Road Trip to Laurel

Erin and Ben continue to help revitalize their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi through home renovations and small business restorations. It is hard to believe that over 100 homes have been renovated by the Napiers .
The Bolton Hometown tour gave us a behind the scenes tour with a little bit of history thrown in.
In 1882, Laurel, a quiet town in the southeast region of Mississippi was officially founded. At that time, it was nothing but miles of timber and a lowly population of around 800 people. The Eastmans and Gardiners are two prominent families that were substantially influential in the initial development of the town. Lauren Chase Eastman and George and Silas Gardiner were shared owners of Eastman and Gardiner Lumber Company. In 1894 they packed up their families, and moved them to one of the most isolated settlements in Mississippi. By the 1920s, Laurel was shipping more yellow pine than any other location in the world.
Fifth Avenue is were the wealthy lumber barons resided in their mansion homes, Fourth Avenue was for the managers, Third Avenue was for the foreman, and Second and First Avenues were for the workers, and Sixth and Seventh Avenues were reserved for the merchants.Läs mer