Biographies from "History of Alexander, Union & Pulaski Counties", Illinois, edited by Wm. H. Perrin, published by Baskin, Chicago, 1883. Pages 147-148 JAMES THOMAS, fruit-farmer, P. O. Makanda, was born in Manchester, England, January 23, 1838, to William and Mary Ann (Parr) Thomas. These are two old English families, and on the father's side the ancestry traces back and includes Gen. Wolf as a member of the family. In England there is a large landed estate which belonged to Peter Walthall, who died in 1743, and which in its proper descent would have come to the father of our subject, and consequently to our subject. The estate, however, is still in question, and all the proof now lacking to give it to its rightful owners is the certificate of the marriage of James Thomas, the great-great-grandfather of our subject, to Rebecca (Walthall) Wolf, the granddaughter of Peter Walthall. The father of our subject was born March 8, 1808, in Ormskirk, England, and died December 5, 1845, at Chester, England. The mother was born December 12, 1807, and died at St. Louis, Mo. His occupation was that of attorney's clerk, serving his apprenticeship. He was the father of nine children, our subject being the fifth and the only one now living. In 1842 our subject accompanied his father to Buenos Aires, South America. In the latter part of August, 1842, when near land near the mouth of the La Platte River [i.e., Rio de la Plata], the vessel - the Sea Gull - was wrecked and went to pieces. All but one of the passengers and crew were saved, but would have been lost except for aid from the men on land. They stayed in Buenos Aires and Montevideo for two years, and then returned to England. James then attended the Chester grammar schools till he was fourteen years of age. He came to the United States in 1852, landing at New Orleans; then coming up the river to St. Louis. From here he went to Kansas City and started to Salt Lake City with a cousin, but the Mormon company with which they had started had the cholera so badly that he and his cousin went to the Missouri River and back to St. Louis. In St. Louis his mother died; she was then the wife of John P. Bates, taxidermist and naturalist in St. Louis, who mounted the heads, etc., of the buffalos killed by Prince Alexis on the Western plains. In 1853 our subject went to Wisconsin to keep from going back to England with his uncle. There he remained till 1859. Then he sold out and started to Texas. He and two friends built a boat at Helena, Wis., especially for pleasure and comfort, and so went down the river into the Mississippi, and stopped at all the principal places, and at the end of eight weeks came to the mouth of the Red River. They took steamboat up to Shreveport, La., and remained there for a short time. Then, on account of the war troubles, he came North, and cast his first vote for Lincoln at Mound City, Ill. He has been a Republican ever since. He afterward came to Jackson County, where he remained for a year or so. April 14, 1864, he was married in Cape Girardeau County, Mo., to Susan A. Lumpkin. She was born near Princeton, Ky., to George W. and Jane (Baker) Lumpkin; both died in this county. He was a soldier in the Union Army. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have four children - Ada, Eddie, William Walter and James Ed. Mr. Thomas has been on his present farm since the year after marriage. He raises fruit and vegetables. He is a member of Makanda Lodge, A.F.&A.M. He and his wife are members of the Christian Unitarian Church. ======== Page 148 R. B. THOMPSON, farmer and fruit-grower, P. O. Makanda, was born in Jackson County, Ill., one mile south of Makanda, May 22, 1852, to Joshua and Maria A. (Milner) Thompson. The father was born June 11, 1812, in Jefferson County, Ohio. The mother in Carroll County, Ohio, July 13, 1815, and died in 1870. The father was born and raised a Quaker, but when marrying it was outside of the church, so he has never had connection with the church since, although that is still his belief. In early life he learned the trade of stonecutting and bricklaying, and for some years his trade called him to different localities. Most of the time in Jefferson and Belmont Counties, being in partnership in the marble business in Belmont County for nine years with R. H. Evans. In 1849 he went to California in quite a large company. He was the commander, and so gained the title of Colonel, which still clings to him. They were four months on the trip. He then followed mining for 16 months, and was about four months on the home trip. He took passage in a vessel and for 70 days was out of sight of land, 20 days was on one-half rations, and for 25 days on one-fourth rations. He landed at Acapulco, Mexico, and for 750 miles across the country he rode on a wild mountain pony. After reaching home, he remained in the marble business for about one year, then came to Jackson County, Ill., in 1852. About a year later he moved to Union County, to his present home. He has retired from active life. The farm is one of the highest points in Southern Illinois. From one side the waters run into the Ohio, from the other into the Mississippi River. When the news came that Fort Sumter had been fired upon, some of the loyal people of the vicinity made a flag and hoisted it on "The Lone Tree", a tall poplar tree on the highest point of the farm. The hill was then called Banner Hill, and from this the farm took its name of the Banner Farm. October 25, 1838, Mr. Thompson was married to Maria A. Milner. To them six children were born; one died young. The living are T. W., A. S., M. M., Mary Alvira (now Mrs. James Fitch), and R. B. Thompson. T. W. and M. M. live in Jackson County; A. S. in San Francisco, Cal.; Mrs. Fitch and R. B. in this county. Our subject, R. B., was educated mostly in Carbondale, Ill., under Clark Braden. He was married January 27, 1874, to Miss Orintha, oldest daughter of H. F. Whitacre, now of Williamson County, and by profession an attorney. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have two sons - George J. and Albert L. Our subject has charge of the farm and owns most of it. The home farm consists of 120 acres, also one forty to the east of it. Grain and stock receive most of his attention, and he has some splendid stock - high-grade Jersey cattle, full blood Cotswold sheep, etc., raised by William Barter of Williamson County, the dam and sire both being imported from Canada. (The buck's yield of wool at 13 months of age was 16 1/2 pounds, measuring 11 inches, others yielding about the same.) Mr. Thompson's energy and industry toward the introduction and raising of good stock cannot but result in profit to himself and to his neighbors. In politics, both our subject and his father are strong Republicans. ======== Page 149 J. F. TWEEDY, farmer, P. O. Makanda, was born in Union County, Ill., February 25, 1854, and is a son of J. M. Tweedy, whose history appears in the department devoted to Alto Pass Precinct. He was raised on the farm and educated in the common schools of the county. In 1877 he engaged in farming on his own account, on a farm near his father's in Alto Pass Precinct. His present farm contains 70 acres of good land. He makes fruit-growing a specialty. In March, 1877, in Union County he married Miss Alice Freeman, a native of the county, and a daughter of James H. and Sarah (Biggs) Freeman. This union has been blessed with the following children: Walter, Roy and Fred. Mr. Tweedy is a man of good reputation and much enterprise. He has never sought office, it being more in accord with his views to stay at home and give his time and attention to his family and the duties of his farm. In connection with the land he owns, he is managing a 60-acre farm for Mr. Shelker of Elgin, Ill. ============================================================================ ==============