MCNAIRY COUNTY TOURISM
  • Experiences
    • AgriTourism >
      • Amish Community
      • Crazy K Ranch
      • Duncan Christmas Tree Farm
      • HOCKADAY HANDMADE BROOMS
      • Hope Vineyards
      • Selmer Farmer's Market
    • Buford Pusser Tours >
      • EXPERIENCE CENTER
      • Home & Museum
    • Haunted Attraction >
      • Derailed Haunted House
    • History and Heritage >
      • About McNairy
      • McNairy County Archives
      • McNairy County Historical Museum
      • McNairy County Historical Society
      • McNairy County Libraries
    • Music and Arts >
      • ARTS IN MCNAIRY
      • AiM Art Collections
      • MUSIC HERITAGE
      • Quilting
      • Rockabilly HWY Murals
      • Tennessee Music Pathways
    • Outdoor Recreation >
      • Camping >
        • BIG HILL POND STATE PARK
        • Country Critters Campground & RV Park
      • Disc Golf
      • Golf Courses
      • Parks
      • SHILOH MILTARY NATIONAL PARK
      • Shooting Complex
      • Athletics & Fitness
      • Swimming
    • Scientific Tourism >
      • COON CREEK SCIENCE CENTER
      • McNairy Planetarium
    • Shopping
    • Trails and Byways >
      • Civil War Trails
      • Historic Railroad Trail
      • Trail of Tears
      • Walking Tall Trail
  • Eat & Drink
    • Directory
    • SLUGBURGERS
  • Places to Stay
  • Events
    • Community Calendar
    • Big Hill Trail Run
    • Walking Tall 25/50k
    • Festivals >
      • Walking Tall Music Fest
      • Freedom Fest
      • Kid's Fest
      • Finger Annual BBQ and Picnic
      • Music Fest
      • Plein Air Art Festival
      • Rockabilly Highway Revival
  • CONTACT

HISTORY AND HERITAGE

McNairy County 

McNairy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 26,075. Its county seat is Selmer. McNairy County is located along Tennessee's border with the state of Mississippi. 
Area: 564 mi²
Population: 26,267 (2014)
County seat: Selmer
Largest city: Selmer
Cities: Selmer, Bethel Springs, Ramer, Michie, Stantonville, Finger, Guys, Eastview
Rivers: Clear Creek, Phillips Creek, Dollar Creek, Stratton Branch, More

History

Early History of McNairy County.  McNairy County Independent, October 19, 1923.  As has been stated many times. McNairy county was carved out of territory that originally belonged to the Chickasaw Indians. This was so until the treaty of about 1818, five years before the passage of the act creating the county. There were many white settlers in this part of the state at the time, but among its early settlers we have the names of W. S. Wisdom, Benjamin Wright, Macklin Cross, the Barnett Brothers one a lawyer, the other a merchant and politician of that day, Dick Harwell, Daniel Hill, Archibald Houston, John Hamm, John and Samuel Chambers, Jacob Jackson, Abram Lorance, John Weaver, Javan Cox, A Saunders, the McCanns, Beards, Fergusons, Dorions, Wilkinsons, McCullars, Raines, and Stovalls. These settlers were all here about the time of the organization of the county. The legislation creating this county was in 1823, and was entitled an "Act to establish a new county west of Hardin county." Of interest to the people now living would be the original boundaries of the county founded in that act. "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 southwest 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 the said boundary to the beginning." The county comprised in area about 645 square miles, and its population according to the first census taken after its creation, the census of 1830, was 5,697.
Among the early settlers of the county were Revolutionary soldiers, men who had followed the fortunes of the colonists, and came to this, then uninhibited country, determined to blaze the trail and pathway for the civilization that was destined to possess all these regions. They felled the forests right here where we now live; they drove the Indians to lands further west, built rude churches and school houses, and laid deep and strong and broad the foundations for the mighty superstructure that followed their toils and labors. It is said, and it is no doubt a fact that the first church was established by the Presbyterians at Bethel Springs, this being about the year 1818. The first pastor was Rev. John Gillespie. The members constituting the organization at the time were Alexander McCullar, George Kidd, W. B. Wilson, Ann Kidd, John Gilliam, Alex. M. Brown, Nancy Brown, Rosana Gilliam, Lydia Wilson, Jane McCullar and Mary Houdon. And then there was established the first Baptist church north of Purdy, about 1830, with Frankie Beard as its pastor. Its name at the time was Macedonia. There were churches established in these early days at both Mt. Vernon and Mt. Zion for in 1851, the Cumberland Presbyterian church was organized at Purdy, with its membership at the time made up largely of members from those two churches. When this church was organized at Purdy in 1851, the elders were John H. Black, A. Jeff Moore, W. D. McKinney and S. J. Cheney. The church as an organization disbanded during the war, and after that about 50 years ago, it was reestablished. Then Simpson Kernodle and I. W. Nash were the elders. Mt. Vernon church was an organization during the administration of Andrew Jackson as President. The Baptists had organized churches in the county as early as 1828. Some of the early ministers of that church were Frankie Beard, A. Sanders, W. H. Hodges, E. Washburn. The Methodist had an organization in the county at Purdy as early a 1832. It is said that the church house stood across the run north of Purdy and was a log building. So you will observe that there were churches scattered over the county, and this condition prevailed until long after the Civil war, when the church organizations became more numerous, and the membership increased.  
The county was named for Judge McNairy, and the old town of Purdy, named for Col. John Purdy, of Henderson county, was established in 1825. The deed made to the Commissioners for the town of Purdy conveyed 50 acres of a certain 214 acre tract, entered by one Joseph Phillips. This was on August 24, 1825. These commissioners to whom the conveyance was made by John Yount, were Geo. W Barnett, A. V. Murray, Wm. S. Wisdom, Robert Rankin and Thompson M. Price. In September following this conveyance there was a sale of town lots in old Purdy and about this time the first store was opened, it being operated by John Chambers and Nat Griffin. It is stated that Major Benjamin Wright built the first house in the town, it being a log cabin. The Indians roamed the county, were the customers at the early stores, and the smoke from their wigwams arose above the forests in the valleys and on the hills all over this county one hundred years ago.
The Southern Railroad was charted in 1846, and was built in 1857. It was known as the Memphis and Charleston. The Mobile & Ohio Railroad was charted in 1848, and built in 1859. A failure to raise in tax and subscriptions $100,000 for this project, kept Purdy off the route. It might be interesting to know that during the administration of Martin Van Buren, that there was chartered a turnpike company in the county, known as the Chambers and Purdy Turnpike Company. It was to build a pike from Purdy to the state line south. It never did materialize, however.
The first sheriff in the county was Henry Wilson, serving from 1824 to 1828. The first county court clerk was Joseph Barnett, serving from 1824 to 1828. The first circuit clerk was Macklin Cross, serving from 1824 to 1836. The first trustee was Robert M. Owens, serving one term. The first register was William Murray, who was succeeded by A. V. Murray, serving from 1824 to 1836. Benjamin Wright was the first surveyor. The first representative was John M. Johnson, an uncle of Hon. J. D. Johnson, of Jackson. The first clerk and master was Alphonso Cross. The first court was held at the home of A. V. Murray, just north of Selmer, and on the east bank of Cypress, about the point opposite the Julius King place. The first Masonic Lodge was organized at Purdy by the Savannah lodge in October, 1848. The officers and members were Fielding Hurst, W. M., Laney Moore, S. M., Thomas Combs, J. W., B. R. Harris, Samuel Pace, Jas. F. McKinney, James Warren, James Lane, James Richards, James K. Kindle, James Denny, and P. H. Braden. Forty years ago this lodge had about 35 members, and its officers were T. F. Dalbey. W. M., T. A. Hipps, S. W. , W. C. Chamness, J. W., J. H. Curry, Secretary, Asa Bell, Treasurer, D. W. Cobb, S. D. Miles Needham. J. D., W. Case Tyler. 

Location

McNairy County Resources

McNairy County Government
McNairy County Schools
McNairy County Chamber of Commerce 
McNairy County Economic Development
Arts in McNairy
Big Hill Pond State Park

Contact Us

  • Experiences
    • AgriTourism >
      • Amish Community
      • Crazy K Ranch
      • Duncan Christmas Tree Farm
      • HOCKADAY HANDMADE BROOMS
      • Hope Vineyards
      • Selmer Farmer's Market
    • Buford Pusser Tours >
      • EXPERIENCE CENTER
      • Home & Museum
    • Haunted Attraction >
      • Derailed Haunted House
    • History and Heritage >
      • About McNairy
      • McNairy County Archives
      • McNairy County Historical Museum
      • McNairy County Historical Society
      • McNairy County Libraries
    • Music and Arts >
      • ARTS IN MCNAIRY
      • AiM Art Collections
      • MUSIC HERITAGE
      • Quilting
      • Rockabilly HWY Murals
      • Tennessee Music Pathways
    • Outdoor Recreation >
      • Camping >
        • BIG HILL POND STATE PARK
        • Country Critters Campground & RV Park
      • Disc Golf
      • Golf Courses
      • Parks
      • SHILOH MILTARY NATIONAL PARK
      • Shooting Complex
      • Athletics & Fitness
      • Swimming
    • Scientific Tourism >
      • COON CREEK SCIENCE CENTER
      • McNairy Planetarium
    • Shopping
    • Trails and Byways >
      • Civil War Trails
      • Historic Railroad Trail
      • Trail of Tears
      • Walking Tall Trail
  • Eat & Drink
    • Directory
    • SLUGBURGERS
  • Places to Stay
  • Events
    • Community Calendar
    • Big Hill Trail Run
    • Walking Tall 25/50k
    • Festivals >
      • Walking Tall Music Fest
      • Freedom Fest
      • Kid's Fest
      • Finger Annual BBQ and Picnic
      • Music Fest
      • Plein Air Art Festival
      • Rockabilly Highway Revival
  • CONTACT