Lt. Henry "Harry" Wright Thompson was born on November 14, 1891 in Bagdad, Florida, the son of William Henry Thompson (1859-1928) and Marianna Walker (1859-1920). The young man came from a long line of influential Miltonians, especially in the Bagdad area. His grandfather was Benjamin Woodson Thompson (1809-1876) who appeared in Bagdad sometime before 1850 as an overseer. He was from Kentucky and a miller by trade and by 1860 he had accumulated personal holdings of $27,000. Ten years later he was the owner of a Bagdad sawmill. Ben's first wife, Mary Sullivan (1818-1855) passed away so he remarried Olive Anne Thompson in 1887.
One of Ben and Olive's children was William Henry Thompson (1859-1928), born in Bagdad on November 6, 1859, although his name sometime appears as Henry W. Thompson. By 1880, William was a store clerk in Bagdad and in 1884 he had saved up enough money to marry Marianna Walker (1859-1930) in Montgomery, AL. Over the next several years she would bear William the following children: Olive Anna, Ella Creary, Henry Wright, Larry Scott, and Wirt Thompson. By 1900, he had obtained a better paying job as a driver for Henry William Sindorf at the Bagdad Sash and Blind Factory. In fact, the present sanctuary of the United Methodist Church of Bagdad was begun in 1885 on the site given for that purpose by Sindorf, William Thompson (perhaps through his father's holdings) and W. A. Watson, who were members of the church and also partners in the Bagdad Sash and Blind Factory. By 1910, William had risen to the position of a sash manufacturer.
When WWI broke out, their son Henry Wright Thompson was called into service with the US Army Air Corp and assigned as a pilot with the 282nd Air Squadron. He never left the United States and the entire war at Park Field, TN and Garden City, NJ. In April, he was chosen to tour the southeast and put on aerial feats in order to promote the nation's Liberty Loan drive. Thus, on June 2, 1918, he was entertaining his onlookers with his aerial display by performing loops and such from dizzying height above the city. However, on or about June 16, 1918, he and his plane crashed resulting in a broken leg and collarbone. Recuperation was minimal and he returned to duty shortly thereafter. Following the war, he was discharged on February 10, 1919 as a 1st Lieutenant with 25% disability due to his injuries.
In the meantime, William and Marianna continued with their life on Bagdad's Forsyth Street and his job as the Clerk of the Santa Rosa County Court. However, in 1928 William passed away and was buried in the Bagdad Cemetery where he was joined in 1930 by Marianna.
After WWI, Harry would marry Marguerite Brittain opened his law office in 1919 at #311 of the American Bank Building while living at 1220 Blount Street in Pensacola. The following year the couple would move to 1920 North Spring Street and the year after he built his own office at 1201 North Palafox Street that still stands today. By 1930, he was practicing law in Tallahassee, Florida, but the following year his passed away on December 17, 1931 and was buried in the Saint John's Episcopal Church Cemetery. He was survived by his two children Harry W. and Camille Thompson. Two years later Marguerite would remarry to Dr. Jesse Newnam McLain, but divorce fifteen years later.
Lt. Henry "Harry" Wright Thompson WWI
St. John's Episcopal Church Cemetery, Tallahassee, FL
Selma Times, May 1, 1918
Pensacola News Journal 5-2-1918
Clarke County Democrat 5-9-1918
Palm Beach Post 5-20-1918
Pensacola News Journal 6-18-1918
Harry's grandfather Benjamin Woodson Thompson
(1809-1876) Milton Cemetery
Mary Sullivan Thompson, wife of
Benjamin, (1818-1855) Milton Cemetery
Harry Wright Thompson's house at 1201 North Palafox Street with an added glass entrance. It is listed as being built in 1928 and is now the office of Ronald D. Blue, Financial Advisor. However, Harry is listed in the city directory as having moved into the house sometime before 1921.