Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1897-02-04
AN HONOR
70 HIS
RACE.
Carter Thompson. an Old
Colored Citizen of la
Fayette Passed Away
Recently.


comfy, Va on the plantation
Of Col- Bartlett Thompson, and
lived there until he was about
twenty years old. He was then
sold to DIR. Green b. Bovles
who moved TO Hickman county.
Tenn. in 1882 There he re-
manned four years As he was
a carpenter. his services were
in demand far and near. His
first trip to Mississippi was
made IN ls4i-5, when he came
down TO build a mill for Col.
GOvan FIVE miles below Coffee
vile. He crossed the ITALIA
hatchie at Toba Tubby's ferry.
which was then IN the wilds,
and followed the old Indian
trail, which vas the first road
in Lafayette county. In build
ing the mill. nearly all the work
wss his He cut, hewed and
framed every stIch of timber:
and such was his strength and
energy, and his desire 10 make
something for himself, that after
working all day, he would put
in extra time at night at the
saw. In this way he made for
himself from fifty cents to a
dollar every night. For all the
lumber had to be sawed BY hand
with a whip saw. The mill. |
may add, was a water-mill. and
used what Is known as the tur-
bine wheel. OF course. with
one mechanic and such Eaeili-
ties. the process was slow, and
It took a year to complete the
job Carter left home in Sep
TENDER, 1884 and returned IN
September. 1885.
Then DIR. BOwles moved from
Tennessee in the winter of 1885
sc, TO Lafayette county. Miss.
and located ON WOodson's ridge.
Here Carter built another mill.
now known as the Holder mill,
This was IS years ago, and
though some repairs have been
made. much of the original
structure still remains sound
and seryiceable- The framin.
timbers were hewn. and the
lumber sawed by hand sith a
whip saw.
He also built two fat-boars
on Tallahatehie river, that could
carry 800 bales of cotton lie
made a trip on each boat from
Bowles' Bluff to New Orleans
This was about lS43 or 1874
But several years earlier, in
1887, he built the first frame
house that was put up in Ok
ford. IL was an Office for Dr.. Jim
Bowles. and stood on the south
east corner of the public square.
where the hardware store now
stands In this house DIR. Isom
studied medicine
Carriers wife was also a yir.
ginian. born in Bedford county.
Jaly .. 1Sl2. her maiden name
was Louisa Baferd. DIR. Green
Bowles bought her from Pas
ehal Butord. After The DIR.
moved TO Tennessee, Carter and
Louisa were married. and be-
gan a happy and unbrOken
union of more than forty years.
To them = children were born,
three of whom died in infancy,
and six lived to maturity, three
sons and three daughters By
industry and good management
the old man was able TO give
each one of his children a home
nnincumbered by debt His
wife died in 1888. and his Oldest
son in 1891. Two sons and
three daughters still live. He
himself died August 10, 1895, at
the age of 50 years.
As TO any honor that may be
his due, or any eminenee he
won above his fellows, l must
say he toilej not for them He
gave his powers, his life and
his example to his family and
to the community; and whatev.
er he won was BY steady devo-
ton to truth. 10 clarifying Gvd.
to hOnOring his fellow-man. and
to diseharging his duty as a
christian.
have penned the foregoing
with sorrow-nOt for the de-
parted. but for myself.
ID. E. THOMPSON.
Son of Carter Thompson.