A PIONEER PASSES AWAY.
Attendance at the Funeral the Largest
Ever Known in Northern Idaho.
J. B. Thompson, one of the most
prominent and best known resi-
dents in the Kootenai Valley, died
at his home last Monday evening
at 8:15, in the 55th year of his age.
He had been a sufferer from dropsy
for many years, and during the
past year his life has often been
despaired of. Mr. Thompson was
one of the early pioneers, and was
well known throughout the west.
He came to Butte, Mont., in the
fall of 1875 and started an assay
office. In the summer of 1876 he
went to the Black Hills, and dur
ing the excitement engaged in
mining.
Mr. Thompson came to Northern
Idaho and settled in the Kootenai
Valley about five years ago. He
has been engaged in various en
terprises, and was interested in one
of the first steamboats on the Koo
tenai river. For several, years
however, he has devoted the greater
part of his time to stock-raising.
He was universally liked by all,
and had many agreeable and en-
dearing qualities of heart and
mind. He was a member of the
Grand Army of the Republic, and
one of his most admirable quali-
ties was his devotion to the Ameri
can flag. One of bis requests be
fore his death was to have the
star-spangled banner floating from
its standard when the first steam
boat passed his house in the spring.
"Although I shall not lie here to
see it," he said, "it may inspire
in the passer-by a patriotism which
should dwell in the heart of every
true American." He was interred
Tuesday at 1 o'clock on a hillside
selected by himself before his
death. The attendance at the fu-
neral was the largest ever held in
Northern Idaho.
Mr. Thompson leaves a family
and many friends to mourn his
death.
- Kootenai Herald - March 11, 1892
READ MORE about Pioneers Jesse B. Thompson and his wife Ruth Whiteside.
Also published in the Hot Springs News of Ainsworth, British Columbia, March 16, 1892 page 4 Col 3
No one in the valley of the Kootenay was better known that "old man" Thompson, the rancher whose death was reported by passengers who arrived at Ainsworth on the Spokane. Jesse B. Thompson was a native of Illinois and and oldtime pioneer of Montana, where he lived until the Black Hills excitement broke out. He put in several years in that country and finnally concluded to drive a stake in Idaho, settling on the ranch on which he died , 4 years ago. He leaves a widow and a grown-up son by a first wife. Although at times given to using emphatic language, his heart was in the right place, an his death will be regretted by many people along Kootenay river on both sides of the line.