yesterday's tennessee

HENDERSON COUNTY BOUNDARY CHANGES

1. Henderson Co. established 1821

2. From Hardin Co. 1823

3. 2.5 mile strip to Decatur Co. 1846 (the northern portion of the 2.5 mile strip returned to Henderson Co., most of the southern portion retained by Decatur Co. as shown)

4. Division of above 2.5 mile strip

5. To Madison Co. 1869

6. To Chester Co. 1879

7. To Carroll Co. 1883

Other minor changes to accommodate property owners on Co. lines.

HENDERSON CO. TENN.

Acts of the Term. General Assembly establishing Henderson Co. and later Acts revising the county boundary lines. Reference: The Land Laws of Tennessee, by Henry U. Whitney

1

1821. CHAPTER 32.

AN ACT to form and establish new counties west of Tennessee River.-Passed, Nov. 7.

Sec. 9. That the following described lines shall be the bounds of one other county, which shall be called and known by the name of Henderson County, in honor of, and to perpetuate the memory of Col. James Henderson: Beginning at the southeast corner of Madison County; running thence east to the west boundary of Hardin County; thence north with Hardin County line to the northwest corner of Hardin on the sixth sectional line of the Ninth District; thence east on said sectional line to the west boundary of Perry County; thence north with said boundary to the line separating the Ninth and Twelfth Districts; thence west with said line to the northeast corner of Madison County; thence south with the east boundary line of said county, on the second range line in the Ninth Surveyor's District to the beginning.

2

1823. CHAPTER 137.

AN ACT to change the lines of the counties therein named.-Passed, Oct. 31.

Sec. 3. That the south boundary line dividing Henderson and Hardin Counties, shall be run as follows: Beginning at the, southwest corner of Perry County, and running thence west to a point due north of the northeast corner of McNairy County; thence north to the south boundary line of Henderson County; which shall be the permanent lines dividing said counties.

3

1840. CHAPTER 62.

AN ACT to amend the act dividing Perry County, and the act attaching a portion of Wayne to Perry, and also to appoint commissioners to run the line between Decatur and Benton Counties, etc.-Passed, Jan. 15.

Sec. 7. That the within described territory of the County of Henderson be attached to the County of Decatur as established by this Legislature [viz:] Beginning at the north-east corner of Henderson County, thence west two and one-half miles with the line between Carroll and Henderson Counties, thence south to the Hardin County line, thence east with the line between Hardin and Henderson Counties to Decatur County, thence north with the line between Decatur and Henderson Counties to the beginning.

4

1847. CHAPTER 15.

AN ACT to alter the line of Perry and Decatur Counties.-Passed, Dec. 1.

Sec. 2 That the surveyors of Henderson and Decatur Counties, as soon as practicable after the passage of this act, be and they are hereby required to commence at the point where the county line crossed the road leading from Lexington to Perryville, previous to the act passed at the last General Assembly, attaching a portion of Henderson to Decatur, and run in a south-westwardly direction so as to strike the southern boundary of Henderson County, at a point that will leave Henderson County her constitutional limits; and all east of the line shall be and is hereby attached to the county of Decatur.

Sec. 3. [Provides that all the territory north of the road leading from Lexington to Perryville is a part of Henderson County, and that the sheriff shall collect and pay over all taxes north of said road to the trustee of Henderson County, and south of said road to the trustee of Decatur County.]

[Note by James Hannah: Sections 2 and 3 of this 1847 Act apparently redivides the 2.5 mile strip ceded to Decatur Co. from Henderson Co. by the above 1846 Act Chapter 62 Sect. 7, returning the portion of the strip north of the road leading from Lexington to Perryville to Henderson Co. and Decatur Co. retaining most of the strip south of the road as described in Sect. 2 and 3. Chapter 92 is apparently the final action taken on this area.]

1849. CHAPTER 92.

AN ACT to alter the line between Henderson and Decatur Counties.- Passed Nov. 8.

  Section I. Be it enacted, etc., That the line between Henderson and Decatur Counties be so altered as to commence at the point designated in the act passed 19th of January, 1848, and run in a southwestwardly direction, (so as not to approach Lexington nearer than twelve miles,) to the line known as the Brown line; thence south with that, line to the Hardin County line; and the citizens east of that line to be entitled to all the rights and privileges, and subject to all the liabilites of other citizens of Decatur County.

5

1869. CHAPTER 39.

AN ACT to change the county line between the counties of Lawrence and Giles, and for other purposes.-Passed, Feb. 25.

Sec. 2. That the county line of Henderson be so changed as to attach the portions of said county south-west of the Forked Deer River to Madison County, beginning at the south-west corner of Henderson County, running east with the McNairy County line to the Forked Deer River; thence with said river to the county line between Henderson and Madison Counties. The taxes in the portions of said county due shall be paid to the tax collector of Henderson County.

6

1879. CHAPTER 42.

AN ACT to establish a new county out of fractions of Madison, Henderson, McNairy and Hardeman Counties, and to repeal an act passed March 19, 1875, to establish a new county out of the above named territory.-Passed, March 1; approved, March 4.

Sec. 2. That the county of Chester shall be bounded as follows: Beginning at a stake on the south bank of the Middle Fork of the Forked Deer River, where the Henderson and Madison County line crosses said river, at a beech and two hickory pointers; thence east with the meanderings of said river to a stake, hickory, elm and hornbean pointers on the land of Dr. W. E. Tucker; thence with the arc of a circle with the radius of 11 miles; from the town of Lexington 12° 93 miles; thence east 1 mile; thence in a southern direction to the north-west corner of Hardin County; thence with said line to the north-east corner of McNairy County; thence south with the McNairy and Hardin County line 1° 52 miles; thence west 1° 39 miles; thence south to the corner of the old survey of Wisdom County, made under the act, this to repeal, on the lands of Thomas Wilkerson; thence west 8 miles; thence with the arc of a circle, with the radius of 11 miles, from the town of Purdy 14 miles; thence west 2° 53 miles; thence with the arc of a circle with the radius of 11 miles from the town of Bolivar, 8° 75 miles; thence north to the Madison County line; thence east with the Madison and Hardeman County line to a stake 10 poles east of the house of Rev. Robert Rainey; thence north 61-1/2 degrees east 9 miles; thence north 26-1/2° east to the Henderson and Madison County line; thence north with said line to the beginning, 278° 77 square miles.

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