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From: "Robby" <>
Subject: Mrs. Louisiana "Lou" Calhoun Thornton
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 08:55:13 -0400


Mrs. Louisiana "Lou" Calhoun Thornton

This excerpt is from "The Heritage of Russell County, Alabama."
Transcribed by Robin Stafford
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Underneath a big oak tree between Mr. Martin's store and the old highway
stood a two room house owned by Mr. Frank Pitts. It was called "the Coffin
House" because coffins were kept in it. Pitts' Brothers Store sold coffins
to the blacks and, also, furnished them for the blacks that died while they
worked on their farms. The coffins were moved to another house for storage,
and Georgia Cole, a black woman, rented the house for a restaurant. After a
few years the restaurant closed and the house was vacant.
It then became the home of Mrs. Louisiana (Lou) Thornton, a relative of
the Pitts. Mrs. Thornton was the daughter of Mr. Elisha Calhoun
(02/02/1804-09/15/1879) and Sarah A. Lester (04/21/1820-12/24/1858). She was
a niece of Euphemia Calhoun (05/12/1807-05/04/1890), who was married on
02/14/1826 to Mr. Ralph Owens Howard (02/23/1797-12/22/1869) Elisha,
Euphemia and Ralph are buried in the Howard Cemetery near Seale, Alabama.
Even as a child, Miss Lou had owned slaves who attended her day and
night. Miss Lou was well educated and had studied abroad. She married first
on September 10, 1855 in Russell County to Daniel W. Lester from South
Carolina. She married second to Carey Thornton of Columbus, Georgia. Mr.
Thornton was a gambler. He spent his wife's money betting on horse races.
After his death, and in Miss Lou's old age, she was penniless - a pauper.
She had no children and no close relatives, only her Pitts' cousins. She had
been put in an Alms House in Columbus, Georgia. From there, Mr. Frank Pitts
had her moved to Pittsview to live in this now vacant "Coffin House" and
former restaurant.
Mr. Frank Pitts hired a black woman, Angeline Stokes, to stay with and
care for Mrs. Louisiana "Lou" Thornton.
Mrs. Thornton had joined a Catholic Church while living in Columbus,
Georgia. A Priest came occasionally to visit her in Pittsview, Alabama. He
came just before she died and performed the rituals of Catholicism. At her
death, her body was placed in one of the coffins from Pitts' Brothers Store
for burial. Only a few Pittsview citizens went to the Pittsview Cemetery for
her interment. She is buried within the iron fence enclosure of the Franklin
Pierce Pitts' family plot. Her grave is unmarked except for a cement slab.
"From Wealth to Pauper" describes Mrs. Louisiana (Lou) Calhoun Thornton.
Submitted by: descendants of Ellen Martin and written by Ellen Martin, DAR
and UDC, Pittsview, Alabama 36871. Source: Information from research.



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