William Thompson

July 23, 1842 (age 61)

Lancaster, Pennsylvania , United States

He also founded Detroit"s first major league baseball team In 1861, sparked to enlist by the Civil War, he joined the Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry. He spent the winter of 1861-1862 in Detroit, after which the regiment was disbanded and Thompson returned to Lancaster. He was later appointed aide de camp as a second lieutenant in the 6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, and was severely wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville, earning a promotion to first lieutenant for gallantry on the battlefield. After his unit was mustered out in 1864, Thompson studied law in New York City, then moved to Detroit to join the law firm of Doctorate. B. and H. M. Duffield. He was admitted to the bar in 1867. He had varied business interests, building the Ste. Claire Hotel on Campus Martius in 1879 and founding Detroit"s first major league baseball team, the Detroit Wolverines, in 1881. Thompson served on the Board of Estimates in 1873, and as an alderman in 1874–1875. He unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 1876, and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention from Michigan in both 1876 and 1880. He ran for mayor of Detroit on the Republican ticket twice more, winning both times and serving from 1880 to 1883. He ran once more for mayor in 1891, being defeated by the then-incumbent Hazen South. Pingree. He also served as a state senator, being elected in 1894. In 1867, Thompson married Adelaide Mary Brush, the daughter of Edmund A. Brush and granddaughter of Elijah Brush. The couple had one daughter, and Adelaide died in 1875. In 1878, Thompson married Adele Campau, but the two began divorce proceedings in 1888. The couple"s acrimony caused a sensational and public fight between Thompson and Adele"s brother Daniel Campau, in which Thompson was considerably pummeled. Thompson died on July 20, 1904, in Yonkers, New York, of injuries received after being knocked down by a bicycle. He is interred at Princeton Cemetery in Princeton, New Jersey.

William Thompson

Edit Profile

Background

William G. Thompson was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on July 23, 1842. When his enlistment was over, he moved at the request of his mother to Toledo, Ohio, but then enlisted in a lancer regiment there as a first lieutenant.

Education

He was educated at Amherst College.

Career

He also founded Detroit"s first major league baseball team In 1861, sparked to enlist by the Civil War, he joined the Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry. He spent the winter of 1861-1862 in Detroit, after which the regiment was disbanded and Thompson returned to Lancaster.

He was later appointed aide de camp as a second lieutenant in the 6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, and was severely wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville, earning a promotion to first lieutenant for gallantry on the battlefield.

After his unit was mustered out in 1864, Thompson studied law in New York City, then moved to Detroit to join the law firm of Doctorate. B. and H. M. Duffield. He was admitted to the bar in 1867.

He had varied business interests, building the Ste. Claire Hotel on Campus Martius in 1879 and founding Detroit"s first major league baseball team, the Detroit Wolverines, in 1881.

Thompson served on the Board of Estimates in 1873, and as an alderman in 1874–1875.

He unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 1876, and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention from Michigan in both 1876 and 1880. He ran for mayor of Detroit on the Republican ticket twice more, winning both times and serving from 1880 to 1883. He ran once more for mayor in 1891, being defeated by the then-incumbent Hazen South. Pingree.

He also served as a state senator, being elected in 1894.

In 1867, Thompson married Adelaide Mary Brush, the daughter of Edmund A. Brush and granddaughter of Elijah Brush. The couple had one daughter, and Adelaide died in 1875.

In 1878, Thompson married Adele Campau, but the two began divorce proceedings in 1888. The couple"s acrimony caused a sensational and public fight between Thompson and Adele"s brother Daniel Campau, in which Thompson was considerably pummeled.

Thompson died on July 20, 1904, in Yonkers, New York, of injuries received after being knocked down by a bicycle.

He is interred at Princeton Cemetery in Princeton, New Jersey.

Politics

In 1884, Thompson switched parties to become a Democrat and sought that party"s nomination for mayor, but was not nominated.

Main Photo