Five miles south of Linden there stands today an immense walnut grove.
Planted on both sides of the old dirt road, one hundred or more of these
trees are all that are left of the 320 planted by Mr. Jim Lockett, more
than 60 years ago. The trees make a dense shade and a beautiful lane.
The story is, that Mr. Lockett in a reminiscent mood, thought, that the
country some day would run out of split rails, with which to make
fences. Realizing that wire would some day be used for making fences he
knew that fence posts would be needed, so he ordered his farm hands to
plant in every other corner of the rail fence a slim seedling walnut
tree to be used for future fence posts.
They are standing today waiting for the wire and we are told that when
the new highway was built that it was moved over 200 feet to keep from
injuring the roots of Mr. Lockett’s trees.
Mr. Lockett passed away more than 20 years ago, but his Walnut line is
still a joy to the many who pass that way and many people gather the
Walnuts by the bushel each fall.
Another interesting thing that Mr. Lockett had on his farm was his water
gin. One of the neighbors said, “that in its day it could really go
after the cotton.”
The water was brought to the gin through a series of ditches and water
troughs a mile and a quarter long.
From overhead and controlled by a gate, the water fell onto the top of a
large wooden wheel 36 feet in diameter. Around the wheel were attached
buckets holding 15 gallons of water each, and when enough buckets were
filled with water the wheel began turning and the gin ran. “She would
launch out five bales a day, if you got going by daylight.”