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In the records of real estate activity in Detroit the name of Thomas Brothers, in which firm William S. Thomas is a partner,
figures prominently, having developed some of the
finest subdivisions of the city. He was born in Cornwall, England, March 21, 1848, and is a son of William S. and Elizabeth (Stephens) Thomas. The family
was established in America by W. S. Thomas, the
father, who came to this country from Cornwall,
England, in the early part of May, 1848, and located
in eastern Pennsylvania, where in July, 1849, he was
joined by his wife and family, then consisting of a
daughter and a son, William S. The family lived for
several years in that part of Pennsylvania and in
1858 removed to the upper peninsula of Michigan.
There on the shores of Lake Superior the father engaged in mining, in which he was more or less successful. He cast Mb first presidential vote for John
C. Fremont in 1856. He passed away in Wayne county,
while his wife died at Fenton, Michigan. They are
survived by five of their seven children, as follows:
William 8., the subject of this review; John H., of the
Thomas Brothers Real Estate Company, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work; Mrs. Jessie A. Wightman of Birmingham, Michigan; Mrs. Harriet Eddy of
Detroit; and Elizabeth, of Birmingham, Michigan.
William S. Thomas first attended school in Pennsylvania and was between seven and eight years old
when his parents removed to Michigan, after which
he attended the common schools at the Cliff Mine.
He was but thirteen years old when the illness of
his father made it necessary for the son to help support the family, and being tho eldest boy, he thus
early in life not only became self-supporting but assumed responsibilities far beyond his years. He was
obliged to do this from his wages in the stamp mills.
No labor unions then controlled hours, for he was
employed from early morning until late at night,
and when sixteen years of age ho became a worker is
the mines, thus spending his time until he had attained his majority. He was ambitious, however, to
qualify for other lines of activity and devoted his
leisure hours to study, so that when he reached his
majority he took up the profession of teaching at
the Copper Falls mine on Lake Superior and was
afterward a teacher at Lac La Belle. He later taught
at Eagle River for five years and yet he regarded this
merely as an initial step to other professional labor,
for while teaching he was improving every possible
opportunity to read law. For a time he was deputy
county clerk and register of deeds of Keweenaw
county, while in reality discharging the entire duties
of the office, as the official incumbent had other
business interests that received his attention. This
experience fitted Mr. Thomas for the office of county
clerk and recorder of deeds, to which he was subsequently elected and proved a moat efficient incumbent
of tho office. He continued to pursue his law reading
and while serving as county clerk was admitted to the
bar on tho 1st of March, 1878. He then sought the
broader fields of labor offered in Detroit, coming
here in the spring of 1879, and from 1880 until 1883
he was in the office of Henry M. Cleaver, while through
the succeeding sixteen years he wits associated in his
law practice with John Ward. In 1899 Mr. Ward
passed away and Mr. Thomas assisted in settling the
estate. When that task was accomplished he became
associated with his brother, John H. Thomas, in the
real estate firm,of Thomas Brothers, with offices in
the Farwell building. Tho firm docs an extensive
business in handling subdivisions, which have included
Nardin Park, the State Fair subdivision, Oakland
Heights, Waverly Farm, Bungalow Grove, Gable and
Piscopink, Beverly Park, Oakley Heights, Fairmont
and others. The business has developed along the
most substantial and gratifying lines and has long
been one of profit to the partners. W. S. Thomas is
filling the position of secretary of the Beverly Park
Realty Company and is also the secretary and treasurer of the First Mortgage Loan Company.
On the 18th of February, 1892, Mr. Thomas was
married to Miss Stella Ashley of Detroit, a daughter
of Lewis C. Ashley. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have
three sons: James William, born in Detroit, January
21, 1894, was graduated from the high school and pursued further study in the literary and law departments of the University of Michigan, winning tho
A. B, and Juris Doctor degrees and becoming a member of the Delta Theta Phi during his college days.
Ho is now employed in the office of Mr. Lucking, a
prominent attorney of Detroit. During the World
war he enlisted in the United States army and became a sergeant of his company. He belongs to Palestine Lodge, F. & A. M. He married Miss Marie
K. Doyen of Detroit, where they reside; Edmund
Ashley, the second son, born in Detroit, March 22,
1895, is also a high school graduate, pursued a course
in the scientific department of the University of
Michigan and became a member of tho Theta Xi fraternity. He was also a member of the Tau Beta Pi,
the national honorary engineering society and also
of Phi Lamda Upsilon, the national honorary chemical
society. During the World war he was an instructor
at Aberdeun, Maryland, holding the rank of second
lieutenant. He married Miss Ruth Walters of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and now resides at Lakewood, Ohio;
Frederick John, born in Detroit, Juno 9, 1898, following his graduation from the Detroit high school,
spent two years in Albion College of Michigan, later
became a student in the literary department of the
University of Michigan, which he left to enter business, and is now connected with the firm of Thomas
Brothers. He has become a member of the Sigma Chi
fraternity and belongs also to the Masonic fraternity,
having attained the thirty-second degree and being
likewise a Shriner.
In 1917 Mr. Thomas removed with his family to
Plymouth, Michigan, where he has a magnificent home
and spacious grounds, comprising one of the most desirable residence properties in that town and giving
him excellent opportunity to pursue his favorite work
of gardening. He raises all the vegetables used by the
family and also lias attractive flower gardens. He
finds great joy in his gardening, which gives him
needed recreation and change of occupation from his
activities in the real estate field. He belongs to the
Detroit Bar Association, also to the Detroit Board of
Commerce and he has membership in the Masonic
lodge, in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and
in the Detroit Automobile Club. In his church connection Mr. Thomas has been for years a member of
the Methodist Episcopal church and while a resident
of Detroit ho belonged to the Simpson Methodist Episcopal church and served on its board of trustees. He
now belongs to the Plymouth church of that denomination. W. S. Thomas occupies an curable position
in the business circles of Detroit, being a self-made
man in the fullest sense of the term. Youth was to
him largely a period of earnest and unremitting toll,
but he soon gained a correct knowledge of the value
of time and of money and the worth of opportunity.
Advancing steadily as a result of his industry and
laudable ambition, he has attained a most honorable
position among Detroit's highest type of business men
and has dignified the profession and business where
his activities have led.
The City of Detroit 1701 - 1922 Vol. 3
edited by Clarence Monroe Burton, William Stocking, Gordon K. Miller
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