Representative William George Thompson View All Years

HON. WILLIAM G. THOMPSON.

MR. SPEAKER: Your committee appointed to prepare suitable resolutions commemorating the life and public service of Wm. G. Thompson, submit the following report:

Wm. G. Thompson was born in Center Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, January 17, 1830, and died at his home in Kenwood Park, Iowa, April 2, 1911, was the son of Wm. H. and Jane Thompson, also natives of that locality. The former was born in 1790, the latter in 1796. Mr. Thompson’s paternal grandparents were natives of Scotland as were also his maternal grandparents.

Judge Thompson’s primary education was obtained in the common schools near his boyhood home and when not in the school room he assisted in the work on the farm. At the age of nineteen he attended the Witherspoon Institute at Butler, Penn., going home to work on the farm during the harvest season. He next read law at that place and was admitted to the bar October 15, 1853. Hon. Daniel Agnew, afterwards Chief Justice of the United States, presided at the examination.

On the 27th of November, 1852, Judge Thompson came to Marion Iowa, traveling as far west as his money would carry him. Marion, at that time, was a new town and larger than Cedar Rapids. Here he was first engaged in practice of his profession in partnership with Col. Isaac M. Preston under the firm name of Preston and Thompson.

Judge Thompson’s first dollar in his chosen profession was earned about two weeks after he located in Marion. It was the trial on a suit before the Justice of the Peace. Those who listened to the trial recognized his ability and from that time on his success was assured. He won considerable renown in the practice of criminal law having defended in twelve murder cases and losing but two. In August, 1854, Mr. Thompson was elected prosecuting attorney and held that position for two years.

He was elected to the State Senate on the republican ticket in 1856 for a two years’ term which proved a very important year in framing the laws of the State that still exist, Mr. Thompson being a member of the Judiciary committee. The Code of 1851 was revised during the session of 1856-7 and with additions is still in use.

On leaving the Senate, Judge Thompson was engaged in the practice of law in Linn county until 1862, when he helped to raise the Twentieth Iowa Regiment for the Civil War, consisting of five companies from Linn and five from Scott counties, and he went to the front as major, but the colonel being a regular army officer was detailed for brigade commander and the lieutenant colonel being taken prisoner, the judge was left in command of the regiment for some time. He was in the service in Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Alabama, and was commander of the post at Arkansas Pass for eight months. He was in the siege at Vicksburg and at the battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, was severely wounded. After being wounded he resigned his commission and returned home in the fall of 1864.

During the presidential campaign of that year he stumped the state for Abraham Lincoln and was elected one of the electors at large. He took great pride in the fact that he was able to cast his ballot at that time for the martyred president. Soon after this Judge Thompson was elected district attorney for seven counties of Iowa, to-wit: Linn, Jones, Cedar, Johnson, Iowa, Benton and Tama, and after creditably filling that office for six years he was tendered the renomination without opposition, but refused it. Without his knowledge or solicitation he was then appointed Chief Justice of Idaho by President Hayes and held that responsible position for one term, resigning in 1879, when he returned to Marion. That fall he was elected to congress and took his seat in December. He was a member of the committees on Privileges and Elections, which required much work, having twenty-two contests cases. He was re-elected and served in all four years. For party reasons he was then persuaded to accept the nomination for Representative to the State Legislature and being elected was chosen chairman of the committee to reorganize the courts of the state, which business he successfully accomplished.

In August, 1894, he was appointed judge of the Eighteenth Judicial District and was elected to that position in November, 1894, and re-elected in November, 1899. His district comprised Jones, Cedar and Linn counties. He won high commendation for his fair and impartial administration of justice.

His mind was always analytical, logical and inductive with a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the fundamental principles of the law, he combined a familiarity with statutory laws and a sober, clear judgment which made him not only a formidable adversary in a legal combat but gave him a distinction of being one of the ablest jurists of the state.

In the death of Judge Thompson, Iowa has lost one of its noblest citizens, beloved by all who knew him. But few men in Iowa were better and more favorably known and it is a universal expression that the State of Iowa has suffered a great loss in his death.

In honor of his memory it is therefore

Resolved, That this minute of Wm. G. Thompson’s life be spread upon the records of this House and that a copy of the same be presented to the surviving members of his family.

J. W. BOWMAN,

WM. LARRABEE,

GEO. W. KOONTZ,

Committee.

Adopted.