Honoree
(1883-1958)
On February 16, 1883, William Warren Thomson was born in Pilot Rock,
Oregon to William Green Thomsen and Lydia Alcott Thomsen.
The Thomas family moved to the Vale, Oregon area where sometime
after that date Bill was raised and schooled through High School.
Later on he attended Portland Business College, Portland, Oregon
for two years. He later returned to Vale, Oregon where he did freighting
with a jerkline team, hauling freight to the old town of Watson,
Oregon. Also, at this time Bill hauled materials to build the Oregon
Shortline Railroad between Vale, Oregon and Crane, Oregon.
Then he acquired a ranch Southwest of Vale, Oregon known as “Dry
Creek”, which is now under the waters of the Owyhee Reservoir. He
managed mainly horses and some cattle until the reservoir filled
with water. Although it put him out of his own ranching business,
Bill and his younger brother Ross went to work for the Miller and
Lux Cattle Company, better known as the PLS Company (Pacific Land
& Livestock) in the fall of 1924. Bill transferred from the Whitehorse
Division to Quinn River, Nevada where he served as the Buckaroo
Boss on the Quinn River/Blackrock Division.
In 1927, the Miller and Lux Cattle Company started going out of
business and began selling all of the ranches in Nevada. Bill was
then transferred. Bill and his younger brother Ross bought a small
ranch near Harney City, which they operated as partners.
Bill Thomson was one of the great Buckaroos of the early 1900’s
as well as a good Buckaroo Boss to work for. All of his men went
with him as he was transferred to different divisions, Ross Thomson,
Shirley Scoggins, Frank Larenzano, Weaver Bond, Pete Fordyce and
Waltzy Elliott.
Bill Thomson passed away at the age of 76 in 1958.
Bill Thomson was inducted into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame in September
1997.
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