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The original town that became Stanton was called Wesley, and was located 4 miles west of the current Town of Stanton. When Joseph Blackwell Stanton moved to this area, although he also owned land in Wesley, he negotiated for the emergence of the Memphis & Ohio Railroad on Stanton property where the town of Stanton now stands. The result was Stanton’s Depot, which began the movement of businesses from Wesley to Stanton. The school, businesses, and churches in the village of Wesley moved to Stanton Depot, Tennessee, in 1856, turning the once thriving Wesley into a ghost town.
Town of Stanton originally had its first charter in the 1880s but the charter was soon abolished. Stanton received a new charter in 1927
Joseph Blackwell Stanton
It was in the 30’s that there comes to this section a certain man who was to work considerable changes in the map of District #3. That man was J.B. Stanton. He came here from South Carolina. He was quite wealthy. He immediately began to buy land. He bought it, sold it, received it as grants, upwards of 6,000 acres in this area. In 1834 he bought the acreage we think of as Stanton land for around $3.50 an acre, and on it built his fine home, reputed to be one of the very finest in this whole section. It was three stories and the tale is that there was a swimming pool in the top of it. He lived there until his death in 1860. This beautiful old home burned in April 1879
His wife ,Lucy,past away in 1852 .Mr and Mrs Stanton were buried in unmarked
graves on the estate.
They had one child Grace. Grace married Nathan Adams,Grace and Nathan had an estate next door to the home place.
The Stanton estate was known as “the Woodlands”.
Mr Stanton lived long enough to see his dream come true of the Memphis and Ohio Railroad coming through and stopping at the Stanton Depot.
For more information check out the Stanton ,Tennessee website and the website of the Story of Stanton.
When I was a child and would visit my Grandparents my Grandfather Hicks would tell me stories that were passed down through his family. One of my favorite story was the ghost of the Woodlands, the home place of Mr. Stanton.
In 1879 when the grand home burned to the ground the story started circulating around the town…Everybody was standing there that April night as the house burned. Whispers ,screams and strange laughter were heard the night of the fire. Soon it was told as you walked by the estate you would get a chill and hear the wind howl like a wild animal. It was said his daughter refused to step on the homesite she had her on idea why the house burned. The rumor was that the house had been cursed by an old voodoo slave that lived on the property. When Mr Stanton died he had promised her family land. His son in law had not lived up to that promise so things started happening around the house, trees falling on the property without a reason ,animals dying, crops failing. Then in 1879 out of nowhere neighbors saw what looked like a lightning strike and the house burst in flames..there was no storm in the area.so why lightning?
It is said from that point on around what used to be the Stanton property strange things are still happening followed by the sound of a strange laugh. Many say it is the curse of the Voodoo slave.
Granddaddy would tell that story while we sat outside at night and every time he told it I felt the wind kick up and hear the sound of a weird laugh.
HistoryandstoriesoftheHatchieRiver 