Partial excerpt:

COLBERT COUNTY, ALABAMA
HISTORY

THE OATS OR NEWPORT PLANTATION

Mr. D. C. Oates first child was born in 1862. In 1854 D.C. Oates was appointed the first post master of Cherokee, which was located on the Newport Road at this time. Later the Post Office was moved to the town of Cherokee, Al.

After the Civil War was over, D.C. sold the plantation to his Mother. The deed is dated November 25, 1865 and calls for 2,546 acres. This included the Cheatham ferry track. Where the ferry landing is located on the west side of the river and consisted of 120 acres. S. K. Oates operated the ferry before his death. After this, his son D. C. acquired the ferry rights and operated it until 1867 when he sold them to Columbus Smith.

The date his mother bought the plantation back, she gave him power of attorney. He could rent, lease or hire people to work for him. In other words to manage at his own will. Amelia Oates died in 1874 and is buried in the Oates cemetery. This is probably where the Ragen family (my wife’s family) came in as a renter of the land. It is on record where he borrowed money from Columbus Smith to finance his crop.

Slavery was over and they had to make other arrangements to work the land. The price of 120 slaves at an average of $500 per slave was a big loss to any plantation owner.

Mr. D. C. Oates continued to operate the plantation until the late 1870,s but ran into financial trouble, according to the mortgage records in the Colbert County courthouse. The records of a foreclosure on the place could not be found but in 1878 section 28 was sold to R. E. Parker and her husband A. J. Parker and remained in their possession for the next several years. When we were young this was known as the Parker Place.

The 120 acres at the ferry landing to the north was lost because of the taxes and sold by the sheriff of the county in Alabama, to a Mr. Whittmore. D. C. Oates sued Mr. Whittmore trying to reclaim it, but the court ruled in favor of Mr. Whittmore. He in turn sold it to Columbus Smith, who had acquired a lot of land by foreclosure of loans.