Hugh Thompson was the key figure in the development of the railroads through Shelby County. He was a native Pennsylvanian who arrived in Sidney in 1831. Thompson was elected Associate Judge in the county three years later. He served for 7 years as prosecuting attorney. It was then he decided to practice law. Judge Thompson was a successful attorney for thirty years.
He filed the papers to incorporate the Bellefontaine & Indiana Railway and was chosen as its first president. It was in this capacity he became an ardent advocate of the railroad business.
Judge Thompson was an important community leader. He represented Shelby and Darke counties in the Constitutional Convention of 1851 and represented this area in the Ohio General Assembly from 1857-1859.
When he died, his obituary concluded, “He was very public-spirited, always attending meetings to advance the interests of Sidney and a generous giver to all enterprises tending to develop the town.”