Thompson Family Fund
This fund supports the ongoing well-being of Davis, Canaan Valley, and surrounding communities through grants that address community needs and support local families.
TYPE OF FUND: Field of Interest
DATE ESTABLISHED: January 6, 2000
PURPOSE: To provide funds for community needs and to assist needy families.
DISTRIBUTION: Annual grants to the Blackwater Ministerial Association and/or Parsons Ministerial Association, Buena Chapel, Davis Cemetery, and other local community entities in need, with preference given to the needy of the Davis/Canaan Valley area. Distribution upon the recommendation by the Grants Committee and approval by the full Board of Directors of TCF.
VARIANCE POWER: If, in the judgment of the TCF Board of Directors, the restrictions and conditions of the fund become unnecessary, incapable of fulfillment or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community, the TCF Board of Directors maintains the right to modify the terms of this fund.
FUNDING: Initial funding from a $10,000 donation by B. Dorothy Thompson of Canaan Valley.
BACKGROUND: The George B. Thompson family arrived in Tucker County in the late 1800s with the timber industry boom. Albert Thompson of Philadelphia purchased the J.L. Rumbarger Lumber Company and established the Thompson Lumber Company, later known as the Blackwater Boom and Lumber Company. George Thompson joined the company as secretary and timekeeper, and his uncles—Frank, J.F., and S.W. Thompson—were among the company’s first stockholders.
The company played a major role in harvesting lumber from Blackwater Canyon and Canaan Valley until the Babcock Lumber Company acquired its holdings in 1907. George Thompson became Babcock’s local manager and remained in the community even after the Davis mill closed in 1924, later serving as both a businessman and a state legislator.
George’s son, Ben F. Thompson, became a prominent Canaan Valley farmer. The Thompsons continued to maintain deep roots in the region. Notably, George’s cousin, Sarah M. Thompson Kaemmerling, donated land in Canaan Valley that is now part of Canaan Valley State Park.
Ben and his wife, Barbra Dorothy Mayor of Arthurdale, WV, were married in 1942 and had three children: Sarah Thompson Fletcher, Frank H. Thompson (1944–1994), and Danny, who died at age three. Their legacy continues through their grandchildren and the family farm, which now supports several local businesses.
