Meet John Lane

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) by Terry and Therese Winschel — Dearest reader, allow me to introduce myself. I am John Lane, son-in-law to the founder of our beautiful city, Newit Vick. I was born in 1790 as the youngest child of William and Nancy Lane in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Early in my life, I felt called to minister and became an ordained deacon before transferring to the Mississippi Conference. It was here that I would first make the acqaintance of my future father-in-law, as the conference had been organized at his home in Jefferson County.

At this conference I gave witness to the grace of God and the powerful effect my mother’s teachings had on shaping my faith. I dare say, so strong was I in my convictions, that I cannot recall ever having sworn a profane oath, uttered a willful falsehood, played a game of cards, drank a draft of spirits or taken a chew of tobacco. It was during this period that I met my future wife, Sally.

Over the following years, I would continue delving into the business world as well as my work within the church. All the while maintaining a courtship with Sally, as I affectionately called her. By 1819, Sally made me the happiest man when she agreed to be my wife. Yes, the future seemed full of promise and happiness. However, our moment of bliss soon was interrupted by the sudden deaths of Newit and Elizabeth Vick from that dreadful scourge, Yellow Fever. Sally and I were devastated by the loss, but were not given the luxury to wallow in our grief for long as we became the guardians of Sally’s seven younger siblings.

On October 27th, Sally and I became man and wife. As the ground settled on the Vick graves on the property of their beloved Openwood Plantation, Willis Vick became the sole executor of the Vick Estate. Willis was considerably knowlegable of cotton and was certain that he could best maintain and improve the estate assets through farming. This singular focus led to frustrations among many in the family who were eager to see Newit’s vision for a city perched along the bluffs come to fruition. So frustrated had they become that they eventually filed suit and had me named as the estate’s new executor after Willis asked to be excused.

As the dust settled on all of that unpleasant business, Sally and I continued to devote our attention to the upbringing of her siblings. Through the grace of God, all thirteen of Newit and Elizabeth’s children lived to adulthood. Somewhat of miracle back in those days, I can assure you.

While Sally worked tirelessly to create a loving and stable environment on the home front, I continued to develop the plans that were just starting to take shape for my late father-in-law’s vision for the city. While some people may refer to me as the true “Father of Vicksburg” I credit its founding to Newit Vick, as he was the primary inspiration. The city was designed to perch on a bold rising shore above a bend in the Mississippi River.

Divided into squares, the city had streets running north and south and east and west. Early street names included the still existing Mulberry, Washington, Walnut, Monroe, Cherry, Adams, Locust, Farmer, Crawford, Clay, China and Grove. The primary street along the river was fittingly named Water Street and would eventually disappear into its namesake with the ever changing river.

As the executor of the estate, it fell to me to ensure that the Vick holdings would continue to prosper and support the large Vick Family. For many years I remained active in all the public improvements and financial transactions of Vicksburg. Idle hands being the devil’s playthings, I also served as a probate judge for the county and was president of both the bank and railroad.

Most importantly to me, I continued to ministor within the Methodist Church. With all of my business in town, Sally and I constructed a home on Crawford Street. Handsomely built of brick and frame, the house rose two stories with an outside staircase leading to the upper galleries complete with early examples of Vicksburg’s famous pierced columns. Conveniently positioned, If needing to tend to my congregation, all I had to do was walk across the street.

To this day, our home stands directly across the street from the modern day Crawford Street Methodist Church. It was a happy home indeed. Always bustling with the presence of the younger Vicks and our children, Edward, Newit Vick, Sarah and John. Sadly, we lost two precious daughters, Elizabeth and Virginia, in their infancy. Life continued on, and I was delighted to witness both the continued growth of our children, my congregation and my father-in-law’s city.

As was far too common in those days, the wretched pestilence of Yellow Fever returned to our beautiful city and infected my wife, my son John and my daughter Sarah. I did all I could to care for them as they lay stricken with the fever, but too soon fell victim to the insatiable disease in early October. Unable to fight off the sickness, I eventually passed away on October 10th. My wife made a full recovery, but suffered terribly when our children John and Sarah followed me to those distant shores.

I now rest peacefully in one of the oldest sections of the city cemetery, Cedar Hill Cemetery.