> Scott:  I enjoyed this little history challenge and the clues and cues
> folks took to form their answers -- but how about giving a little
> information about William Dix -- the winning answer -- for the rest of us?


Absolutely.

In 1814, Agatha Dicks/Dix, a Quaker, sold the lot that my house stands on
to Peter Elliott, a house-joiner from Richmond, for $1,025 (most empty
half acre lots in Lynchburg were selling for $300-400), which leads us
to believe that a structure was already on the property.

Agatha, who was a daughter of Micajah Terrell and Sarah Lynch (sister of
John Lynch, founder of Lynchburg), acquired what is presumed to be the lot
she sold Peter a few years before when she sued the estate of her brother
in law, Achilles Douglas, and received an unspecified piece of property for
the consideration of one dollar.

Agatha married William Dicks at the New Garden Meeting in 1787, and moved
back to Campbell County around 1793. William joined them soonafter, but
died in late 1798. An inventory of his estate was taken in 1799, and
Agatha was the administrator.

Agatha and her children went back to Carolina at that time, but returned
to Lynchburg by 1811 (her brother in law, Achilles, died in 1810).
The 1813 Land Tax book for Campbell County shows Agatha as owning one
half acre lot in Lynchburg (although no tax was charged, as she was a
widow).

In the 1813 personal property tax book, one of Agatha's sons, Nathan, was
taxed for himself and one horse. Another son, Achilles, appeared in 1814,
but was charged no tax. I do not know where they lived.

Because the brick house on my lot has some architectural features that are
older and simpler than what a contractor from Richmond might have built
as an example of his work in his new town of residence in in 1814-16,
and because this lot is the only property that Agatha is shown as owning
before 1814, we think that the house may be slightly older.

My gut tells me 1795-1810 for construction...but its going to be very
difficult to prove this, as the house was aprt of a larger tract of
land owned by Achilles Douglas until about 1813. A house six blocks
up my street had a similar problem...they were a part of the farm
of John Lynch until about 1845 when the land was subdivided. They
didn't know the actual date of construction until they found a timber
with "1787" carved into it.

But basically, I'm just trying to determine if William and Agatha Dicks
lived in town (if so, they probably lived on my lot...otherwise, why
would Agatha challenge her brother-in-law's estate for it?), or lived
on 140 acres at the far end of the county near Seneca Creek (which
doesn't appear in tax records, but she sold it to an Edmund Brown
in late 1814 for $400).

Well, now I'm rambling. I'll stop before I confuse everyone, including
myself.

Thanks for all the input everyone!



W. Scott Smith, Executive Director
Bedford Main Street, Inc.
Post Office Box 405
Bedford, Virginia 24523
(540) 586-2148
www.bedfordmainstreet.org

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