The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1898-06-17
AN OLD LANDMARK PtSSES AWAY.
Uncle Shirley Fisher, Possibly the
Oldest Man in Tipt0a County, Dies
at His Home in Cesngt0n
Last Sunday Night

Shirley Fisher, colored, one of the
Oldest, If not the Oldest man in linton
county, died OF paralysis at his home
in this place last SUNDAY night and
WAS buried the following fiay at Hall
graveyard near this piaesS His burial
was attended by large concourse of
people of his own race, as we'll as by
some white descendants Of his former
master In slavery days
AS nearly as can be reckoned by the
direct descendants of mis- former mas
ter, Uncle Shirley, as be was familiar
ly called by every bcdy, was In his
ninety seventh year at the time of his
death and it is fully believed by sew
ersl of them that he had at least reach-
ed the century mark, gr was even old
er than that. Uncle Shirley came to
this county as the save o. the late
Daniel. A Durham IL the Gear 1927
a z. lit it + ,..., kn9Ea ths. /. - thga a
the State aud same With his family and
slaves from Nashville N the above
named year. The trip vas made in
an old-time 1atboat, AMI the party
landed at point on the Big Hatchie
river now known as l'il Jerk. Most Of
the country was then eIIderness and
n roadway had to be cut through the
virgin forest from thEt point TO this
place in order that the party could
make the journey. Unele Shirley
cleared off the groun1Siiere for the
pitching of tent undar which was
sold the first merchandise ever han
died in Covington and on Ibis spot the
first storehouse in the was erect
ed. He also helped ~ clear of the
ground for the buildins OF the first
courthouse in Upton comfy. Uncle
Shirley dug the first gra v. in Mnnford
cemetery. where now sletTl>s the remains
of enough people to u Ike a city
almost if notquite as large as Coving-
ton. He had often been neard to say
that he had killed many deer in the
timber which then stooa about the
Town spring. Uncle Shi.!ey was per-
sonally acquainted w55sSfnat famous
pioneer, David Crockest1. and before
he came from NashM7& knew and
worked for Andrew JacRp1i or s.OId
Hickory" as he alwaYB called him.
Back in the early thiFties he was at
one time stolen. by tae. gang of the
great outlaw, John A Garrell, who
had reached SONIC point down in Mis-
sissippi with him on their way To New
Orleans to sell him, when he succeeded
in making his escape AMI returned to
his old master in this l)lASs
The above are only a few Of the i'm
portant incidents of UbcIe Shirley's
life back in the pioneer slays-what he
had seen and was familiar with would
no doubt make u good sized book fill
ed with thrilling and interesting hap
penings. He had seas generation
after generation como and go, had
successfully taken care b his masters
children, their children and their chill
dren's children and was a grown-np
ms N faafn ait
were born.
Daniel a. Durham Eaa the father
in-law of the late DIR. Ch1rles G. Fish
err, who came into possession of Uncle
Shirley some time in the twenties. The
old man was devoted t5 DIR. Fisher
and to all of his descendants and the
emancipation PROCLAMATION did not
abate his love and dev4tAos to them.
Uncle Shirley was anc of the most
Straightforward, upright and honest
of men and withai he vas a man of
cepti0n, and a rare seTse of the ridic-
ulous. He was also an excellent
Christian man and a lifelong member
of the Methodist church. and power
| in the church The eolored people
regarded him as a patriarch and
| looked up TO him as a man possessing
supernatural powers. BY the white
people he was universally held in the
very highest esteem
/ Uncle Shirley was taken sick some
| five or six weeks befors MS death, and
during this time was able to do but
/ little work The stroke of paralysis
came Friday night ana the end came
at the time above stated. Up until
recently be was unusually active for
/ one of his years, and was still able tC
| do fair day S work.