The Yorkville Enquirer reported on March 8, 1883 – “A dwelling house on the plantation of Mr. H.H. Thomson, on the Broad River was destroyed by fire last Sunday. It was occupied by Rufus Jeter.”
THOMSON’S QUARTERS: This plantation is more commonly known as “Thomson’s Quarters” to local residents, drawing the name from the old slave quarters. Dr. William Park Thomson began purchasing tracts of land about 1935, which eventually made up the plantation. Dr. Thomson was born in 1799 in Union District (died February 10, 1872) and lost his first wife in childbirth while still living on the Western side of Broad River. When Dr. Thomson bought the original piece, on it was a most unusual dwelling, constructed of logs and sheeted with clap boards. The house was divided in the middle by a breeze-way which was later closed in. Atop the roof was a bell tower; the bell was used for calling the slaves up for their orders. The house was a two-story structure with a kitchen separated from the living area. At present, we are unsure of its builder; but it was constructed about 1800. Directly behind the house were several dwellings for the house hands, but the slave quarters were located about one-half mile behind the house and near the river.
At the time of purchase, there was a large barn with stables for sixty-five (65) mules which means that approximately three thousand (3,000) acres was in cultivation at the time. Still standing is the gin that was constructed about 1832, and is supported by four (4) huge brick and rock pillars measuring about four (4) feet square. A store was on the farm and Dr. Thomson went into partnership with R. S. Sims and C. B. Sims. Among the family papers are numerous account records from the store covering their purchases between 1851 and 1857–many wonderful and curious items were among their purchases. It was an amazing variety that the plantation store had in its inventory and one can read of the wide variety in fabrics that could be bought. About this time, in the 1850s, when prosperity was abound in the land and when manufactured fabrics were becoming plentiful, looms and spinning wheels were being stores away in attics and out-houses–it was much more practical to purchase clothing and yard goods. However, after the War Between the States, the looms and spinning wheels were brought back from their darkened crypts and in resurrection light they whirled and clattered. Perhaps a Mother had to teach her daughter “the old ways” that she had never known.
Among the almost daily purchases of the Thomson family were some very large orders that no doubt were to be sent to Thomson’s Quarters for the slaves. Some of the orders were:
18 Pairs Cas Shoes @$1.21 a pr.
38 Yds .Bleached Shirting @$ .11 a Yd.
45-1/2 Yds Blue Denim @$ .12 a Yd.
In the 1850’s, planters like Dr. Thomson were already complaining that the land was wearing out and were looking toward the West and Southwest for better lands. In 1854, Dr. Thomson wrote to a Major West in Texas concerning the possibilities of a land purchase in the area for his brother, Dr. Addison Thomson; at the time, Dr. W. P. Thomson was not considering moving due to his health and the health of his wife who had become almost an invalid–but he was willing to travel anywhere with his brother to investigate good land. He was not as desirous of moving to a new land as his brother and stated his reasons in a letter dated April 11, 1854: “Where good land is in woods and cheap there is nobody to improve it; the people are idle in their habits, vulgar in their manners and vicious in their conduct. Amongst these half civilized people would you like to live? I surely would not. I would be afraid I could not preserve my own habits and morals and if I could it would not be likely that the children could, exposed to the evil influence of the society in which they live. It would be strange if they did not all turn out to be Housers when they are raised amongst the Housers and have to live amongst Housers. How could they help it? Think of this if you have not already done it. My opinion is that it is the best policy to settle in a good section of country where the country is improved to some extent, where there is some good substantial farmers with now and then a Houser who wants to get away into another part of the country where he can live amongst his own class.”
It is well to bear in mind that Dr. Thomson was already in his mid-fifties and one would think that a person of that age would not be thinking of moving onto new land. We need also to keep in mind that he was a prosperous planter and would have a large work force available to him; too, they did not know that soon their way of life was to come to a tragic end. But apparently the correspondence on seeking better land continued over the next three (3) years; on May 15, 1857, Dr. Thomson received a letter from his brother dated May 3rd (12) day delivery) in which Addison told his brother he was still entertaining the idea of moving to the West or Southwest and was inclined toward Arkansas, ‘to get cheap land, he wrote, “the country must necessarily be new“. But Dr. Thomson was thinking it was still not too late to consider bottom land in Mississippi; and most particularly around a place called “Koahoma City (Coahoma) in Washington Country. He reported that the county only had about 400 voters and much public lands were still available and were still as good as any river bottoms. Dr. Thomson proposed buying some of this improved land, move onto it and raise a crop and then seek for bottom land and then buy it and “when the crop is laid-by send our hands and overseer to improve it. From what I can learn, it takes about 4 years to prepare the bottom land for the plow and when prepared is worth from $30.00 to $50.00 an acre“.
Dr. Thomson also proposed the means of transportation; he was more inclined to “traveling by private conveyance…you can go when and where you please. The only objection is its slowness. If we go by RR we shall have to take the stage to some point in the section of country we wish to examine. Should we have any acquaintance there, I suppose we could get horses to ride while we were examining the country around about them. Then we would have to stage again until we were through with our exploration.”
But this dream was never realized for Dr. Thomson stayed in York County and Dr. Addison Thomson remained in Alabama; perhaps it was the growing division between the North and South.
In the spring of 1865, word was received that foraging parties from Sherman’s troops were entering the area and the citizens were put on alert. According to family tradition, one such party arrived on the plantation of Dr. Thomson who had sent his personal servant out to bury some family silver. When he returned, he and Dr. Thomson hid under the house in the crawl space. Dr. Thomson being a small man, hid under the lowest part of the house, while the servant who was much larger could not go as far. When the troops arrived, they searched under the house and found the servant and forced him to go with them. Many years later, he was discovered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where the Union troops had abandoned him.
THOMPSON’S TANYARD Located near the intersection of Howell’s Ferry Road and Scenic View Road. In 1808 a post office was established here and continued to March 1829, with Alex Thompson as Postmaster@ Thompson’s Tan yard PO.
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