History of Fulton County, Illinois; together with
Sketches of its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious,
Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons
and Biographies of Representative Citizens. Chas. C. Chapman & Co.,
Peoria, Illinois, 1879, page 965, Woodland Township
Anthony Thompson, deceased, who settled in Fulton county, in
1843, and who succeeded well in life through well directed and
energetic effort, was born in Coshocton county, O., Aug. 13, 1813. His
parents, Samuel and Elizabeth Thompson, died during his childhood. On
settling in Fulton county he purchased some 600 acres of land in
Woodland township. On the fifth of May, 1844, he was united in marriage
to Miss Lucy Shields, a daughter of McKenzie Shields, who moved from
Harrison county, Indiana, to Fulton county over a half century ago.
During the year 1844 Mr. Thompson moved into a log-cabin school-house;
this was a novelty in itself built of rough logs. In one corner was a
huge fire-place, capable of holding a log 6 feet long. Puncheons served
for a floor, etc. For 5 years Mr. T. lived in the old school-house,
when he built a hewed-log cabin. Mr. T. prospered rapidly and at his
death, which occurred Aug. 5, 1870, he had accumulated a well improved
famr of 360 acres. The survivors of this family are Mary, who married
Enoch Thompson; Benjamin married Rachel McNeil; Nancy married John W.
Hagar, and Sarah, who married Wm. H. Smith, and Jane, who married
Harvey Shelly, and Martha, who resides on the old homestead.
