HAYWOOD COUNTY TN - HISTORY - History of Tennessee, and History of Haywood County, 1989 ********************************************************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Jane N. Powell ********************************************************************************************************** Haywood County was created by an act of the General Assemble of the State of Tennessee, passed 3 November 1823 from portions of the Chickasaw Indian Cession. It was to be called "Haywood" for Judge John Haywood and should be established with in the following bounds: Beginning at the southwest corner of Madison County; thence north with the west boundary of the same twenty-five miles to the northwest corner; thence west to the southwest corner of the first county west of Carroll; thence north to the line dividing the Tenth and Thirteenth Districts; thence west to a point two miles west of the first range line, in the Eleventh District; thence south parallel with said range line to the fifth sectional line in said district; thence east to a pint four miles east of the fifth range line in the Tenth District; thence north two and one-half miles; thence east to the beginning. The act provided that the court of pleas and quarter sessions would be held at the house of Richard Nixon, until otherwise provided by law. November 23, 1823, by an act of the General Assembly, commissioners were appointed to fix a permanent site of the seat of justice near the center as possible, and to buy 50 acres of land for the same. The act also provided that the court appoint five commissioners to buy the land and lay out the town with streets at least ninety feet wide and to reserve at least 4 acres for a public square for the county buildings. The following were named justices of the peace: Richard Nixon, Lawrence McGuire, Nicholas T. Perkins, Jonathan T. Jacocks, Willie Dodd, Britain H. Sanders, David Jeffreys and Blackman Coleman, commissioned by Gov. William Carroll. They me at the house of Richard Nixon, 4 miles east of Brownsville, Monday March 8, 1824 and organized the first county court, known as the court of pleas and quarter sessions. The court was organized by electing Richard Nixon, chairman; Britain H. Sanders, clerk; John G. Caruthers, sheriff. The court then appointed Wm. H. Henderson, register; Richard Nixon, Trustee; Jonathan T. Jacocks, ranger; and Julius Sanders, coroner. The taxes for 1824 were then levied as follows: County tax on land to be equal to the State tax; on free polls six and 1/4 cents; on black polls, 12 1/2 cents; on pleasure carriages equal to 1/2 the State Tax. Willie Dodd was appointed to list taxable property north of the Forked Deer River and Jonathan T. Jacocks to list that south of the river. Sheriff Caruthers was appointed to collect the State and county taxes for the next tow years. For faithful performance of his duties, the sheriff gave bone in the sum of $10,000. December term 1824, Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions: the deed of Thomas M. Johns, Dec. 14, 1824, for 50 acres of land, to James Fentress, Benjamin Reynolds, Robert Jetton and William Martin, commissioners appointed by the Legislature to "fix upon a site for the seat of justice," was produced in open court, approved and certified for registration. The consideration was for $1 and one lot, this Mr. Johnson virtually donated the 50 acres for the county seat. The court appointed Lawrence McGuire, Nicholas T. Perkins, Thomas G. Nixon, Charles White and William H. Henderson commissioners to superintend the laying out of the town of Brownsville selling lots, and the erection of the public buildings. January term 1825, Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions: Taxes were levied for the year as follows: County taxes on land, 18 3/4 cents per 100 acres; free polls, 12 1/2 cents; black polls, 25 cents; pleasure carriages, equal to the State Tax. Rates of Ferriage at McGuire's Ferry on Big Hatchie: man and horse, 12 1/2 cents; footman on singe horse, 6 1/4 cents, for each head of cattle, 4 cents; hogs and sheep, 2 cents; wagon and 4 house team, 50 cents; wagon and 2 horse team, 37 1/2 cents; horse and cart, 25 cents. The commissioners did not comply with the law requiring the public square to be 4 acres and streets 90 feet wide. The public square, as laid out, including streets, contains only 2 and 7/8 acres and nearly all the streets are less than 90 feet in width. The county was originally dividing into 15 civil districts, with the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th lying north of the Forked Deer River. In 1870, when Crockett County was organized, all the territory north of the Forked Deer River, except on small district (no. 12) became part of Crockett. A new district, 13, was formed from parts of Districts 8, 10 and 11. Their are now 13 districts (in 1886) with no. 12 on the north side of the Forked Deer River. All districts except the 3rd, 7th and 13th were represented in 1886 at county court by 2 magistrates each; the 3rd by three, the 7th by four; and the 13th with none until after the next election. The first court house was 28 by 33 feet and built of squared logs in the the winter of 1824-25 and stood where the Galt house stood in 1886. The second court house was a frame building, erected in 1826 on the public square. In 1832 the main building of the present (1886) court house was erected by Joseph Coe at a cost of about $4,000. This one was taken down in 1845 and in 11868 the west wing was built for about $12,000 for the use of the supreme court for West Tennessee. It was used as such until the Supreme court moved back to Jackson. The first jail, "sixteen feet square in the clear," was made of squared logs a foot thick, built in 1825 on Jackson Street opposite the Methodist Episcopal Church. The second jail was of brick about 1832 where the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was in 1886 and it burned in 1836, was rebuilt and burned again in 1850. In 1872 a jail was built of brick and iron at about $20,000. Top of Page Haywood County Home Page Early Settlers in Haywood County * The first settler, Richard Nixon, assumed a grant of 3600 acres in the "Western District." This land had been given to his father who was a colonel in the Revolutionary War. Nixon settled about four miles east of Brownsville on Nixon's Creek and the first courts were held in his home. He also had a store and landing on the Hatchie River. * Northeast of Brownsville, Tabernacle area cr. 1826: John Sanderlin; Gen. Wm. Conner; Jessie & James Mauldin; Nicholas T. Perkins; Hiram Bradford; Thomas H. Sanders; Henry Welch; Gen. W. H. Loving; Thomas Rutherford; Littleton Joyner; E. C. Drennon; John & Thomas Porter; Wm. B. Grove; Wight & David Russell; Samuel Green; Howell Taylor and sons, Richard, Allen, Edmond, John Y., and Howell, Jr.; and Jonathan T. Jacocks. * North and West of Brownsville: Daniel Cherry; Thomas Broughton; William & Peter Lankford; John Rogers; William Patton; Simon Turner; Britain H. Sanders; Joel Estes. * Southwest of Brownsville cr.1825: Bird Link; Maj. Thomas Owen; Nelson Hargrove; Benjamin Weaver; George Moore. * South of the Hatchie River: Samuel P. Ashe; Oliver, William R & Benjamin G. Alexander; Oliver Wood; William P Baught; Solomon Payne. * Other early settlers: David Hay; Elliott Jetton; Dr. Edmond David; Reddick Trotman; Alfred Kinney; Thomas Bond; James Bond. The Bond families came from Bertie Co., NC cr. 1836 Haywood County Home Page County Seat Brownsville, designated as County Seat circa 1823, was laid out on 50 acres the county purchased in December 1824 from Thomas M. Johnson for one dollar with Mr. Johnson retaining one lot. Public buildings were paid for by the sale of these lots. The first courthouse, a 28 by 33 log structure, was on the west side of court square where Roy Drug Store now stands. In 1826, a frame building was constructed just south of the first one. In 1832, the center of the public square was chosen as a new site and Joseph Coe built this courthouse for approximately four thousand dollars. In 1845 this building was replaced by one of brick. In 1868 the west wing was added for the use of the Supreme Court for West Tennessee while Haywood County native David Nunn served as Judge of the Supreme Court. At the end of his term court returned to Madison County. Here is a picture of the present courthouse with a Civil War Scout (he isn't a soldier and isn't saluting ... he's shading his eyes to look) and a genuine Civil War Cannon ... that used to be fired, but no longer is ... it's filled with cement. The first jail was of logs and built in 1825 on the lot across the street from the present city hall now used by the Methodist Church as a parking lot. Other jails were built and burned and in 1872 a brick and iron jail was built on South Jackson. It was torn down in 1974. Top of Page Haywood County Home Page Roads and Transportation Early settlers arrived by boat, horseback, in wagons and on foot following Indian trails or traces. The trip from North Caroline took a month or more. Richard Nixon, in 1821, blazed his way from Madison County through cane brakes and heavily wooded areas. Soon after Brownsville was designated as County Seat, men were appointed to lay out roads in the direction of the county seats of adjoining counties. Land owners adjoining these roads were responsible for maintaining them. The two rivers, Hatchie and Forked Deer, were navigable in the early 1800's and the steamboat Red Rover and her Captain Newman appeared at Brownsville Landed in the fall of 1827. James Bond had his own steamboat to bring supplies up the Hatchie and carry his farm products away. Traffic up and down the Hatchie and Forked Deer rivers was mostly in small craft and flatboats. Among the several ferries in operation were those at Lowry's Landing, Brownsville Landing, Dupree, Thompson and McGuire. In 1836, the Stage Coach route from Jackson to Memphis came through Denmark, Brownsville, Durhamville, Covington and Randolph. In 1846 the Mississippi and Ohio Railroad (later the Louisville and Nashville) reached Brownsville. These carried both freight and passengers. Passenger service was discontinued in 1968 and the depot torn down in 1974. Many residents went to Memphis on the morning train and returned that evening on the north bound train. During World War II, local citizens often took mail to the north bound 10:30 train and handed it straight to the man in the post office car. Several narrow gauge railroads ran in different directions from Brownsville. One of these was the Holly Springs and Brownsville Railroad. In 1877 N. B. Keathley was the first conductor on this railroad. Early Businesses in Haywood County Cotton Gin and Grist Mill: Hiram Bradford, 1828-29 Cabinet Maker: John Hardwick, 1831 Silver Smith, Watch Maker: Jeweler, W. J. Person Carriage Maker: Augustus Pracht Cotton Gin: Joshua Farrington S tone Cutter & Marble Dealer: J. J. Crowley Sash and Door Factory: J. Eader Pioneer Tailor: David McLeod Inventor of barbed wire: Will Taylor Brick factory: Cotton factory: James A. Rogers, 1872