Biography of Will H. Thompson

	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1898. Pages 423-424

	Scan and OCR by Joy Fisher, 1997. This file may be copied for non-profit 
	purposes. All other rights reserved. 


WILL H. THOMPSON, who resides on section 26, Clearwater township, Miner 
county, is a prosperous and well-known agriculturist. Mr. Thompson was 
born February 22, 1853, in St. Lawrence county, New York, and is a son 
of Alexander and Elizabeth Thompson, natives respectively of Scotland 
and New York. He remained in St. Lawrence county until his eleventh 
year, when he went to Minnesota with the family, settling in Fillmore 
county, where his mother afterward died. His father died in Miner 
county, South Dakota, in August, 1890. He worked upon a farm until he 
attained his majority, receiving a common-school education. He then 
removed to Faribault county, in the same state, where he was employed 
upon various farms for some time. In the spring of 1882 he went to South 
Dakota and settled upon his present farm in Miner county. The land was 
all wild at that time and had to be broken yard by yard. Mr. Thompson 
got the plow through twenty-five acres of this soil the first year, and 
also put up a shanty which served as a place of abode during the next 
two years. From this humble beginning he has come to be one of the best 
known and most prosperous farmers in the township, and has kept 
gradually adding to his possessions until to-day he is the owner of four 
hundred and forty acres of fine land, every square foot of which has 
been paid for, and is entirely free from debt. Three hundred and forty 
acres are under cultivation. The improvements are of a permanent 
character, modern and tasteful, the residence being especially worthy of 
remark. Mr. Thompson carries on mixed farming, his live stock being one 
of the features of the farm. Politically he is a Populist, and is now 
treasurer of Clearwater township, and also school director and clerk. He 
has been a member of the township board of supervisors and chairman of 
the board, and has held the office of justice of the peace.

	In the fall of 1885 Mr. Thompson married Miss Martha Yuill, a 
daughter of John and Mary (Barr) Yuill, both natives of Glasgow, 
Scotland. She herself is a native of Canada. William and Robert Yuill, 
sketches of whom appear in this volume, are her brothers. Mr. and Mrs. 
Thompson are the parents of two children, William and Violet. The family 
are members of the Presbyterian church at Vermilion township, of which 
Mr. Thompson is a trustee.