My Genealogy Hound

A. L. Thompson, merchant, railroad and express agent, of Combs Station, was born in Wayne County, Ind., in 1836, and is a son of Joseph and Mary Ann (Mills) Thompson. The father was a native of North Carolina, and from there moved to Tennessee, and thence to Indiana. In the spring of 1838 he immigrated with his family to White River, residing one and a half miles from Durham Station until 1848, when he returned to Indiana. The mother was born in Tennessee in 1818, and was a daughter of Seth T. Mills and of Irish descent. Mr. Mills was a Quaker and one of the early settlers of Wayne County, Ind. He moved from there to Washington County, Ark., and became the possessor of more than 1,000 acres of land on the middle fork of White River. He was the father of ten children: Aaron, Henry, Enos, Mary Ann, Lettie (now Mrs. Lewis), Rachel (now Mrs. Van Hoose), Seth, Lindsey, Jacob and an infant who died. All those living to maturity were given 160 acres of land, Jacob receiving the home place. He was killed by bushwhackers during the war. Mrs. Lewis is the only child now living. Mr. Mills died in 1876, at an advanced age, and his wife, Charity (Thornsbury) Mills, died in 1875. The mother of our subject, Mary Ann, was first married to Matthew Massey, by whom she had four children: Sylvester, William, Elizabeth and Jane, all deceased. After the death of Mr. Massey, his widow wedded Mr. Thompson, and to them the following children were born: Aaron L., Henry, Seth, Polly and John. Henry was shot during the war, while standing by the side of his mother and sister, and Seth died of the measles while in the Confederate service, in 1863. John lived in Crawford County, Ark.; and Polly, now Mrs. Wilson, lives in Joplin, Mo. The mother’s death occurred in 1885. Our subject grew to manhood in Washington County, and the age of twenty-two engaged in farming on his own account. He served two years as constable, and was then elected justice of the peace, serving as such two years. In 1863 he enlisted in Company I, First Regiment Arkansas Infantry, and was discharged at Fort Smith, August 10, 1865, having reached the rank of first lieutenant. In September, 1865, he was re-elected justice of the peace. In 1868 he came to St. Paul and served in the same capacity four years, after which he was appointed registrar of Madison County by the governor. In 1882 he was elected county judge, and served as such one term. He first embarked in the mercantile line at St. Paul in 1868, and his business at Combs Station was established in the spring of 1887. In October, 1860, he married Sarah J. Pool, by whom he had six children: Claiborne (deceased), Henry, Sherman and Grant (twins), Edwin M. Stanton and Mary Bell (deceased). The mother died December 5, 1869, and July 8, 1870, Mr. Thompson wedded Mrs. Eliza A. (Summer) Prater, daughter of John C. Summer. This lady’s first husband was I. H. Bollinger, by whom she had the following children: De Witt C., John A., Harrison A. and Walter A. Her marriage with Mr. Prater was blessed with but one child, Alfred W. To Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have been born Milton, Cora, Floyd and Clara. The first and last named are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are members of the Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. Thompson is a Republican, a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the I. O. O. F. and I. O. O. K.