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Biography of
William Taylor's Holmes
County
William Taylor was born in North Carolina and moved to Tennessee
when he was in infant. He spent his childhood in Tennessee near
Clarksville. His father moved the family to Mississippi in 1816
when William was 12. He was sent to school but didn't go
too far before he got a job working in a store.They first settled
in Pike County and then in 1825 or so, he moved his father and
mother and a brand new wife to Yazoo County. This chapter tells
what he did in Holmes county
William Taylor was 80 years old when he wrote this journal in
1884. He moved his family to California
Many thanks to Sally Knutson
Chapter
26
But to return to temporal matters, Bro. John had moved and
settled in the hickory "barrus" near my canebrake
settlement, and I saw his crops was far superior to mine, and
that I had been deceived with regards to the richness of the
hickory "barrus" ! I sold my settlement farm, entered
some land near my brother's, went into the woods without a stick
missing, built some cabins, cleared and fenced my farm, plowed
and planted all I could the first year, prepared new land for the
second year, planted in corn and planted cotton on the balance
which grew and made a splendid crop.
Here I missed the opportunity to have speedily made a splendid
fortune. There was any amount of vacant land all around me, but
up to this time improved lands could hardly be sold for the
improvements put on them, but in two or three years emigrants
(some rich) began to pour in and land ran up as high as twenty
and thirty dollars per acre. I could have bought all I had money
to pay for, at one dollar twenty-five cents. Alas, I don't know
what might have been, but I didn't see far enough ahead, and
turned my cotton in a different speculation.
Ever since I had learned book "ceeping" I had a
hankering for the mercantile business, and I now thought an
opportunity had presented itself. There was a beautiful spot for
a town not far from my farm, a good many bold springs parallel
with the town site, easily accessible. This place was several
miles from the nearest village and a sprinkling of settlers all
around. Why not build up a town and commence merchandising?
The idea struck while I was bending my back in the hot sun
picking cotton. I remember it as well as if it was yesterday. I
picked up my basket, carried it to the cotton house and picked no
more cotton for a long time afterward.
Well, with a young man I went to take the numbers of the land I
wanted to purchase. While on the ground I met two men I knew,
living in the nearest village. I guessed they were after the same
enterprise, which proved true, but I started a man to the land
office. He rode all "knight" and beat my competitor
only a few minutes.
Well, I surveyed (I had a surveyors compass) my town, the streets
at right angles, broad, the blocks when staked off looked
tempting, but the map and town on paper was a fortune to look at.
Oh, it was a splendid town, but it all turned out like the milk
maid's milk! However, I built a storehouse on one lot, a dwelling
on another, a gin on another, a tanner made a tanyard below the
spring, and finally another merchant built on another lot, and
this was the extent of my splendid town,Eaton. I had sent on and
been appointed postmaster, and by this time a Doctor Row came in
town. I had medicine having procured a dispensary. The doctor
used my medicines as wanted.
Well, I filled my store with goods and did well for nearly two
years. But trouble began to overtake me, and its said hardly ever
comes single.
About the end of the second year, I became acquainted with a Mr.
Erwin. He was worth about as much as I was. We entered into a
co-partnership. He was a widower, had one little daughter.We
concluded to buy goods at the north. I had been buying in New
Orleans and as he had no family it suited for him to go north and
buy our northern stock, which never reached us. He bought in
Philadelphia some thirteen thousand dollars worth, insured them
to New Orleans at ten per cent more than cost,and wrote to our
merchants in New Orleans to insure our goods not stating how much
(I afterwards saw the letter. There was no amount specified). Our
merchants insured for five thousand dollars. The boat ascending
the Mississippi River struck a snag, the goods was thrown out on
the bank, exposed to a week's heavy rain, carried back to New
Orleans and sold for the benefit of the under
"wrighters" and we lost upwards of five thousand
dollars.
Mr. Erwin was in appearance and really was a gentleman of
integrity, but no merchant. He was a good farmer but knew very
little about the mercantile business. I went to New Orleans and
laid in a good stock of goods. We "wasn't" broke yet!
Soon after this my mother died. She died very suddenly without a
groan. I carried and buried her alongside of father. Not long
after the death of mother, my wife died in giving birth to
Rachel! (1833) My wife lived but a few hours after the birth of
her child!! With five little children, the oldest not over eight
years, the infant was fortunate to have a kind aunt who took
charge of her the day she was born and raised her as one of her
own until she was nearly grown.
Losing a kind mother, affectionate prudent wife, no wonder I felt
desolate! And about this time my visions of a town died also!
The county of Yazoo was divided and Holmes county struck off. The
legislature had included in the law for the county of Holmes,
that the County seat should be located within the radius of five
miles of the center of the county. If the circle had included
Eaton, I believe Eaton would have had a fair show for its life,
but it was a little outside and Eaton lost its name!
The new county held an election for all the offices required for
conducting the business of a county. Amongst the rest, I was
elected one of the commissioners to ascertain the bounds of the
county, locate the site for the county seat, name it, sell lots
and have the court house built.
The commissioners sent me, with the county surveyor to establish
the county lines and find out the center of the county. We went
and executed our work, returned and the surveyor, a Mr. Griffin,
and I each drew a map of our survey. I don't think Mr. Griffin
expected that I would draw a map, or he would have taken more
pains and drawn a neater one if he could, but as I had a good
case of instruments, I drew up one for my own benefit. Mr.
Griffin presented his to the commissioners and I saw mine was the
best executed, and showed it. My map was adopted. I don't think
the surveyor liked it much and was cool towards me ever
afterwards.
We selected a nice level site, had the lots surveyed, advertised
and sold. Then had the court house built, a respectable brick
building, with the money the lots sold for and had some left.
Taylor and Erwin bought several lots, built a two story on one,
had it full of goods, started another store forty miles distant
under the charge of Col. Sandey, a particular friend and much of
a gentleman, found some valuable lands, that was coming into
market. I went to the land sales at Columbus and was there when
the great and marvelous falling of the stars occurred. This was
the most wonderful phenomenon I have ever seen. The stars,
meteors, or whatever it was, looked like the whole of the stars
of heaven were falling, shooting in every direction. It did look
very alarming.
I attended the sales and bought two and one-half sections, some
was run up on me, but the most of it I bought at $1.25. I
overheard a speculator say to someone, "That's a lucky
dog."
We built a saw mill and cotton gin on a creek that ran through
our land. We had a force sufficient to have a (I can't tell
what this word is. It looks like agir.)
Now we had our ship in deep water, we knew it was strong, and
sailed well and we were considered rich at that time. It now
takes millions to make a man considered rich, a hundred thousand
was considered rich enough. I had friends to tell me we must be
worth a hundred thousand. I knew better, but did not enlighten my
friend, merchants don't tell everyone how their business stands,
but we had met our debts punctually and had unlimited credit.
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