Eastham-Fields Homestead

 

 

Pictures were taken in June of 1992.  I had to ask for permission from a man who lived on the land, but I do not recall his name.  This whole area was bulldozed and is now a large truck stop (I think it's called the Flying J or something) located at the I64 interchange with Rt. 180.  The land is across the highway from the Eastham-Fields Cemetery, and I believe this house was originally the plantation of Hartwell Eastham.  I know for sure that after Hartwell died, his heirs sold the land to James M. Fields, my gg-grandfather.  My grandmother and her siblings were born in that house to George N. Field (son of James M.Fields) and Carrie Elizabeth Boggs.  My grandmother, Agatha Lake Fields was born there in 1908.  George Field lived there until his death in 1932.    George N. Field fathered many children, first with Alice Trinvilla Davis(Alice's mother was a Kirk, daughter of Thornberry, I believe, per the website you have a link to for the Kirk family), who made George a widower in 1900, leaving him with several children. He and Alice had 11, with about 8 surviving to adulthood, one of which was Millard Fields who was to be one of the wealthier citizens of Ashland, owning many buildings downtown.  George married my great-grandmother Carrie Boggs in 1906, when he was 50 and she was half his age.  They had 7 children to survive to adulthood, one of which was my grandmother Agatha.  When George died he had a sizeable estate, and his first set of children by Alice Davis made sure his second family received none of it.  My great-grandmother, who loved the man dearly, was left to fend for herself.  She lived the last 40 years of her life with her youngest daughter, Gladys.  I would like to be able to add text to the picture, as I learn more about the plantation and the people who lived there.

  Thanks. Bob Gardner