Sierra
County
Biographies
LEONARD THOMPSON
Leonard Thompson, one of the oldest
native sons of Sierra City, is the owner of a well equipped and prosperous
garage at this place, his success being due to his business ability, his
excellent service and fair treatment. He
was born in Sierra City on the 16th of November, 1864, and is a son
of Joseph and Rebekah (Roebuck) Thompson, the former a native of England, and
the latter of Pennsylvania. They were
married in New Jersey and came to California in 1859. Joseph Thompson prospected and mined for many
years, and his death occurred in the home of a daughter in San Jose, this
state, at the age of ninety-one years.
His wife passed away in Sierra City at the age of seventy-six years.
Leonard Thompson is the third in
order of birth in a family of five children.
He was reared in Sierra City and received his education in the public
schools. When thirteen
years old he went to work in the Sierra Buttes mine, near Sierra City. After working as a miner for a time, he
learned the trade of mine blacksmithing, including the sharpening of tools and
the repair of machinery. He was employed
in that capacity in various mines in the Sierras for thirty years, his service
being given in practically all of the mining counties of the Sierra range. In later years he purchased and conducted a
pool hall in Sierra City, and then, in 1928, he engaged in the garage business
here. His is a super-service station and
he deals in Shell and Red Crown Standard gasoline, as well as the Super Shell gasoline. He is now very comfortably fixed in his
material affairs, owning the garage, the pool hall and two other buildings in
Sierra City.
Mr. Thompson has been married twice,
first, on July 3, 1887, in Downieville, Sierra County, to Miss Louisa Ballo, of that place.
To them were born three children, namely: Viola, who was burned to death when three and
a half years old; Elsie, the wife of Frank Thorp, of San Jose, this state; and
Hazel, the wife of Sam Veale, of Grass Valley, California. The mother of these children passed away in
February, 1899, and later, in Nevada City, Mr. Thompson was married to Miss
Nola Meyers, of Moores Flat, California. They are the parents of four children,
namely: Leona, who is married and lives
in San Francisco; Leonard M., who is employed as a miner at the Young America
mine near Sierra City; Thelma, who is married and lives in San Francisco; and
Joseph Earle, who is in school at Grass Valley.
Mr. Thompson is a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West and the
Owls, at Grass Valley. During all the
years of his residence here he has given of his efforts and influence in the
direction of local progress and improvement and has proved himself a
broad-minded and public-spirited citizen.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 3 Pages 332-333. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Sierra County
Biographies