment in the Pennsylvania State Militia; but, after a few weeks of guard COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 98 duty at Chambersburg, he returned to his books. In 1863 another call to arms met his response, and he spent two months in service in Somerset and Bedford Counties. He should have graduated with the class of '62, but owing to these hindrances he did not receive his diploma until the following year. From 1864 to 1869 he was engaged in bookkeeping, at the Milesburg Iron Works and at Centre Furnace, and then he and his father and brother William formed the firm of John I. Thompson & Co., and opened a bank at Lemont. For a time it was successful, but, a panic threatening, the firm decided to return all deposits and close up the business. Mr. Thompson next became interested in the coal and grain business at Lemont, and continued in the business until 1890, since which time he has filled the position of bookkeeper at the Pennsylvania State College. and has also kept the accounts of the Experiment Station there. On October 12, 1870, Mr. Thompson was united in matrimony with Miss Elizabeth Boal, who was born at Boalsburg, January 8, 1846. Five exceptionally bright and intelligent children are entering upon useful and honorable careers under the watchful care of their parents: Mary Irvin is a student in the Woman's Medical College at Philadelphia; Helen assists her father in the office; George Boa1 is attending dental college in Philadelphia; Bess B. is a member of the class of '97 at State College; and Charles is also a student at State College. Mr. Thompson has a pleasant home at Lemont, is an elder in the Presbyterian Church at that place, and takes a generous interest in all enterprises that promise to result in good to the community. He is an ardent friend of temperance, and votes the Prohibition ticket. The Thompson family is of Scotch-Irish stock, and our subject is of the fifth generation in descent from the original emigrant who crossed the ocean about I 745. Gen. John Thompson, our subject's grandfather, married Elizabeth McFarlane, whose grandfather, Matthew Louden, a Covenanter, was driven from his home in Scotland by the religious persecutions of his day. Elizabeth McFarlane was the daughter of James McFarlane, a lieutenant in the Continental army, who was attached to Gen. Morgan's brigade, and who was captured by the British at Fort Green in the Hudson River above New York City, remaining a prisoner until the close of the war, after which he married Mary Louden. Gen. Thompson's wife moved from Mifflin County, Penn., in 1809, and settled upon a farm in what is now College Township (then Ferguson, and, later, a part of Harris Township). In 1814 Gen. Thompson built a substantial stone house near the log cabin in which he had first made his home. Moses Thompson, the second son of this worthy pioneer couple, was born March 25, 1810, and his reminiscences cover an interesting portion of the early history. Young as he was at the time, yet he remembered the excitement caused by the soldiers of the war of 1812, the troops passing his father's house in going to or returning from Erie by way of Bellefonte. His mother, a devout woman of lovely character, instructed him in the faith of her forefathers until her death, which occurred in the spring of 1822, when he was twelve years old. The educational advantages offered by the subscription schools of that time and locality were meager, as the funds available were not sufficient to secure competent teachers, and men who had failed in every other line of work, or who through age or ill health were fit for nothing else, were usually employed, and Mr. Thompson fared no better than other farmers' sons. At the age of nineteen or twenty he assumed the responsibility of the farm, thus relieving his father from care, and one of his first acts was to banish liquor from the place, notwithstanding the fact that it was universally used, especially in harvest time. After his father's death, in 1832, the care of the family devolved upon him, and this heavy burden on him while yet a youth so aged him that he was at that time considered by all his acquaintances as an "old man." He managed the farm with economy, energy and industry, until 1839, when he left it to his brothers. Mary Irvin, to whom he was married, was a daughter of John and Ann (Watson) Irvin, of Harris Township, Centre County. For a year they lived at the old homestead, but on April 1, 1839, they moved to a farm which he had purchased a short time before. It lies near Oak Hall factory, and is now owned by the heirs of Dr. E. W. Hale. During this three-year residence and ownership, he made many improvements, and his industry and economy were rewarded by a profit of $500 per year. On April 1, 1842, he removed to Centre Furnace, having purchased from Gen. James Irvin, his brother-in-law, a sixth interest in Centre Furnace and Milesburg Iron Works. In 1848, in company with his brother, William Thompson, he purchased of William Irvin a sixth interest in the same works, but, later, Moses Thompson bought his brother's interest, thus becoming owner of one-third of both properties. In August, 1864, he bought one-half of Gen. Irvin's interest, the other half having been taken by Dr. J. M. McCoy and COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 99 James H. Linn. On September 23, 1865, he sold his half interest in the Milesburg Iron Works to Messrs. McCoy and Linn. and bought their interest in Centre Furnace, becoming the sole owner. His real-estate transactions were a source of profit, and at his death he was the largest landowner of Centre county, one of his estates comprising 6.000 acres in one tract. Many enterprises have felt the influence of his energetic support. He, with his partners, Gen. James Irvin and Hon. Andrew Gregg, subscribed a large part of the stock of the Bald Eagle Valley canal. He also contributed liberally to the building of the Bald Eagle Valley railroad, and gave 'more than any one else of money, time and oversight to the construction of the Boalsburg and Bellefonte turnpike and the Agricultural College and Junction turnpike. He was one of the largest (if not the largest) contributors in the county to the Lewisburg, Centre & Spruce Creek railroad, and assisted greatly in establishing upon an efficient basis the Pennsylvania State College, of which he was treasurer for many years. The influence of his mother's moral teachings was never lost, and at an early age he united with the Spring Creek Presbyterian Church, in which he long held the office of ruling elder. He never permitted his name to appear as a candidate for public office, although as a private citizen he took keen interest in the country's welfare. Despite the anxieties of his life, and his unremitting devotion to business, he lived past the allotted term of man. He was possessed of splendid physique, stood six feet high, straight as an arrow, and weighed over two hundred pounds. Eminently successful in all his undertakings, he was one of Centre County's representative self-made men. He began life with only a seventh interest in his father's farm, and the courage, enterprise and judgment which enabled him to gain his fortune teaches an encouraging lesson. His endurance, foresight and business tact were tested to the utmost during the panic of 1857, when only the closest attention to his imperiled interests saved them from failure. He died June 19, 1891, aged eighty-one years, two months and twenty-five days. His wife died August 22, 1890. In his old age Moses Thompson had the supreme satisfaction of seeing his children settled near the old home, all occupying honorable positions in life. He had eight children, two of whom died in infancy. Of the others all are living except Sarah Irvin, who was married to Dr. Theodore S. Christ; those surviving their father being: Elizabeth McFarlane, wife of John Hamilton, of State College; John Irvin, of this sketch; William, who married Anna Elliott, of Lewisburg; James Irvin, who married Jeanie Shaw, of, Clearfield; and Annie, who is not married.