Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-03-10
Early Recollections OF
Oxford
p \ Atcatl ti-year-obt oxfotsi Boy

at the third house gsorn the square
on the LEFT on Main street. a
widow lady by the name Of Moore.
Md she vas 4 lazy. and ali
rocnd lady. She had three or
focr daughters, three Of whose
rsrnes I well remember, Misses
Maria. Fannie and Helen, all
members OF the G. I. Church,
and the two former were teach
ers in the Union Female College
TIE first married a rising young
Methodist minister who has since
attained no little distinction IN
his church, the seco1d married a
a Young law student, Mr.. A. Y.
Harper (every one in college and
out of 1t knew the ir-epre=siole
All The house on University
e.-eet known for years a. the
Delbridge place was occupied by
n family named Rison- (the : i
pronounced like y but they not
long afterward moved to Rich
nond, Va. Frequently since the
war, IN TACT. a. late a. only a few
months age. 7 have eeen notices
in the Richmond papers Of per-
sons of that name. and they were
doing well.
Just az you turn to the left on
University street. but to the right
side in the cHrne- was one of the
ancient landmarks Of Oxford, the
home Of z. z. Belcher. He was
lawyer by profession, and
though he did not affair TO any
distinction in the profession, was
4 good citizen. kind hearted, al
fable, and though always poor,
ne raised his children vel
"A Sxede bought the prop
erty and on it or near it built a
nice dwelling cut Of the materials
% the old Preshyte ian church
There were but three or fOul
residences from the square TO the
depot on that street, and but two
from the Belcher hume - the
railroad bridge The frs; va:
the II. 4. Barr home, and the
second the Evans hone, after
ward known I believs, a tbs
Kimcrouyh place. All the res
vas grove OF trees hav,
hunted rabbits many 3 day, anc
Snoctsd down hickory nuts arc
waInuts right where now | under
stand Il Is thick with hOus-
e.. an pretty sure it was be
tween the railroad bridge and tn
Gepo. on the east side vhers ;
bear was killed early IN the 50's
OF course no road was there then
/ Grand oid DR.. lsom's home va.
another old ssnry which from
It's prominent position has over
looked Oxford for about seventy
Ave years. About thirty year
ago in a conversation | had witt
him abou; the days that are gone
he told ME that he was about tn
fourth or fifth person to move L
Oxford, and that now as ne look
ed around him and saw that tn
old generation had passed away
and q new one had taken its place
and were forging to the front il
, the battle OF life, he felt like SON
. old tree. knarled and knOtty an
. dying at the heart, but surround
ed by i young forest OF tree
shooting their branches to ever,
every point of the compass an
their tops toward the sky Tina
generation will soon be looking
; az life as ne did then.
, The only house on the hill Is
or 200 yards directly east OF tn
new C. p. Church was Occupie'
by W. G. Vaughn. good citizen
an honest merchant, and durinI
the war a brave Confederate sol
der. He rose to the rank o
> Colonel OF Lieut-Colonel, with
, out a blot on mis- character. Alas
that ne should afterward nav
Joined the army OF scallawag
ana earpet-baggers that literall
sucked for ten or twelve year
the life blood OF the land he Tough
20 hard TO free.
All east and southeast of tn
! square not including the two o
three houses on Pon.osoc stree
for a mile were strictly trees an
guIlies- On north main stree
but about ~ yards from the stree
and directly north OF DR.. Isom'
residence was a three room cot
cage owned by a painter name
/ Strickland. Beyond where tn
/ new Jail now stands was larg
carpenter shop on 4 cross stree
running east and west. and JUS
north of that was tour roon
cottage owned by splendid mae
a boss carpenter, named Williau
Turner. Is has been greatly i'm
] proved since that time 50 muci
30 that it bears TO semolance u
it, former humble appearance
Much Of X vas done before IN,
war, and Gen. Grant though
enough OF It to make it his heas
. quarters when he captured Ok
ford. He was gracious enough
70 let Mrs. Turner have two room.
, for the use of her family. Re
! gardIess of her lovely flower bed,
he. put two or three tents in tbs
front yard.
Soma time N fha latter mart nj