Almost 200 Years Old! Tompkins Center, Jackson County

Whether you call it Tompkins or Tompkins Center, it doesn’t matter which.

This little village in Jackson County was settled between 1832-1836 by Nick Townley and his sons Richard and Anson. The township of the same name followed in 1838, named after a New York township (where Townley and other settlers came from) that itself was named after former governor Daniel Tompkins.

In 1839 the post office originated, cementing ‘Tompkins’ as the official village name.

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The village began to prosper thanks to a grist mill on Sandstone Creek, and soon had a blacksmith, general store, sawmill, and a stagecoach stop called the “Tompkins House” that was built on the Clinton Trail.

By 1880, Tompkins Township had nine schoolhouses and three churches: East Tompkins Baptist, Fairview, and Pope.

The post office permanently closed in 1904, and the decline of any growth followed. Today, Tompkins is happily a sleepy village off the beaten path of M-50, five miles west of Rives Junction. And in just a few years - 2032 - Tompkins will celebrate 200 years!