The scant records left by Mr. Seely do not indicate that he ever moved his residence into Tipton, the town which he founded. However, he did stay actively involved in Tipton's growth and prospered because of it. He did build a warehouse in Tipton for storing merchandise.
William Tipton Seely died in December of 1863 and his business was thrown into a state of turmoil because no heirs could be located. The probate court appointed Mr. H. Bunce administrator of his estate and three men were chosen to appraise the goods in his store at Round Hill, his livestock and slaves. It is interesting to note the appraised value of his possessions. Here are some of the typical items:
| 1 yoke of oxen | $45.00 |
| Mule, 2 years old | $60.00 |
| Cow | $10.00 |
| Hog, weight 200 pounds | $1.65 |
| Black man, Silas, 45 yrs. | $50.00 |
| Black boy, Clay, 10 yrs. | $100.00 |
| Black woman, 50 yrs. | $50.00 |
| Black girl, 13 yrs. | $100.00 |
It took many sheets of paper to list the merchandise in the general store. Some of the interesting items are:
| Calico and gingham | .15 per yard |
| Darning needles | .05 each |
| Cotton lace | .01 per yard |
| Dress shirt bosoms | .37 each |
| Linen thread | .08 per spool |
| Corsets | .90 each |
| Ladies shoes and boots | 1.00 pair |
| Children's shoes | .30 pair |
| Horse bridles | .60 each |
| Latin school books | .10 each |
| Razors | .25 each |
| Wooden buckets | .25 each |
| Wash boards | .25 each |
| Side saddle | 10.00 |
| Scythe | 1.00 |
| Rice | .10 pound |
| Soap | .03 cake |
| Tea | 1.25 pound |
| Revolver | 2.75 |
On the appraisal sheets it was indicated that he owned 33 mules and in the yard goods part of his store he had 8,961 yards of muslin, calico, velvet, flannel, linen, silk, and woolen materials. The total appraised value of his possessions outside of the land was $13,176.76.
We have not been able to find out any of the circumstances about the death of William Tipton Seely but he was approximately 90 years old when he died. A newspaper account said that he died in his room and that Woodrum Funeral Home was in charge of his funeral. The records show that his coffin cost $40.00. His great niece does not know where he is buried but supposes that he is buried in a cemetery at Tipton.
It was three years after his death that the administrator of his estate was able to locate any of his heirs. The survivors located were the children of his brother, John Seely. The children included a son, John S. Seely, and two daughters. John S. Seely bought out his sisters' share in the William Tipton Seely estate and once or twice a year for the next 20 years he came to Tipton to manage the Seely enterprises. His visits were recorded in many of the old issues of the Tipton Times. He continued to buy and sell land, make loans, and rent property, just as his uncle had done.
Mrs. Marie Lagarde Arabie, in discussing the settling of the William Tipton Seely estate wrote, "Only about one-fourth of the city lots of Tipton had been sold when he died. That court-appointed administrators put some of his property up for public auction to satisfy his debts. They tried to claim many of the lands he had sold, claiming that the titles were not clear. Tipton must have been in chaos during those three years. The first order that John S. Seely gave his agent was to restore land and clear titles". One of the first items of business of the nephew when he came to Tipton to take over William Tipton Seely's
business was to sell the stock in the store at Round Hill. B.F. Reavis had been a clerk in the Round Hill store for many years. He and his brother, A.J. Reavis, bought the merchandise and moved it into Tipton in 1866 where they started a store.
Mr. John S. Seely found his inherited business around Tipton worth continuing. It is interesting to read the rental agreements that he made with some of the families who rented his farmland. Most of the farms rented for cash rent of $90.00 to $150.00 per year depending upon the size and productivity of the farm. In 1871 the farm on the south side of the road near Round Hill was rented out to Mr. John Poe and he was given the privilege of working out his rent for the year by building a rail fence around the farm. The lease read:
"The said fence is to be built within the space of ten months of the date of lease in the manner herein described:
A "worm" fence seven rails high, staked with stakes set in the ground not less than 10 inches deep, with good heavy double riders on the top of the fence. It is further agreed by the said John Poe that he will put under every corner of the fence a ground chuck some four feet long and from 4 to 6 inches thick or a flat rock at his own expense. The said John Poe agrees to make no rail less than three inches thick nor more than seven inches thick and he further agrees to work all the timber to best advantage and to commit no waste in making said rails, and to cut the timber on the land where it will be the least injury to the land.
"John S. Seely, party of the second part, agrees to furnish the timber necessary to make said rails and to pay John Poe the sum of $5.25 per one hundred rails for all rails ten feet long and $4.75 per hundred for rails eight feet long. The fence is to be built in a good substantial and workman-like manner and John Poe will be credited for the full amount of work done when the fence is completed."
Mr. John Dritt was Seely's local business agent in charge and when John S. Seely was at home in Louisiana. His job was to collect the rent on Seely's property, take care of repairs and cleaning the cisterns of rental property, collect notes, interest due and to take care of renting vacated property. His set of books show that he collected from $3 to $6 per month rent for the houses that he had rented out in Tipton.