John Richardson Thompson (July 28, 1834 – February 12, 1894) was one of the eight founders of the

National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry The National Grange, also known as The Grange and officially named The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, is a social organization in the United States that encourages families to band together to promote the economic and pol ...

, a fraternal organization in the United States.

Biography

Thompson was born on July 28, 1834, in

Littleton, New Hampshire Littleton is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,005 at the 2020 census. Situated at the northern edge of the White Mountains, Littleton is bounded on the northwest by the Connecticut River. The main vil ...

and grew up on the family farm. He served in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

with the 15th Vermont Volunteers, rising to the rank of colonel. Following the war, he took a job at the

United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the Treasury, national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current United States federal executive departments, U.S. government departments. ...

, where he remained for many years. Thompson is believed to be the first to whom

Oliver Hudson Kelley Oliver Hudson Kelley (January 7, 1826 – January 20, 1913) was one of the key founders of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, a fraternal organization in the United States.William D. Barns, "Oliver Hudson Kelley and the g ...

talked about his dream of setting up a

fraternal organization A fraternity (; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity in the Western conce ...

of farmers. Thompson's

Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

training became a valuable tool in developing the ritualistic work of The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, revolving the ritualistic teachings around the farm and farm family. He died on February 12, 1894.

Legacy

The other founders of the Grange were:

William Saunders William or Bill Saunders may refer to: Science * William Saunders (physician) (1743–1817), Scottish physician, first president of Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society * William Wilson Saunders (1809–1879), British entomologist * William Saund ...

, Francis M. McDowell, John Trimble,

Aaron B. Grosh Reverend Aaron Burt Grosh (May 22, 1803 – March 27, 1884), a Universalist minister, was one of the eight founders, and the first chaplain, of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, a fraternal organization in the Unit ...

William M. Ireland William M. Ireland (died December 24, 1891) was one of the eight founders of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, a fraternal organization in the United States. Biography Ireland was born in Pennsylvania but lived most of his ...

and

Caroline A. Hall Caroline Arabella Hall (1838 – December 11, 1918) was one of the eight founders of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, an American agricultural fraternal organization better known as The Grange or Grange Hall. Biography Ha ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, John R. People from Littleton, New Hampshire People of Vermont in the American Civil War 1834 births 1894 deaths National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry