Thomas A. Simpson (Winona, MN)
Thomas A. Simpson (May 31, 1836 – April 26, 1905)
Biography
(Proceedings and report of the annual meetings of the Minnesota ..., Volumes 1-2)
Thomas Simpson, a leading member of the bar of Winona, Minnesota, was born in the north of England, May 31, 1936, the son of Anthony and Elizabeth (Bonson) Simpson, descended from Scottish ancestry.
His maternal grandfather, Robert Bonson, came to America in 1825, and remained for some years, establishing the first blast lead furnaces, both in Galena, Illinois and Dubuque, Iowa.
About 1837 Anthony Simpson brought his family to America, and settled in Dubuque, Iowa. There he engaged in mining, smelting and farming.
His son, Thomas, one of 10 children (six of whom are still living), grew up in Dubuque, working on the farm, and in the mines and lead furnaces. In addition to attendance upon public schools, he took a thorough course in civil engineering and surveying, under the special direction of Rev. E. S. Norris, a clergyman of distinction, who had at a former period held very prominent and official positions as surveyor and engineer in the state of Maine.
In 1853 Mr. Norris, the preceptor of Mr. Simpson, was given the contract by the United States surveyor General of Dubuque, for running the guide meridians and standard parallels - the baselines for the public government surveys of land in the Territory of Minnesota. He engaged young Simpson as one of his chief assistants in this work. He soon found that his former pupil, though but seventeen years of age, was entirely competent to take charge of this important work. He turned it over to him, and he carried it on to its completion in 1855. The complete record of this work done by Mr. Simpson will be found in the office of the United States surveyor general at St. Paul.
In December 1899, Mr. Simpson read before the Minnesota Historical Society, at St. Paul, a paper carefully prepared by him on "The History of the Early Government Land Surveys in Minnesota, West of the Mississippi." The reading of this paper was listened to with intense interest, and was recognized as one of the most valuable contributions to the early history of the state, and has been published by the society.
Shortly after completing his work upon the public surveys in Minnesota in 1855, Mrs. Simpson was commissioned by the United States government to go to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to determine the boundaries of the Menominee Indian reservation, with a view of protecting the Indians in their rights as occupants of the reservation.
Since the beginning of the year 1856, Mr. Simpson has been a resident of Winona. For the firs two years after locating there he was engaged in real estate and lending money. In 1858 he was admitted to the bar of Winona, and has ever since been in active and successful practice.
Since residing in Winona Mr. Simpson has been made the incumbent of numerous and various public offices. A few days after coming of age he was elected justice of the peace in the city -- then secretary of the consolidated school districts of this city, three terms as alderman, and the first president of the city board of education. For a period of about 20 years he was a member of the state normal school board of Minnesota, serving during a large portion of that period as president of the board. He resigned this position in 1884.
In 1866 he was elected a member of the state senate, and his record in that position is an honorable one. Throughout his mature life he has been a communicant of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was superintendent of the Sunday school of the Central Methodist Church of Winona from 1856 to 1892, and has rendered a variety of important official services to the church.
The development of Mr. Simpson's career has been intimately associated with the city and state. When he settled in Minnesota he took at once the attitude of a wide-awake citizen, with the good of his community at heart, and he came rapidly into touch with varied phases of its industry and progress. He has been prominent in promoting the manufacturing interests of Winona; was among the organizers of the Second National Bank, and for many years served as its president; contributed mainly to the forces which constructed and put in operation the Winona & Western Railway, and is now secretary and general counsel for that company. He has controlled extensive land and other important interests in the state, and is counted among the substantial and leading men of Southern Minnesota.
Mr. Simpson was married Oct. 30, 1860, to Isabella Margaret Holstein, a Pennsylvania lady. Three sons were the fruit of their union - George T., James K., and Earl. Mrs. Simpson died Dec. 21, 1888.
Thomas Simpson passed away on April 26, 1905 in Winona, MN, and is buried there in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/79714298/thomas-simpson
Bank Officer Summary
During his banking career, Thomas A. Simpson was involved with the following bank(s):
- Second National Bank of Winona, MN (Charter 1842): President 1871-1877
References
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://bbdata.banknotehistory.com