BIO: William Harry THOMSON, 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 554 & 555. _____________________________________________________________ WILLIAM HARRY THOMSON, mining superintendent and manager of a general supply store at Lee Hollow Mines, was born in Greenwood township, Clearfield county, Pa., July 1, 1872. His father was William Thomson, and his mother in maidenhood Eliza Cary Williams, a daughter of David Williams. The Thomson family was established in this country by John Thomson, who came from Scotland, at an early day, settling in Clearfield county, Pa. This immigrant ancestor was accompanied by his family, or at least, by his son John, the grandfather of our subject, who married a Miss Lord. William Thomson was born on the old Thomson homestead near Ansonville, this county. When nineteen years old he enlisted for service in the Civil War, in the 9th Penn. Cavalry, his term being for three years. After the war he bought a tract of timber land at Cherry Corner and engaged in lumbering. His business career was however, short, for he was cut off at the early age of thirty years, in 1872. He was a member of the Baptist church, and was a Mason, belonging to the lodge at New Washington, Pa., of which he was a charter member. He was not active in politics. His wife, Eliza, survived him and is now living at Bower, in Greenwood township, at the age of 69 years. After Mr. Thomson's death she married for her second husband John W. Bell, a farmer and lumberman of Greenwood township, who is now deceased. Of the first marriage there is now living, in addition to the subject of this sketch, a daughter, Martha Margaret, who is the wife of Dr. E. S. Corson, of Bridgton, N. J. One child was born of the second marriage, Ai T. Bell, who is engaged in farming at Bower. William Harry Thomson attended school until reaching the age of 17 years. His time was then occupied in farming or in working in the woods or in the saw-mill until he was 20 and he also taught school for two terms. He then entered the normal school at Lock Haven, Pa., and after a two years' course was graduated therefrom in 1894. Accepting the position of assistant school principal at Cambria, Pa., he remained there for one year, and subsequently entered the State college, from which he was graduated in 1899. In the following year he accepted a position with the Sterling Coal Company of Cambria county and remained with them two years as assistant superintendent. He then came to La Jose, in the spring of 1903, becoming engineer for the Clearfield & Cambria Coal & Coke Company, and was later promoted to the position of superintendent of mines. He is also general manager of the New Washington Supply Company, and in both positions has proved his capacity as a good practical business man. He is a member of the Baptist church at Ansonville, Pa. A Republican in politics, he has served on the school board of the borough. He belongs to the Masonic lodge at Clearfield. Mr. Thomson was married, October 22, 1903, to Emma Delilah Stephenson, whose father, James Stephenson, now deceased, came to America from Ireland when a boy, settling in Bell township. He married Elizabeth Bell, who is also now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Thomson have been the parents of two children: Helen Elizabeth, born May 27, 1906; and Glenn Elton, born Dec. 30, 1909.