Bath in Beaufort County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

John F. Tompkins

Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, August 10, 2013

1. John F. Tompkins Marker

Inscription. Agricultural reformer, a founder of the State Fair, published and edited the "Farmer's Journal", 1852-53, in Bath. This was his home.

Erected 1949 by North Carolina Archives, Conservation and Highway Departments. (Marker Number B-25.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Communications. In addition, it is included in the North Carolina Division of Archives and History series list.

Location. 35° 28.443′ N, 76° 48.832′ W. Marker is in Bath, North Carolina, in Beaufort County. Marker is on South Main Street, 0.1 miles south of Craven Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bath NC 27808, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Alexander Stewart (within shouting distance of this marker); John Garzia (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Thomas Church (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); First Post Road (about 600 feet away); Edward Teach (about 700 feet away); John Lawson (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Public Library (approx. 0.2 miles away); Palmer-Marsh House (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bath.

Regarding John F. Tompkins.

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

John F. Tompkins, physician and farmer, was born in 1823 in Edgecombe County, the son of John F. and Rosanna Spruill Tompkins. Shortly after Tompkins’s birth, his father died, and John subsequently was raised by his mother’s family in Nash County. He attended the University of North Carolina in 1840-1841 but left to study medicine privately.

In 1846, Tompkins began practicing medicine in Washington in Beaufort County. Later that year he married Caroline C. Bonner of Bath, where the two settled, living in the former rectory of St. Thomas Church. Within the next few years, Tompkins’s interests changed from medicine to agriculture, and in 1852 he began editing and publishing the Farmer’s Journal, devoted to “improvements in agriculture, horticulture, and the household arts.”

The following year Tompkins moved to Raleigh, helping organize the North Carolina Agriculture Society and the first State Fair. He and his wife rented a home in Raleigh owned by Thomas Ruffin, a leading Southern agriculturalist and supporter. In 1854, Tompkins, his publication failing, sold the Farmer’s Journal to William D. Cooke, the proprietor of the Southern Weekly Post. Tompkins then closed out his lease, sold his furniture, and disappeared from Raleigh. He died prior to 1860, as he does not appear on that census, however nothing is known of his final years. (North Carolina

John F. Tompkins Marker on South Main Street near Craven Street image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, April 19, 2013

2. John F. Tompkins Marker on South Main Street near Craven Street

Office of Archives & History — Department of Cultural Resources)

Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, August 10, 2013

3. John F. Tompkins Marker

John F. Tompkins Marker and home image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, April 19, 2013

4. John F. Tompkins Marker and home

Credits. This page was last revised on November 28, 2019. It was originally submitted on August 12, 2013, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 466 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 12, 2013, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2. submitted on August 12, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 3. submitted on August 12, 2013, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 4. submitted on August 12, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.