The Thompson Family

Duane's take

The official marker for the Thompson Family in San Augustine County is the one I'm going on here, so let me tell you what it says. Now, if you wanted to plant roots deep in Texas soil, you could hardly do better than to do it the way the Thompsons did — early, all at once, and with a whole lot of nerve. Dr.

Samuel Thompson was born in 1765, and he and his wife Precious Wofford Thompson — she passed in 1841 — were among the earliest settlers of this area. Samuel himself served as Alcalde of the San Augustine municipality. And if that wasn't enough to keep a man busy, he went on to organize area churches and schools.

He lived until 1843, long enough to see Texas become a republic and the family he'd built spread its branches wide. Now the Thompson sons — and there were several — each seemed to take a different piece of Texas history and make it personally their business. The eldest, Burrell J.

Thompson, born in 1790, came to Texas in 1821 with Stephen F. Austin. Right there, that's a sentence that puts a man at the very beginning of things.

Burrell got involved in the Fredonian Rebellion. He gave financial aid to the Texas Revolution. And after all that, he settled into three terms as Justice of the Peace in San Augustine, living all the way to 1875.

Some men run toward history; Burrell seemed to meet it every time he stepped out the door. His brother William Alston Thompson, born in 1795, arrived in Texas alongside Burrell in that same year of 1821. William served in the Texas Revolution.

But here is where the story turns hard and you have to say it plain: in 1837, William Alston Thompson was murdered by horse thieves near his home. A man who had survived a revolution, gone to it willingly and served — undone by thieves. That deserves a moment of quiet.

Napoleon B. Thompson served in a Ranger company during the Texas Revolution. He rose to become District Attorney of the San Augustine Judicial District, and died sometime before 1850.

The marker doesn't pin down the year, and maybe that's fitting — some men leave more questions than answers. Then there was Charleton W. Thompson, born in 1809.

He served as Alcalde at Anahuac, took part in the Convention of 1833, and in 1838 sat as a member of the Republic of Texas Congress. He was gone by the end of that same year, 1838 — a short life, but one that touched some of the most consequential moments in Texas's becoming. And John H.

Thompson — the marker gives him one line, but what a line it is. He was a participant in the Battle of Nacogdoches. In the Thompson family, even a single sentence carries weight.

The marker was part of the Texas Sesquicentennial, commemorating 1836 to 1986, and it closes with this: descendants of the pioneer Thompson family still remain in San Augustine County. After all the rebellions and revolutions and murders and terms of office and battles — the family is still there. That, right there, might be the most Texas thing about any of it.

What the marker says

Dr. Samuel (1765-1843) and Precious Wofford (d. 1841) Thompson and their sons were among the earliest settlers of this area. Samuel Thompson served as Alcalde of the San Augustine municipality and later organized area churches and schools. Burrell J. Thompson (1790-1875), the eldest Thompson son, came to Texas in 1821 with Stephen F. Austin. He was involved in the Fredonian Rebellion, gave financial aid to the Texas Revolution, and later served three terms as Justice of the Peace in San Augustine. William Alston Thompson (1795-1837) arrived in Texas with his brother Burrell in 1821. He served in the Texas Revolution and in 1837 was murdered by horse thieves near his home. Napoleon B. Thompson served in a Ranger company during the Texas Revolution. He was District Attorney of the San Augustine Judicial District and died sometime before 1850. Charleton W. Thompson (1809-1838) was Alcalde at Anahuac, served in the Convention of 1833, and was a member of the Republic of Texas Congress in 1838. John H. Thompson was a participant in the Battle of Nacogdoches. Descendants of the pioneer Thompson family still remain in San Augustine County. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986