William Preston Thompson was a frontiersman, politician, officer, judge, doctor, father and husband. He was born 5 Sep 1788 in Washington County, Virginia. He married twice, first to Jane Robertson Russell 1788-1816 of Burks Garden, Tazewell County, Virginia and later to Sarah E. (Sallie) Meek 1802-1851 also of Virginia.
He had six children from his first marriage with Jane Russell, and nine children from his second marriage with Sarah Meek.
He received several commissions in the military:
Military Service and Commissions in Virginia
18 Jul 1809 Ensign
20 Feb 1810 Lieutenant (Recommended didn’t accept)
War of 1812-Paymaster
21 May 1816 Recom’d Major, 1st Batt., 70th Reg.
18 May 1819 Lieut. Col., 70th Reg.
He was elected as a member of the General Assembly of Washington County, Virginia in 1819.
He came to Missouri c. 1821, first settling in Ray County. He later moved to what would eventually become Grundy County c. 1833 and began building his log cabin in October of that year.
About 1834 work began on the two story brick house that would become the residence of the Thompson family, his medical office and serve as a courtroom. The house was described as:
a federal style brick house consisting of four large rooms, kitchen, medicine room, a fireplace in each room, two chimneys (one at each end of the house) and a large hallway on both levels of the house.
a federal style brick house consisting of four large rooms, kitchen, medicine room, a fireplace in each room, two chimneys (one at each end of the house) and a large hallway on both levels of the house.
He ran for political office in Ray County, Missouri; was called "doctor" by residents of three counties in Missouri (serving as the first practicing physician in Ray County MO (pre Grundy County era) and the only physician from the Missouri to the Iowa State line); and served as a judge for Ray County, Missouri.
