Te Leicester January 13 - January 19, 2011 Vol. 4 No. 2
Leader
By George Mears The township of Leicester, originally
known as Turkey Creek, had a post office beginning April 7, 1829. The name of the township was changed to Leicester (pro- nounced Les-ter) in 1859. The town was named for Leicester Chapman. His father, Robert Chapman, was a cap-
tain under the Earl of Leicester and sta- tioned in Wales. Leicester Chapman was named for the Earl of Leicester. As he grew, a well-heeled older stepbrother fi- nanced his schooling in London, then sent him to Trinidad as a manager of a sugar plantation. It was there that he met his future wife,
17-year-old Sarah Handfield Carpenter, a native of Ireland who was visiting her brother (believed to be John Carpenter), the owner of a neighboring plantation. Uncertain about the best place to edu-
cate their children, the Chapmans came to America and landed in Baltimore. Here they met Thomas Lanier Clingman, U.S. senator from Western North Carolina and later a general in the Southern Army dur- ing the Civil War. Clingman convinced them that Western North Carolina would be the place to settle. Chapman purchased a tract of land nine miles from Asheville in the area at that
time known as Turkey Creek. He estab- lished a stand or mercantile business and named the area Leicester in honor of his titled godfather, the Earl of Leicester. Na- tive countrymen who didn’t much care for such a highfalutin name dubbed the place “Lick Skillet” then begrudgingly settled for “Lee-ces-ter”. The township is pro- nounced “Les-ter.” The village was on the turnpike that
connected Greenville, Tenn., and Green- ville, SC, a fine site for Chapman’s busi- ness. It was there that ginseng, snakeroot and other herbs, along with dried fruits were stored on the second f loor. Down- stairs were supplies of sugar, f lour, molas- ses, tobacco and other staples farmers got in exchange for their produce. There was also a “stand” or corral where
great numbers of pigs, sheep, horses and mules driven over the turnpike could rest at night. An 1850 census for Buncombe County,
City of Asheville, under number 1876 re- cords show Leicester Chapman, age 31, England; Sarah, age 25, Ireland; Ann, age 5, Trinidad. On Jan. 1, 1853, Chapman and his
brother-in-law, John Carpenter, placed an ad in the Asheville News that read as fol- lows:
Continued on page 15 Your Nationwide Agency McKinney Insurance Established in 1981
Doug and Sandy McKinney - Agency Principals, each have more than 30 years insurance experience. Sandy is the offi ce manager and
property and casualty specialist while Doug manages all lines,
including commercial, life, and fi nancial.
12 THE TRIBUNE/LEADER - January 13 - January 19, 2011 Leicester is named after Leicester Chapman.
Specialized Account Trained Staff: • Offi ce staff of 25 (and growing) professional and knowledgeable product specialists • Over 215 years of total insurance experience combined between three convenient locations • Two additional Life and Financial Services associate agents
• Spanish speaking customer service representatives are available in our Haywood Road offi ce
Chad McKinney - Commercial, Life and Financial specialist. Insurance and Risk Management major in the Fisher School of Business at The Ohio State University. Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. Licensed since 2001.
5 Allen Avenue Asheville, NC 28803 Offi ce: 828-684-5020 Fax: 828-684-1810 Toll Free: 800-684-5020
1056 Haywood Road Asheville, NC 28806 Offi ce: 828-252-5560 Fax: 828-252-0094
101 Weaver Blvd Weaverville, NC 28787 Offi ce: 828-645-6400 Fax: 828-645-6754
WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 50¢ Leicester • Erwin Hills • Alexander • Woodfin • West Buncombe • Newfound Fifty Cents The story of Leicester Chapman
www.weavervilletribune.com
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