James Fenimore Cooper was inspired by a tale related to him by neighbor and family friend John Jay. It was more successful and became a bestseller; the setting of this Revolutionary War tale is widely believed to have been John Jay's family home "The Locusts" in Rye, New York. In 1823, Cooper published "The Pioneers", the first of the "Leatherstocking" series. The series features Natty Bumppo, a resourceful American woodsman at home with the Delaware Indians and their chief Chingachgook. Bumppo was also the main character of Cooper's most famous novel "The Last of the Mohicans" (1826), written in New York City where
James S. Thompson House James S. Thompson House The James S. Thompson House is a historical home located just outside New Boston, in Mercer County, Illinois. The two story brick Italianate house was completed in 1862, built by James S. Thompson, a successful local businessman. The property includes several outbuildings constructed at the same time as the house, including a wash house, wood storage house, and a privy, all made of brick. A wooden barn and wooden children's playhouse were also built by 1862. Thompson died in 1868. Stanton V. Prentiss, a local farmer and cattleman rented the property from the estate starting in