The Carvings on Stone Mountain, Part 3

A. R. THOMPSON, FEB. 1, 1885

H. J. THOMPSON & J. R. THOMPSON 1892 OR 1895

Both carvings are located at the railings, as one is ascending or descending, and the carving for A. R. Thompson is right on top of that of H. J. and J. R. Thompson. The date of A. R. Thompson’s appears to be Feb. 1, 1885, while H. J. Thompson’s has 1892 or 1895. Given that the person who carved J. R. Thompson’s name reverses the “s” it’s possible that the same person reversed the “2” in 1892.

Find A Grave has a listing for Henry J. Thompson, born 7 July 1858, and died 20 November 1900, buried in Stone Mountain cemetery in DeKalb County. Henry appears on the 1900 census, with wife Louvenia, and a number of children. Also, his father, Thomas and mother, Lucinda are living in his household. Find a Grave lists his parents as Thomas Thompson and Lucinda Hardman. Marriage records at Ancestry state that Henry married Louvinia E. Lankford 23 November 1881.

In 1880, Henry is in his father’s household in Cross Keys, DeKalb County, GA, and his younger brother, Alfred R. Thompson is living there as well. Ten years earlier, Alfred is identified as Alford on the census, which is also how he’s listed in 1910, now living in Sagertown, Haskell County, Texas. He apparently returned to Georgia, as he’s buried in the churchyard at Fellowship Baptist Church in Tucker, identified as A. Riley Thompson, and his wife, Ida is buried there as well. Fellowship Church appears to be on Fellowship Road, in Tucker, GA, just past where it intersects with Lawrenceville Highway.

Both Thompson brothers are listed as either farm workers or farmers on the census, with no obvious connection to the granite works at Stone Mountain. There is no one with the initials J. R. in the Thompson household in 1870 or 1880, but a grave is listed on Find-a-Grave for John B. Thompson, Henry and Alford’s older brother, who died in 1885, so perhaps the J. R. was an attempt to carve J. B. There was also a brother, James in 1860, but not with the middle initial “R”. It’s possible “JR” could have been an abbreviation for “junior” but, if so, it’s not clear who it identifies, as none of the Thompson sons were named after their father. Henry did name sons after his brothers John and James, but again, none of them had the middle initial “R”.