THOMPSON FRY

(From the History of Callaway County Missouri, 1884, page 821-822.)
Transcribed by Kris Breid, 12 September 2006

THOMPSON FRY, farmer and fine stock raiser. Mr. Fry, a prominent and successful agriculturist of Callaway county, was born in this county on the 5th of January, 1839, and in youth was left an orphan by the death of both parents. His father, John Fry, a respected citizen of the county and a farmer by occupation, died when Thompson was in his fourteenth year. His mother died soon afterwards. Thompson then made his home with Robert Brown until he attained his majority. He then went to Audrain county with his brother, and began the improvement of a farm.

Soon afterwards, the war broke out, and Thompson, a young man of Southern antecedents and sympathies, identified himself with the South. He joined Captain Hamilton's company of the State Guard, and reaching General Price's command at Lexington, was a participant in the battle at that city, resulting in the defeat of the Federals. At the end of his six months' term in the State Guard, he enlisted in the regular Confederate service, becoming a member of Captain Craig's company in the 9th Missouri Infantry. He subsequently participated in the battles of Prairie Grove, Little Rock, Jenkins' Ferry and other engagements of less importance. He was in Banks' campaign from first to last. Mr. Fry surrendered at Shreveport, Louisiana, at the close of the war. Beginning in the service as a private, by meritorious conduct as a soldier he rose to the rank of orderly sergeant, the position he held at the time of the general surrender.

Returning in 1865, he turned his attention to the pursuits of peace and was soon busily occupied with farming interests, settling in Audrain county. On the 8th of November, 1865, he was married to Miss Mary A. Brown, born near Bloomfield July 17, 1844, daughter of Ham Brown, Esq., of this county. He continued to reside in Audrain county (not a great distance from the Callaway county line, however,) until 1880, when he removed to his present place. This farm, bordering on the Audrain county line, contains 420 acres and is almost exclusively a stock farm. Mr. Fry makes a specialty of fine Hereford cattle, and has one of the best herds in the county. He is a progressive agriculturist, and is doing much for the farming interests of the county by encouraging, by example, the raising of fine cattle. He and his estimable wife have a family of three children: Charles H., Amanda E. and John E. Charles has just begun his college course at Westminster College. Mr. and Mrs. Fry are members of the Presbyterian church.

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