Charles Thomson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 784-785 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here 
	Inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door 
	is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


	CHARLES THOMSON is one of the leading business men and sterling 
citizens of Miller, Hand county, is a prominent factor in public 
affairs and is at the present time incumbent of the office of city 
treasurer.  

	Mr. Thomson is a native of the Badger state, having been born 
on the parental farmstead in Monroe county, Wisconsin, on the 12th of 
October, 1855, and being a son of James and Oliver Thomson, both of 
whom are still living, maintaining their home in the village of Hurley, 
South Dakota. The father of the subject devoted the major portion of 
his active life to agricultural pursuits and is now living retired, 
having attained the venerable age of seventy-five years and commanding 
the respect of all who know him. The subject of this review received 
his early education in the public schools of his native county, while 
later he attended school for one year in Iowa, and during one year was 
a student in the normal school at Valparaiso, Indiana. After leaving 
school he was successfully engaged in teaching in the public schools of 
Buena Vista county, Iowa, for a period of seven years. In 1883 he came 
to what is now the state of South Dakota and took up his residence in 
Hand county. He took up a homestead claim of government land, and 
eventually perfected his title to the property. He thereafter devoted 
his attention to farming and teaching school until 1893, usually 
teaching during the winter terms, when his attention was not demanded 
in connection with the work of his farm. In 1886 Mr. Thomson was 
elected a member of the board of county commissioners, in which 
capacity he served one term. In 1892 he was elected county auditor, in 
which office he served most acceptably for four years, having been 
chosen as his own successor in 1894. He was honored by being chosen one 
of the presidential electors of the state, on the Republican ticket, in 
1900, at the time of President McKinley's second election, and he 
received the still further distinction of being selected to take the 
ballots to Washington, D. C., where he thus represented his state in 
the electoral college. Mr. Thomson has been a member of the Republican 
central committee of Hand county for many years, most of the time 
serving either as chairman or secretary, and has done most effective 
service in marshaling the forces at his command and furthering the 
interests of the party in his section. He has served as city treasurer 
of Miller since 1893, and is one of the honored and popular citizens of 
the county. He is at the present time engaged in the grain and coal 
business, as representative of Van Dusen & Company, of Minneapolis.  

	On the 22d of October, 1895, Mr. Thomson was united in marriage 
to Miss Minnie Duthie, of Miller, South Dakota. She was born and reared 
in Rock county, Wisconsin, and came to Hand county, South Dakota, with 
her parents, in 1883, and until her marriage to Mr. Thomson taught 
school and served as deputy auditor of Hand county. Her father, John 
Duthie, was one of the pioneers of the county and from 1884 to 1887 was 
a member of the county board.  

	Mr. and Mrs. Thomson have one child, Merle C., born December 3, 
1899.