- WILLIAM FREEMAN TOMPKINS, the son of William TOMPKINS and
_____
- (FREEMAN) TOMPKINS, was born April 4, 1812, at Scipio, N.H.
He came to Janesville prior to January, 1845, and during the
years 1845 and 1846 was probate judge for Rock county. He was
a wealthy farmer in his early life in Janesville. Judge TOMPKINS
was an uncompromising Whig for many years, and after the disruption
of that party he became a Democrat. He was a temperance man
of extreme views, and while farming, refused to sell his barley
to the brewers, and was known as "The Father of Temperance"
in Rock county. He was elected November 5, 1850, as member of
the assembly of the Wisconsin state legislature. From December
13, 1845, to September 19, 1846, he was co-partner with Levi
ALDEN in the publication of the Janesville Gazette. Mr. TOMPKINS,
having lost his property, left Janesville some time during the
war of 1861-65, and went to Pike's Peak, engaging at length in
the cattle trade. He finally settled at Abilene, Kan., where
he died August 17, 1871. He was married, February 25, 1834,
at Fleming, N.Y., to Caroline LEACH, the daughter of Winslow
and Esther (SOUTHWORTH) LEACH. She was born September 29, 1816,
at Aurelius, N.Y., and died August 25, 1898, at Washington, D.C.
they had four children: Horace TOMPKINS, born April 4, 1837,
at Scipio, N.Y.; died May 10, 1865, at Nashville Tenn. He served
as first lieutenant company F, Nineteenth Michigan Infantry,
and was confined for many months in Libby prison. Celetia TOMPKINS,
born July 31, 1839, at Fleming, N.Y.; died September 25, 1898,
at Washington, D.C. She was twice married; first, May 28, 1856
at Janesville, Wis., to William H. MOBLEY. He died August 6,
1863, and she was married on December 25, 1866, to John JACKSON,
of Lockport, N.Y. Carrie TOMPKINS was born at Janesville, July
17, 1851, and died there September, 23, 1853. William F. TOMPKINS,
Jr., was born February 21, 1854, at Janesville, Wis., and died
at Vallejo, Cal., in 1908. He married, April 15, 1880, Minnie
HOWARD, at Kanoplis,, Kan., and had a daughter, Martha Caroline,
born October 18, 1881.
- Judge TOMPKINS was a nephew of Daniel TOMPKINS, an early
governor of the state of
- New York.
-
- Taken from "Rock County, Wisconsin, Vol. II"
by William Fiske Brown, (c)1908, pp. 767-768.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|