In 1859, William Thompson won an important commission to build a government fort and houses in Yankton, then the extreme frontier of the Northwest Territory. Unfortunately, before the young frontiersman could get paid for his work tragedy struck: Indians burned the buildings. The situation left the 21-year-old penniless. It wouldn’t be the first time. An unusual number of financial tragedies befell the hard-working William Thompson […]
Thompson Colonnade Greets Visitors to Butte Cemetery
A graceful granite colonnade framing several modest gravestones greets visitors to the Mount Moriah Cemetery in Butte, Montana. This is the place where William Thompson (1838-1900) and Annie Maria Boyce Thompson (1846-1894) were buried, along with two of their children, Arthur and Flora. A year before he died, eldest son William Boyce Thompson, who wasn’t particularly religious, commissioned […]
Visit to Thompson Park Provides Unintended Consequences
As the sign says, you can’t drive a recreational vehicle off-road in Thompson Park. You aren’t supposed to shoot anything inside the park, either. But apparently it’s okay to leave your dog’s droppings all over the place. At least that’s what I learned, the hard way, during my visit to the park in Butte, Montana, […]
Mother’s Agonizing Childbirth Made Disbelievers Out of Some Thompson Boys
Anne Marie Boyce attended church at least once every Sunday. She often went to prayer meetings on Wednesday night. She regularly cooked dinner for ministers. She was steadfast in her faith. But when this “invalid” woman who suffered from Bright’s disease was screaming out in agony during the birth of her 10th child, God was a […]
Cobourg Graveyard Romp Turns Up Few Clues, Just Buried Tombstones
The lawn beside the old St. Peter’s Church in Cobourg, Ontario, is so rough it would be easy to turn an ankle. The cause can’t be roots—only a few forlorn pines and maples ring the periphery. Even so, the forces of erosion haven’t worked their magic to create a level lawn. That’s because the side yard is full of sunken […]
William Thompson Remembered for Strong Personality Flaws
William Thompson was a very practical, honest, hard-working man. But he also had some some annoying personality quirks, friends and acquaintances weren’t impressed with his looks, and his children were scared to death of him. That’s the very mixed portrait of this great American pioneer that emerges from interviews done 80-odd years ago with the people who knew him. The sometimes snarky reminiscences […]