Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/James Thompson (surveyor)

James Thompson (surveyor)

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page.

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/August 4, 2020 by Ealdgyth (talk) 16:04, 26 July 2020 (UTC)



James Thompson (1789–1872) was an American surveyor who created the first plat (pictured) of Chicago, completing it on August 4, 1830. Born in South Carolina, Thompson moved to Kaskaskia in southern Illinois as a young man and lived in the area for the rest of his life. He was hired to plat settlements at both ends of the proposed Illinois and Michigan Canal in northern Illinois, including Chicago at the eastern end. Before Thompson's plat fixed its location, the word "Chicago" had been used for various places around the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. The plat named the streets in the area and allowed its residents to obtain legal title to their property. Chicago incorporated as a town in 1833 and as a city in 1837. In addition to his surveying work, Thompson served as a probate judge, county commissioner, and officer in the Illinois militia during the Black Hawk War. His grave, which was originally unmarked, was given a monument by the city in 1917.
 * Most recent similar article(s): Jean Baptiste Point du Sable was another early Chicagoan, run on December 6, 2018. There has not to the best of my knowledge been a similar article run in 2020.
 * Main editors: John M Wolfson
 * Promoted: Today; June 20, 2020
 * Reasons for nomination: 190th anniversary of plat completion. The blurb is a slightly modified version of the one by Dank at the FAC's talk page. – John M Wolfson (talk • contribs) 03:23, 21 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Support as nominator. – John M Wolfson (talk • contribs) 03:23, 21 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Support A solid article, it's a bit different and it's interesting. Gog the Mild (talk) 17:44, 24 June 2020 (UTC)