Musuem of the New Llano Colony

Museum the New Llano Colony

Mary (Keith) Thomas

Birth: Born around 1859 in New York.

Family Information: Wife of Levi C. "L.C." Thomas.

Description:

Pre-Colony History:

Home in Colony:

Job in Colony:

Other Info: In 1910 she was divorced and living in Fresno, California while working as a fruit packer; Levi Thomas was a boarder in her home. In 1912 she married Levi, and in 1916 they traded their home for stock in the colony. They lived at the Antelope Valley location for 18 months and made the move to Louisiana on the special train chartered by the colony. In 1920, the couple was living in the main colony at Newllano, Louisiana.

After two years in Louisiana, they moved first to Oklahoma, and later to Shreveport, LA working for money to invest with E.G. Lewis of Atascadero, California in oil stock. After a couple years of this, it became known that Lewis was bankrupt and all was again lost. Levi wrote to George Pickett that they were ready to return and they went to live at the Rice Ranch for 3 years until Mary took sick and passed away.

Post-Colony History:

Death: She died sometime around 1925 in Louisiana.

Sources: US Census: 1910, 1920; California Birth, Marriage, and Death Records; April 14, 1934; Photo Archives

Photo: Mary Thomas and the cats, 1925. NOTE -- There were two women named Mary Thomas in the colony, both married to men often referred to as "Daddy" Thomas, so I am not certain which one is in this picture. The picture is dated 1925, so if it is of Mary (Keith) Thomas, it would've been near the time of her death. Because I love it, I have placed the picture on both pages and will continue to dig, trying to find more information on them both.