They were Hickory's most prominent and interesting couple. Elizabeth Camp Denison Rutherford was twice widowed, the second time by an older man who left her a fortune. Marcellus Thornton was a peacock, who became a brief nationwide sensation for eating a quail a day for 30 straight days. They met, courted and married in Washington, DC and with her inheritance, went on a spree of buying an Atlanta newspaper which failed and a Kentucky coal mine which succeeded.

After the Queen Anne styled Shuler home in Hickory came onto the market, the Thorntons purchased the house and moved in. Elizabeth became a recluse while, with her money, 'Colonel' Thornton (as he dubbed himself) bought the local newspaper, the town's electric company and wrote two novels.

Gossip around town centered on the relationship and when she died folks had plenty to talk about.