In 1964 Melvin and Lucille Thompson bought some land to build a cottage on in Stoney Lake, MI. It was along the lake Michigan shoreline, high above the water in the sand dunes. After they built the cottage, they found it was impossible to get a water well driller to come put in a well. Melvin was one of those guys that could do just about anything. So, he contacted a driller that he knew east of Greenville MI. He learned the necessary information and borrowed the tools needed to be able to drill his own well. He started drilling and it took several weekends to finish the well at 140 ft deep. There were several other cottages being built in the area with the same problem. So, Melvin contacted the driller that he had borrowed the tools from, to see if he could buy them from him. Unfortunately, during the time he borrowed the tools and returned, the original well driller had died of a heart attack. His widow was kind and let him have the tools along with an old rig to help him get started. So he started drilling wells for some of the new cottage owners. He worked on those wells every weekend for most of the summer. After a couple of years he started doing wells near Greenville. In 1968, the government started requiring licensing to do well drilling, but only told the drillers they knew about. In 1971, one of the local well drillers turned us into the state for not having the license. So when confronted by the state, Melvin gave them enough information for them to conclude that all he had to do was take the same exam that the other well drillers did in 1968. The state said if he passed that exam he could be licensed. Melvin passed the exam on the first try and that’s how Thompson Well Drilling got started!
Melvin's youngest son Dan had been by his side since the beginning. He would work weekends with Melvin while he was still in school. When Dan graduated, he worked full time in the business alongside his father, Melvin, and got licensed as well. When Melvin retired, Dan took over running Thompson Well Drilling and Melvin joined him for fun during the summers until he passed. Dan now helps his son-in-law Ron and grandson Montana.
Thompson Well Drilling is still family owned and operated today. Melvin's grandson-in-law, Ron, operates the business. Ron is a United States Air Force veteran, and a member of the American Legion. He loves to ride motorcycles with his wife, Marsha, and they participate in the American Legion charity rides whenever they can. Ron and Marsha's son-in-law, Montana, also works with Ron in the business.
