T. J. Thompson Biography


	This biography appears on page 1862-1863 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	T. J. THOMPSON was born and reared in Winterport, Maine, where he 
received his educational training in the common school. As a youth he 
sailed before the mast for one year, and then served an apprenticeship 
at the art of telegraphing, becoming an expert operator. Finally he 
came to the west and located in Iowa, where he was engaged as operator 
and station agent at various points for a number of years. He then 
moved to Hastings, Nebraska, in which city he established himself in 
the hardware business, there continuing to be successfully identified 
with this line of enterprise for about fifteen years, at the expiration 
of which he came to South Dakota, and took up his residence in the 
thriving and progressive little town of Fairfax, where he engaged in 
the same line of business, having the only hardware establishment in 
the town, and having built up a large and prosperous business. He still 
retains the ownership of a valuable tract of land in Sheridan county, 
Nebraska. For one year the subject also conducted a branch hardware 
store in Bonesteel, but he now centers his interests in Fairfax. In 
politics, he is a staunch advocate of the principles of the Republican 
party, and fraternally he is identified with the Masonic fraternity.

	Mr. Thompson was married to Miss Mary Abbott, who was born and 
reared in the same town as was himself, and they have three children.