Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-02-01
sI6aAfbaioALl
Sketch Of One of HopRinsvilIs's Old
est and Weathiest Citizens.

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Sketch OF One Of Hopkinsville's Old
est and Wealthiest Citizens.
The quiet, unassumiug man-the
one who does not presume on ac'
count of the amount of his worldly
possessions to advance his ideas of
matters in general and everybody's
in PARTICULARS the one who is al
ways a prominent character in the
community In which he lives. Such
man is George o. Thompson.
There is not a scintilla of presump-
ton in his makeup. Rather is he
retiring in his disposition, preferring
always to hear than to be heard, and
to see rather than be seen. Yet he
always has an opinion, and when
called upon will express it. A man
who has, by his own industry and
business tact and in an honor
able and honest way, acquired the
fortune possessed by Mr.. Thompson
can always be trusted in his ideas
of things generally, and hence in
matters pertaining to the city's good
When projectors of some movement
for the city's interest have had doubts
as to the final results of that move
ment, Mr.. Thompson's ideas have been
asked for and freely given. Bat, as
we have stated, he does not consider
himself one of the trio spoken of by
Job when he said that when they died
wisdom would die with them. "Hsis
as plain as an old shoe" but asa cit
izsn is as highly valued as can be
Every body likes him. Probably no
man in the county has a more ex
tensive acquaintance than he. Away
back in "the thirties" he engaged in
the manufacture and sale Of fur
niture in Hopkinsville, in partnership
with III. II. Coleman. Ia those days
furniture was furniture. Everything
was made by hand. Even the power
for running the lathes was furnished
by the cross-eyed son of Africa, and
the newly married couple had to cal
culate for a large outlay when they
began housekeeping" But every
thing that the firm of "rhompson "
Coleman" made was guaranteed to
stand everything except fire. Hun
dreds and hundreds of houses all over
the county even to-day have more or
less furniture Of their manufacture
Honest work paid the workmen, and
the firm rapidly accumulated for
tune. Fronts on Main and other
principal streets of the then small
town passed into their possess
sion. AT this time only two or
three of the employees of the house
are living-none, we believe, in the
city. Nc. Coleman has long since
passed away, aud only George o.
Thompson remains, like landmark
of some long settled country He
has seen the town OF his adoption
grow into thriving city; though
this manufacturing branch of hi
business has been superseded by the
machinery of the wide-awake Yam
kee, he can still be found at his fur
niture store on Main street, fair
weather of foul, ready to greet all
like young salesman, or crack
joke with as much zsst as any one.
Mr.. Thompson was born in Virgin
ia. His parents came to Kentucky in
1911. He has been twice married. His
first wife was Miss Margaret Phaup
His second marriage was to Miss
Martha j. Thomson. His first wife
died in 1916, his last died five or six
years ago. His first wife bore him
five children, all of whom are well
known aud remembered. j. j.
Thompson is living in Texas; Bette
James Nee vain, of Todd
county, KY; Ellen, (deceased) mar
ried w. G. Graves, late a merchant OF
this city ; Maggie now Mrs. Virgil A
Garnet, is living in Pembroke; aud
G. A. Thompson, the hardware mau,
is doing business in this city. His
second wife bore him two or three
children, all of whom died when
quite young. Though past his
"three.score aud ten," Mr.. Thompson
bids fair to be with us many years
yet to come. lie has been member
of the Baptist church ever since he
was young man, always faithful in
attendance at church and contribu-
ting literally ; in the doctrine that the
left hand should not know what the
right hand doetb, his charities are
more liberal than anyone dreams Of
lie has served several terms as city
Councilman and has the greatest
confidence of our citizens.