yesterday's tennessee

REMINISCENCES OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT AND EARLY SETTLERS OF MCNAIRY COUNTY, TENNESSEE

Gen. Marcus J. Wright

CHAPTER I

Act of Assembly organizing McNairy County - First session of County Court - First Settlers - Where from - Towns and Villages in the County - Principal Streams in the County - Timber, Products - Population in 1870 - Census Statistics of 1880, &c.

  The Act of the General Assembly of Tennessee, providing for the organization of McNairy County, was passed on the 8th day of October, 1823, and is in the following words:

 

CHAPTER XCVI. An Act to establish a new County west of Hardin County.   1.  Be it enacted by the General Assemb1y of the State of Tennessee, that a county to be called and known by the name of McNairy, be, and the same is hereby established west of Hardin county beginning at the southwest corner of Hardin county, running thence north with the west boundary of the same twenty-seven and one half miles; thence west, passing the southeast corner of Madison county, to a point three miles west of the first range line in the ninth district; thence south parallel with said range line to the south boundary of this State; thence east on said boundary to the beginning.   2.  Be it enacted, that for the due administration of justice of said county, the Courts of Pleas and Quartet Sessions of said county and the Circuit Courts shall be held at the house of Abel V. Maury, near the centre of said county, until otherwise provided for by law, viz,: The Courts of Pleas and Quarter Sessions on the 2d Mondays in January, April, July, and October, and the succeeding days, and the Circuit Courts on the 3d Mondays in May and November and the succeeding days, in each and every year, under the same rules, regulations and restrictions, and to have and exercise the same powers and jurisdiction that other Courts of judicature of like grades in this State now or hereafter may have.   3.  Be it enacted, that the Sheriff of said county shall open and hold an election on the 1st Friday and Saturday in April next, at the place of holding Courts for said county, for the purpose of electing field officers for the militia of said county, under the same rules, regulations and restrictions as are pointed out by law in similar cases; and the militia of said county shall compose the eightieth regiment of Tennessee militia, and be attached to the eleventh brigade.   4.  Be it enacted, that it shall be the duty of the commandant of said regiment, having been first commissioned and sworn according to law, to divide his regiment into such number of companies as he shall think best for the convenience of said companies, and it shall further be the duty of said commandant to issue writs of election for company officers according to law, as provided for in other cases of elections for captain and subaltern officers.   5.  Be it enacted, that this Act shall take effect and be in force from and after the first day of January next. JAMES FENTRESS, Speaker of the House of Representatives. R. WEAKLEY, Speaker of the Senate.

  The county was named in honor of Judge John McNairy, the eminent Jurist, who was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, in March, 1762. He was appointed by President Washington Judge of the Superior Court of the Western District, and arrived in Nashville in 1788, accompanied by "Mr. Attorney" Andrew Jackson. In February, 1797, he was appointed Judge of the District Court of the United States for Tennessee, which office he held until a few years before his death, which occurred near Nashville November 10th, 1833.

  A younger brother, Dr. Boyd McNairy, was born in North Carolina in 1785, and came to Nashville at five years old. He was one of the most famous of the early physicians of the State. A number of his descendants are living: a daughter in New Orleans, Mrs. Goodrich; Major Frank H. McNairy in New Orleans, and Dr. W. S. McNairy in Washington, where he has been for over thirty years in the Navy Department.

  The records of the county were destroyed during the late war, and there are no records older than 1858 on file.

  The first session of the county Court was held in the early part of the year 1824.

  The first settlers were chiefly from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Middle and East Tennessee. Purdy, the county seat, is located a little east of the centre of the county, on the dividing ridge between the waters of the Tennessee and Hatchie rivers. It was named in honor of Col. John Purdy, one of the early government surveyors. Adamsville is eight miles east of Purdy and four miles from the Tennessee river. It was named in honor of George G. Adams, an old and highly respected citizen. McNairy Station is ten miles northwest of Purdy, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. Bethel Springs, a station on the M. and O. Railroad, is four and a half miles west of Purdy. Montezuma is eighteen miles northwest of Purdy, near the Madison county line. Falcon is six miles southwest of Purdy, on the M. and O. Railroad. Ramer's Station is twelve miles south of Purdy, on the M. and O. Railroad. Camden, or Rose creek, is ten miles west of Purdy, on the Bolivar and Purdy road. Chewalla is fifteen miles southwest of Purdy, on the Memphis and Charlestown Railroad. Gravel Hill is fourteen miles south of Purdy, and Stantonville eight miles southeast of Purdy. These constitute the principal towns and villages in the county.

  The county comprises about 645 square miles, or 412,800 acres of land. The country immediately around Purdy is hilly and poor. The extreme northern part of the county is level or undulating, and the soil rich and productive. The lands in the southern part of the county are generally level and very productive. The eastern part of the county is hilly, except that portion bordering on Hardin County, which is level and productive. This is the case with the western part of the county also.

  The principal streams in the county are Snake creek, which rises some twelve miles southeast of Purdy, and runs northeast and empties into the Tennessee river; Owl creek, which rises about eight miles south of Purdy, and runs southeast and empties into the Tennessee river; Oxford creek, which rises about nine miles south of Purdy, runs southwest and empties into Cypress Creek; Cypress creek, which rises about four miles northwest of Purdy, runs southwest and empties into Hatchie river; Moss creek, which rises about eight miles southwest of Purdy, runs southwest and empties into Hatchie river; and Hatchie creek, which rises about ten miles northwest of Purdy, and empties into Hatchie river There are many other streams throughout the county, there being no considerable district of country which is not supplied with running water.

  The timber is abundant and of good quality, consisting chiefly of oak, hickory, ash, cypress, pine and chestnut.

  Cotton, wheat, oats and Indian corn are the principal product of the county. Apples, peaches, peas, plums, cherries and grapes do well in all parts of the county.

  The population in 1870 was white, 11,226; colored, 1,500. Total 12,726.

  The Census returns for the fiscal year ending in 1880 arc as follows:

Valuation (Assessed)
Real Estate Personal Property Total	$1,556,777 $59,243 $1,616,020

Taxation.
Total State and County Tax	$18,292

Debt.
County Debt (floating)	$7,000

Population according to U S. census of 1880.
Males Females Native Foreign White Colored Total Population	8,605 8,666 17,232 39 14,845 2,426 17,271

Live Stock.
Horses Milch Cows Working Oxen Other Cattle Mules and Asses Sheep Swine	2,642 4,806 840 6,925 2,308 15,300 25,247

Population by Districts.
1st civil dist.		745
2d civil dist.		1,375
3d civil dist.		772
4th civil dist., including village of Montezuma		942
Montezuma village	148
5th civil dist., including the following villages		2,377
Ramer village	100
Chewalla village	46
6th civil dist., including town of Falcon		1,102
Falcon town	141
7th civil dist., exclusive of villages of Bethel and Purdy		1,091
8th civil dist.		948
9th civil dist.		1,346
10th civil dist.		1,136
11th civil dist.		656
12th civil dist.		893
13th civil dist., exclusive of villages of Bethel and Purdy		636
14th civil dist.		4,325
15th civil dist., including village of Adamsville		996
Adamsville village	174
16th civil dist.		613
17th civil dist., including village of McNairy		866
McNairy village	145
Bethel village		99
Purdy village		243

NOTE-The villages of Bethel and Purdy were separately re-
turned, but are both in the 7th civil district.

Products.
Tobacco Cotton Indian corn Oats Rye Wheat	95 Acres 23,135 Acres 33,501 Acres 5,093 Acres 41 Acres 6,726 Acres	34,883 pounds 9,419 bales 678,059 bushels 47,559 bushels 170 bushels 30,678 bushels

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