William Thompson
William Thompson, farmer, P. O. Atwater, was born in Deerfield Township, this county, in 1822, son of Uriah and Elizabeth (Allen) Thompson, natives of New Jersey, and among the pioneers of 1810 to settle in Deerfield Township. At that time there were but ten families in the township, the country was covered with woods, and wild animals were in abundance. Their nearest market was New Lisbon. Uriah Thompson secured eighty acres of land which he cleared, but subsequently removed to Atwater Township, where he and his wife died at the ages of eighty-four and seventy-nine, respectively. Of their six children, three now survive: Uriah, Jr., William and Elizabeth. Our subject has occupied his present farm, now comprising 225 acres, since he was eighteen years of age. He erected a cheese factory on his place, and has won for himself a wide reputation as a successful manufacturer of this commodity. He began life empty-handed, clearing his farm of woods and slowly improving it until he has now one of the best in the county, Mr. Thompson was married in 1855, to Miss Emily Fowler, of Pennsylvania. Of the children born to this union five are living: Louie, Owen P., Lillie, Leona and Wendell.
From History of Portage County, Ohio, Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, 1885