Henry Thompson’s Cabin, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, & Some Amazing Letters

Henry Thompson (1833-1901), youngest son of John and Ann (Lefferts) Thompson, born in Wrightstown, Bucks County PA, left home as a young man and went to New York City to learn the skills of a silversmith and goldsmith. He later became a prospector in western US. In 1867, he returned to Bucks County and married Mary E. Mathews (1837-1891). He returned to his mining camp in Leadville Colorado, returning home to Bucks County on occasion.

Leadville is a small mining town with an elevation of 10,152 feet! The town is surrounded by 14,000' hugh mountains and lakes. Bighorn sheep, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope can be seen. Annual snowfall is 200". Snow covers the area from October through May.

Henry died in his cabin on April 14, 1901. He was laid to rest in the Evergreen Cemetery in Leadville. Word was sent to his daughter in Pennsylvania, but no one claimed his body.

An interesting note about Henry’s life as a miner in Colorado. His cabin, albeit primitive, was next to the cabin of Margaret Tobin and her siblings. She was quite poor; she had moved from Missouri in 1885. She worked at a dry goods store and lived in a two-room cabin. Most assuredly Henry Thompson knew Margaret Tobin; everyone called her Molly. Margaret married J.J. Brown, a poor, but hard working, mining engineer. Now for the rest of the story.

Unlike Henry Thompson, Mr. Brown was fortunate and discovered a massive ore seam known as the Little Jonny Mine. Margaret and J.J. became wealthy. Margaret Brown, better known as The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1867-1932), was loved for her tough can-do spirit, her philanthropic support for women and children, her work as a suffragist, and for surviving the sinking of the Titanic in 1912!

Also enclosed below are a series of letters sent by Henry to his older brother Albert Thompson (1822-1904)(and one to his brother and sister as well). Very interesting indeed. Thank you Jim Thompson for sharing the letters.

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The following are a series of letters from young Henry Thompson (1833-1901) to his brother Albert Thompson (1822-1904) of Wrightstown PA while Henry was in Colorado trying to make money as a miner. Letters retyped and shared for this website by 9th generation Dr. James (Jim) E. Thompson (1947-).

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Sioux City

Decem 25th / 1857

Albert U.S. Thompson

It has been some time if not longer since I have had the pleasure of hearing the sound of your doleful pen. And this being Christmas. Everything is quiet, but the church going bell, makes one think his doom has finally come, to hear the sound of a muffled bell. The shrill sound, tied with woolen yarn, puts me in using of my mother's old spinning wheel. I have just come from dinner full up to the chin with this luxuriant food we have out here. But think I am a little slow on todays precedings as my friends have been making calls while I had to stay in the office. They called at my good friend Dr. Kooks house where they found a table set well. Filled with all the market would afford in the way of eatables. Beside brandys and wines of all discriptions. Milk punch, Egg nog and many other fancy fixens. But, I think probably I feel some what better than my friends do about this time as their heads are swellon some about this time.

The weather is fine here the finest ever I say at this time of year. There has only been about 1inch of snow fell here as yet. There has been some cold weather but most of the time could ride without an overcoat. The old citizens say this is the as oridanary winter in this country and I have no reasons to doubt it for I have it from good authority. No more at present. Write soon.

Yours Truely,

obedient Servant

Henry Thompson

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Sioux City Iowa March 28th 1858

Respected Brother

Your letter dated 1st of this month came duly to hand this evening and I was much pleased with your sentiments in relation to the affairs of the administration. You seem to watch the movements of the Hon. Henry Chapman. My sentiments in relation to Chapman are simply those. 1st his heart is not as black as some other political men, that flirt through this world and fly as high as the rafters of the cupola of heavens and then sail down as low as the mud hills of hell to find themselves dishonorable graves. Chapman is an honorable man, believes in that which is right, just and honorable. Probably I am better aquainted with Chapmans movements than you possibly could be under the circumstances now existing as he is working for certain measures that is being brought into affect, in which I am interested, and I sincerely hope they may be affected and accomplished. I just returned from Niobrara(h) this afternoon and I feel some tired as I walked 100 miles in the last three days. Last Thursday I walked 45 miles between sun and sun when I went to niobrara(h) I did not expect to return so soon. But my things did not come according to contract and we wanted to use them and there was no public conveyance and I could not get a horse, so I concluded I would take it a foot. So, I arrived here safe and sound as quick as any team ever made the trip (I am a buster) Times continue dull, but there is good prospects ahead, if the fast times ever overtakes the dull times. It will not be long now until navigation on the lakes and canals will be in full blast. Then the golden harvests of the west will pull toward the seaboard after the gold harvest they are having in New York, just as soon as this is brought about, money will roll onward and westward.

Direct My letters to Niobrara(h)

Yours Truly

Henry Thompson

To W.C. Thompson (Warner Carey) Dear Nephew I feel myself highly honored with those lines of yours. I must say you are quite a penmen and can write nearly as well as your uncle H. We smart men are always poor penmen. My dog is a poor brute, he has been spoilt like many little boys I have seen. You must be a good boy and go to school and try and learn. And the next time I come home I will make you a present.

H. Thompson

Note from JET: Niobrara is a town in the NE corner of Nebraska on a river of the same name which flows into the Missouri River. It is upstream from Sioux City. Warner Carey Thompson (1848-1921) is son of Albert Thompson (1822-1904).

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Denver City Dec 13th 186_

Colorado Territory

Dear Brother & Sister

It is with great pleasure that I now take this opportunity to write you a few lines to inform you of my good health. And hope these few lines may find you enjoying the same great blessing. Warner wrote me some time ago and I wrote an answer to his epistle and lost it before I had a chance to mail it. He speaks of going to school, this is a fine thing. I would advise you to keep him (Warner) at school and give him a fine education. For if there is anything that a man wants it is this. I probably feel the want of this worse, than any other man. But, since leaving Bucks, I have made a great many improvements in my small stock of knowledge and know but little yet.

One thing, thank god, I have is good health. I am in Denver now and have been here 6 days, waiting to see Dr. S.B.L. He left here on last Sat. 7th and left word for me to remain until he returned. I will wait until Monday and then I will go to the diggings again, unless something turns up, more than I know of now. Another man was shot last night while howling around some bandy house. Shot in the favorite spot, through the lower part of the abdoman, in the belly. There has been some thing like a dozen men shot in this town, all near the same place. Regular, since this country has been settled there has been a man shot or hung once per week and sometimes daily for a week. Very fast country, this is and amongst them all, I have seen no shooting or hanging. Save a duel that was fought in the spring of 60 with shoot guns at 30' paces, loded with bullet. The jail here has about-50 political prisoners in it. At two of the corners of the jail there stands a brass 9 pound loaded with grape shot or a canister with a heavy guard

in and around the jails. Such it is pretty quiet here now to what it was some time since: Cop Alley, of the regular army, is here investigating contracts and other business connected with the Government officials of this territory

With these few remarks and

Yours Truly

Henry Thompson

I have received 4 copies of the Doylestown Intelligencer.

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Denver City October 8th 1861

Dear Brother,

Your letter of no date came duly to hand last evening and was much pleased to hear from you and family. You compliment me at the end of your epistle with the title of lieutenant. This is not so, for I would not except Qf the position when I found that I was to be consigned to a certain company, if appointed. The Captain of this company, I could not get along with, and further than this I found that the men raised in this territory were going to stay here and in all probability would not see any active service. And still another argument, I had made arrangements and had everything arranged to go to California. With the exceptions of two young men who were going with me. We had set the 20th of Sept. as the time of starting, but they not being ready, we set the 1st of this month and still they not ready and not the 10th and I know I will not be ready then. For now I think it very dangerous to go through as we had intended as Old Brigham Young the Morman Chief, has declared his independence again. And I have begun to think he will get a most glorious cleaning out next season. I have sold out everything in this country that belongs to me. But have but little money, though but I think if I stay here another year, I will make some money worth while to retire from this country I am ' getting pretty tired I tell you.

The great articles of commerce and the two great articles that will comprise all the fabricsmanufactured in New England, France and Old England. In 1860 there was over 100,000,000 lbs of jute raised and sold in India. Some imported to America and France and the balance to England. I expect to live to see the time when all the labor of South Carolina done by white labor, and the product of the state be flax and jute. While that of the vast plains west of the Missouri River and east of the base of the mountains is used for raising vast herds of sheep and cattle. Now those plains contain the native cattle or buffalo in a larger number then all of the domesticated cattle of the United States combined. Why then will not those plains sustain, a large population of people, and large herds of sheep and cattle, and be one of the greatest wool growing countries in the known world. I consider this American continent not one hundredth past developed yet. A man may set himself down as you have done, and hardly get without the boundary of the state and think this world all a cattle show. But this is all fudge, the world issupposed to be round and America contains 34 states including the confederate states and I have been in 25 of them. This country has begun to pay better than it has here. So far two men have taken out of one claim this last summer 101,000.00 one hundred and one thousand dollars. I am well acquainted with one of them, his name is Bond from Illinois.

Direct to Denver City

Yours Truly

H. Thompson