William Barlum Thompson (March 10, 1860 – February 12, 1941) was the

Mayor of Detroit This is a list of mayors of Detroit, Michigan. See History of Detroit, Michigan, for more information about the history of the incorporation of the city. The current mayor is Mike Duggan, who was sworn into office on January 1, 2014. History o ...

from 1907 to 1908 and again from 1911 to 1912.

Biography

William Barlum Thompson was born on March 10, 1860, in Detroit, the son of Thomas and Bridget Barlum Thompson. He graduated from the public schools of the city, and in 1876 from Goldsmith's Business University, located in Detroit. He went into the meat-market business with his uncle Thomas Barlum, became a partner with Barlum in 1880, and set off on his own in 1882. In 1887 he married Nellie Hymes; the couple had nine children: Mary (born 1888), Kathleen (1889), Irene (1891), William Grover (1892), Francis Leo (1895), Helen M. (1897), Edna L. (1899), Edith R. (1905), and Virginia M. (1909).

Politics

William Barlum Thompson was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, and served as an alderman for two terms, from 1891 to 1894, but declined to run for a third term. However, by popular demand, he ran again in 1896 and was re-elected. In 1897, he was elected city treasurer and resigned his seat as an alderman. He served as treasurer for nine years. He was elected mayor twice, serving in 1907-1908 and again in 1911-1912.

Later life

Thompson went into partnership with his cousin John J. Barlum, forming the Cadillac Square Improvement Company. The company constructed a number of buildings around

Cadillac Square Campus Martius Park ( ') is a re-established park in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. After the fire of 1805, Campus Martius (from the Latin for ''Field of Mars'', where Roman heroes walked) was the focal point of Judge Augustus Woodward's plans to ...

, including the Barlum Tower (now Cadillac Tower), the Barlum Hotel (now New Cadillac Square Apartments), and the

Lawyers Building The Lawyers Building is an office building located at 137 Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was also known as the American Title Building. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. History The ...

. William Barlum Thompson died in Detroit on February 12, 1941.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, William Barlum 1860 births 1941 deaths City and town treasurers in the United States Detroit City Council members Mayors of Detroit Michigan Democrats 20th-century American politicians