In 1893, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in agriculture from Kansas State University, and was largely self-trained in a variety of other fields, such as archaeology and journalism.

Thomas was a farmer and a Civil War veteran, who had been captured by the Confederate army, and spent several months in a prison camp before being paroled to return home.

[b] Thoburn was appointed secretary of the Oklahoma Territorial Board of Agriculture (OTBA) in 1903, because of his interests in promoting water conservation and reclaiming land.

The board limited his annual budget to $20 per month to cover the cost of buying a typewriter and hiring steographic help to handle the Department's business.

The president of the board responded to the protests by claiming that Thoburn was too inexperienced to handle the growing workload and needed to be replaced, effective immediately.

[5] After his ouster from the OTBA, Thoburn accepted an offer to become managing editor of the Farmer's Magazine, where he could still employ his agricultural knowledge and his publication schools.

In February 1907, he became associated with the Jamestown Exposition Company and became responsible for the work needed to present the two territories' exhibits at a major fair that would be held in St. Louis.

"[6][clarification needed] Thoburn wrote a small book titled Oklahoma: Its Resources and Attractions and the Activities and Achievements of its People to promote the exposition.