Golden anniversary at Mother Thompson Home
Lead Summary
By
Steve Roush-
Ladies and gentlemen, when we left the Mother Thompson Home last week, the daughter of famous temperance crusader Eliza Jane Trimble Thompson was reminiscing about the golden wedding anniversary celebration that was held for her parents in the historic house on Sept. 21, 1887.
Frances E. Willard (1839-98), who was instrumental in the passage of the 18th (prohibition) and 19th (women suffrage) amendments to the U.S. Constitution, had written a testimonial in honor of Mother Thompson which had just been read to those in attendance at the old home.
“Your mother has sure been a big part of the temperance movement, and to have the national president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union pen such a tribute must have been a pleasant surprise to all,” I said.
“It most certainly was,” she said. “After the reading of this testimonial, Mrs. Monroe unveiled Ohio’s offering, at the sight of which a murmur of delighted surprise ran through the house. It was a tall urn, Etruscan in shape, of gold bronze, exquisitely chased and hammered.
“Suspended by a gold chain from the handle is a twenty-dollar gold-piece, bearing on the obverse side the inscription, ‘1837-1887, Mrs. Eliza J. Thompson, leader of the Crusade, from the Ohio Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.’ On the reverse, was an engraved representation of the Crusade Church with the date ‘Dec. 23, 1873.’
“Mrs. Thompson’s response to these tributes of loving congratulation was made in her usual quiet, conversational manner, and showed her appreciation of the ovation given her, but she confessed herself dazed and bewildered with surprise and said, ‘The bride should not be expected to do too much at the wedding.’
“The pastor of the Church, Rev. D.W. Clark, read the congratulatory telegrams. They had come from nearly every state and territory in the Union, and all bore most kind greetings.
“At the close of these formal exercises, the invited guests repaired to the lecture room, where they were seated and served with refreshments, in number about one hundred.
“At the close of the banquet, Rev. D.W. Clark, on behalf of me, Mrs. Marie Thompson Rives, presented to the Hillsboro bar a full-length, life-size portrait of my father. It was unveiled by Mrs. Sarah Thompson Collins, the granddaughter of Judge Thompson, and accepted on behalf of the bar by Hon. Alphonso Hart in a pleasant, cordial and appropriate speech.
“Then followed the reading of a beautiful poem by J.L. Boardman, Esq., an address and reading of letters by Mrs. Antoinette H. Clevenger, the reading of letters from former pastors and presiding elders and more telegrams.
“Among the gifts were noticeable several little satin purses of blue and white, on which, in letters of gold were the words: ‘Our testimonial, Maryland W.C.T.U.;’ ‘Our testimonial, New Hampshire W.C.T.U.;’ ‘Our testimonial, New Jersey W.C.T.U.,’ ‘Our testimonial, Pastors and Elders, Hillsboro M.E. Church;’ ‘Our testimonial, W.C.T.U.’ These contained (in various amounts – gold pieces) the cash value of checks sent by the several state unions whose names they bear and for whom the time was too short to allow of sending a testimonial in any other form.
“At the close of the evening many old friends, one of whom, Judge William Meek, had been a guest at the first wedding, fifty years before, pressed forward to express personally to Judge and Mrs. Thompson their congratulations and wishes for both a long, happy and useful future.
“The congratulations and gifts of many relatives and prominent social friends were received, none more appreciated than the golden lamp from Mrs. Rufus King, and the ‘History of Prussia,’ in which is inscribed: ‘To James H. and Eliza J. Thompson, from Herbert Tuttle.’”
“Why, thank you so very much for these wonderful recollections,” I say with a smile. “I’ve written a good bit about Mother Thompson for the local newspaper, and I do hope to write some more.”
“Local newspaper,” she replies, somewhat confused. “I must have missed your articles on my mother, but I read the newspaper faithfully. When were these stories published?”
“Uh, well, um, they haven’t been published – yet,” I nervously say.
“Oh, I see,” she says…
Let’s pause for now, and we’ll continue next week.
Steve Roush is a vice president of an international media company and a columnist for The Highland County Press.
Frances E. Willard (1839-98), who was instrumental in the passage of the 18th (prohibition) and 19th (women suffrage) amendments to the U.S. Constitution, had written a testimonial in honor of Mother Thompson which had just been read to those in attendance at the old home.
“Your mother has sure been a big part of the temperance movement, and to have the national president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union pen such a tribute must have been a pleasant surprise to all,” I said.
“It most certainly was,” she said. “After the reading of this testimonial, Mrs. Monroe unveiled Ohio’s offering, at the sight of which a murmur of delighted surprise ran through the house. It was a tall urn, Etruscan in shape, of gold bronze, exquisitely chased and hammered.
“Suspended by a gold chain from the handle is a twenty-dollar gold-piece, bearing on the obverse side the inscription, ‘1837-1887, Mrs. Eliza J. Thompson, leader of the Crusade, from the Ohio Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.’ On the reverse, was an engraved representation of the Crusade Church with the date ‘Dec. 23, 1873.’
“Mrs. Thompson’s response to these tributes of loving congratulation was made in her usual quiet, conversational manner, and showed her appreciation of the ovation given her, but she confessed herself dazed and bewildered with surprise and said, ‘The bride should not be expected to do too much at the wedding.’
“The pastor of the Church, Rev. D.W. Clark, read the congratulatory telegrams. They had come from nearly every state and territory in the Union, and all bore most kind greetings.
“At the close of these formal exercises, the invited guests repaired to the lecture room, where they were seated and served with refreshments, in number about one hundred.
“At the close of the banquet, Rev. D.W. Clark, on behalf of me, Mrs. Marie Thompson Rives, presented to the Hillsboro bar a full-length, life-size portrait of my father. It was unveiled by Mrs. Sarah Thompson Collins, the granddaughter of Judge Thompson, and accepted on behalf of the bar by Hon. Alphonso Hart in a pleasant, cordial and appropriate speech.
“Then followed the reading of a beautiful poem by J.L. Boardman, Esq., an address and reading of letters by Mrs. Antoinette H. Clevenger, the reading of letters from former pastors and presiding elders and more telegrams.
“Among the gifts were noticeable several little satin purses of blue and white, on which, in letters of gold were the words: ‘Our testimonial, Maryland W.C.T.U.;’ ‘Our testimonial, New Hampshire W.C.T.U.;’ ‘Our testimonial, New Jersey W.C.T.U.,’ ‘Our testimonial, Pastors and Elders, Hillsboro M.E. Church;’ ‘Our testimonial, W.C.T.U.’ These contained (in various amounts – gold pieces) the cash value of checks sent by the several state unions whose names they bear and for whom the time was too short to allow of sending a testimonial in any other form.
“At the close of the evening many old friends, one of whom, Judge William Meek, had been a guest at the first wedding, fifty years before, pressed forward to express personally to Judge and Mrs. Thompson their congratulations and wishes for both a long, happy and useful future.
“The congratulations and gifts of many relatives and prominent social friends were received, none more appreciated than the golden lamp from Mrs. Rufus King, and the ‘History of Prussia,’ in which is inscribed: ‘To James H. and Eliza J. Thompson, from Herbert Tuttle.’”
“Why, thank you so very much for these wonderful recollections,” I say with a smile. “I’ve written a good bit about Mother Thompson for the local newspaper, and I do hope to write some more.”
“Local newspaper,” she replies, somewhat confused. “I must have missed your articles on my mother, but I read the newspaper faithfully. When were these stories published?”
“Uh, well, um, they haven’t been published – yet,” I nervously say.
“Oh, I see,” she says…
Let’s pause for now, and we’ll continue next week.
Steve Roush is a vice president of an international media company and a columnist for The Highland County Press.