Thomas Gibson Walton was born at Diggins in Webster County. His father was the first postmaster at Diggins. Eventually, he moved to Columbia where his sons, Bud and Sam, graduated from high school and college. Those two went on to found Wal-Mart and several other companies.
This post was contributed by Ross Malone. A historian and a retired school teacher, Ross has authored many books about Missouri’s history, weird facts, and folk tales. He has also written children’s historical fiction. Visit his website, and buy his books in the Missouri Life store.
Image by Marques Thomas from Unsplash