Chapter 5
CASWELL COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
RICHMOND DISTRICT
1796-1798
In
the year 1796, Lewis Shapard left St. David’s District and relocated to the
Richmond District located in the northeast section of Caswell County. This was
the most populated district of the county, containing approximately two
thousand inhabitants, which was double the population of his former residence
in St. David District. The allure of this area of Caswell County was due to the
fact that all of the main towns in Caswell County resided within the boundaries
of the Richmond District: First and foremost was Leasburg, located in the
southeastern portion of the district, being the county seat from 1777 until
1792. The town of Milton, situated to the north along the Dan River, was growing
and incorporated in 1796. Caswell Courthouse (Yanceyville), in the southwest
corner of the district, was the final town of substance during the 1790s. Since
it held the new county courthouse, it was the most promising for future growth.
It must be noted that all of these towns, during that time, were no more than a
few shops, a tavern and a dozen homes, more or less.
Interestingly,
the same year that Lewis Shapard moved to the Richmond District, his older
brother James left Granville County and joined him in Caswell County. James Shapard was born circa 1769 in
Cumberland County, Virginia. He was educated in his youth and pursued carpentry
in his early twenties. In 1792, he had apprenticed Robert Potter in the
“mastery of the carpenters’ trade.” It is quite probable that Lewis Shapard,
and his brother James, worked in construction around the developing Caswell
Courthouse or Leasburg area. Both men also had vast experience in agriculture
and plantation management, for which they too may have been employed. Records
show that neither brother owned land or slaves in the year 1796; however, both
men were bachelors of upper-class society with an honorable name. In the late
1790s, their father, William Shapard of Granville County, North Carolina, was
at the pinnacle of his wealth and status a planter, which would have bestowed a
great deal of worth to his sons, both financially and through reputation.
About
August of 1796, Lewis Shapard met and courted Martha (Paine) Nicholson (November
17, 1773-1813), widow of Michael Nicholson. Martha, affectionately known as
“Patsy,” came from one of the finest families in North Carolina. She was the daughter
of Capt. Robert Paine, Esq., (March 3, 1748-January 2, 1808) and Elizabeth
Miller (September 8, 1755-February 27, 1788), and was the eldest of eight
children. Her siblings were: James Paine (March 18, 1776-1840) married Mary
Williams in 1799; Sarah (February 13, 1778 - July 1835) married William B.
Brooks in 1796; Mary “Polly” (December 27, 1779-1844) married Edmund Shelton in
1798; Sophia (August 6, 1781 - January 25, 1782); Thomas (May 29, 1783 -
January 18, 1807); Robert (May 18, 1785 – 1846) married Mary Cocke in 1808; and
Solomon (March 30, 1786 – February 12, 1858) married Polly Turner in 1813.
Martha’s
father Robert Paine was among the patriots of the Revolutionary War, and was a captain
of a company. He acquired over 2,000 acres in St. James District, a few miles
south of Roxboro, of what was initially Caswell County, yet would become Person
County, North Carolina. In 1786, he was elected as a Justice of Caswell County,
and from 1788 to 1790 he represented Caswell County as a State Senator. He and
his brother John Paine, established “Paine’s Tavern” near their land, which
served as Person County’s first courthouse from 1791 until 1793, after its
creation from Caswell County. In 1792, he became the first Clerk of the Court
of Person County. After the death of his first wife, Robert married Agatha Marr
(1756-1847). As early as 1787, he attended Flat River Baptist Church near his
home where he was baptized in 1791. Robert Paine was described as a sensible,
pious and generous-hearted Christian gentleman, who was universally honored and
respected.
In
1790, when Martha Paine was sixteen years old, she married Michael Nicholson. It
appears that Mr. Nicholson came from the Nicholson family of Warren County,
North Carolina. Martha Paine’s uncle, Col. James Paine, Esq., (1746-1808), was
well established in Warren County, owning over a thousand five hundred acres in
the Six Pound District and twelve slaves. Over the years, James was elected to
numerous public offices in Warren County, including Justice in 1787, Sheriff in
1789 and Senator in 1790. He married Esther Walker, circa 1770, and they had
eleven children. James Paine developed a close relationship with his neighbor
and son-in-law Judge George Nicholson (d. 1818) who married his daughter Mary “Polly”
Paine. It is currently unknown how Michael Nicholson was related to this line
of the Nicholson family, though his close association with George Nicholson
suggests they may have been brothers.
After
their marriage, Martha and Michael Nicholson resided in Warren County in the
Six Pound District for a couple of years, with their two slaves. In 1792,
Martha’s father, Capt. Robert Paine of Person County, allowed them to live on a
tract of underutilized family land in Caswell County that had been granted to
Robert’s father, Dr. James Paine (1714-1782), by the Earl of Granville in 1754.
The land was located in the Richmond District about two and a half miles north
of the town of Leasburg. It was a nice parcel of 360 acres of land residing on
both sides of Hyco Creek directly above the Kilgore Branch. Neighbors included,
James Wilson to the north, John Johnston to the east, Elijah Reynolds and
Andrew Warwick to the south, James Rone and Herndon Haralson to the west.
Martha
and Michael Nicholson flourished on their new plantation in Caswell County. Crops
of tobacco, cotton and corn were planted in the fields, and by June of 1793, a
barn and tobacco shed and a larger main house had all been constructed on the
property. As their wealth grew, so too did their slave holdings. By 1795, they
had amassed nine negros: Pompy, Tom, Daniel, Sal (Sally), Ned, Surrey, Ginny,
Jane and Clarisse. Mr. Nicholson also raised a large number of livestock,
including cattle, sheep, horses, hogs, geese and ducks. Over the years, the Nicholson
family was blessed with three daughters. Elizabeth Miller Nicholson was born
circa 1791, and was named after her maternal grandmother. Polly Nicholson was
born circa 1793, and Sally Paine Nicholson was born circa 1795.
Martha
maintained a close relationship with her father throughout his lifetime. Since
his home, in the St. James District of Person County, was only eleven miles to
the east, no doubt, they visited often, taking the girls to visit their
grandfather and other Paine relatives. The Nicholsons also traveled regularly
to Leasburg for supplies, being the nearest town to their home. In particular
they frequented the shops of James Williamson, Nicholas Coile, William Lea and
Nicholas Delone. Interestingly, William Lea and Nicholas Delone owned most of
the property around Leasburg, in fact, the town itself was named after William
Lea. Their purchases included a consistent supply of fine fabric and sewing
accessories for Mrs. Nicholson to make dresses for herself and her girls. The
family also purchased kitchen items such as plates, cups and punch bowls; as
well as, seasonings and sweeteners, such as, sugar, salt, ginger, pepper, etc.
Mr. Nicholson bought hunting gear in the form of gun parts and fish hooks, in
addition to tools, handkerchiefs, nails, paper and paper pins (the 1790s
version of a staple). He also periodically purchased alcohol in the form of
rum, wine and whiskey.
In
April of 1794, the Caswell County justices ordered a road to be laid off and constructed,
branching off from an existing north/south oriented road near Nathaniel Comers
land, then running east across the Hyco Creek to the Person County line. The
surveyors chose the road to cross the Hyco at a ford (shallow area) on the
northern end of the Nicholson plantation. This new thoroughfare provided a tremendous
and wonderful benefit to Michael and Martha, as quality roads were crucial for
planters in order to get their products to market in a timely manner. During
this era, by law, roads were to be maintained twice a year by court selected
landowners bordering the road. They were required to keep the road free of low
hanging limbs, remove nuisance rocks, brush and stumps and make repairs as
necessary. Most plantation owners utilized their slaves for this labor. In
January of 1795, Michael Nicholson was appointed by the court to be the
overseer of a section of the new road from where it branched off the old road
at Nathaniel Comers to the ford crossing the Hyco. The courts ordered him to be
assisted by the slaves of John Dobbins, Samuel Hodge, Absolom Roberts and
Nathaniel Comer.
Life
for the Nicholson family along the Hyco Creek was wonderful, and the future
seemed bright. However, sometime between July 25 to August 18 of 1795, tragedy
befell the family when Michael Nicholson died. His death was apparently sudden
and likely due to an accident, as no doctor was summoned. At 21 years of age,
Martha was now a widow with three small children and a plantation to run. Her
father came to comfort and assist her through the funeral and probate process.
His legal intervention on her behalf, allowed her to become the administrator
of her late husband’s estate, as well as, the legal guardian of her three
daughters. Martha must have been an impressively capable, educated and
determined young woman for her era, as positions of administrators and
guardians were mostly granted by the courts to men.
As
a further testament to Martha’s tenacity and grit, she did not return to her
father’s house in Person County, but instead chose to remain in Caswell County,
with her daughters and slaves, to keep the plantation afloat. Despite her grief
and vulnerability, life carried on and she did her best to manage the
situations that arose. Mr. Nicholson had died during the harvest season of
1795, which was a busy and financially crucial time of the year. Luckily, the
corn had been harvested early, however, Martha had fields of cotton and tobacco
to bring in, else risk financial ruin. Tobacco was an extremely labor intensive
crop to harvest. It was initially harvested in August, however, it was not
collected all at once. Each plant had its outer largest leaves removed and then
was allowed to grow for a few weeks before removing the next round of leaves.
Each plant was gradually harvested three to five times throughout the fall.
After which, the leaves were secured on poles and dried over the duration of
weeks in tobacco sheds, before being bundled and sold. To her credit, Martha and
her slaves successfully brought in 2000 pounds of tobacco that year.
Cotton
harvesting was also highly labor intensive. Since machinery had yet to be
invented to facilitate cotton removal, each piece had to be monotonously handpicked
from the plant. In years past, the seed would also have to be removed from the
cotton fibers by hand, this process taking each worker a day to clean one pound
of cotton. However, in 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin which
mechanically accomplished this task with unprecedented speed, efficiency and
profitability. Thereafter, the demand for cotton from the South steadily
increased, nationally going from roughly 3,000 bales of cotton in 1790 to 73,000
bales by 1800 to over 4,000,000 by 1860. Evidence suggests that the demand for
cotton had not yet impacted Caswell County the year that Mr. Nicholson died, as
his fields were mostly tobacco. However, some cotton had been planted, and during
the harvest of 1795, from September to November, Martha and her slaves collected
and cleaned 40 pounds of cotton by hand. For perspective, one bale of cotton
weighs 500 pounds.
In
addition to the trials and hardship of harvest time, Martha also had to contend
with other factors of plantation life. After the death of Mr. Nicholson, one of
the family slaves, named Daniel, ran away. Martha posted a reward and Daniel
was eventually found and returned to the plantation. Because of his defiance,
Martha chose to sell the slave to William Rainey instead of risk losing him for
good in a possible second flight attempt. The plantation also suffered the loss
of six of their ten sheep, suspected of running off. In early 1796, Martha
hired a midwife, for the price of “one side of leather,” to attend to one of
her pregnant slaves; unfortunately the baby did not survive. During this time, Martha
periodically ventured to Leasburg for supplies and continued to foster a good
relationship with the town merchants, namely Nicholas Coile, William Lea and
Nicholas Delone.
Throughout
the year 1796, Martha continued to fulfill her obligations as the administrator
of her husband’s estate. In January, she presented to the court the full
inventory of his extensive assets, and was granted permission to sell certain
items to satisfy the debts against his estate. Items included: 9 slaves, 5
horses, 10 head of cattle, 30 hogs, 10 sheep, 8 geese, 8 ducks, a large amount
of furniture and kitchenware, as well as, tools. The perishable items, being
livestock and excess tobacco, corn and cotton, were sold at a sale on February
27, 1796. Thereafter, on July 23, 1796, Martha hired Pulliam Williamson as
auctioneer to handle the estate sale of the remainder of his property. The sales
brought in over £762. Between both sales, Martha purchased 8 slaves, the
majority of the livestock and most of the kitchenware and furniture for her own
use. Since the plantation was the property of Capt. Robert Paine, there was no
division of the real estate.
Life
was not forgiving for widows during this era. They were generally given support
by their neighbors for only one year; after which, they were on their own.
Therefore, it was highly beneficial for Martha to remarry, especially for the
security of her daughters. There is no record of how Martha met Lewis Shapard.
It is known that they were both residing in the Richmond District in 1796.
Perhaps he was consulted to help run her plantation, or perhaps they were
introduced via mutual friends. Either way, it was quite probable that the
Shapard and the Paine families would have previously known of each other. Robert
Paine’s plantation in Person County was only twenty miles from William
Shapard’s plantation in the County Line District of Granville County. Both men
were highly influential and successful planters and no doubt would have met on
occasion. Lewis would have been viewed as a suitable match for Martha, and they
would have had their father’s blessings.
On
November 22, 1796, Lewis Shapard obtained his marriage bond to marry Martha
(Paine) Nicholson. The wedding was held in Caswell County a few days later and
Lewis’ brother James Shapard was his witness. Lewis and Martha were a perfect
match. They both were about 23 years of age and came from affluent families. Lewis
easily assimilated into the roll of master of a plantation, just as he had done
for his father back in Granville County years earlier. In fact, Martha’s father
allowed his new son-in-law to utilize the 365 acre plantation in Caswell County
as his own, provided that he paid the annual taxes on the property, and,
perhaps a certain amount of rent. Through his marriage, Lewis instantly gained
a great deal of wealth, slaves, land and influence. He also gained three young
step-daughters, ages five, three and one, for which to care, raise and protect.
Through the right of his wife, Lewis eventually became the legal guardian of
her three daughters, ensuring that they received a proper education and were
clothed and fed well. In addition, through the right of his wife, he became the
administrator of the estate of Michael Nicholson, whereby; he paid the
outstanding debts and performed the legal responsibilities of managing the
remaining funds properly. From all accounts it appears he did his job well.
The
year after his marriage was an exciting and productive time for Lewis. He was
young and energetic, and his newfound wealth and status allowed him the ability
to pursue his ambitions. He quickly ascended the social ladder around Leasburg
and became intimately associated with the families of Caswell County planter
society. In January of 1797, Lewis Shapard began to test his influence by
financially backing Ambrose Arnold as Constable of the Richmond District. Mr.
Arnold lived near the border of Caswell and Person County and operated a tavern
near Leasburg. When Mr. Arnold was elected by the County Court, Lewis Shapard
and William Lea together entered into bond for £250 apiece as security over the
faithful performance of their candidate as constable. Lewis, as a man of
property and wealth, discovered early on the benefit of cultivating a favorable
association with the public officials, especially when their services were
needed in the collection of debts, dealing with trespassers and thieves, etc.
Nationally,
in March of 1797, John Adams became the second President of the United States. His
predecessor, George Washington, after serving two terms in office, declined a
third; instead choosing to retire to his Virginia plantation ‘Mount Vernon.’
John Adams, on the other hand, made his way to the nation’s capital, which
interestingly was located in Philadelphia and not Washington D.C. until the
White House and Capitol Building were finished in 1800. Although Lewis Shapard
clearly was attentive to local elections, it is doubtful that he had any
interest in distant national politics. In fact less than three percent of the
population of the United States voted in the 1796 election, illustrating how
little national politics mattered to the average man in such rural settings.
Back
in Caswell County, Lewis Shapard became viewed as a man with the ability to
improve the local infrastructure. In April of 1797, the courts ordered that
Lewis assume the position of overseer for the same section of road that Michael
Nicholson had maintained in 1795; being the section that crossed the Hyco Creek
at the ford on the northern end of his plantation. After the death of Mr.
Nicholson, Samuel Hodge assumed responsibility for the road, until Lewis
relieved his position. To fulfill his obligation, Mr. Shapard was assisted by
the hands of Thomas Wilson, Absolom Roberts, John Dobbin, Abner Wilson, Isaac
Hodge, Benjamin Stephens, William Stephens and Christopher Dameron.
Later
that year in July, Lewis was appointed to “clear a way across the Reedy Fork Creek
at a convenient place above the old ford,” in order to connect the road from Samuel
Johnston’s field to the Graves Road. He was assisted by the hands of Thomas
Wilson, John Dobbin, Abner Wilson, Samuel Hodge, Isaac Hodge, Benjamin
Stephens, William Stephens, David Hodge, Christopher Dameron, James Wilson and
Samuel Johnston. As overseer of this
project, Lewis clearly had knowledge of basic engineering, perhaps from a past
experience in construction; which may be why the county officials commissioned
him with such a task. Interestingly, eleven years later, county officials would
again place Lewis in charge of constructing a bridge; however, this next
structure was significantly more complex.
It
is evident that Lewis Shapard and his brother James had much friendly and
social interaction with the siblings of Martha (Paine) Shapard; in particular,
Martha’s younger sister Sarah Paine (1778-1835) who had married William Bird
Brooks (1774-1836) on February 2, 1796. As it came to pass, through one of
these gatherings, James Shapard was introduced to William B. Brooks’ sister,
Frances, and a romance blossomed. On August 30, 1797, Lewis’ brother James
Shapard obtained a marriage bond to marry Miss Frances Armistead Brooks (1781-
c. 1855). The wedding was held shortly thereafter in Caswell County.
Frances
was the sixteen year old daughter of Richard (c.1730-c.1790) and Ann Brooks (c.1750-c.1807)
who had migrated from Gloucester County, Virginia, to Caswell County, North
Carolina, circa 1785. They had five children: Ann Smith Brooks (married Solomon
Graves), William Bird Brooks (married Sarah Paine), Betsy Brooks (died before 1798
with no children), Frances Armistead Brooks (married James Shapard) and John
Brooks (died between 1799 and 1806 with no children). In 1787, Richard and Ann
purchased a 420 acre plantation where the Hillsboro Road branched to Graves
Mill Road in the middle of St. David’s District. After the death of Richard
Brooks circa 1790, his widow Anne held possession of the land, which had
increased to 477 acres. In 1798, the land was divided in half between the widow
Anne Brooks and her son William B. Brooks. That same year there was also a
division of the slaves from the estate of Richard Brooks to his living
children, whereby James, through the right of his wife Frances, received three
slaves. In 1802, William and Ann Brooks sold off 224 acres from the western
portion of their plantation to William Clifton. Anne Brooks died in 1807, and her
son William sold the remaining 252 acres of the plantation to his
brother-in-law James Shapard in 1809. The land was eventually sold out of the
family, following the death of James, by his widow Frances in 1838.
After
their wedding, James and Frances (Brooks) Shapard resided on her parent’s plantation
in St. David’s District. Tax records of the time inform us that, although he
owned no land, by 1798, James had acquired one slave. He had also attained
property in the form of two stud horses, and a partial interest in a third. About
the year 1799, James and Frances had their first child, a daughter named Nancy
“Ann,” named after her maternal grandmother.
A few years later in 1801, a
second daughter, Elizabeth was born. As their family grew, James and Frances
eventually left her parent’s plantation, in 1801, and purchased land for
themselves in St. David’s District, about four miles southwest of Caswell
Courthouse. James remained very close with his brother Lewis during this time
as their families grew.
A
significant event for Lewis Shapard occurred on October 4, 1797, when he, for
the first time in his life, bought land for himself. It was an impressive 400
acre plantation a few miles southwest of Caswell Courthouse on the South Fork
of Country Line Creek. Lewis bought the land from John Rice (1754-1822) for
£231.6.8. Mr. Rice had originally purchased the land from the State of North
Carolina in 1783. Interestingly, after the sale of his property, John Rice and
his wife Mary migrated to Wilson County, Tennessee where they purchased 214
acres of land from future United States President Andrew Jackson. Despite their
new landholdings, Lewis and Martha Shapard continued to live at her father’s
plantation in the Richmond District for the remainder of the year 1797 and for
half of 1798. Caswell County tax records for the year 1798 show that Lewis had
a total of 765 acres; being the 365 acre plantation in the Richmond District
and the new 400 acre plantation in St. David’s District. In addition, he was
taxed on six slaves over the age of 16.
Their
decision to remain at their old residence in the Richmond District was due to
the fact that Martha was expecting her first child with Lewis. On November 5,
1797, William Booker Shapard was born. He was named after his paternal
grandfather, and his middle name honored his paternal grandmother’s maiden
name. It is possible that Martha delivered the baby in Person County, perhaps
at the house of her father or sister, as records show that Lewis was in Person
County in early December of that same year. No doubt that Martha’s young
daughters Elizabeth, Polly and Sally Nicholson adored the new addition to their
family.
As
Martha was busy with the new baby, Lewis was occupied with getting his new
plantation operational. The former owner, John Rice had owned the land for 14
years as the primary residence for his family. The property had a house and
barn, yet, was underdeveloped due to the fact that Mr. Rice did not own slaves
to work the land. Lewis saw great potential in the property and to make it
functional for his needs, he needed to expand the fields, enlarge the house and
barn, as well as, build slave quarters, out buildings and additional fences.
To
assist with this monumental task, Lewis summoned his younger brother Booker
Shapard and his brother-in-law Anderson Williams from Granville County, to help
oversee the project. Booker was a twenty-two year old bachelor, and, like
Lewis, was well educated, had a vast knowledge of agriculture and plantation
management, and had previous experience in carpentry. Anderson was about 30
years old and carried the wisdom and experience of age. Booker and Anderson arrived
in Caswell County about November of 1797, and resided at the new plantation. Lewis
divided his slaves between his two properties, allowing Booker and Anderson to
have use of them in tilling and sowing the fields, helping to build proper
quarters, fences and out buildings, etc. Booker’s brother James Shapard resided
two miles southwest of the new plantation and appears to have visited often to
help with construction. Throughout 1797 and 1798, Lewis Shapard traveled
constantly to the new plantation to observe and assist in the progress.
When
Anderson Williams migrated to Caswell County, he brought with him his wife
Mildred (Shapard) and their children. The family also owned three slaves, over
the age of 16, who traveled with them. Along with Booker, they all resided on
Lewis Shapard’s new plantation in St. David’s District with the commission to
get it operational. It appears the undertaking took about a year and a half to
complete, as, circa 1799, Anderson purchased, from Nathaniel Rice, 440 acres of
land on the waters of the South Fork of Country Line Creek bordering the land
of Henry Williams, Alexander Kerr, Thomas Johnston, Archibald Rice, Nathaniel
Rice, Leonard Brown and Thomas Brown. Interestingly, this land was just over a mile
southwest of Lewis Shapard’s plantation. It appears that in addition to
agriculture, by 1801, Anderson opened a store along the Hillsboro Road that crossed
the southwest corner of his property. He sold kitchenware, liquor and tobacco,
and even made shoes. Anderson Williams and his family lived on their farm in
St. David’s District until the year 1806, after which they moved to Campbell
County, Virginia.
On January 16, 1798, Lewis
Shapard and his brothers James and Booker, with their brother-in-law Anderson
William, all attended the estate sale of early Caswell County settler John Rice
(1728-1796). Mr. Rice was born in Virginia in 1728 and married Lettisha Estes
circa 1754. Their known children were: John Jr., Nathaniel, Anna, Mary, Thomas
and William. The family migrated to Caswell County after receiving a land grant
from the State of North Carolina containing 640 acres on March 3, 1779. John
Rice died in late 1796, and, a few years later, his son Nathaniel Rice (1757-1800)
sold 440 acres of the original land grant to Anderson Williams. Interestingly,
John Rice’s daughter, Mary married her cousin John Rice (1754-1822), being the
same John Rice (1754-1822), who sold Lewis Shapard his land in St. David’s
District.
During the estate sale,
Lewis purchased mostly kitchenware, including a butter pot, dish, basin, fork,
ladle and water pail. The one exception was his acquisition of a broad axe. Booker
Shapard purchased a claw hammer. James Shapard purchased numerous large items
including a wagon, harness, scythe blade, as well as, some kitchen items. Anderson
Williams purchased a plow, a few barrels and some kitchenware. Also in
attendance was William B. Brooks who purchased a feather bed. It is almost
certain that all of these men were in attendance with their wives due to the
large amount of kitchenware purchased. This would have been a fun and
entertaining day spent socializing between a good group of friends and family,
each admiring the others purchases.
Throughout the spring and
summer of 1798, Lewis divided his time between the two plantations, gradually
closing down the Richmond District farm and readying the St. David District
plantation for their arrival. He would have spent countless exhaustive hours on
the road moving supplies and equipment, by horse and wagon, to the new home
site eighteen miles away. Records indicate that by October of 1798, Lewis,
Martha and baby William had finally completed the move and were settled into
their new plantation in St. David District. However, their move likely occurred
earlier, around April or May, well before the harvest season, as Lewis needed
to be there to successfully bring in the first years crops and get them to
market.
After the Shapard’s left their
home in the Richmond District, Martha’s father, Robert Paine, desired to keep
the old plantation running for a few more years to supplement his income. Though
he remained in Person County, he sent some of his slaves and an overseer there
to manage the fields of tobacco and cotton. County records report that in
October of 1798, the slaves at “Capt. Payne’s Quarter” were working the road
that passed through the property, crossing the Hyco Creek and Reedy Fork. After
the death of Martha’s father, the plantation was bequeathed to his sons, James,
Robert and Solomon Paine, who eventually sold the property to William Lea circa
1811. Mr. Lea gradually divided the land, selling the northern section of the
plantation, where the road crossed the Hyco Creek, to Levi Fuller in 1815. In
the 1960s, a dam was constructed for the creation of Hyco Lake. Today much of the
area of the old Richmond District plantation is located within a flood prone
dense forest and is no longer suitable for agriculture.
