ROBERT PAINE SHAPARD (Chapter 3) 1839-1855 A new Beginning: Fayetteville & Faith

CHAPTER 3

A NEW BEGINNING: FAYETTEVILLE & FAITH

1839 – 1855

With no business, little money and no place to live, Robert Paine Shapard and his family were forced to abandon Murfreesboro in 1839, sometime after the 24^th of August. His older brother, Booker, who was then living in a stately house a few miles northeast of Fayetteville, in the village of Mulberry, rode to Murfreesboro with a horse and wagon and helped Robert packed up of what remained of their belongings. They traveled for two days to reach Fayetteville, Lincoln County Tennessee, which was located 50 miles south of Murfreesboro. They stayed the night with their brother Lewis Shapard, Jr. who resided in Shelbyville in Bedford County, located half-way between Murfreesboro and Fayetteville. Booker had many connections in Fayetteville and was able to assist Robert with renting a residence, fronting him working capital, and procuring a storefront room for his next business enterprise as a as a dry-goods and grocery merchant in the growing town. This endeavor was an easy one for Booker to fund, as very little initial investment was needed to establish a limited dry-goods and grocery store. Perhaps more importantly, Booker’s religious fervor ignited a spiritual reawaking in Robert that had been waning over the last few years. This brotherly generosity allowed Robert a means to recuperate from his spiritual and financial troubles while gradually rebuilding his wealth and business integrity. Robert’s household in Fayetteville, in 1840, consisted of he, his wife and three children, William, Avarilla and Edwin, as well as, one female slave between the age of 10–23 years old.

One year after Robert settled in Fayetteville, his brother Booker moved in late September of 1840, to Pulaski, Giles County, Tennessee. Robert remained in Fayetteville and continued to focus on growing his grocery business and family. Over the next few years, two more children blessed the Shapard family; Robert Addison Shapard was born in Fayetteville, Tennessee on June 24, 1841 and Evander Shapard, was born in Fayetteville on November 2, 1843. Robert Addison was named after his father, Robert Shapard. His middle name was in honor of Parthenia’s brother, Addison Mitchell who was born in 1811 and married Mary Ann Hodge in 1836. Addison Mitchell was a Captain of the 45^th Tennessee Confederate Infantry during the Civil War and died in 1862.

            During this trying time, after losing everything of material value and suffering to rebuild, Robert became convicted in his religious pursuits and embraced the call of the Methodist Episcopal Church, for he and his whole family. During the early 1840s, with his religious spirit reawakened, Robert Paine Shapard would no longer sit idle as a mere spectator to the influences around him, he would become an active participant in steering the moral rudder of the growing community in Fayetteville. Robert became very active in the church and began to attend the Quarterly Meetings of the clergy and laymen of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His first meeting as a layman was the 3^rd Round of Quarterly Meetings of the Lincoln Circuit held at the Fayetteville Cumberland Presbyterian Church on July 6-7, 1844. He then attended the 4^th Round of Quarterly Meetings of the Lincoln Circuit held at Center Camp Ground on September 8, 1844; after which, he became a permanent fixture at these meetings. Through his dedication and commitment, he eventually emerged as one of the Stewards of the Methodist Church.

Some of the responsibilities as one of the Stewards of the Fayetteville Methodist Church, South, would have been to care for, and assist, the minister assigned to Fayetteville Station. The stewards also raised funds for the minister’s salary, and between them, housed the minister for the duration of his appointment. Robert’s family had the great privilege of boarding a minister in their house for a few months each year. Religion played such an important and fundamental role in the Shapard household that two of Robert’s sons, William and Edwin, became ministers for the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and two others, Evander and David, became Stewards.

An interesting and historic event occurred during this time, which greatly impacted the future of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1844, the Methodist Church split over the issue of slavery. The Bishops from the Southern States, including Bishop Robert Paine who supported slavery, separated from the Methodist Episcopal Church; and in 1845, became self-governed, forming their own General and Annual Conferences, under the name of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Most Methodist church congregations in the Southern States voted to affiliate with the new Southern Methodist order; and such was the case with the Methodist Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, Tennessee. This event created tremendous public attention and Robert Paine Shapard, as an active lay-member of the church, would have debated the issue, eventually casting his support for merger with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

When the Shapard family moved to Fayetteville in 1839, the Methodist church was an 18 foot by 20 foot log structure, built in 1811. However, Robert Paine Shapard, as a layman and Steward, took such an active and instrumental role in the growth and support of this church that the congregation was able to construct a new brick building in 1846. This updated house of worship had two front doors, one for the men to enter and one for the women; this being the custom of that era. It also had two levels; the lower level was for the white parishioners and the upper balcony was for the slaves of the neighborhood. Robert and his family attended this church regularly, and his son, Edwin Ruthven Shapard, remarked that, as a child he fondly remembered the sound of the hearty “Amen” which would descend from the religious slaves upon his ears in the audience below. Robert Paine Shapard was known as having been largely instrumental in the development and growth of the Methodist Church of Fayetteville.

As Robert Paine Shapard fully embraced his religious passion, his household also mirrored his beliefs. Early Tennessee Methodist homes often had family worship twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. This consisted of the family coming together and reading scripture passages, singing hymns and having prayer. Methodism taught prohibitions against dancing, however music and singing were welcomed. If talent and means were available, singing could be accompanied by musical instruments such as the piano, organ, flute or violin. 

Alcohol would have been forbidden in the Shapard home. Not only did it counter the teachings of their religion, but Robert was also a member of the Sons’ of Temperance, which was one of the oldest temperance and total abstinence "secret societies" that existed in nineteenth century Tennessee, as well as, the United States. Up until the founding of the Sons of Temperance in 1842, abstinence societies only required members to vow that they would not consume alcohol; however, The Sons of Temperance took this simple vow and greatly advanced upon it. In order to become a member, a man had to be nominated by an existing member. Then three other members would investigate his life and determine if he would be suitable for membership. The Sons of Temperance required an initiation fee of two-dollars, which amounted to a week’s wages for most men during this era. In addition, there was a six cent weekly membership fee. The society had secret rituals, signs, passwords, handshakes and regalia. It also provided both life and funeral benefits to its members. Periodically all the members would gather for a procession, to entertain the public, as well as, to bring recognition to their cause. They would have speakers who encouraged sobriety and brought public awareness to the evil of distilled liquors. However, the organization’s main purpose was to better society through the rehabilitation of alcoholics and prevention of others from becoming drunkards. In the 1850s, Robert Paine Shapard belonged to the Fayetteville Division No. 52 of the Sons of Temperance, which met every Friday night. He was often listed as holding the office of “Chaplin” of the Fayetteville Chapter of this Society.

In 1846, The Mexican-American War began and lasted until 1848. The United States laid claim to Texas and lands west of Texas over the opposition of Mexico. In September of 1846, General Zachary Taylor led 6,640 men into battle against 5000 soldiers of the Mexican army and captured the town of Monterrey.  The city was surrendered to the United States forces on September 25, 1846. In October of 1846, a committee assembled in Nashville, Tennessee to give honor to the Tennessee Volunteers who fought in the Battle of Monterrey. They stated, “It has been announced to the country, through the official dispatches of General Taylor, and through private letters from the seat of war, that an important battle has been fought with the Mexican forces – that a victory has been obtained, and the city of Monterey has been taken by storm. And it appears that in the various movements of our army, as well previous to these events as on the days of battle, great energy, skill and bravery were shown, both by the whole body of the army and its officers, and by the commanding General. In the several attacks upon the city and its fortified places, the Volunteers of Tennessee were especially distinguished, for their gallant conduct and daring intrepidity. In these assaults many of these volunteers were slain, leaving behind them relatives and friends and fellow-citizens to mourn their loss, while many were wounded and are now languishing in pain far from their homes in a foreign land. Now, as all are entitled to that highest praise, that they have ‘deserved well of the Republic;’ and the highest reward of the patriot soldier and his greatest incentive to duty and heroic deeds, next to approving conscience, are the sympathy and applause of his countrymen…” It was further resolved that a Committee be appointed, whose duty it should be to obtain subscriptions, among the people of Tennessee, for the purpose of erecting a monument in Nashville for the memory of the Tennessee Volunteers who fell during or after the capture of Monterey. Robert Paine Shapard was appointed to this committee to receive subscriptions in Lincoln County for the purpose of honoring these soldiers.

Over the following years, as the Shapard family continued to grow in children, it regrettably also lost some of its senior members. On February 28, 1846, Robert and Parthenia were blessed with a son, David Green Shapard, who was born in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Not only was ‘David’ a biblical name, it was also in tribute to Parthenia’s brother, David Mitchell, who was born in 1803. His middle name of ‘Green’ seems to also be associated with the Mitchell family as it was the middle name of Parthenia’s youngest brother, Calvin Green Mitchell. On October 24, 1848, a daughter was born into the Shapard family. Robert and Parthenia named her, Sarah “Sallie” Shapard, in honor of Parthenia’s older sister Sarah Currie Hodge. Unfortunately, Robert Paine Shapard’s younger brother, Lewis Shapard, Jr., died on June 10, 1848, at his residence in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Lewis Jr. had been a constable of Bedford County for a number of years and left behind a widow and children. He was buried in the Willow Mount Cemetery in Shelbyville Tennessee. Only a few years later, Robert’s beloved older brother, James Paine Shapard, who had migrated with his family to Texas in 1846, died in October of 1850.  He was buried near Chapel Hill, Washington County, Texas.             
Parthenia Shapard’s elderly father, William Mitchell, gifted to her the title of three of his slaves; a male named Stephen, a female named Revy and their child. Parthenia was able to procure additional income for her family through the leasing of the older slaves for work in the town of Murfreesboro. Over the years, as the slaves aged, they became less productive and less likely to have additional children. Parthenia and Robert decided to sell Stephen, Revy and their child, in order to procure new younger slaves that would be more productive and more likely to increase their slave holdings through the birth of multiple children. Since Parthenia and Robert were living in Fayetteville, they endorsed Parthenia’s brother, Addison Mitchell, who was living near Murfreesboro, as trustee to sell the slaves as a family, and not to divide them up. Addison gave public notice 20 days prior to the sale, which took place in the town of Murfreesboro in the spring of 1847. Addison used the cash proceeds from the sale to procure two new, more suitable, slaves for Parthenia and Robert. By 1850, Robert Paine Shapard had increased his slave holdings; he was now the master of five Fayetteville slaves; a black male 45 years old, a black female 25 years old, a black male 12 years old, a mulatto female 7 years old and a mulatto female 5 years old. He was also the master of two additional slaves that resided and worked in Murfreesboro under the care and husbandry of the Mitchell family.

Religious revivals and “camp meetings” would have been an exciting community event that the Shapard family would have attended and helped support. People would arrive from all over to attend the singing, eating, socializing and preaching. The meeting would last from a few days to a few weeks, or so, being attended by the community night and day. Families from distant places would set up their tents near the meeting grounds. If the area didn’t have a large house of worship, the meeting was often held outside under a brush arbor at a local campground close to a spring of fresh water. If the area did have a sufficiently sized house of worship, the revival could be held inside. During the revival, the ministers would eventually call for penitents who would approach the altar and kneel while praying and seeking the Lord.

On December 8, 1849, the Murfreesboro District held its Quarterly Meeting of the ministers and laymen at Fayetteville, which was attended by Robert Paine Shapard. After the meeting, the excitement of the event caused a religious revival to develop within the town, headed by Rev. A.W. Smith and supported by Rev. Ferdinand S. Petway. The altar at the Methodist church was crowded with weeping penitents and by the time the revival tapered off in late December, 43 conversions had occurred and 36 new members were added to the Church. Among those numbered were two of Robert Paine Shapard’s children; William and Edwin. On December 14, 1849, Edwin Ruthven Shapard joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and three days later, the day after his 11^th birthday, on December 17^th, 1849, he experienced conversion. His older brother, William, joined the church just days after, on December 19, 1849. Interestingly, both of Robert’s children who attended this revival would go on to become Ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. William was licensed to preach in 1850 and Edwin was licensed to preach in 1859.

The early 1850s held a great many events of interest. The issue of slavery and succession was hotly debated between the northern and southern states. Zachery Taylor, the twelfth president of the United States died of illness in office on July 9, 1850. His successor, Millard Fillmore, would pass the Compromise of 1850, which bought the country an additional ten years before the issue of slavery, State’s Rights and succession would tear the nation apart during the Civil War. Communities in Tennessee were beginning to recognize the importance of accessibility to their towns, through roads, stage routes and railroad lines, to secure their future prosperity. There was a great surge in road construction to increase traffic and commerce. During this era, there were maintained gravel paved roads in middle Tennessee, known as turnpikes or ‘pikes,’ which were the main arteries joining the smaller towns together. There were a few main roads built in the 1830s, however, most of the pikes were constructed in the mid to late 1850s. There were tolls along these roads every five miles. Fees ranged from 10 cents for a horse and rider, up to 25 cents for a large wagon with team of horses. Robert Paine Shapard was appointed by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, on February 1, 1850, as one of the Commissioners “to open books to receive subscriptions for the purpose of building a turnpike road from Fayetteville to the Alabama state line.” This road was constructed and is now part of U.S. highway 231/431.

 The gold standard of town prosperity was the arrival of the railroad. The rail lines were sparse and it wasn’t until the 1850s that a movement developed to link the smaller towns together by a railway system. In 1853, Robert Shapard was an appointed delegate of the Fayetteville Railroad Convention. The object of which, was to improve the railway system so that “this vast country of ours would be bound together by bonds of iron traversing and ramifying the country in every direction, as a vast net work – binding and riveting the people together by free and general intercourse and a mutuality of interest.” Their efforts eventually brought the railroad to Fayetteville in 1856; however, the neighboring town of Shelbyville, which was on the boom after it gained its own rail line in 1853, had already pulled numerous businesses and businessmen away from Fayetteville.

In the early 1850s, the citizens and officials of Fayetteville focused on internal improvement projects within the town. They had constructed wooden walkways along the streets and alleys to greatly decrease the effects of mud. New houses and businesses had also been constructed, all of which improved the allure of the town.  During this time, Fayetteville’s first  college, originally named ‘Fayetteville College’ but later changed to ‘Milton College,’  was being built by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. It was a brick structure, 138 feet long, 40 feet wide and 3 stories high with 45 rooms. Robert Paine Shapard was one of the members of the Citizens Building Committee which raised funds for the construction of the college in 1851. He, subsequently, in 1853, became one of the founding Board of Trustee members of the college, along with Samuel M. Cowan, William Moore, Edward G.G. Beanland, Albert G. Gibson, James L. Thomson, John M. Bright, Mathew H. Bone, John Robinson, James M. Davidson, M.H. Roberts, David F. Robertson, George W. Mitchell, L.T. Gray, M.L. Dismukes, P.H. Holbert, and Moses H. Bonner. There were other private schools in the area which taught primary and secondary courses, such as the Fayetteville Female Academy, Fayette Academy, Betty White’s School, Viney Grove Academy and Forrest Hill Academy.

Robert Shapard believed greatly in the benefit of education, as there is no doubt that he provided the encouragement and means for his children’s advancement. All of his children received some form of primary education, acquiring literacy in the “three R’s”: reading, writing, and arithmetic. In addition, at least Edwin and Evander obtained a higher university education. It is known that, of his children, William Shapard was briefly educated in Fayetteville prior to becoming a minister in 1850; Sallie attended Louisville Female College from 1863 until 1866; Edwin attended Florence Wesleyan University from 1856 until 1859; and Evander was educated in the Fayetteville public schools in his youth, attended Shelbyville University, in Bedford County, from 1856-1860, Southern University, in Greensboro Alabama, from 1860-1861, and Lebanon Law School in 1866. Mr. Shapard also encouraged a strong work ethic among his boys; in a sense, treating them as apprentices in the family business. Robert Shapard’s son, Edwin, reported that he was “practically raised in a store” throughout his youth. During this era, children were primarily committed to the fulfillment of their family’s work and household chores, and only then allowed to attend school. Most children were educated along these means, and learned their most valuable skills by immersion in their parent’s occupation.

In 1850, Fayetteville had two churches; the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Rev. John Mathews, who was assigned to Fayetteville Methodist Church from October 1848 through October 1849, reported that when he initially arrived, the church was respectable and he was greeted with a warm welcome from the congregation. The membership of the Fayetteville Methodist Church for the year 1848 was 38 parishioners, and the town had a population of just under 1000 inhabitants.

Financially, in 1850, the Shapard family was thriving. Robert Paine Shapard had real estate

holdings valued at $5,000, which he increased in 1851 with the purchase of a 66 acre tract of land on the headwaters of Coldwater Creek, in District 19, from Mr. David Tipps.  Robert was also the sole proprietor of his grocery and merchandise store, which, since the early 1840s, had been located on the northeast corner of the Fayetteville Public Square and had locally become known as ‘Shapard’s Corner.’ Interestingly, his older brother Booker Shapard, returned to Fayetteville in the late 1840s, to join him in business. The two brothers ran their own independent businesses out of the same location. Their store at ‘Shapard’s Corner’ was located at the present-day intersection of College Street East and Elk Avenue on the north-east corner. It was a wood-frame edifice with large front windows and was flanked on the east by the two-story wood-frame building of the Fayetteville Observer newspaper office. Booker sold iron, stoves, pots, pans, furniture, dyes, etc.; Whereas, Robert, who occupied the front room, sold mainly groceries, tobacco, cloth, clothing, hats, shoes, writing implements, saws, nails, hammers  and general goods.

Robert Paine Shapard’s household in 1850 consisted of he and his wife and all their children. Their oldest son, William Shapard, at 20 years old, had become a licensed preacher for the Methodist Episcopal Church South on June 25, 1850, and would leave home to fulfill his appointments. In addition to housing his own family and five slaves, Robert Paine Shapard also boarded his apprentices, John J. Hodge and H. Edmondson, both of whom would become merchants and businessmen in the town of Fayetteville. Mr. Edmondson would eventually become the proprietor of the Bell Tavern, as well as operate the Livery Stable for Travelers in Fayetteville.

In January of 1850, Mr. John J. Hodge, nephew to Robert Paine Shapard, ventured into business and began to sell goods through the store at Shapard’s Corner. For a number of years prior, John was apprenticed by Robert Shapard, during which time he also boarded at the Shapard home. He was a very well liked, cheerful, upstanding young man and a model of sobriety in the town of Fayetteville. In December of 1850, Mr. Hodge bought out Booker Shapard, who was moving to Pulaski, Tennessee, by purchasing his business and stock of merchandise, and established ‘J.J. Hodge & Company.’ In December of 1850, Mr. Hodge traveled to Philadelphia to purchase his stock of goods for the year. Upon his return, due to the difficult travel and cold, he became ill and was bedridden for months. Sadly, J. J. Hodge would not recover and he died at an early age on April 6, 1851, near Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  Booker Shapard repurchased the books and merchandise of J.J. Hodge and continued to operate the business until September of 1851 when he moved his residence permanently to Pulaski, Giles County, Tennessee. After Booker left Fayetteville, he sold his brick house and what remained of his business to his brother, Robert Paine Shapard, who continued to operate the store at ‘Shapard’s Corner.’ On February 24, 1851, as night approached, lightening was seen off in the distance. While the Shapard family slept, a massive storm gained strength and Fayetteville would inevitably lie in the direct path of this looming monster.  At 3:30 in the morning, Robert Paine Shapard and his family were awakened by the flash of lightning, the deafening boom of thunder, and the roar of tornadic winds belting rain against the side of their home. In an instant, the windows shattered and a section of the roof gave way. The tornado had destroyed half the town of Fayetteville in less than a minute. In the aftermath, 100 buildings and 25 residences had been totally destroyed, 3 people were killed and approximately 50 were injured. Observers noted that it was “the most heart rendering calamity that has ever befallen our town”. Those who had lost everything were entirely dependent on the hospitality of their neighbors for a place to lay their heads. The church members of the town pulled together to rally behind those in need, assisting them until they could recover. Although the Cumberland Presbyterian Church had been so badly damaged as to be unusable; the Methodists extended the hand of fellowship and allowed them access to their facilities, to hold services, until they rebuilt. It took months for the town to recover, and though the Shapard home was damaged, they rejoiced in the good fortune that had preserved their lives.

In the early 1850s, the Shapard family had many moments of celebrating life, as well as, moments of sorrow at the passing of their loved ones. Parthenia Shapard’s father, William Mitchell, died on January 20, 1850 at his plantation just beyond Murfreesboro, where he was buried. Parthenia became one of the heirs to her father’s estate. The courts decreed that, her husband, R. P. Shapard, would be appointed as her trustee to take charge of the estate of which she was entitled. On June 25, 1851, Robert and Parthenia celebrated the birth of their son, John Mitchell Shapard. He was named in honor of Parthenia’s older brother, John Mitchell, who had died during the year. On February 23, 1853, Robert Paine Shapard’s sister, Martha, who married J.W. McCown, passed away in Houston, Texas.

Robert and Parthenia celebrated the wedding of their daughter, Avarilla Elizabeth Shapard to Mr. Abner Steed Boone, on October 4, 1853. The ceremony was held in Fayetteville and officiated by Rev. Ambrose Driskell. They were blessed at their wedding with the hope that “happiness, love and prosperity may ever be with them.” However, their blessing would be short lived, as Avarilla died less than a year after their marriage, on August 3, 1854, at age 20, in Fayetteville, Tennessee, shortly after giving birth to a son. Her only child, Archie Boon, would die in 1861, at 7 years old. Avarilla’s husband, Capt. A.S. Boone, was killed during the Civil War at the Battle of Raymond in Raymond, Mississippi on May 12, 1863. He enlisted on November 4, 1861 and served as a Captain in Company F of the 41^st Tennessee Infantry. He was captured, along with Evander Shapard, at Fort Donelson, Tennessee on February 16, 1862 and became a prisoner-of-war at Camp Chase in Ohio on March 1, 1862. He was transferred to Johnson’s Island on Lake Erie in Ohio on April 24, 1862, and was finally released during a prisoner exchange at Vicksburg, Mississippi on September 1, 1862.  Capt. A.S. Boone is buried in the Raymond Confederate Cemetery.

           Politically during the 1850s, Robert Shapard was very active in the Whig Party, and was elected as a delegate to attend the March 31, 1853 convention held in Nashville Tennessee for the nomination of the Whig Candidate for the next Governor of Tennessee. On September 30, 1854, Robert’s older brother, William Booker Shapard, who was the proprietor of the Merchant’s Bank in Nashville, Tennessee, was elected to the office of Mayor of Nashville. Less than two months later, on November 26, he resigned due to the duties of his elected office interfering with his private business as a banker. Coincidentally, a year earlier, in 1853, Robert’s other brother, Booker Shapard, was elected to the office of Mayor in Pulaski, Tennessee.

Robert Paine Shapard was a fervent member of the Lincoln County Bible Society which met in Fayetteville. The Lincoln County Bible Society was established as an auxiliary to the American Bible Society, whose mission it was to supply every family in the land with a Bible and Testament. Their members would secure donations from individuals in their communities for the purchase of Bibles, which were then dispersed, at no charge, to families in need of a Bible. Interestingly, during the Civil War, the American Bible Society and its auxiliaries were at the forefront of handing out thousands of pocket-sized Bibles to soldiers going off to war. In June of 1853, the Lincoln County Bible Society met in Fayetteville for their anniversary sermon, which was delivered to a large crowd. Robert Paine Shapard and Mr. T.C. Goodrich were appointed to the office of Manager for the ensuing year.  Mr. Shapard was also voted-in as a member of the Soliciting Committee for the Bible Society until 1854.

In October of 1853, Rev. John Mathews, arrived in Fayetteville to fulfill his appointment as pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South at that place until October 1854. The congregation at Fayetteville gave him an unusually hearty welcome and his audiences in the church were large. One Sunday after he had preached twice to the whites and twice to the blacks, he felt ill and was attended to by a doctor. He was diagnosed with cholera and was immediately moved to new quarters and quarantined. However, the word quickly spread that the minister had the deadly disease. The town became terrified and many people fled for safety. As a result, in early June of 1854, there developed, in Fayetteville, a cholera epidemic which claimed many lives. Robert Paine Shapard, being one of the few town leaders that did not flee, notified the surrounding communities of the status of the outbreak. On June 20^th, he reported to the Nashville True Whig Newspaper, “Up to this time there has been 15 deaths by cholera – 11 whites and 4 blacks – and no abatement; last Saturday 3 deaths – Sabbath no deaths cases. About 20 families in town – several will leave today; the new cases are not so violent – Printers and editors all gone – no tavern. Yours in haste, R.P. Shapard.” A few days later on June 26^th, he reported that 29 people in all had died in Fayetteville from the disease. Surprisingly however, Rev. Mathews recovered through the careful attention of some dedicated persons of Fayetteville. He recalled, in particular, that there were “some noble families in Fayetteville – the Shapards, the Hines, the Morgans...” By the end of June in 1854, the businesses, stores and taverns of Fayetteville reopened and were resuming operation due to the passing of the deadly epidemic.

By the mid 1850s, things had changed for Robert Shapard’s business. The railroad had finally reached the neighboring town of Shelbyville in 1853, which was on the boom, while Fayetteville was on the decline. Robert, seeing the signs of the times, began making plans in February of 1854 to move and establish himself in the boom town of Shelbyville, Tennessee. Robert began downsizing his store in Fayetteville and moving his merchandise to Shelbyville, and on April 6, 1854, he rented the vacant front room at Shapard’s Corner to ‘A.S. Boone & Co’. The new renters consisted of Robert Paine Shapard’s son-in-law, Abner S. Boone, as well as, Shields Wilson and Dick Shapard. Tragically, only a few months later, Abner Boone’s wife, Avarilia (Shapard), died on August 3, 1854, shortly after child birth.

           

   The Shapard family moved to Shelbyville in early 1855. Robert eventually sold the building at Shapard’s Corner in Fayetteville to Thomas C. Goodrich in early September of 1855. Mr. T.C. Goodrich was a dedicated Presbyterian of Fayetteville. He was highly involved in the Lincoln County Bible Society and was a member of the Sons of Temperance. He and Robert Shapard associated through these organizations and over the years had become friends. In addition to the sale of his business, Mr. Shapard traded to Mr. Goodrich the brick house which he had purchased from Booker, being valued at $4,700, for 4 slaves and two lots of land. The slaves were valued at $2,000; a negro woman named Esther, aged about 27 years, and her three children; Fanny age 6, Hellen age 5, and John 18 months old. Thomas C. Goodrich warranted the title to said slaves against all lawful claims, as well as warranted the slaves to be sound, healthy and sensible slaves for life. Mr. Shapard also acquired from Mr. Goodrich Lot No. 20 and also a part of Lot No. 25 in the town of Fayetteville owned by Mr. Goodrich, and valued at $2,000. Robert turned around and sold these Lots to Sarah Jones in December of 1855 for $1,500 cash.

             

      
                On October 18, 1855, Mr. Thomas C. Goodrich notified the public that he had purchased the store and dwelling houses formally occupied by R.P. Shapard and would be opening a new stock of fall and winter goods, embracing every article usually kept in a dry goods store. Mr. Goodrich eventually partnered in the dry goods trade with Mr. Sherrod Hunter, under the name of ‘Goodrich & Hunter’, and continued to operate their business in the room formally occupied by R.P. Shapard as a grocery store on the north-east corner of the Public Square. In 1869, Mr. Goodrich sold his business to Mr. J.E. Coldwell who occupied the location until 1880; subsequently, Mr. G.N. Ingle then used the location for a grocery store. After numerous other businesses and owners, the former ‘Shapard’s Corner’ is now occupied by Kent & Associates Real Estate.