Born April 30, 1827, at Upper Tinns in Norway's Telemark District, John A. “Snowshoe” Thompson was baptized John Tostensen by his parents, Tosten Olsen and Gro Johnsdotter. He learned to “snow skate” at an early age, moved to America in 1837, and settled in Illinois with other Norwegian immigrants. After Americanizing his name to John A. Thompson, he moved to California in 1851. In January 1856, during severe Sierra winters, he began carrying mail ninety miles on “snow skates” between Placerville, California, and Genoa, Nevada, then Mormon Station in Utah Territory. He carried mail and equipment over the snowbound Sierra until a couple of years before his death on May 15, 1876, at age 49.