The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-09-22

Ypsllanti has plenty OF iuterurban
rails. which the government spe.
cially needs Only last week at.
tention was called TO the heaps Of
iron metal rusting in the outskirts
OF Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Daily
word is received OF great heaps OF
metal found in the most unexpect.
ed places. Little real search has
been made here for such material.
Now as to the Thompson family.
Uncle Ben" as he WAS widely
known, came here in 1880. He was
a millwright and carriage maker.
In 1873 he and his son, Oliver +.
Thompson, bought the Thompson
block on River street at the Depot.
the former barracks of the 9th
Michigan Infantry in the Civil War.
and began making carriages, later
aiding a line of agricultural nipple
ments, which soon became the larg-
est such store in this section. In
1880 Oliver invented a seeder. and
later kraut cutter. so much bet.
ter than any existing that their
product soon carried the name OF
Npsilanti TO all parts Of the Unit
ed States and abroad To this in
dustry MI Thompson and his three
sons added a large coal business, a
line OF painting and decorating, a
seed store and building indus
try. AS he factory work was sea
hA Cd
added the rehabilitation of the
shabby section just east OF the
factory on Cross and Maple steets
for summer work He bought the
whole block, built several new
houses and remodeled others and
made a little park OF the Joined
backyards The double house now
owned by Edward Thompson on
the south side OF East Cross St.
ard a big double house on River
Blvd were also Thompson-built
After their fathers death the sons
carried on the factory as o. F.,
Thompson's Sons. and when AT
last they sold it the old name was
retained and still is used.
Oliver Thompson was mayor,
for many wears member OF the
city school board. and the Meth
odist Church board His son Ben
jamin D., also served on the school
board. was director of the First
National Bank and was prominent
m many ways He was the faith
er OF Joseph H., BENJAMIN C., and
Robert Thompson. Edward served
as park commissioner for years
and many OF the beauties and con-
veniences now in Prospect Park
are due to him. For years every
parade, patriotic. fraternal or po-
litical. was organized by him,
some OF which have never been
surpassed He first decorated the
present Methodist Church, and
his own paintings adorn many Yp-
silanti homes. He is an authority
on Ypsilanti history, to which his
family contributed so much. John
II. Thompson. who died recently.
was long a member OF the county
superintendents OF the poor, and
NnR0 lldI OlllGt was 'NN'
Investigator for the new official
Cousins Of the Thompsons, the
williams. were also prominent in
Ypsilanti life.
The feeling in Ypsilanti, espe-
cially on the East Side, has been
that the cannon was a memorial 10
Oliver f Thompson, who after
long effort obtained it. II is not
a useless ornament, as so many
such guns are, but valuable part
Of the every day lie of the many
common people who frequent the
Park II would be a real loss 10
the community to destroy it. when
there are so many other sources
OF metal material available. The
government Ia appealing to boost
morale-yet what would 1t mean to
the younger group and their par
ents to have this part OF their
daily lives destroyed unnecessarily!
OLD TIMER