J. H. Fleming & Son Began Business Before Close of Civil War.
It is interesting to note that very few businesses can date their origin back to the stormy period of the clash between the states. The local monument dealers, J. H. Fleming & Son began business here in 1864. The late James H. Fleming commenced the business and spent the greater part of his life in it. His son, Chas. J. Fleming, joined him in the business, as a partner and is now the present owner. With Chas. J. Fleming is associated his son, James F. Fleming, thus handing down from father to son for two generations. This in itself produces a valuable combination of an accumulated and inherited knowledge of this memorial craft with the vigor of youth to carry on. Last week a representative of one of the largest quarries in Vermont visited this firm and recalled on his recent trip through the south of having his attention called to work in the cemeteries of Vicksburg and Natchez, Miss, which had been erected just after the close of the Civil war. On inspecting and investigating this work, found to his surprise, that these had been furnished by the local firm, J. H. Fleming & Son. At that time quite a force of workmen were employed manufacturing these memorials from the rough stock and were shipped by river to distributing points in the south.
Of more recent years, when granite, termed the “Rock-of-Ages” which has proven to be the only everlasting material from which to build permanent memorials, J H. Fleming & Son, have furnished and erected a great many of the granite monuments and markets to be seen in the cemeteries of Henderson and adjoining counties. In their display room on Green street, at Second street, you will find a very large and complete
stock of best American granites namely, the celebrated “Barre” stock, which they bring on in car load shipments from Barre, Vermont. With this is included also an assortment of finished granites from Sweden, Holland, Scotland, and other foreign countries.
Henderson Morning Gleaner • Sun, Mar 16, 1924
