BIO: Edward A. THOMPSON, Clearfield County, PA
 
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Sally

Copyright 2005.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/

NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/1picts/swoope/swoope.htm
_____________________________________________________________

From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania,
and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr.,
Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 872 - 874.
_____________________________________________________________ 

  EDWARD A. THOMPSON, a leading and representative citizen of Greenwood 
township, Clearfield county, Pa., was born April 10, 1860, on his present farm 
which contains 500 acres, and is a son of R. C. and Rebecca (Gressley) Thompson.
  R. C. Thompson was born in Indiana county, Pa., where he attended the district 
schools and when sixteen years of age came to Clearfield county and was in the 
employ of John Patchen, a well known lumberman, for the next six years.  He then 
married and continued to live in the same township for one more year, working 
still for Mr. Patchen, after which he moved to the farm above mentioned which 
had never left the family.  It was formerly known as the Jacob Walter place.  
Mr. Thompson operated in lumber for William Irwin of Curwensville, and later was 
engaged on his own account in Bell and Greenwood townships and became associated 
as a member with the Reed, Irwin & Betts Company.  He cleared about forty-five 
acres of this farm, which has now about 100 acres under tillage.  The larger 
part of the remaining portion of his life was spent on this farm, although in 
the meanwhile he made three trips to the far West, visiting Washington, Idaho 
and California.  He was a strong Democrat and had been elected to almost all the 
township offices, as has his son, Edward A., and for years served continuously 
on the school board.  He was born in January, 1832, and died April 1, 1901, and 
was buried at Mahaffey.
  R. C. Thompson was married to Rebecca Gressley, who was born March 22, 1840, 
in York county, Pa., and came to this county when a child.  Her parents were 
Henry and Rebecca Gressley, who came to this county from York county.  To this 
marriage twelve children were born, as follows:  Annie L., who is the wife of G. 
A. Nelson, of Coeur d'Alene Idaho; Edward A.; Joseph B., who resides at Spokane, 
Wash.; Julia M., who is the wife of Harry Hawkins; Thomas J., who resides, with 
his family, at Park, Idaho; Harry D., who lives at Winchester, Idaho; Sarah E., 
who is the wife of G. F. Strausbaugh, of Elk county, Pa.; John B., who is a 
resident of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Fannie E., now deceased, who was the wife of 
William McGee; Elmira; Sarah Nevada, who married J. A. Allison, and resides at 
Gillette, Wyo.; and J. Blair, who is a resident of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
  Edward A. Thompson with the other members of the family attended the district 
schools in Greenwood township, as did many of those who have been his neighbors 
ever since.  He early became a timber expert and was only fourteen years of age 
when he made his first trip down the river, accompanying his father, and when he 
was seventeen he piloted his first raft as far as Lock Haven, on the river.  He 
afterwards worked for Bard & Cassidy and for P. & A. Flynn, having charge of 
horse arks.  After his marriage he settled on a part of the old homestead but 
later moved to McGee Mills and engaged in scaling lumber for Isett & Ray, of 
Altoona, for the Bear Run Lumber Company, and for S. T. Foresman of 
Williamsport, and had charge of the scaling and purchasing of logs for the firm 
of Weaver & Betts, Clearfield, Pa.  When he resigned from that connection he 
brought his family back to the homestead and afterward, for several years, was 
engaged in the timber lands and lumber districts of West Virginia, in the 
interest of Henry McCormick's Sons Co., and ex-Senator J. D. Cameron, both of 
Harrisburg, Pa.  After he returned to Clearfield county he continued to be 
interested in limbering.  He was subsequently appointed administrator of his 
father's large estate and still fills that office.
  Mr. Thompson was married September 26, 1885, to Miss Rebecca M. Newcomer, who 
was born in Ferguson township, Clearfield county, Pa., December 30, 1864, and is 
a daughter of W. H. and Melissa Newcomer.  They have three children:  Alfred 
Reed, unmarried, who is manager of a store for the P. V. K. Coal Company, now 
the R. M. Peil Coal Company, at Emeigh, Cambria county; Vaughn, who is the wife 
of K. Hoyt Thorp, residing in Greenwood township and has one daughter, 
Josephine; and Genevieve, who resides at home.  In politics Mr. Thompson is a 
Democrat.  He is identified with the Odd Fellows at Mahaffey, the Blue Lodge, F. 
& A. M., at Clearfield, and the Consistory at Williamsport.