| The Tobacco Kings | | | | but it all seemed so fruitless, and then Shep and |
| (Myron Shep Charles Hightower, of Virginia, 1650) | | | | his wife became the hired help. His father being |
| Part one of three to Shep's Story | | | | killed by the Indians, and his house burnt down |
| The first known Hightower, Myron Shep Charles | | | | likewise, and his mother had died prior to most of |
| Hightower, who came over to America in A.D. | | | | this ongoing conflict of pneumonia. |
| 1650, who built a brand-new plantation in Virginia, | | | | "There it is," he'd tell his wife in later years, the |
| as settlements took over Indian lands, brought | | | | mill, the cabin; he couldn't even remember how it |
| with him twenty-Englishmen, and bought | | | | was what it was suppose to be. "I just can't |
| forty-slaves along the way, to do one thing, and | | | | remember," Shep would say in those far-off |
| one thing only-some miles outside of Jamestown, | | | | years. Perhaps didn't want to remember, they |
| and it was to create a private enterprise, backed | | | | were trying years to say the least. |
| up by rich and private financial backers, who were | | | | "No," Emily would say if her kids asked too many |
| bankers in England-capitalists, and grow as much | | | | questions about those years "ask your father!" |
| tobacco as possible, to sell back to the English | | | | She was intent on supporting her husband no |
| people. After arriving, and unloading, and settling in, | | | | matter what, all the time they were sidekicks, so |
| they started what history would not record, and | | | | it would seem. She loved those younger days in |
| hired the immigrants that came to America prior | | | | New York State though. But Shep left the Valley, |
| to before 1640, from what was known as | | | | and they both moved down to Ozark, another |
| England's marshes. Perhaps a hundred of them, | | | | member went on a little further, to New Orleans. |
| along with the slaves and the men Myron brought | | | | Shep, he simply said one day to Emily, "It isn't fun |
| with him, within three years he had an enterprise | | | | anymore here," and he laughed, and Emily said, "I |
| that was paying off. | | | | don't know what to say," and after that |
| Although, it was not uncommon for ten or so | | | | statement, she didn't say a word, they just |
| workers to die each year for so called medical | | | | packed up and left. |
| reasons, one year, the third year burials | | | | No: 507 ((10-29-2009) (written in the wee hours |
| outstripped the hiring. The main cause of death | | | | of the night)) |
| was malaria, along with whatever disease the | | | | Shep's Journey |
| colonists brought with them from Europe. Malaria | | | | ((Part Three to hip's Story') (1787-'89)) |
| didn't kill their victims right away, just weakened | | | | In 1787, Shep and his wife Emily Hightower was |
| them for months on end, and in many cases the | | | | traveling by covered wagon, from upper New |
| body without its proper nutrition could not fight it | | | | York, down to Alabama, carrying just the basic |
| off, and coupled with a weak immune system, | | | | needs from what was left out of Shep's father's |
| and lack of nutrition, and no medications, the | | | | belongings, and his burnt out homestead, which |
| environmental elements produced a full-blown | | | | the Indians shattered. He and his wife suffered |
| death; after several relapses. | | | | much under the Indians of the region, and |
| So here we had an ongoing dilemma, sick people | | | | requested no aid from anyone. He was very |
| trying to get better, with more than enough | | | | hungry for starting over and knew his youth was |
| mosquitoes, all waiting to hit the bull's -eye- the | | | | on his side, he had time to do what he needed to |
| worker. It was said, before the Marsh-Landers | | | | do, and he was going to build the most |
| came to Virginia, from England (so the Indians | | | | magnificent plantation in all of Alabama; although |
| claimed) there were no parasites, or malaria to be | | | | he had only a little money. |
| found-who's to say, it didn't matter in the long | | | | He was delighted with upper New York. It was a |
| run, the disease migrated to the Carolinas where | | | | beautiful country, he said, just a bit too hostile for |
| it crippled and drained large portions of Cornwallis | | | | his blood, as was the previous war years. On his |
| Army. | | | | way through the costal states, territories, such as: |
| To Myron Hightower (born 1620), it didn't become | | | | Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and |
| much of an issue, he had his business, and people | | | | Georgia, they had gone through many towns, |
| were replaceable. And he built a large home in | | | | walked much, and seen much. Georgia he did not |
| upper New York, where he planned on retiring. | | | | like. Yet they had a good time together, up to a |
| And in time as years passed, late in life he | | | | dividing point. It was early October, and the |
| married, and had a son he named: Eugene Shep | | | | country was pleasant, but the Indians and the |
| Hightower (born: 1670, died 1767, whom would die | | | | British had done some bad things. He talked about |
| at the ripe old age of 97-years old) Myron had | | | | it a little in Atlanta, in spite of the war; he believed |
| this child at the age of 70-years old who took | | | | altogether in the Revolution, clearing the country |
| over the tobacco business in latter years, all | | | | of savages and the British completely. He asked in |
| seemingly immune to the malarial diseases and | | | | Georgia, "How is the movement going in |
| relapses. | | | | Washington?" to a group of war veterans (which |
| In 1734, Eugene's wife gave birth to Charles Shep | | | | would turn out to be a mistake). |
| Hightower, whom was simply called Shep. At | | | | "Confusing," a solider of the Revolution |
| which time Eugene retired in upper New York, in | | | | commented, "But it will get better, this is just the |
| his brick built home, and invested into a saw mill, | | | | beginning, we won the war, but there will be more |
| and hence, that ended the tobacco kings. | | | | battles with the Indians. Why not settle here?" he |
| No: 509 ((10-29-2009) (written in the afternoon)) | | | | commented. |
| Shep's Valley | | | | "Why should I?" questioned Shep. |
| (Shep Charles Shep Hightower, 1775-1786) | | | | "You have everything here. It is the spot down |
| Part Two | | | | south here, everyone is sure of. It will be the |
| In the old days, in upper New York, Charles Ship | | | | starting point of everything down south, not |
| Hightower, lived in what was back then a rich and | | | | Alabama." |
| lumbering town. His family had come over to | | | | He said quickly his good-byes to the few and the |
| America in 1650-Shep was born 1734 (would die in | | | | group of revolutionists he met, to head on down |
| Alabama in 1800). He, married Emily Hightower, | | | | to Ozark, Alabama, his father knew the banker |
| grandmother to Emma, born 1755, died 1790, | | | | there, a Mr. Ritt, and he would provide a loan for |
| Charles' mother, and Emma being Charles' | | | | land, payable in ten-years. He couldn't do any |
| daughter. For a number of years there were | | | | better than that. But before he got to go on his |
| plenty of logs to be cut, at which time Shep's | | | | way, the revolutionists knowing Shep didn't do |
| father owned the mill that cut the logs, and | | | | any fighting in the war spoke to him about it. |
| stacked them in the yard, sold them as needed, | | | | "Why not?" asked one of the several |
| piles of lumber were carried away and many | | | | revolutionists, "why didn't you fight, it was a |
| houses were built from his lumber. His son, | | | | requirement!" |
| Charles Terrence Hightower, would be born after | | | | "No," he said, very shyly, "I was never asked..." he |
| all the Indian, and British and American conflicts | | | | did not like Georgia, and he didn't want to offend |
| were over, born 1789, three years after he had | | | | anyone, lest a Revolutionist who fought in the war |
| moved to Alabama, from upper New York. | | | | for his independence, so he said little more. He |
| He worked in the mill those prior years, with the | | | | was very eager to get on his way, as was his |
| great saws and wheels, belts and iron, operating | | | | wife likewise; he was sure he'd love Alabama now |
| the mill, and loading lumber. And he fought the | | | | that it was autumn. |
| Indians in-between. He had built himself a small | | | | When Mr. Ritt, sent out inquires, seeking what |
| cabin, which got burnt down by the Indians, | | | | might have happened to Mr. Shep Hightower, the |
| one-story. Then years later there was nothing of | | | | last he heard was he was serving time in jail in |
| the mill left, again the Indians did their dirty work, | | | | Atlanta for draft dodging, for it was mandatory |
| broken white limestone for its foundations-all | | | | during those war years, to be in uniform, or hung, |
| crumbled to nothingness. Oh he had his neighbors | | | | and there was no requirement that he had to be |
| come and clear the debris, his land, trying to | | | | asked, it was his job to enlist voluntarily. His |
| rebuild the cabin and mill, and he had hired help, | | | | sentence was limited to six-months in jail. |
