Clark W. Thompson

Clark W. Thompson (1825–1885) was a Canadian who served in the Minnesota State Senate, and the territorial House and Council for Minnesota Territory.

Thompson was born at the Falls of the Twenty in Lincoln County, Canada on July 23, 1825 [6]. He married Rebecca Sophia Wells in the city of New York on 14 November 1865. He moved to Hokah, Minnesota in 1853 and worked as a miller before beginning his career in government. After finishing government service in 1872, he retired to Wells, Minnesota where he owned a farm. He died there in 1885.

Thompson was elected to the Minnesota State Senate on November 8, 1870; however, the Senate seat was initially given to George Whallon. Whallon served in the Senate until January 1, 1871 at which point it was given to Thompson. Thompson served in the position as senator for the remainder of the term until January 1, 1872. He served in district 20 where he represented Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Pipestone, and Rock counties.

Thompson participated in the Territorial Republican Constitutional Convention from July 13, 1857 to August 29, 1857. He also served as Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the U.S. Executive Branch (Lincoln and Johnson Administrations) in the Northern Superintendency from 1861–1865. In this capacity, he was supervisor of Ojibwe, Dakota, and Winnebago agencies in Minnesota as well as the LaPointe Ojibwe agency in Wisconsin. The U.S.-Dakota War and the subsequent removals of Minnesota's Dakota and Winnebago occurred during his term of office.

Thompson is the namesake of Clark Township, Faribault County, Minnesota and Fort Thompson, South Dakota.