HIRAM W. THOMPSON is a carpenter and contractor, who occupies a neat and comfortable home on seven acres of land on section 24 in Kent Township. He is the son of John and Margaret (Helfrick) Thompson. His father was a native of Pennsylvania and his mother of Germany. After they were married they settled in Franklin County, Pa., where they still reside. The father is a farmer by occupation. The family consisted of nine children, seven of whom grew up to be men and women.

Hiram was the second child of the family, and was born in Franklin County, Pa., on the 11th of April, 1856. His education was obtained in the common schools, which he attended during the school season until he was seventeen years of age, when he was apprenticed to a carpenter in Stephenson County, Ill. He has been a resident of Kent Township since 1873, and has followed the occupation of carpenter. Much credit is due to Mr. Thompson for the neatness and symmetry of the buildings of that township. The house in which he and his family reside is a model structure.

Our subject was married in Stephenson County, Ill., July 27, 1882, to Miss Mary E. Miller, daughter of Peter R. and Elizabeth (Shaffer) Miller, both of whom were Pennsylvanians by birth and emigrated to Jo Daviess County in the spring of 1867, where they lived one year and then moved to Kent Township. They settled in that township and remained there until the death of the father, which occurred Aug. 11, 1881. The mother is still living. They had eleven children, nine boys and two girls. Mrs. Thompson was the youngest of the family and was born in Clinton County, Pa., on the 5th of March, 1863. Mr. Thompson is a Republican, and has been School Director. Both are members of the English Lutheran Church.

Contributed by Carol Parrish from Portrait and Biographical Album of Stephenson County, Ill. (1888), p. 563