Bios: Thompson, John George, Indiana C0

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JOHN GEORGE THOMPSON, now living retired at Grafton, was during his active
years engaged in farming in Black lick township, Indiana county. He was
born there April 24, 1843, son of George Thompson, and is a great-grandson
of John Thompson, the first of the family in Indiana county, known as
"drover John." He married Mary Cain, and to their union were born the
following children: John; Rosanna, who married William Hanna; Sarah, who
married William Hopkins; Margaret, who married John Crusan; William, who
married Mary Brady; George C., who married Elizabeth Davis; and Robert.
John Thompson, son of John and Mary (Cain) Thompson, was a farmer
of Black lick township, where his life was spent. He married Eleanor Davis,
and had children: John; William; George; James; David; Samuel, who married
Sarah Clawson; Christopher, who settled in Clarion county, Pa.; Jane, wife
of Adam Creamer; and Margaret,wife of Dr. John Bennett, a prominent
physician of Erie, Pennsylvania.
George Thompson, son of John and Eleanor (Davis) Thompson, was born in
Black lick  township about 1812. What education he acquired was obtained in
the subscription schools of that time. He began to help at home in early
boyhood, and was thus engaged until he reached manhood, when he went to
work in Campbell's mills, on Black lick creek, for some time. Then he
started farming on the homestead on his own account, buying out the
interest of the other members of the family, and here continued to live the
rest of his life. His farm contained over one hundred acres. He was a
stanch Democrat, and took a live interest in his township and its public
affair, serving as supervisor for many years, school director, and tax
collector for many years. His religious connection was  with the M E.
Church. He died on the homestead in 1873, and was buried in Hopewell
cemetery Mr. Thompson was twice married his first wife, Eliza (Clawson),
daughter of Jonathan and Sarah (Morehead) Clawson', dying when about
twenty-five years of age. For his second wife he married Ruth Clawson,
daughter of Samuel and Ann (Donahue) Clawson. There were four children by
the first marriage and twelve by the second, namely: Sarah died when
sixteen years old; John George is mentioned below; James married Hannah
Houston, of Black lick, Burrell township; Eliza married Josiah C. Houston,
and lived in Johnstown; (and by the second marriage) Eleanor married John
McIntyre and resides in Blairsville; Richard C. was next in the family;
Margaret Ann married Milton Stump; Elizabeth died young; Mary married Ollie
Frizzle and lived at Wentworth, S. Dak.; Nancy Emma died  when seventeen
years old; Charles B. married Nettie Spires and lives in Blairsville;
William married Agnes Hoag, and lives at Josephine, Pa.; Maria married
Harry Boyle and lives at Allegheny City, Pa.; Malinda married James Starrie
and resides at Blairsville, Pa.; Tillie died young; David married Catherine
Gascill, and lives at Blairsville.
John George Thompson, son of George and Eliza (Clawson) Thompson, was born
in Black lick township and attended the Yankee Hill school there. He
remained on the farm with his father until 1864, when he enlisted, in
September in Company D, 206th Pennsylvania Volunteers under Col. Hugh J.
Brady, of Indiana county, and Capt. W. C. Gordon. Proceeding to the front
he was attached to the 18th Corps, then near Bermuda Hundred, soon after
moving to the north side of the James river and being assigned to duty with
the engineer corps that built Fort Brady, north of Dutch Gap. In the latter
part of October the command was assigned to the 3d Brigade, 1st Division,
10th Corps, and went into winter quarters, being engaged principally in
drill and routine camp duty. - Upon the reorganization of the army corps
the 206th was assigned to the 24th Corps and continued on duty with the
Army of the James, under General Ord. During the spring campaign the
regiment was ordered to remain in camp, doing provost duty, and upon the
evacuation of Richmond was the first to enter the Southern capital, where
it did provost duty. Later it was on similar duty at Lynchburg. Mr.
Thompson continued in the army until the close of the war, the period of
his service being ten months, four days. He was discharged in June, 1865,
in Richmond, and returning home again took up farming. The two years
following he spent on the George Compton farm; then for four years was on
the Turner farm, which he rented, and at the end of that period returned to
the homestead, on the hill near Muddy run. From the time his father died he
farmed there for himself, having a tract of ninety-six acres where he
carried on general farming and stock raising. He erected a frame house and
barn, and in other respects also made extensive improvements on the place,
which bears many evidences of his excellent management. Mr. Thompson has
now retired from active work, living in Grafton, on Black lick creek, and
the farm is conducted by his son Harry W. Thompson.

In his early life Mr. Thompson supported the principles of the Democratic
party, later became associated with the Greenback party, and of late years
has allied himself with the Socialist party, of which he is a strong
supporter. He and his wife are members of Hopewell M. E. Church, but now
attend the M. E. Church at Black Lick.

On Oct. 6, 1866, Mr. Thompson married Emeline McCoy, of Indiana, Ill.,
daughter of Church and Mary Jane (McCardell) McCoy. They have had two
children, Harry Willett and Iola, the daughter residing with her parents.
Harry Willett Thompson now farms the homestead. He married Elizabeth Jones,
and they had three children, John G., Carson Wendel and Edna May.