Early days in McNairy
County, TN, are recalled in this spiral bound booklet of
excerpts from the rare 1887 book: History of Tennessee, originally
published by Goodspeed Publishing Co., and other sources. The booklet
is printed one-sided on 60# paper with the print enlarged for easier
reading. A vinyl sheet has been added to protect the front cover.
In one place, the owner of the original book crossed out the name
of one church and wrote in another in longhand, and this remains
in the reprint.
After a description
of the land and waterways, county growth, the booklet discusses
early settlers, including W.S. Wisdon, Benjamin Wright, Mcclin Cross
and many others; the first "legal hanging" and the names
of the jurors; an interesting will, excluding any "infidel,
atheist...or disunionist"; a 17+ year dispute over location
of the county seat; Regiment No. 402 organized under militia law;
other Confederate and Union units; the courthouse and other public
buildings; Care of the poor; the unbuilt Chambers and Purdy Turnpike;
the Memphis & Charleston Railroad; Sheriffs and other officials;
churches; schools; Newspapers; and a paragraph of so on the various
towns: Adamsville, McNairy Station, Bethel Springs, Falcon, Ramer,
Chewalla, and Gravel Hill.
The next section of the booklet
contains biographies of prominent residents: Prof. M.R. Abernathy,
R.D. Anderson, Peyton Atkins, J.T. Barnhill, John G. Combs, N.A.
Erwin, Dixon Etheridge, F.M. Freeman, W.A. Gooch, various members
of the Hamm family; B.S. McIntire, Josiah Jeans, Robert E. McKinney,
Gen. John H. Meeks, Orvil L. Meeks, S.M. Perkins, J.P. Prince,
John H. Reeder, Dr. W.M. Sanders, J.W. Stumph, R.P. Swain, and
several members of the Warren family.
The final part of
the booklet contains brief excerpts from Counties of Tennessee
by Austin P. Foster, and Tennessee, a Guide to the State,
compiled and written by the Federal Writer's Project of the WPA
in 1939. There is also a map of this part of the state.
Wouldn't this make a unique
gift?
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