About 1824 the area of Lanefield was cleared and settled by a party of laborers in charge of Thomas Ferguson. One year later William R. Johnson and son Isaac and Timothy Parker came to the same neighborhood. By 1828 the first school met in a log cabin and was taught the year round by Isaac Johnson. After this, a general store and saloon were opened; later a Methodist Church was organized. By 1847 Lanefield was one of the two places in the western district of what is now Crockett County to have a Post Office and a stagecoach stop.
In 1847 the first Baptist Church in what is now Crockett County was organized. A blacksmith shop run by Mr. John Adams, a saloon run by Mr. Ed Tucker, and a general store operated by Mr. Jim Worrels were opened. Later Mr. Ed Tucker acquired the general store, and, at the present time, Mr. R. T. Tucker is the fourth generation of Tuckers to own and operate a general store there. By the late 1800’s there were two other stores, one run by J. A. Cooper, who was also the postmaster, the other by S. J. King. Miss Lou Forsythe had a millinery shop in a part of the Tucker store. There was a public well dug whose waters must have been just short of being nectar from the gods. The school was moved from Lanefield to a spot near the Baptist Church where a large two-story building was erected, with stairs on either side – one for the boys, one for the girls – and never the twain did meet. Later the Lanefield Methodist Church was moved across the road from the school and Baptist Church, and Lanefield ceased to exist except in memory.
Many of the houses erected between 1856 and 1900 were constructed by T. A. Williamson. He always carved his name and the date somewhere on a rafter. Some of the familiar names of that era were: Best, Hughes, Adams, King, Brown, Smith, Kail, Ray, Buford, Williams, Tucker, Carter, Winburn, Phillips, Norville, Castelow, Worrels, Jennings, Thompson, Dawson, Branch and Tritt.
Many black people had settled in the area by that time. Among the names were those of Jelks, Johnson, Jennings, Lillard, Hardville, McLemore and Mayfield. There was a deep bond of affection between the black and white people. Joe Johnson, a little black boy, was a gift from Sam Smith to his daughter Nannie when she became the bride of a Mr. Carter. Joe had only one ear, and he always liked to tell the story of how the hogs had eaten off his ear when he was a baby.
Time takes its toll as time eventually will, and today R. T. Tucker’s General Merchandise Store is the only place of business in Johnson’s Grove. The old dug well has given way to the more modern and sanitary running water furnished by the County Wide Water System. But God is still in business there. Both churches are still in existence and meet each week.
The preceding article was contributed to this web page, with permission of the Crockett County Historical Society, by Natalie Huntley.
This information was compiled and written by Frances (Williamson) Pollard, and, published in the book “Crockett County Courthouse Centennial, 1874 – 1974”, prepared by the Crockett County Historical Society.
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