CROSSED THE RANGE

William Thompson, a  Pioneer of the State
and One of Butte's Prominent Citizens, Dead

KNOWN ALL OVER MONTANA

One of the First to Engage in the Sawmill Business, Which He Afterward Developed to a Great Industry—Had Been Trusted by the People With Public Office, and Was Prominent in Secret
and Fraternal Orders.

Old residents of Helena regretted yesterday to hear of the death of William Thompson, which occurred at Butte Tuesday night.  Mr. Thompson was one of the pioneers of the state, and had an extensive acquaintance which was not confined to any particular section of Montana.

Mr. Thompson was 63 years of age, but had always enjoyed excellent health, and his death came as a shock to his family and friends. Last Saturday afternoon he suffered a paralytic stroke.  His right side was paralyzed and he lost the power of speech. Everything that medical science could do was done, but he never rallied and the end came at midnight Tuesday.

Mr. Thompson was prominent not only in business life in Montana, but in political circles as well. While he led an active life, his happiest moments were those he spent in the midst of his family. His wife died about four years ago and since then he had made his home with one of his sons. While he took much interest in politics and businesses, these callings never kept him away from home after the early hours of night.

Mr. Thompson went to Butte from Madison County in the early ‘80s and established a lumber yard there. He had saw mills in many parts of the state, but of late years he began to concentrate his commercial interests so as to direct them from one office in Butte.  He owned mines in Madison County and in Arizona, but his chief interest was the investment company in Butte. He was considered one of Butte’s very wealthy men.

Mr. Thompson stood high in the Masonic lodge, having taken all Scottish and York rites, the 32^nd degree of Scottish rite, Knights Templar, and Shrine. He was a member of Butte Lodge No. 22, A.F. and A.M.; Deer Lodge Chapter No. 3, Royal Arch Masons; Montana Commandery No. 3, Knights Templar; Butte consistory Scottish Rite Masons and Algeria Temple A. and A., Order Nobles of Mystic Shrine.

Mr. Thompson was born at Coburg, Ontario, Canada, March 1, 1838. There he lived until he was 15 years old, receiving his education in the public schools. The father having died, Mrs. Thompson moved with her children to the United States, locating in Detroit, Mich., in 1853, where William learned the cabinet and carpenter trades. At the age of 18 he set out to carve his own fortune, and proceeded to La Crosse, Wis., going from there to High Forest, Minn, This was in 1856, and High Forest was then a frontier settlement. He saved a little money by working at his trade and in 1859 pushed farther west in company with Hon. Moses Armstrong, afterward delegate to congress from Dakota. They crossed the Dakota plains by way of New Ulm, Lake Benton, Pipestone Quarry and Sioux Falls to Yankton, on the Missouri River, then the extreme frontier in the northwest, arriving in the fall of 1859. In August of 1862 the Sioux Indians took to the war path and the massacre at New Ulm and the outrages committed elsewhere by them created considerable alarm at Yankton. The settlers gathered at the later place and prepared for war.  A militia company was organized, of which young Thompson was a member, for home protection, but fortunately active service was not required.

Thompson had at that time the contract for the erection of the capitol building, or the one that was to serve as such, for the territory of Dakota, of which, Yankton was then the capitol. His material was all on the ground and in the war emergency it was appropriated and used to build barracks for protection against the expected hostiles.

In the fall of 1861 a party came down the Missouri in mackinaws from Fort Benton, then the headquarters of the American Fur company in the northwest. They stopped at Yankton and exhibited a considerable quantity of gold, which they said came from the mountains south of Fort Benton. The next spring, 1862, a small party from St. Louis and other cities went up the river on a steamboat to Benton in search of treasure, and from that point penetrated the mountains. Among the party were two brothers named Hulbert. They got as far a Prickly Pear Valley, near where Helena now stands, and found some gold near Montana City, being undoubtedly the first discoveries of those diggings which afterwards proved rich and extensive.

During all these years on the frontier, Mr. Thompson stuck tenaciously to his trade and did not vary the rule even in Alder Gulch, where nearly everyone else was expecting to dig a fortune out of the ground in a short time. He took his kit of tools along with him and found them of great service, The first winter, while the people at the camp were idly waiting for the mining season to open, Thompson was diligently at work making doors, frames, sashes, etc., the material for which he hewed out of pine trees, and earned easily from $10 to $15 a day. He subsequently formed a partnership for the building business with Mr. Griffith. They built nearly all of the first houses in Virginia City, among them one which was in an unfinished condition, being used by the vigilantes as a convenient gallows on which to hand Boon, Helm, Jack Gallagher, Frank Parish, Hxxx Lyon and “Club Foot George,” desperadoes. This occurred in the month of January, 1864. The following spring Mr. Thompson and his partner purchased claim No. 2, above Fairweather’s discovery, from James Fergus and worked it that season. In the fall of the same year he organized a party of 168 men, who wanted to return to the states, and piloted them down the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers in mackinaws, charging each man $25 for the trip. Mr. Thompson returned to Montana the following spring, 1865, by steamboat up the Missouri river to Fort Benton, from there going direct to Virginia City, by way of Helena.

In 1866 the firm of Thompson & Griffiths commenced operation in Helena, erecting the King, Gillett, Taylor and Thompson and several other blocks. Those contracts were to the amount of $75,000. As early as 1868 Mr. Thompson purchased and operated a steam sawmill near Virginia City, and continued in the business until a few years ago. He owned sawmills in Madison, Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Missoula and Silver Bow counties.

Mr. Thompson served in the city council of Virginia City in 1873-4 and afterwards represented Silver Bow county in three different sessions of the legislature, in the territorial house of representative of the Fifteenth session, in the territorial council of the Sixteenth legislature and in the office of representative at the first session under the new state government. He was mayor of Butte from 1895 to 1897. Mr. Thompson was married to Annie, daughter of Maj. And Mrs. J. R. Boyce Sr., in Virginia City, in 1867. There were five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson.

Helena Independent
Helena, Montana
May 17, 1900

THE STROKE WAS FATAL

Ex-Mayor Thompson Expired
at an Early Hour This Morning.

 From Wednesday Daily

 The Hon. William Thompson, mayor of Butte from May 1895, until May 1897, died at 12:30 o’clock this morning from the effects of a paralytic stroke with which he was stricken Saturday night last in the office of G. M. Hyams of the Boston and Montana company. 

William Thompson was born at Coburg, Ontario, March 1, 1838, and was therefore in his 63^rd year at the time of his death.  At the age of 15, upon the death of his father, his mother removed with her children to Detroit, Mich., where the future mayor of Butte learned the cabinet making and carpenter trades.  At the age of 18 William Thompson went to Lacrosse, Wis., and later to Hyde Park, Minn., then a frontier settlement.  In 1859 he crossed the Dakota plains to Yankton, then the extreme frontier of the northwest.  When in 1862 the Sioux took the warpath everybody in that vicinity entered Yankton, where a military company was organized with Mr. Thompson as commander.  At that time Mr. Thompson had the contract for the erection had the contract for the erection of the capitol building at Yankton, the then capital of Dakota.  His material was appropriated as a necessity of war and used to build barracks.  The scare seems to have been unnecessary as the Indians never got that far.  In the spring of 1863 hearing of some wonderful gold discoveries in Montana, he started by wagon and ox teams for this state, arriving in the Alder Gulch district in September.  In the early days of that camp he prospered at this trade and built many of the houses in Virginia City.  Among them was one which, while still in an  unfinished condition was used by the vigilantes as a convent gallows.

In the spring of 1861, Mr. Thompson went into mining in which he prospered.   That fall he organized a party desirous of returning to the states and piloted them down from Livingston, on the Yellowstone to Yankton.  Next spring he returned to Montana and to Virginia City, where in building and merchandise business and in the erection of quartz mills, he laid the foundation of his subsequent fortune.

Later he moved to Butte, where he engaged in general lines of business, principally lumbering.  Several years ago, he sold his immense lumber interests and started the Thompson Investment company. 

City in the early 70s.  Upon his removal to Silver Bow county he was twice elected to the territorial legislature and once to the state legislature—the first one after the admission of the state.  In 1895 he was nominated by the republican convention of Butte for mayor.  The republicans who were opposed to his nomination put an opposition ticket in the held.  The democrats likewise had a ticket.  Mr. Thompson was elected by a majority over both his opponents.  He decanted to be a candidate for re-election in 1897.

Mr. Thompson was married in Virginia city in 1867 to Miss Annie Boyce, daughter of mayor Boyce of that city.  The fruits of that union were three sons.  William B. Thompson, James R. Thompson, and Edwin Thompson and two daughters, Flora and Mabel, all of whom survive him. 

 
Butte Weekly Miner,
Butte, Montana  
May 17, 1900  

FUNERAL OF MR. THOMPSON

To Be Held from the Residence
of His Son 

The funeral services over the remains of the late William Thompson will be held this afternoon at 3 o’clock at the residence of James R. Thompson at No.1101 Caledonia street.  The funeral will be conducted under the auspices of the Masonic order, of which deceased was a member.  For the convenience of those who intend to go to the house Manager Wharton of the street car line will put cars on the unused line from the corner of Granite and Excelsior streets up to the residence, which will be at the disposal of all free of charge. 

IN HONOR OF THE DEAD

Impressive Services at Funeral
of William Thompson

ATTESTATIONS OF ESTEEM

A Great Profusion of
Floral Pieces—The Masonic Lodges
Conduct the Service in Conjunction
with the Church.
 

 The funeral of the late William Thompson was held yesterday afternoon from the residence of his son, J. T. Tompson, No. 1101 Caledonia street, and was largely attended.  Conspicuous among those who called to pay their respects to the memory of the departed were many pioneers who have shared the fortunes and misfortunes of the venerable trail blazer.  The services of the Masonic order were read in conjunction with the impressive services of the Methodist church.  Mrs. Flanin and Mrs. Chapman sang a duet.  Rev. J. L. Albritton of Mountain View M.D. church pronounced an eulogy in which he spoke of the excellent traits of Mr. Thompson, his character and Christianity his worth as a citizen and friend, of his devotion to home and duty and all that was honorable.

He was one of the first members of Mountain View church and one of the pioneer Methodists in Montana.

The floral offerings were numerous among them being a large broken column sent to the house by the members of the executive committee of the Silver Bow county republican club, or which he was a member.  The committee was appointed by President Byron H. Cook and was composed of A. F. Bray, D. J. Charles, B. E. Calkins, Malcolm Gillis, G. W. Irvin A. A. McMillan, C. H. Moore, J. F. Opie, S. M., Roberts, B. Sampson, C J. Stevenson, W. S. Tallant, William Thompson and A. N. Yoder.

Five special cars were placed at the disposal of the Masons and others attending, and these were run over the old tracks north of Granite street.  In addition to these the procession was made up of a large number of carriages.  The floral carriage preceded the hearse.

The Anaconda Standard
Anaconda, Montana  
May 19, 1900