On December 31, 1839, Richardson sold land lots 797, 798 and 860 to William S. Simmons for $2,500. Simmons was the son-in-law of Armistead Richardson. He had married Richardson’s youngest daughter Anne on July 19th, 1839. Anne was 18 years of age at the time of the land purchase. Simmons acquired land lot 859 in 1840. The lot was purchased from Hosea Camp, who would later sell Simmons lot 870. Simmons executed a promissory note to Hosea Camp on 1-31-1840 in the amount of $2,140 for the 80 acres of lots 859 and 860. Simmons also purchased an additional parcel of land from Richardson that year. On March 25, 1840 Simmons bought 2.25 acres of land lot 869 from Richardson for a cost of $100. The deed is barely legible, but makes reference to granting use of a spring house on the property. The remainder of lot 869, 37.75 acres, was transferred to Simmons in August of 1842. It appears that this land was held in trust for the Methodist Episcopal Church in Vann’s Valley.
At this point, Simmons owned at least 200 acres of what would become known as the William S. Simmons Plantation. During the next five years, Simmons would add land lot 870 to his holdings. The 40 acres of land lot 870, were purchased on May 20, 1847 from Hosea Camp for the sum of $1,000. The plantation house was constructed on lot 870. It is not known if the house had been constructed, or was under construction, at the time of this sale.
Land lot 870 is also the site of the brick cook house. This cook house is believed to be part of the estate of David Vann. Vann was dispossessed of his estate holdings during the Cherokee removal. The property valuations conducted during that time list numerous outbuildings on Vann’s plantation. The brick cook house is believed to be the kitchen referred to in the property listing.
Thomas Blackburn won lot 870 in the 1832 Georgia gold lottery. He claimed the land on January 11, 1834. It is not known when or if Blackburn took physical possession of the property. Blackburn sold the property to Luke Johnson on November 26, 1834 for the sum of $500. The deed describes the property as “being the lot where David Vann’s buildings stand.” The following year, on June 5, 1835, Johnson sold the 40 acres of lot 870 to Camp for $775.
By mid-1847, Simmons had enlarged his plantation to include 240 acres.
William and Anne Simmons are known to have had one surviving child, a daughter named Rebecca. Their son, Armistead Richardson Simmons died on June 18, 1846. He was eight months and three days old at the time of his death. The following year, Simmons sold his plantatio
