1.  Census Index:  Colonial America, 1607-1789 (Broderbund CD-310):

1782

Thompson, Samuel

NC

Rutherford Co.

2.  Census Index:  U.S. Selected Counties, 1790 (Broderbund CD-311):  not found in Rutherford Co., NC.

3.  1800 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image #54 of 64; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1800

NC

Rutherford Co.

p. 146

Ln. 14

Elizabeth Thompson

01100-02101-00

These data indicate:

No. & Sex	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 male	10-15	1784-1790	= Samuel (b. 1784)
1 male	16-25	1774-1784	= John?
2 females	10-15	1784-1790	= Daughter B = Daughter A
1 female	16-25	1774-1784	= Elizabeth
1 female	45 or over	in or bef. 1755	= Elizabeth

Although the list was only roughly alphabetized, Elizabeth was listed next to her son, Adam THOMPSON.  Also in the county, in addition to Elizabeth and Adam:  Eleanor, Gideon, James, John, and Thomas THOMPSON, plus Samuel, William, and William THOMASON.

4.  Email from Ruth Call, descendant of Adam THOMPSON:

I have a document from Adam Thompson of Christian County, Kentucky, son of Samuel Thompson of Rutherford County, North Carolina, deceased, giving Elizabeth Thompson Administrator of Samuel Thompson's estate the power of attorney from Adam to dispose of a tract of land in Rutherford Co. NC where Samuel lived and died on.  The document is dated 26 Aug. 1806.

It sounds like Samuel bequeathed a tract of land to his son, Adam, and Adam doesn't want to keep it, so he's giving his mother permission to sell it.  It certainly proves Adam was in Christian Co. before 1806.  [Update:  Adam appears on the tax rolls of Christian Co., KY, in 1803.]

5.  Messages in the Thompson Family Genealogy Forum (online at GenForum.com).  Sons Adam and Samuel are said to have gone to Christian Co., KY, while son John went to Bourbon Co., KY.

6.  LDS.  Family Search: Internet Genealogy Service: Ancestral File (AF).