Elizabeth Rowell Thompson (1821-1899), grew up in Lyndon, VT. It was there, while working as a servant at a boarding house, she met her husband Thomas Thompson. They used his considerable wealth to indulge in art and in supporting political and charitable causes. In his will, he left provisions for a perpetual charitable trust. Elizabeth, with a fortune stated to be over $1 million, became a leading figure in philanthropy in her day, including as a major benefactor to the town of Brattleboro. One of the trust's first major contributions to the town was the funding of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, which opened in 1904.
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