McNAIRY COUNTY, TN - HISTORY - Incidents and Persons in the Early Life 
			       of the County 
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                 Early History of McNairy County 4
      Incidents and Persons in the Early Life of the County  

         McNairy County Independent, November 2,1923

The  article in last issue closed with reference to the military
history of the county, prior to and during the civil war.  This
article will give some random sketches with regard to incidents and
persons in the early life of the county.

From some historical references taken from the papers of the late
James Warren we have the names of the early settlers, those who
lived in the county prior to 1830. Beck, Erwin, Gilchrist, Jones,
Kerr, Luttrell, McKenzie, Sanders, Veal, Wilson, Atkins, Burks,
Braden, Black, Cunningham, Donald, Dameron, Elam, Farris, Michie,
Sharp, Stubblefield, Graham, Wardlow, Barnhill, Chambers, Hooker,
Hamm, Houston, Huggins, Littlejohn, Prather, Ramer, Springer,
Boatman, Darby, Jeanes, Forsythe, Henderson, Horn, Meeks, Simpson ,
Derryberry, Flowers, Gooch, Kirk, Locke, Null, Young, Dillon,
Hornbuckle, Kernodle, Lockman, McIntyre, Moore, Roberson, Sanders,
Stovall, Turner, Weatherly, Wilson, Clayton, Cobb, Clemons, Garner,
Hurst, Jackson, Merchison, Maness, Rowsey, Bullner, Shelton, Pitts,
Sipes, Massengill, Parrish, Riggs, Stanley, Barnes, Brooks, Murray,
Crump, Davault, Surratt, Denny, Jopling, Adams, Sweat, Tatum,
Carter, Putnam, Smith, Sheffield, Randolph, Ingram, O'Neal, Beard,
Landreth, Kemp, McHalstead, Plunk, Basinger, Combs, Cochran, Cox,
Merrell, Kirby, Bishop, Walsh, McAlpin, Hardin, Ward, Anderson,
Finlay, Tedford, Wamble, Estes, Hodges.

In 1858 the books of the office of the circuit and county court
clerks were destroyed by fire.  We learn that the first Circuit
Judge was Joshua Heiskell and the Attorney General was Alex
Bradford, in 18?8, the Circuit Judge was Elijah Walker, and the
Attorney General was Lee M. Bentley.

An interesting bit of history is found by reference to an old
minute entry in the circuit clerk's office.  It gives the names of
the jury that tried Henry, a slave, for the killing of "Diana, a
free, white woman."  The Killing was in April 1860, and at the
house standing on the old Purdy and Stantonville road, between the
Sam Pounds place and Stantonville.  The jury was composed of
Shadrack Maness,  John Cannon, Wm. Vertreese,  Samuel Ervine,
Benjamin New, E. S. Boyington, B. J. Young, G. W. Prewett, J. C.
Goodman, F. F. Carroll, Joseph Roark and John Murdock.  The trial
was at old Purdy in July, 1860, and the Negro was sentenced to
hang.  He was  hung by the then Sheriff, W. D. Jopling, at the foot
of the hill, just west of Purdy.  This was on the 7th day of
September, 1860.

 There was a rude courthouse built at Purdy about
1825, and this was supplanted by a brick courthouse in 1830.  This
stood until 1881, when it was destroyed by fire.  The old Purdy
jail, on the bluff in the eastern part of the old town of Purdy,
was built in 1850.

The first election held for the removal of the county seat was more
than 50 years ago.  This election was defeated on some
constitutional ground.  Then in 1884, another was held for the
removal to Falcon.  There were 1921 for removal and 560 against.
Court action followed, the style of the action being M. J. Braden
versus John W. Stump.  It was in the chancery court.  The case was
taken through the chancery court, and the Supreme Court. By action
of that court the county seat came back to Purdy.  Later the
removal question to New South come up, and that was the beginning
of Selmer.

There were few schools in the early history of the county.  In
1840, a lot was purchased from one John Reese for a school
building, and the name of the school was the Purdy Male and Female
Academy.  The trustees then were Macklin Cross, W. S. Wisdom, A.
Sanders, S. O Pace, and Alfred Moore.

The old college building burned at Purdy a few years ago was built
in 1855, and the following were the incorporators:

W. A. Dindle, Pleasant Coates, J. F. McKinney, C. C. Lewter, F. P.
Duke, David McKenzie, J. N. Barnhill and J. M. McAlpin  The school
that was begun in that old building was suspended on account of the
war. After the war, the Methodist church established a school in
the old building with Alva Johnson as President.  Then came R. M.
Thompson, Charlie Wright and others down to September, 1885, when
M. R. Abernathy conducted a school there.  He remained in charge
until 1893.

Some of the old teachers in the county were: F. M. Prince, 1825,
Wilson McMahon, 1827, Miss Della Swann 1844, Miss Loraine Hall
1848, Miss Maria Bomar 1850, Miss Rachel D. McAlpin 1851, Miss
Mattie Barbee 1854, R. D. Miller, Mrs. Eudora Miller, James Miller
1858, Barret Locke, James Comer, Andrew McKee, David Yancey, Isaac
Self, Alva Johnson, Brannon, Baine, M. R. Abernathy.