Historical Marker

Thompson Plantations

Part of the Thomas G. McGehee land grant of 1835, this site was the hub of the four Thompson plantations. Confederate veteran William A. Thompson (1836-1913) assembled the adjacent parcels of land, which he later divided among his four sons. He also ran a sawmill, gristmill, and cotton gin in this vicinity. This house was built in 1898-99 and occupied by William H. Thompson (1876-1948) while he managed his father's property. The fields were devoted to cotton until the decline of that crop in the 1920s. Part of the acreage was then leased to the U.S. Air Force for flight training.