McNAIRY COUNTY, TN -History- Early History of McNairy County, Part 2   
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	      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. It is not the purpose of this and following
articles on the early history of the county to deal with the
conditions during the last fifty years in the county.

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.

Other articles touching on the earl history of the county, will
appear from time to time. Any of the history of the county, will be
appreciated.  So send in your contributions.