McNairy County Looking Back 1 (part 2 of 3)

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2.
"The Old West," Time-Life Books, Vol "The Great Chiefs"

The above article was submitted to the Historical Newsletter. Bob and his wife Ann, live in Brentwood Tn, though never a resident of McNairy County, was associated with the County 1978 - ca 1998 as the voting machine technician for the McNairy County Election Commission and was a member of the McNairy County Genealogical Society. He has a continuing interest in Tennessee and Tennesseans and owns an extensive collection of over 500 volumes of Tennessee history and books by Tennessee authors. Bob is retired Colonel with the Tennessee Air National Guard, serving over 38 years. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Force Commendation medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Viet Nam Gallantry Cross with Palm, along with numerous other decorations and awards. He is a Scottish Rite Mason, who has been honored by the award of Knight Commander Court of Honor.

So still and silent now they lie,
Most forgotten and long gone by.
They may be dead, but they're not gone,
As long as one of us lives on!
Nancy Kennedy

PIONEER INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
LEADER AND BELOVED CITIZEN
By his daughter - Mrs. Georgia Anderson

The subject of this sketch, Pugh Houston Thrasher, was born in Lauderdale County Alabama, eight miles north of Florence, March 12, 1843, next youngest of nine children. His father, William Bishop Thrasher, affectionately called Uncle Billy by his community, was a substantial citizen of mean, owning more than a thousand acres of land. He was conscientiously opposed to human slavery, so he never owned any Negroes but taught his seven boys to work. This training was a valuable asset to Pugh when he started out on his own after the Civil war in which he had served three and a half years in the Federal army. He took pride in the fact that he was mustered out of the service without any hospital record, never having been in a hospital in this three and a half years. Pugh returned home from Pulaski, Tenn. when he was mustered out, but remained only a short time. He and an older brother, Henderson, opened a small general store at Wailing Springs, Tenn, but Pugh soon decided that he was not cut out for a merchant, so he sold his interest to his brother and came to McNairy County to visit a sister, the wife of Dr. G. H. Butler. While on this visit he met Miss Mary Howard, who a few months later became his wife. He settled in McNairy County and for fifty-five years was identified with this county's interests. For a number of years he was a citizen of Adamsville. When he moved into this village it had the reputation as the worst community in the Judicial district. It had no church building. Services were held occasionally in the old log school house. There were three small general stores and three saloons. On Saturday afternoons the streets were full of drunks, profanity and fights and with no attempt at law enforcement. When P.H. Thrasher moved his family from Adamsville in 1884, he left the best, most prosperous, most law abiding community in the county at that time and he had no small factor in bringing about this radical change.

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A county seat town at the present site of Selmer originated in the mind of P.H. Thrasher. The town of Purdy, the county seat, began to go down soon after the M & O Railroad was built. Agitation for removal to the railroad began as far back as 1870. Election after election was held but failed to get the two thirds majority necessary. Falcon was too far south and Bethel Springs too far north. At one time the County Court appointed a committee to go over the territory between Falcon and Bethel and select the most available site for a town and upon the report of the committee the Court intended to call an election. The committee unanimously selected the old Houston field. P.H. Thrasher was a member of this committee. The court failed to take action on this report. This land was owned by James Pharr. Early in 1884, James Pharr died, leaving his property to nephews and nieces (having no family of his own). One of whom was the wife of the late J.W. Purviance. This was the opportunity Pugh Thrasher had been waiting for and he lost no time in forming a partnership with Purviance, selling him one-half interest in this property. Together they bought out the other heirs and had James Warren foreclose a mortgage which he had on this land. After paying off the mortgage, Thrasher and Purviance had a clear title to the land. While Pugh Thrasher and Jim Purviance had been close friends for years and remained so till death, their ideas about business were not in perfect harmony, so after about two years of partnership, Thrasher made Purviance a give or take proposition with the result that Pugh Thrasher became the sole owner of about 500 acres of land, including the site of Selmer. Immediately after acquiring title to the property, he started on his plan to move the county seat here. He cleaned off the land where the business houses now are, laid out the streets, numbered the lots, etc. One election to New South, the first name for the town suggested by J. W. Purviance, having failed, Thrasher organized the McNairy County Real Estate and Investment Co. to which he deeded practically all of the business property of the proposed town with an agreement that this company build a Court House to cost not less than $10,000 and deed it to the county, the money to come from the sale of these lots. Thrasher selected 12 of the most influential citizens in different parts of the county as stockholders in his company. The next election was declared, carried and the Court House was built. Purdy brought suit and the case was tried before Chancellor Hawkins in the new Court House at Selmer and thus ended a 20 year's fight for removal. P.H. Thrasher was active in politics, civic betterment and his church. He was uncompromising for the right, but with charity for all. He left for his surviving children and grand children a heritage of courage, honesty, integrity, generosity, sympathy and optimism of which they are justly proud. But ofttimes, "A Prophet is not without honor save in his own Country." McNairy Co Independent Appeal Nov 18, 1938

MCNAIRY COUNTY CHANCERY COURT 1878
RICHARD HILL VS HARRIET HILL, DIVORCE , CASE NO 383

Stated they married 1866 in McNairy County. Richard said he had been living in McNairy County now 2 years.(must have left the county, I do not find them in 1870). They lived together until 1875 when Harriet willfully and maliciously abandoned complainant. Divorce granted 1 st Monday in April 1878.

MCNAIRY COUNTY REAL ESTATE

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IMPROVEMENT COMPANY
R.D. Anderson, Jno T. Warren, Samuel Chambers, A.B. Hamm,
H.L.W. Lancaster, H.P. Wood, J.W. Purviance
State of Tennessee
Charter of Incorporation

Be it known that R.D. Anderson, Jno T. Warren, Samuel Chambers, A.B. Hamm, H.L. W. Lancaster and J.W. Purviance are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate by the name and style of "The McNairy County Real Estate and Improvement Company" for the following purposes to wit: The encouragement of Immigration , the locating, establishing and building of a town or city, at Selmer on the Mobile and Ohio R. R. in McNairy County, Tennessee, the purchase improvement and sale of property and the establishment and encouragement of Industries, to receive by donation, lands and with power to donate streets, alleys and parks necessary for public use, out of lands so purchased or donated..(much as been omitted, it is language of the law concerning corporations rather than history.) Witness our hands, this the first day of July 1889, signed: R.D. Anderson, Jno T. Warren, Saml Chambers, A.B. Hamm, H.L.W. Lancaster, H.P. Wood, and J.W. Purviance. Accepted by J. R. Adams, Clerk of the County Court on the 2nd day of July 1889 at 4 o’clock P.M. Accepted by C.A. Miller, Secretary of State, State of Tennessee on the 6th day of July, 1889.

LUTHER J. HAYNES

(NK note: Luther J Haynes was born October 27. 1882 in Georgia and died July 1, 1909 at Chewalla, Tennessee. He was the son of Robert B and Mary Elizabeth Vaughn Haynes.) Independent Appeal, Aug 20, 1909 On July the 1st, the home of our Uncle Robert Haynes was darkened more than can be told, by the angel of death entering therein and taking for its victim our dear cousin, Luther, the oldest child of the family. Oh! the awful truth that Luther, our dear cousin, who was almost the same as brother, is gone is more that can be realized, so suddenly was he struck down with that dreaded disease, typhoid fever, which lasted only ten days, doing its cruel work, leaving a happy home darkened forever; the vacant place can never be filled. His brother can only follow his good example and be a comfort to the heart-broken father and mother. But that aching void will ever be there. Time alone can take the sting away, and as the younger brothers grow into manhood, the good example of his noble life will always help them to be what they ought to be. In his death our community has sustained a loss felt by every member in it. "Oh! how we will miss Luther" was the words of all his companions and friends, while the heart-broken mother and father and brothers and sisters felt that their home has been darkened forever. Luther had been a member of the Methodist church for about seven years, while all his life nothing that was not noble, honest and true can be remembered against him. While our uncle's and our home are darkened we feel sure that Luther is at rest in that home where death does not enter. Oh, Luther, how we miss you, how sad is our home; Your dear face is ever before us, where ever we may roam. You have gone to that home of the blessed to meet loved one gone on before, Where you will all wait our coming on that beautiful golden shore. Your troubles on earth are ended, Luther, and you are resting free from care, While we are left to mourn our loss in this world so full of trouble to bear.

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You could have been so happy and useful, you were young to have to go,
God in His love has taken you home, but oh, Luther, we needed you so.
His cousins, Lillie and Carrie Haynes

SNAKE BITE REMEDY On the 16th of September 1855, my son Griffin right, 8 years, while traveling a small path near a creek was bitten by a Copperhead snake. He immediately notified a younger brother, who was behind him, of the snake, and then repaired to an open place, and after squeezing out, a drop of the poison (as he supposed) sucked and squeezed the parts for some time. And then hastened home, being near a half mile distant. His mother, (I being absent) bound a poultice of tobacco, thoroughly wet, to the wound, and gave him a tea cup, two thirds full of Madeira wine, with a table spoonful of pulverized Cayenne pepper, well mixed, in two portions. The first immediately after it was prepared; and the other, in half and hour thereafter. The pain he was laboring under ceased immediately after taking the last portion. The leg which was bitten, was much swollen the next day and too sore to walk upon, but the third day, he walked about well and as cheerful as ever. We deem it advisable to give this case to the public, inasmuch as others may meet with the like misfortune. And the remedy is so plain and simple, and shows the great necessity for immediate action when one is bitten, and the good effect of squeezing the parts. It will not only force a portion of the poison out but holds it in check until it can be sucked out and the compression of the capillary vessels will prevent the poison from passing into the larger blood vessels. L. Sanders, McNairy County, Tenn reprinted: Ansearchin' News ,Spring 1993.

MORE REMINISCENCES July 7, 1931 In December, 1884, we lived in Adamsville. The old home was in the south part of the town and on the road that led from Main street, south of the little Jimmie Scott place. It was off the east side of the road and just south of the Haywood Pettigrew place. On a cold September day that year M. R. Abernathy my father and the family, consisting of our mother, our father and myself?.....Terry, Florence, Bessie, Mary, Pearl and Olpheus, moved to McNairy (town of McNairy) - passing through the old town of Purdy and on north, traveling the old Purdy and Lexington road until we came to the road called the Purdy and Denmark road, the latter road going through McNairy. We arrived at our new home about night and unloaded in the house that is there now. It was known as the Sheffield place then and is situated diagonally across the street from the John E. Hodges store. We can see the town of McNairy now as it appeared to us then. Just to the east of our home, with a garden spot between the two, was the home of Mrs Tyler. Further west was the home of the Carroll’s; and still further east was the Roger place where lived the widow of Dr. Rogers and her daughter, Bettie and a son named Erwin. As we recollect the names of the other inhabitants of the town, then called "the Station" were the Bradley’s, the Blakeley’s, the Clay’s, Logan Anderson, D. J. Franklin, old man Sheffield, Mrs. Sheffield and children Ed and Ida, the Ozment’s, who lived south of town and across the branch. After Harris, the father of our venerable friend, W. H. Harris, Dick Etheridge and his family, John Ivey and his family, the Plunk’s, John Wesley and Mike, the McClintoc’s, Mrs. Spencer and her children, Macie, Thadeus and Drew. William Smith and family, Jake Lovelace, Mrs. Franklin, John Rogers, "Uncle" Billie Cockrun and Marcus and Sam, the Hostetter’s. The merchants there then were John and Edwin Rogers, Jake Lovelace, and D. J. Franklin. G. L. Anderson and a young fellow named O'Neal, clerked in the Franklin store. Logan Anderson worked in

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the store some. Dr Freeling was the only doctor there then. And a good old man, named Norwood. He was a son-in-law of Rev Jennings, another find old man who was a preacher there in those days. An interesting character in the person of Tab Laird lived there then, his house being between the home we live in and the depot. M. R. Abernathy had gone there to begin school and how well do we remember that opening day of school in McNairy forty-six years ago. J. L. Swain assisted in the school and so did a young woman named Lizzie Veal. Several from other places were students there. The term ended in the first part of May 1885. M. R. Abernathy was the County Superintendent of Public Instruction and had to be in Purdy, the county seat on the first Monday in April 1885. He told Terry and the writer that we could go to Purdy with him and we started the afternoon before. Sunday night before the first Monday we stayed in the home of P. H. Thrasher, two sons John R. and Edgar and two daughters, Georgia and Minnie and a niece Lula Lucas. The business in the court was transacted on the following Monday and our father was planning to go back to McNairy. Col Purviance and Mr. Thrasher were coming to New South, where Selmer is now. Edgar was to go along and after some persuasion, Terry and I were allowed to make the trip and stay a day or two. The three of us walked all the way from Purdy to where the Standard Oil property is now. (This was what was later Selmer, by the railroad.) On that site was a mill shanty. In a nearby lot were four or five yokes of steers. The driver was Shalen Evans and of his proficiency as a steer driver he was a proud as mortal man could be of any possession. We arrived at our destination about ten o’clock. We had not more than stopped until Mr. Thrasher had us carrying boards on top of a building then under construction, just across from this shanty and to the north. It was to be a store building. As I recall now, we carried enough boards to the top of that house what time we worked to have covered any roof we have ever seen. We went in to dinner, eating with Col. Purviance, Mr. Thrasher, Shalen Evans and Shep Barlow. After dinner we were permitted to fish a little. Cypress creek then flowed around through an almost imperilable bottom just to east of us. We came back to the shanty about 4 o'clock and Mr. Thrasher had us to go to old Falcon for some groceries. There was nothing in the "house" to eat. We walked to Falcon and bought a little meat, some sugar, a lot of crackers, that was before the day of loaf bread, some coffee, cheese, eggs, etc, and came on back up the railroad to New South. We had meat and eggs with crackers for supper and made ready to go to bed. Col. Purviance and Mr. Thrasher slept on some sort of bed and Edgar, Terry and I made our bed with Shalen Evans on the floor. We were up by daylight and from then until noon, the writer, in wheelbarrow hauled, under order from Mr. Thrasher, the sawyer, enough sawdust as it then seemed to him, rival in the size of the pile, the pyramids. We found time at noon to "go in washing" at a place about where the south bridge now is. (This was Cypress Creek, just below Selmer - years ago was famous for the swimming hole.) In the afternoon we worked at carrying boards and rolling sawdust and "off-bearing" lumber. Another night was spent about like we spent the first one. The next morning was Thursday and we were told we might go on back to Purdy. This we did, walking all the way. We ate dinner at Purdy at the home of Mr. Thrasher and in the afternoon Terry and I walked the lonesome way to McNairy, getting home about night. Our father had gone home the Monday afternoon before and resumed his place in the school room. That was in April. The school closed there about the first of June and within two weeks we had moved to Purdy, where in the years that followed, M. R. Abernathy had charge of and taught as good schools as have ever been taught in the county or elsewhere. We did not go to New South again until 18............ when on a trip to Falcon to work ....... office he had there, we stopped again in the home of Mr. Thrasher. He had established a home on the site of where the T. M. Humphery residence is now located. In 1890, the writer was here for a few days, worked

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for D. A. McDougal in 1891 for a short time. Just before this he had come to New South to work in a store for Mr. Thrasher. Before being there an hour, the writer found himself with Major Thrasher working in a livery stable and feed barn, then run by P. H. Thrasher on a lot just opposite the home of Louis Adams. Another one with whom we had business connection in that livery stable was Dink Rasberry. On a June day in 1893, we stepped off a local fright train in Selmer and walked to the law office of H. P. Wood. Upstairs in the courthouse and in that old office we "matriculated" staying with him for several months. That day we arranged board with Mrs. Curry in her splendid hotel, opposite the depot. Boarding there at the time were J. C. Houston, who had just formed a law partnership with D. A. McDougal, Milard Sipes, ____ Jack Brooks and others. (This hotel was located at the railroad until about mid 1960 - it was known as the Gooch Hotel later.) Of the happenings from then until now we may have occasion to write at another time. This is a Sunday morning and being a bit of reminiscent mood I write of the ________ and fugitive thoughts as they run through my mind, thinking a reference to other days will be read some interest. W. K. Abernathy

HAPPENINGS FORTY YEARS AGO AT FALCON
June 5, 1931 - McNairy County Independent

(1891) For those readers who lean to enrich the present by parading before their vision, fond recollections of the dim and distant past, for those whose fondest memories center around the happenings of the long ago when all the world was sunny and care was unknown - we print the following column of personals taken from the Symposium, a weekly newspaper edited by M. R. Abernathy, at Falcon in 1893. Many readers will recall with happiness the names of most of the people mentioned and most of the happenings will be quite familiar to many who were but bright-eyed boys and golden-haired when the paper was abolished some thirty-eight years ago. In this paper also were many advertisements which would but cause the reader to sigh as he recalled so vividly those business men who have long since gone down the long, long trail. The most prominent advertisement in the paper was the announcement of the opening of the Falcon High School and Commercial Institute, at the head of which was M. R. Abernathy and Terry Abernathy. Board of directors were W. H. Stone, J. D. Null, James N. Nelson, John E. Brooks, Dr J. L. Smith, Clem Lea and W. J. Null. Another prominent advertisement was that of the hack Line from Bethel Springs to Savannah which proposed "to furnish the best in the way of Hacks, Buggies and Teams." Many of our readers have undoubtedly made many purchases at the drug store of J. W. Pickens, who had a nice ad informing the public of the fact that he carried a full line of Drugs, Paints, Oils, Tobacco, Cigars, Snuff, Stationery, Candies, Perfumes, Hair and Tooth Brushes, all kinds of Toilet Goods, Toys, Chewing Gum, Rat Poison and 11,111,111 other articles. H. P. Wood and Laney Beaty were other advertisers, as was Freeman who "keeps a first class livery stable and hotel and sells groceries, drugs, musical instruments, jewelry and watches of every description." So, those of you who can recall when Falcon was one of our up and coming little cities in the good old days when men rode horseback and the good women stayed at home, read the following and laugh or cry as the spirit moves you: R. C. Hurst left Saturday for Arkansas. J. C. Fowlkes received Christian baptism Sunday at Ramer.

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Pett (?) Scott and wife of Stantonville visited Falcon this week. P. H. Thrasher and wife left Monday to visit the Exposition. Miss Darnell of Selmer returned from Chicago this week. Pitts Crocker is an applicant for the position of U S deputy marshal under J. A. Mason. Edd Stubblefield made a business trip to Baldwyn Mississippi this week. J. R. Brooks, a principal clerk in McIntires store at Selmer was seriously injured (?) last week. T. B. Cox has disposed of his farm near Adamsville and will move into town soon. Misses Mollie and Sallie Erwin, Nora, Deedie and Maggie Kendrick of Purdy visited the Exposition last week. F. M. Freeman, wife and son Samuel, visited Selmer Sunday returning to Adamsville Monday. Miss Lutie and Robert Adams returned Thursday from Chicago. They were delighted with the Exposition. Miss Mattie Houston, one of the teachers in the Selmer school, visited her home Saturday and returned Sunday. Mrs. H. L. Dickey and her sister, Miss Clissia Bell left recently for an extended visit in East Tennessee. J. D. Null returned from St Louis a week ago after purchasing the largest stock of goods ever offered for sale at this place by his firm. J. R. Stovall and his son Ernest, E. F. Hendrix and his son Forrest and J. P. Epps and his son Ernest of Bethel visited the Exposition last week. S. D. Anderson of Milledgeville was in Selmer Monday. In size he is something on the plan of Grover Cleveland. He is rich in sunshine as well as money. W. E. Tedford and George Earnhardt returned last week from Mississippi where they went to buy chickens. They returned hungry. J. D. A. Coleman, W. R. Abernathy, Edgar Thrasher, William and Allen _?_ left Selmer Tuesday night to visit the World's Fair. They will return Tuesday. _?_ G. Anderson went to Mississippi Monday to buy skips. He is announced to lecture at the Methodist Church tonight on scientific farming. It is hoped he will have a full house to hear him. W. H. Stone went to St. Louis last week to purchase a stock of family groceries but after reaching the city he decided to wait until the return of confidence. J. A. Cunningham, author, journalist and commercial tourist was in Falcon Saturday selling goods to our merchants. N. A. Erwin paid the Symposium a visit Monday. He lives in a beautiful home near Selmer and is developing a splendid farm near the railroad. We are glad to see Jas M. Nelson at the counter again selling goods. He is a fair-dealing merchant and makes his customers fell disposed to continue to do business with him. Uncle Jack Ray appears upon our streets with usual regularity although he is now turning into his eighty-fifth year. He is as jovial as a youth and is healthy as a reindeer. He has lived in this county fifty- five years and fifty years of that time on the ground he now occupies. He is one of the men who helped make Tennessee a great state.

EARLY HISTORY OF THE J. C. GOOCH FAMILY John Gillentine Gooch, son of Thomas Gooch and Lucinda Gillentine, was born in South Carolina October 15, 1809. He was the oldest of a family of four children, three sons and a daughter. The brothers were Jesse and Nicholas Gooch and the sister Lucinda Gooch. They all lived to see their children grown to manhood and womanhood except the daughter, Lucinda Dunaway, who died in middle life, leaving two sons, James and Pinkney Dunaway, whom my father raised with his own children.

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He moved with his parents to McNairy County, West Tennessee in 1823 and settled in the southwest part of the county in what is now the first district. The old log court house at the Sweat Ford just north of Selmer was built about that time and McNairy County was established that year. Purdy, where later the county site was to be maintained for many years had not been laid off and Selmer the present county site and not been thought of. In coming to the county where he was to spend the rest of his life, they crossed the Tennessee river at Pittsburg Landing near Shiloh, the now famous battlefield, where the Union victory was won April 6, 1862. The passage across the historic stream was made in one of the crude boats of that day, with Indians acting as oarsmen. There were few white people in the settlement at that time and Indians and wild beasts were free to roam the woods. He was first married on September 30, 1830 to Louvina Brumbelow (born December 24, 1812). To this union were born nine children, six sons and three daughters. Nicholas, the third child, died at the age of fifteen months and one other unnamed son and daughter died at birth or soon after. Four sons and two daughters lived to raise families of their own before passing away. They were John T, Lucinda, Jesse, William A., Wiley B. T. and Anne Louvine. His wife died November 21, 1844; saving the -- children and his father and mother who continued to live at his home until their deaths, the father living to be a very old man. On May 5, 1845, he married Nancy Adeline Rains, the daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Rains. She was born May 17, 1827. Thirteen children were born to this union, five sons and eight daughters, ten of whom lived to be past middle age and five are still living. (Note: this article written in 1927.) They are James Warren Gooch of Jackson, Tenn, now 80 years old, Martha Louise Dalton and Sarah Ann Gooch, both of Baltimore, Md, Caldonia Lee Howard of Benton, Ill and Amanda Jane Youngblood, died in 1925, result of automobile accident. General Taylor, second son of this set of children, died in 1851 at the age of 28 months. Marion, sixth child, was born and died in February 1857, age 16 days. Margaret Delphine died September 14, 1867, age four months and three days.

A HIGH GRADE COUNTY SCHOOL
BETHEL SPRINGS - 75 Years Ago (1855)

McNairy County Independent Appeal, 1930: Bethel Springs was then known as Bethel Church and not until the railroad came and established a depot and post office then it changed to Bethel Springs on account of there being already a Bethel post office in the state. Our people, living in the community for several miles around were a large majority Presbyterian families from North and South Carolina, Georgia and East Tennessee. One large family was from Virginia. Our preacher, old man Kerr, was from North Carolina. He settled on the Old Stage Road, one and a half miles west of Bethel. Others followed and settled near Bethel. There preparation were begun for a school. They built a substantial building with logs. The building was located on the church grounds nearby, so as to occupy both if necessary. The church was a large, frame building, but logs were used for the school building, which was about 25 or 30 feet square. With a substantial floor and roof the chimney was out of brick and large enough for heavy wood 4 or 5 feet long. The patrons would supply the wood. The pupils would chop it up in fire lengths. The building had two windows and one door. The cracks were stopped with boards. The furniture consisted of one long table or counter across the west end from the front door which was located in the southeast corner. A line of benches arranged in the hollow square were moveable, most of them facing the master. School teachers were then called school masters. The master's place was near the fire. He usually kept one or two seasoned hickory switches in reach of him and in full view of all

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the school and switches were used freely and often. The school was divided into large classes. Our master was superintendent and boss over all. Heads of advanced classes would assist the master. It was considered quite an honor to be called on as assistant. Our preacher usually secured teachers from Chapel Hill College, North Carolina. We had one by the name of Plunkett. He was a very fine teacher but was rigid in discipline. It was the custom to close the school with prayer. A very amusing incident occurred during Plunkett's time has made a lasting impression on me and am sure it will be of interest now. The last classes of the day were the spelling classes. The advanced class was the last before prayer. The class recited standing in a circle in front of the master who would give one of the words very distinctly. The speller must spell and pronounce each syllable distinctly or get turned down. We had in the advanced class a lively boy by the name of Sam Copeland. Sam got up an idea that it would be funny to play a trick on the master but the trick back fired on Sam. He was in the circle at center and advanced one step to show off and he shot a grain of corn which struck the master in the face. There was a silence for a few seconds. The master proceeded with prayer. The "amen" closed the school. All started out in a big glee, when the master spoke in a loud voice, "Come back here Sammie." ...........not finished - article lost

WHEN DEMOCRATS AND WHIGS RULED
by Mrs. Sallie H. Wolverton

When a small child, my father known as Shep Halman, lived at a place where Mr. Bill Walsh had a store and gin. There I went to a little country school taught by Miss Jane Halaway, studying the old blue back spelling book and first reader, and my father being a remarkably fine blacksmith and was known by some of the best citizens of Purdy, they persuaded him to come to Purdy to live. That was as far back as 1849 or 1850. Sargent Wisdom was the rich man of McNairy County at that time. He had already built his fine brick residence and his brick store. And there were several fine citizens there, Maclin Cross, Alfred Moore and Pleas Cates, old Billie Ruleman, th......and ........ others. I happen to know or remember the Wisdoms better than most of the old citizens. They were a fine family. Col D W was a fine young man. He was off to school at Lebanon, Tennessee, I think for some time and finally married Wiley B. Terry's daughter of Florence, Alabama. He served the south in the war between the states. I must tell a little incident in Mrs. Wisdom's life. She was an Anderson and after Mr. Wisdom had built his fine mansion, one of her old friends visited her and naturally she was looking over the house and furniture and she said that she heard the piano was a good teal one and Mrs. Wisdom said, "they say it is, but I don't know - but it was an ashtropper." I could tell all about it. I remember J. R. Adam’s mother, and Aunt Celia Shull, who was later Mr. Wisdom's second wife. Our schoolhouse was a small brick near Mr. Wisdom's dwelling, just a female school. The boys and girls never attended the same school. About all the education I ever had was in old Purdy. Our teacher was a northern lady, Miss Rachel Halpin and she surely was an educated lady. There was a presidential campaign _______ that was about the last of the Whig Party, so far as I know. It was merged into the Republican party. They had a big rally and a fine barbecue, but there is always a lot hoodlums at such a place to spoil all the pleasure for the better class. Well, I was in old Purdy when a fine brick Cumberland Presbyterian church was built and I remember the fine suppers they had to assist in getting money to help pay for the church. I was there when the brick was burned to build that fine old college and it was a fine building for that day in this

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country. They had all of the equipment for the study of astronomy and chemistry. Alva Johnson was the first president. My brothers attended it. The outbreak of the Civil War, I suppose closed it. Just think, I have certainly had my dose of war. I lived through the Civil War and the Spanish American War and the World War. The Civil War was the one that robbed me of all my dearest ones. My youngest brother was shot and killed with one of the guns that the south aimed to gain their independence with and my oldest brother was kept in the army until he was almost dead and my father so torn up he decided to go to Paducah, Kentucky, thinking that he would get to some place where both sides would not be robbing us all the time. He caught the smallpox and died and left me the legacy of four little children and my stepmother to take care of. So ended all my dreams of ever being anything that I had aimed to be, but such is life. I can't say, as some do, that we are the architects of our own life. There is a divinity that shapes our lives, rough-hew them as we will.

JIM AND IRA - OUR FIRST BANJO

(NK note: I did not get the date when this was published and on the end of the article there were a few blanks because the copy I had was so faded, on those I filled in, probably not the right words, but made sense. Ira and James E Hamilton were the sons of J E Hamilton and Mary D Meeks Hamilton, of the 15th district. Ira was born about 1873 and James E about 1877. There were only a few of these article called Jim and Ira. I think Ira moved away but James E stayed in McNairy County, later moving to Selmer and opened the Hamilton Barber Shop on Court Ave. ) In the __________, Clark's Big Wagon Show came to Adamsville. There came a man ten days before the date advertising this show and posted a bill and pictures of wild animals all along the old stage road, which was about a mile from our home. Ira and I went over on the road to see the pictures of the animals that had a long neck. It's neck was so long that his head stuck out through the top of the cage and he said he sure would look that animal over if Pa would let us go to the show. So we began talking about going to the show several days before. When circus day arrived Pa said we could go and proud lads were we. When we got to the show grounds, which was in the Pettigrew Grove, east of town, the first thing that attracted Ira's attention was the long necked animal. He said it he was going close to the wagon so he could read the name of it and he did. He walked a little too close and while he was spelling the name the long-necked animal reached down and ate Ira's hat off his head. We turned a saw a man standing on a little platform picking a banjo and a monkey dancing. Now I can not begin to tell you all we saw at that circus - it was the biggest thing in the world to us. When we got back home we mocked every kind of animal. But the man with the banjo caught our eye. I told Ira we could make a banjo. As we had spent all our money at the circus, I went out to the sheep lot fence and found an old poplar dance rail, brought it into our father's workshop to his workbench and made a fine banjo neck. Went into the house, stole our mother's cheese hoop that she used for a work basket, fit the neck to it. The next was a head. Ira asked me what we could do for a banjo head, I said, "leave it to me." Our father had a old tomcat that he thought a lot of, I said we could kill “Old Tom" tan his hide and make the banjo head. I asked Uncle Rob Mills how to tan a cat's hide. He said to take the hide, put it in ashes, let it stay ten days, take it out, scrape the hair off, stretch the hide and let it dry. The next time our father went to town, we went after Old Tom. Ira caught him, tied a string around his neck and carried him down to the pasture, tied him to a bush, took our old muzzle loading rifle and with one well directed shot - Old Tom went down. We took his hide off, put it in the ash hopper, there to let it stay ten days and made the head for the banjo. Our father never missed Old Tom for a few days, so one day I heard my father say, "Mary,

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where is Old Tom? I haven't seen him in several days." We laughed. Well, the next question was where will we get the strings? Well, I told Ira, we would hunt ginseng and sell it and buy the set of banjo strings. We sold enough ginseng and bought the banjo strings in a short time. We had our banjo all fixed. Next was to learn to play it. Ira learned to play the first tune on it and I shall never forget the commotion. We were sitting on our old doorstep one evening about dark, I told Ira to pick that old song entitled "Dear Old Step Stone" and I would sing it. We began picking and singing and out loud, our two bit hound just came running around the house howling and all of the folks came running and found we were singing that old song, the more we sang to louder our old hound howled and all the dogs in the neighborhood began howling. I have always thought that is the cause of dogs having those running fits. Those days were happy ones and I think of them often. Many weary years have past since I saw that old banjo and memories steals over me like a charm. In that old familiar place, I can see a stranger's face in the boyhood of happy days down on the farm. J. E. Hamilton

DISTRICT NO 2
(Don’t have date on this)

Hello Colonel, have a _____of this country of our is coming to. People are riding bicycles ...and I actually saw a man riding his plows the other day. Then we read in every paper we chance to pickup about some fellow going somewhere. We have the mail delivered right to our doors by Frank Estes, Oscar Wooten, Carl Williams, John Rhodes and others and here these telephones come, flooding the whole country and every man talking to some other man and often the man's wife or daughter, and - and - what all is going to take place I am not able to see. Then, things happen so fast that before you can get your mouth in shape to tell it something else has happened. Now, let us peg our ears with these corn cobs long enough to think what has taken place since last week. To begin with, Mr. John Dillon was playing with his ax around where some crossties lay and the corner of the ax slipped into his leg just above the knee. Yes, John is limping about and will be well soon. Rev. W. M. Paschal bade these diggins good bye and went to his new home in Lauderdale county. And by the way, we are going to lose another one of our citizens soon. Mr. Frank Lockman is going to move to Selmer. We hate to lose him too. Mr. W. E. Donahoe, one of the best timber men in West Tennessee, returned lately from a few days visit to his daughter's Mrs. Le---__ Bailey of Uptonville, Tenn.

INTERESTING LETTER FROM TEXAS

Omey, Texas March 10, 1931 from Mrs. D. H. Rodgers While reading the letters about old times in the Independent, my mind has gone trailing backward, as far back as I have any knowledge of the history of my ancestors that lived in McNairy County. So I would like to give you something of what has been handed down to me by my mother, also some of my own experience of once living there. My great grandfather, Joseph Garrett, with his family came from South Carolina to McNairy County in 1840 or perhaps even earlier, as we do not know the exact date, settling about one and three- fourths of a mile northwest of where Ramer is now situated, near one of those everlasting springs of pure

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water. (NK Note: this may be what we called Thompson Springs but it was located northeast of Ramer.) As was the custom in those early days, if possible to build near a spring, I'm sure this new home was constructed of logs with a rock or stick and dirt chimney. How I would like to have a picture of it and know more of the inmates that lived there. The house was built on a hill and the spring was in an usually deep ravine some yards below. The road ran between the spring and the house. There was a deep caved-off piece and the road from time to time had to be moved back. In the bottom of this place is where the spring runs out and where is to be found water fit for a king. Also, in this place there is lots of clean fine sand of different colors, in which as children we liked to play. Along the spring branch are big trees of many kinds, or at least when I saw it last, also wild blooming shrubs, flowers and ferns. A veritable bird's paradise. I remember when we were living there, one and half miles south of this old place, how during dry spells of weather, people would drive their cattle and horses for miles around to water at this springs. And sometimes people would go there to wash, load their tubs, pots and kids into the wagon and take their lunch along and make a day of it. This springs has been flowing right along for 90 years and how much longer we do not know. The old house has long since tumbled down or been replaced by another. I don't think there are any signs of a house now on the spot. It is better known to residents as the old Pink Neill place. My grandfather, John Garrett, settled north of this site at what was called the old Dr Thompson place. These families didn't remain here very many years until they decided to move down to Mississippi to make permanent homes. My daughter, Johnnie Rodgers, while visiting at Ramer a few years ago, had her picture made standing near the old springs with her cousin Billie Dancer. My great uncle and aunt William and Una Prather settled two miles southeast of the spring, it was one of the oldest places in the country. They came about the time great grandfather died. It was for many years one of the best kept places in the country. Old Uncle William was a fine farmer and a great manager. He seemed to have lived years ahead of his time, as many of his methods are considered modern now, in some parts of the country. He could reclaim and fertilize a red hillside and on it produce the finest of melons or crops. He kept the finest horses, cows and pigs obtainable. Raised all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Under his immense log house was a big cellar, in which were stored the winter supply of home produced foods, which consisted of barrels of sorghum, kraut, pickles and apples. Also potatoes, onions and dried pumpkin and fruits. The people of today could perhaps learn something from his methods. One of his pet hobbies was to put late watermelons in the cellar and keep them until Christmas. It was a delightful event in our young lives to have an opportunity of being an overnight guest in this dear old fashioned home. It meant sitting around the big open fire place, with its specially cut back logs and maybe pine knots to burn, that put out warmth, light and cheer where we youngsters might study, play quiet games or eat nuts. The big living-bedroom was so cozy with its rag carpets and other furnishings to match, such as the big feather beds, four poster steads and a trundle bed underneath for the boys. Just a brief description of the kitchen of this home would be that it was in a separate log house sitting back some distance from the main house. At one end was the fire place, stove and table on which was always spread with a generous supply of substantial food, where a chance visitor was sure to find a welcome. At the other end of the room was to be seen the loom, spinning wheel, reel and all the things used in those days by the energetic housewife in making clothes for her family. Everything around the place was kept in tip top shape, with a generous supply of everything kept on hand from well filled barns to an over supply of meat in the smoke house, fruits and vegetables in the cellar and wood in the shed. It seems to me now that they were an unusually good managing couple or were they just typical Tennessee farmers. Perhaps they were, but I will admit that we don't have just that

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type in Texas, though we are improving. At the front of this house were two small rooms, one with the cutest little fire place and we were always pleased to be assigned to this room for the night. The other room was used to store bedding, such as coverlids, counterpins and blankets, all handmade by the dear aunt who was an expert at weaving. Uncle William was twice married, first to my great aunt, Una Garrett, the second time to my mother's sister, Aunt Charlotte or Sis as everybody called her, she being much younger than he was. It was in this home that I was a frequent visitor. Besides all her work she found time to beautify the home surroundings with the lovely old fashioned blooming things such as snowball, honeysuckle, lilac and the old time roses. I can still remember the fragrance of her sweet pinks, there was such a great bed of them in the garden along with her sage thyme and other herbs. I like to think back to the time when there were rosy cheeked frolicking girls and boys in this home. What an influence for good such a home as this has on the future generation. Six generations of the Garrett family have lived in this immediate community. Many of whom reside here now and many others have made homes in far away states. What a wonderful change has come about in the history of our civilization in the past 90 years over which my mind has gone trailing back. First by memory and second by history and imagination. Instead of traveling by ox wagon over weary miles of rough road we go spinning down a ribbon of a highway in a luxurious car equipped with lights, heat, radiator and speedometer or go places by sailing through the air in airplanes. Instead of tolling at the spinning wheel we buy our clothes ready made. Instead of going to the spring for water, we turn on the faucet. Instead of burning candles for lights we pull the cord. For heat we turn on the gas. We can even buy most of our food ready to serve. But while we have gained many things we too have lost many, for as Emerson has said, "Where there is a gain, there is a loss." Each reader may figure that out to his own taste.

FROM A FORMER MCNAIRIAN
April 10, 1931

I grew up in the country just west of Stantonville in the years immediately following the Civil War. The name of Burrell McKenzie, a negro referred to among the colored people who formerly lived at Purdy stirred memories of boyhood days. When I knew him Burrell was still living in the cabin on David McKenzie's farm that he had occupied for years before the war. He could beat a Swiss yodeler and early in the morning he could be heard for a mile or more as he went from his cabin to McKenzie's barn. His yodeling was a signal to other Negroes on the place to meet him at the barn to feed and curry the mules and make ready for the day's work. Then when the days work was done he would give Aunt Sally notice in the same way that he was coming home, ready for the hoe-cakes and other things she had prepared for him. Mr. McKenzie kept a nice pack of fox hounds and frequently, either alone or with company, would enjoy a fox chase. Burrell enjoyed a fox chase as much as any hound in the pack. He always went along on foot and when the hounds struck a tree he would encourage them along with shoops, which were, perhaps, the model for the famous Rebel Yell. When a fox was treed, Burrell was usually there ahead of those on horseback. Thomas R. Beck lived on the road just west of Stantonville. He was Clerk and Master of the Chancery Court and went to Purdy once a week to attend the duties of his office. He would also be in his office on the first Mondays and on public days. North of Mr. Beck across Clear Creek lived Uncle John Cobb. We usually referred to him as "Uncle" in those days as he was past fifty. I remember Mr. Cobb especially in connection with a pear tree that grew in his yard. It produced a prolific crop almost every year of small but delicious pears. Mr.

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Cobb never thought of selling them but gave them freely to the neighbors. And the boys of the neighborhood never failed to avail themselves of his generosity when the pears were ripe. Hiram Laton lived on the road east of Stantonville. An incident which made an impression on my boyish mind is associated with the removal of Mr. Laton's family to Texas. Many Tennesseans in those days went to Texas and the Laton family was in this numbers. They went overland so they would have their horses, farming implements and household goods when ready to locate. A large yellow dog belonged to the family and, of course, went along. He served as a faithful watch dog along the way. But after the family located in Texas the old dog evidently did not like the monotony of the prairies, the jack rabbits that would run off and leave him when he attempted to chase them. So he set out alone and made his way back to the old home at Stantonville. We never knew whether he swam the river at Memphis or beat his way on the ferry boat but he reached home before_________. When I first knew Stantonville, there was a general store, a saloon, a blacksmith shop and a tan yard, all located on the little plat of level land west of the spring branch. The general store, saloon and tan yard, north of the road and the shop south. When the saloon went out of business with the passage of the ‘Four Mile Law,’ Dr J. C. McConnell, who lived on the hill just east of the spring, taught a school there and whatever I remember or forget about it I shall never forget one day when some of the larger boys were running and jumping across the spring branch. It looked easy and tried it. Just as I reached the branch, someone made a noise that attracted my attention, but I was too close to the branch to stop and so plunged in. The water was possibly two feet deep and I was soaking wet when I crawled out. Luckily it was summertime and he saw my plight, the kind-hearted Doctor smiled and sent me home for some dry clothes. Sufficient interest was aroused in the cause of education so the citizens of the community acquired a plat of the ground at the forks of the road, a quarter of a mile east of the original location and built a better schoolhouse than the little log house which had been vacated by the saloon. Elder T. B. Latimore, who was then a comparatively young man, was engaged to teach the first school at the new Stantonville school house. R. P. and Henry Meeks were students in the new school at the same time I was. But they were young men when I was a boy about ten years of age. They say a disposition to reminisce is characteristic of old age. So I had better stop before some one jumps to the conclusion that I am in my dotage.

R. B. LAIN TELLS OF OLDEN DAYS
May 8, 1931

R. B. Lain, one of our old friends and who has been a subscriber to the Independent for a long, long time was in to see us Saturday afternoon. He is an enthusiastic citizen of the old Buena Vista community and has always taken a progressive stand on all matters affecting community and county. While in the office he was a bit reminiscent and we enjoyed talking with him. He recalled the days when in 1877, he went to school to the late M. R. Abernathy, then a young man about 30 years of age. The school was taught in an old frame one room school building on the side of the old fort in southeast Bethel Springs. The old teacher lived just to the southeast of the school building and the old house still stands but the old school house is gone. Mr. Lain called the names of many of the students who went to that school. Among the names he called James L. Littlefield; James L Sanders; John Wesley Pickens; John R, Georgia and Minnie Thrasher; E. F., Ben, James, John and Euphia Hendrix the children of the late Thoddy Hendrix; Alice, Dee and Florence Kernodle; Jobe Rhodes; Laura, Sallie, John and Sam Newsom; Mrs. Charity Stovall Hendrix; Bob, Charlie and Euphia Turner; W. J. and Terry Abernathy; Tom Cheshier; Dr Jim Parrish;

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Mrs. Mattie Tatum Motley; Fayette and Newton Cheatham; J. L. and Euphia Hendrix. That was more than fifty years ago and a half century of living has wrought many changes in the old town of Bethel Springs. A new generation has come upon the scene. Bethel Springs, with its splendid citizenship, wrote much of the county's history after that date. At the time of which Mr. Lain spoke, Rutherford B. Hayes was President of the United States and it was the year after the celebration at Philadelphia of the Centennial of American Independence. In that old home by the old schoolhouse was born the fifth child in the Abernathy household, Mrs. Mary Abernathy Steadman and she is now a grandmother. But the more you think many more are the memories that rush upon you.

WHY JIM AND IRA LEFT ADAMSVILLE

We fished a lot at Stanley Creek, which was a small stream one mile from Adamsville. We had one special hole in this stream in which we fished a great deal. So one day in June our old fishing companion, an old man, came over and suggested we go fishing. Ira did not want to go but by a lot of persuasion from myself and our old friend, we got him to go with us. Well, of course we told him of our special fishing hole which was a big drift in the creek. We fished with light lines and for bait we used red worms. We all lined up on the bank and told our old friend how to catch perch and told him how they would pull when he once hung one of them. We had not been there more than ten minutes when he got a bite and I winked at Ira and said to the friend "pull hard" and he did and hung an old hard shell mud turtle, tore up the drift and threw the turtle away out in the field. We all went out and cut the hook of the turtle's mouth and asked our companion about turtles. We ask him if a turtle could be trained and would it make a pet The fisherman told us a story about a pet turtle he saw in the early settling of this county when it was populated with Indians and in the south part of this county was a tribe of Indians and the old Indian Chief's name was Cypress and that he had a pet mud turtle and he was so trained that he could follow along far behind him when he went out hunting and when he killed a deer or bear he would just lay them on the old mud turtle's back and he would walk slowly back to the chief's hut with the game. Ira asked him how he fed the turtle. He said "well in those days, there were lots of wild hogs in this county and the old turtle would go down in the swamp and sink himself up in the mud, leave his lower jaw level with the mud, his upper vertically raised, his mouth open and then the Indian chief would scatter Indian corn around the turtle and some in his mouth and go back to his hut and after a while an old sow and pigs would come feeding along. They would walk right into the old turtle's mouth, and of course, naturally, he would close his mouth, devouring the sow and pigs. So, when the white men drove the Indians out of this county, west, they all were in a hurry and the old chief's pet walked so slow he left him. For a long time he would walk over the hills and through the swamps of the south part of McNairy county alone looking for the old Indian chief. Finally, the white people began to come into this section and the south part of the county. There was lots of fine timber in that section so they put in a sawmill and begin cutting timber in the hills and swamps. One day this old turtle walked up to the log camp. He was so large they decided to capture him and took a log chain, threw it around his neck, tied it to a big log and left him. They went back to camp, in about half an hour and looked around, here came the turtle dragging the saw log. They saw he was so big they just used him in the boggy places to pull their logs up to the mill for years. After they were through cutting timber the mill was moved. All left and had killed all the wild hogs. Again the old turtle was left alone. Ira and myself talked for years about the old mud turtle and they cut ditches in our creek bottom,

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drained the creek dry, ruined our fishing hole and we decided to leave Adamsville. Ira went to Oklahoma in search of the old Indian Chief. I stopped in Selmer. After living in Selmer a few years I was talking to my friend, Luther Blankenship, who lives in the south part of this county and was telling him this story and he told me he had the head of this old mud turtle. He found it at an old log camp on Cypress creek. We suppose the old pet died from starvation as he had nothing to eat since they had killed all of the wild hogs. He said the natives made ----- canes out of the old turtles ------and it looked like they had used the shell for a mill-pond. Now friends anytime you want to see the old pet turtle's head, I have it on display in the lobby of the Odorless Dry Cleaners Plant. Ira showed me a picture of Peter ------ in our old first reader when we were boys and it said he was a great story teller and I learned about stories from him.

MCNAIRY COUNTY COURT 1865 MARY FERGUSON VS NANCY JANE FERGUSON # 1 A J Ferguson, died in 186- leaving Mary A Ferguson, widow, James H, Nancy Jane, Frederick S, Mary Ann, Eliza, Victoria, Ephraim, Louisa and William, the last eight which are minors. This case states land has never been assigned and guardians have not been appointed for the minors.

LIST OF NAMES POLLED IN THE COUNTY ELECTION
IN MCNAIRY COUNTY, AUGUST 3, 1916 (some districts out of order)

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DISTRICT 1: KING, J. F. RUSSELL, S. A.
BASHAM, T. J. KING, L. A. RUSSELL, W. F.
BELL, CLAUD KIRK, C. J. SMITH, J. N.
BELL, HENRY SMITH, W. N.
KIRK, A. C.
BELL, J. A. STEADMAN F.
KIRK, A. J.
BIRCE, E. J. STEADMAN, T. F.
KIRK, C. L.
BIRCE, W. L. STEADMAN, W. L.
KIRK, E. P.
BLANKENSHIP, F. L. STEADMAN. O. C.
KIRK, H. S.
BLANKENSHIP, J. E. TACKETT, T. T.
KIRK, J. A.
BLASINGAME, J. W. TACKETT, W. J.
KIRK, L. V.
BOATMAN, J. A. TAYLOR, F. J.
KIRK, N. A.
BOATMAN, W. E. TAYLOR, G. W.
KIRK, R. S.
BOATMAN, W. T. TAYLOR, J. C.
KIRK, R. S. JR
BODIFORD, S. TAYLOR, L. D.
KIRK, W. J. N.
BOYETTE, O. L. TAYLOR, O. A.
LACEFIELD, T. J.
BROWDER, HENRY TAYLOR, R. W.
LACEFIELD, W. A.
CANADY, R. W. WALLACE, R. D.
LANCASTER, W. E.
CLAYTON, F. M. WHALEY, W. F.
LOCK, E. J.
CLAYTON, R. L. YARBERY, A. M.
LOCK, L. D.
CLAYTON, W. E.
LOCK, S. M.
COLEMAN, I. L. JR SECOND DISTRICT
LOCK, V. M.
COLEMAN, I. L. SR ROSECREEK
MATHIS, WILL
COLEMAN, J. C. E. --------, FLETCH
MCALPIN, C. A.
COLEMAN, J. N. ABERNATHY, J. W.
MCALPIN, J. C.
COLEMAN, W. L. ARMOUR, SID
MCALPIN, R. O.
CROCKER, F. M. BASHAM, J. F.
MCALPIN, S. T. L.
DOLES, JOHN, BLAKELY, W. B.
MCALPIN, W. O.
DUNAWAY, W. C. BRINT, FRANK
MCCLEARY, E. N.
EADS, C. M. BROWN, D. W.
MCGEE, W. A.
EAVIES, H. L. BROWN, U. S.
MCMAHAN, A. J.
FERGUSON, E. D. BRUMELY, J. C.
MILSTEAD, D. C.
FERGUSON, E. H. BUDLONG, L. D.
MILSTEAD, G. F.
FERGUSON, F. P. CAMPBELL, J. H.
MILSTEAD, J. A.
FERGUSON, J. S. CAMPBELL, L. H.
MILSTEAD, J. C.
FERGUSON, W. A. CAMPBELL, T. W.
MILSTEAD, O. H.
FLANIGAN, R. E. CAMPBELL, W. W.
MINTON, M. F.
FORTUNE, A. G. CAUSEY, D. M.
MORPHIS, C. M.
FORTUNE, J. E. CAUSEY, W. H.
MORPHIS, F. J.
FOSTER, A. J. CLIFTON, M. A.
MULLENS, G. W.
FOSTER, ALLEN CLIFTON, M. S.
NETHERY, T. W.
GIBSON, L. H. CLIFTON, R. H.
NIXON, G. W.
GIBSON, W. D. CLIFTON, W. G.
POWELL, M. C.
GOOCH, R. L. COATS, O. H.
PRINCE, W. L.
GRANT, W. C. COATS, SETH
RICHARDS, J. C.
GURLEY, T. F. COOPER, TOM
RICHARDSON, S. W.
HANNA, J. S. COTHRAN, D. R.
ROBERSON, S. L.
HEAD, W. H. COX, J. A.
ROBERTS, F. M.
HENDERSON, J. N. COX, J. N.
ROBINSON, W. E. J.
INGLE, L. C. COX, J. R.
ROBINSON, W. M.
JOHNSON, C. J. COX, N. B.
RUSSELL, M. A.
KENNEDY, W. R. COX, W. H.
RUSSELL, R. A.
KING, J. E. CURTIS, FRED

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DILLON, J. E. MCINTYRE, R. A.
HOWELL, BEN
DILLON, J. F. MCINTYRE, TROY
HOWELL, J. H.
DILLON, J. F. MCINTYRE, W. O.
HUCKABEE, MACK
DILLON, JOHN JR. MILLER, J. C.
HUCKABEE, R.
DONHOE, J. W. MITCHELL, A. L.
HUCKABEE, R. G.
DONOHOE, F. C. MITCHELL, F. F.
HURST, JASPER
DUNAWAY, CHAS MITCHELL, J. N.
HURST, LOUIS
ESTES, D. B. MITCHELL, J. R.
INGLE, J. W.
ESTES, T. L. MITCHELL, WILLIE
INGLE, JOHN
ESTES, W. G. MOORE A. L.
INGLE, W. S.
EVANS, L. D. MOORE, A. M.
INGLE, WILOBY
FERGUSON, NEELEY MOORE, B. L.
ISABELL, C. N.
FLOWERS, A. J. MOORE, BOB
ISABELL, O. J.
FLOWERS, H. V. MOORE, C. A.
ISABELL, W. D.
FLOWERS, J. H. MOORE, G. L.
ISBELL, LEE
FLOWERS, R. H. MOORE, GEORGE
JERNIGAN, G. W.
FLOYD, J. D. MOORE, H. C.
JOPLIN, AMOS
FLOYD, J. R. MOORE, HENRY
KING, A. L.
FLOYD, NEELY MOORE, J. A.
KING, F.
FORTUNE, C. C. MOORE, J. B.
KING, GEO
FOSTER, I. H. MOORE, J. C.
KING, J. F.
FOSTER, JOE MOORE, J. D.
KING, J. L.
GADBERRY, M. MOORE, J. D. SR.
KING, M. A.
GAY, BRYANT MOORE, J. E.
KIZER, DAVE
GIBBS, SAM MOORE, J. L.
KIZER, DEE
GILLESPIE, DOCK MOORE, J. L.
KIZER, JOE
GOINGS, T. F. MOORE, L. M.
KIZER, N. J.
GOOCH, J. A. MOORE, T. P.
KIZER, W. H.
GRAHAM, H. E. MOORE, W. M.
LAUGHLIN, J. M.
GRANTHAM, J. H. MOORE, WALTER
LAUGHLIN, JOHN
GRANTHAM, SAM NICHOLS, D. P.
LEONARD, BRUCE
GRAY, J. P. NIXON, B. K.
LEONARD, C. E.
GRAY, T. J. NIXON, R. D.
LEONARD, J. H.
HARDIN, W. D. NIXON, WALTER
LEONARD, J. L.
HARDIN, W. L. PERKINS, J. H.
LEWIS, J. B.
HARRIS, E. L. PRICE, J. C.
LOCK, B. C.
HAWKINS, L. B. PRICE, R. C.
LOCK, L. B.
HAYNES, T. A. PRICE, STANTON
LOCKMAN, W. R.
HENDRIX, J. E. PRICE, W. D.
LORANCE, I. M.
HENSON, G. W. RAY, ARLIE
LOWRANCE, C. N.
HENSON, J. D. RAY, F. S.
MAYFIELD, J. H.
HENSON, N. S. RAY, J. M.
MAYFIELD, J. M.
HENSON, P. L. RAY, W. M.
MCALPIN, C. L.
HENSON, W. A. ROBESON, J. A.

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WHITTEN, LOLA SMITH, W. E.
WILKES, FRANK THIRD DISTRICT KERBY SPENSER, G. W.
WILLIAMS, G. D. PRECINCT TULL, C. H.
WILLIAMS, J. E. TULL, C. M.
WILLIAMS, JOHN ARCHER, B. B. TULL, C. R.
WILSON, D. H. ARCHER, D. M. TULL, J. D.
WILSON, J. H. BROWN, ABE WHITLEY, W. E.
BROWN, ROBT WILSON, W.O.
SECOND DISTRICT CAMPBELL, R. C. WOODS, J. C.
HUNTERS STORE ESTES, G. W.
FLOYD, JOHN FOURTH DISTRICT
BELL, FRANK GARNER, A. D.

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HOUSTON, R. L. REEDER, J. C.
INGLE, H. T. REEDER, J. H. FIFTH DISTRICT
INGLE, J. W. REEDER, J. W. GRAVEL HILL PRECINCT
JOHNSON, H. B. REEDER, R. S.

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HUGGINS, J. B. EMMONS, T. C.
HUGGINS, JOE R. ESTILL, J. W. SIXTH DISTRICT
HUGGINS, P. J. FARRIS, J. C. SELMER PRECINCT
JONES, J. V. FARRIS, JOE

PHELPS, B. A. BAKER, D. M.
FIFTH DISTRICT PINKSTON, J. T. BAKER, H. J. D.

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WILSON, GIB INMAN, G. W. R.
WOLF, J. H. 7TH DISTRICT INMAN, J. C.
WOLF, J. H. SR PURDY PRECINCT INMAN, J. M.
WOLF, N. H. INMAN, JON C.

BELL, J. M. JOPLING, LAURENCE
6TH DISTRICT BOYD, J. W. JOPLING, V. A.
FALCON PRECINCT BROWDER, A. F. JOPLING, W. E.
BROWDER, L. R. JOPLING, W. W.

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HILL, R. H. PLUNK, BOB
HILL, S. E. PLUNK, D. F.
8TH DISTRICT HILL, W. R. PLUNK, H. A.
FINGER PRECINCT HODGES, H. D. PLUNK, N. A.
HODGES, H. F. PLUNK, O. M.

DICKEY, E. L. MORGAN, W. H.
DICKEY, G. F. MORRIS, E. E. 9TH DISTRICT
DICKEY, G. W. MORRIS, R. M. DARNELL SPRINGS
DICKEY, J. R. MORRIS, T. L.
DICKEY, W. A. NAYLOR, G. L. ABERNATHY, J. J.

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COLN, B. D. MANUEL, J. D.
COLN, CHESTER MANUEL, J. R. 9TH DISTRICT
COLN, I. C. MARLER, C. P. PEBBLE HILL
COLN, J. A. MARLER, HUGH

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HURLEY, W. P. COOK, J. A.
JORDAN, C. R. CRABTREE, J. A.
10TH DISTRICT
JORDAN, L. M. CRABTREE, J. M.
STANTONVLLE PRECINCT
KENDRICK, J. W. CULVER, J. W.
LEE, C. S. DANCER, J. H.
ADKINS, W. R.
LEE, G. W. DICKEY, T. M.
ALLISON, C. J.
LEE, R. E. DILLON, J. L.
BARNES, D. W.
LITTLEJOHN, W. L. ELAM, A. B.
BARNES, J. C.
LUSTER, GARFIELD ELAM, C. R.
BARNES, R. S.
MARLER, ODEL ELAM, J. W.
BARNES, T. D.
MCLEOD, W. E. ELAM, W. C.
BASHART, J. W.
MILLS, M. M. ERWIN, D. N.
BEARDEN, J. K.
MOORE, J. D. ERWIN, L. M.
BLASINGAME, G. B.
MOORE, J. R. ERWIN, L. M.
BOSHART, J. R.
MOORE, J. W. ERWIN, N. D.
BOSHART, U. R.
MOORE, W. C. EVANS, BOB
BRITTON, J. L.
MOORE, W. T. FANN, W. M.
BRITTON, J. W.
MURRY, A. W. FLATT, F. P.

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MCDANIEL, W. L. SMITH, H. J.
MCKENZIE, A. C. SMITH, R. S. 10 TH DISTRICT

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LAWTON PRECINCT SANDERS, J. L. GARNER, J. W.
SANDERS, R. M. GEAN, J. H.
SAUNDERS, W. A. HAIR, C. R.

GILCHRIST, W. A. KERBY, J. B.

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STEVENS, J. E. JAMERSON, J. E.
SURRATT, G. L. JOHNSON, D. G. 13TH DISTRICT
SURRATT, J. G. JOHNSON, R. M. WEATHERFORDS
SWAIM, J. H. KENNEDY, C. W.

MOORE, W. A. EVANS, WILL
12TH DISTRICT MOORE, W. N. GARDNER, A. N.
MT ZION MORRIS, J. S. GARRETT, J. E.
MORRIS, N. M. GILTON, P. F.

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HURLEY, H. R. SPRINGER, W. W.
14TH DISTRICT HURLEY, J. F. STANFIELD, J. T.
CHEWALLA PRECINCT HURLEY, J. I. SUGGS, B. F.
HURLEY, L. A. SUGGS, C. A.

BAXTER, W. A. KING, GROVER
BENNETT, D. D. KING, J. L. 14TH DISTRICT
BENNETT, R. A. KING, J. M. GUYS PRECINCT
BENNETT, V. L. KING, L. D.
BLANKENSHIP, E. L. KING, P. J. ALEXANDER, HENRY

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LUSTER, S. H. COPELAND, J. M.
LUSTER, WILL 15th DISTRICT COTTONER, R. L.
LUSTER, WILL ADAMSVILLE COWER, C. F.
MARONEY, MOSE COX, A. S.

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TAYLOR, J. C. JACKSON, J. B.
TAYLOR, MORRIS JETER, J. C. 17TH DISTRICT
TAYLOR, W. E. KEEN, J. N. MCNAIRY PRECINCT
TIDWELL, C. G. LEDFORD, R. W.

ROBINSON, J. N. HENRY, A. C.
16TH DISTRICT STEGALL, W. B. HENRY, C. H.
ROCKY KNOB SURRATT, F. B. HENRY, J. R.
TACKER, DALTON HENRY, JOEL

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MITCHELL, J. E. MERRELL, R. M.
MOORE, W. T. 18TH DISTRICT MILLSAPS,. M. J.
MOSLEY, WILL CYPRESS PRECINCT MOHONDRO, P. J.
OVERMAN, E. M. MULLENS, M. N.

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WREN, WM. N. FULGHAM, A. G. KERNODLE
WRIGHT, A. L. GAGE, C. C. KERNODLE, J. B.
YOUNG, D. B. GAGE, C. R. KING, J. R.
GAGE, H. D. KING, W. A.

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SANDERS, A. M. WALKER, J. H. SANDERS, ALFORD WHARTON, R. E. SANDERS, SAM WHITE, C. C. SMALLWOOD, H. P. ? WILLIAMS, A. WATERMELONS Cypress - farmers are a little slow about getting their Do you remember how much fun it was to sneak work on account of so much rain. Rev. L. V. Kirk of into your neighbor’s watermelon patch? In 1913 Carbondale, Ill is visiting his son, J. S. Kirk and that was ‘a time in jail crime.’ daughter Mrs. A. H. Crocker, this week. Mrs. R. S. Delaney and daughter Missess Irene and Edna Mai, spent last week with the former’s father at Burnsville, Miss. S. W. Richardson was in Ramer last Saturday. Sandbox James Crocker, Jr made a trip to Fortune’s Store August 1, 1913 Saturday. Mrs. Decia Kennedy was in the Kirk A couple of roasting ear (corn) and watermelon community last week. Otis Kirk visited his sister thieves from near Stantonville were lodged in Mrs. Nettie Foust of Burnsville, Miss. Johnnie Smith jail Monday. This should be a warning. They and family attended our egg hunt at Union Chapel were said to be professionals. (McNairy Indp. Sunday. Appeal) Sat. Indep Appeal no date SHOOTING AFFAIR -MAY 12, 1905 Russell Dancer and Jim Burns, two young men living in the vicinity of Stantonville had from accounts became estranged on account of a certain young lady, who had been the subject of their attention. Burns seemed to hold the inside track, which angered Dancer, who on Tuesday waylaid the road as Burns came along and attacked him and giving him a dubbing when Burns drew his little gun and shot him. (Independent Appeal)

LESSON: DON’T LIKE A GIRL IF SOMEONE
ELSE LIKES HER FIRST

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YOU ARE NOT A PIG IF YOU EAT SOME CHOCOLATE.
PIGS HAVE FOUR LEGS.

MCNAIRY COUNTY, TN CHANCERY COURT
CHARLIE HARWELL VS MARGARET HARWELL
DIVORCE PETITION , 1880 , DOCKET 438

Charles Harwell filed a petition for divorce on March 30, 1880. They married December 29, 1876 and lived together until July 1878. He stated she had an uncontrollable temper. She stated that he took up with Harriet Hill in July 1878. R S Harwell signed a bond for $250.00 with Charlie. He applied for divorce by accusing her but the divorce was granted on grounds of his adultery on October 8, 1880. Margaret was given custody of the two daughters but they were listed with him on the 1880 census. McNairy County marriage Book G pg 26, Charley Harwell married Margaret Williams Dec 29, 1876, D R Hurst, JP and Jerry Hurst bondsman. Marriage Book C page 447, Charley Harwell married Harriat Hill Dec 19, 1880by Rev H Burns and Henry Davis bondsman.

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Muddy Roads and McNairy County Schools in the 1920's
by Nancy Wardlow Kennedy

Taken from Muddy Roads, Bureaucrats and Politics: The Trials and Tribulations of a
Rural Tennessee School Superintendent in the 1920's by William R. Majors and
published by the West Tennessee Historical Society, Memphis State University.

The one-room wooden school house, so much a part of our history, is a thing of the past. Modern structures are now common place. Hard surfaced roads in rural McNairy County have encouraged school consolidation and pupils today are transported long distances. Teachers are college graduates, certified by the state. Gains of the last 70 years are taken for granted and most of us never realize our rural schools were in a very primitive state just a few years ago. In the 1920's, McNairy County was rural and agricultural. Most people were small farmers row cropping the staples, cotton, corn and raising hogs. The population was 18,350 and Selmer contained less than 600 people. There were several villages and numerous smaller communities built around crossroads and churches. Although the county had an advantage of an important railroad, local communication and transportation was slow and uncertain. There were very few miles of all-weather roads. Most county roads were inadequate and often homes and entire villages were isolated by high waters and muddy roads in rainy seasons. Schools have existed in McNairy County since 1823; however, the county's public school system came into being in 1873 when the General Assembly created a permanent school fund and the county court elected the first superintendent that same year. The superintendent elected in August 1924 was Cordia Lee Majors of Ramer. He attended local elementary schools and then completed secondary courses at Adamsville Normal College, thus qualifying him to teach the primary grades. He had to "room and board" at Bethel

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Springs in order to attend high school. He received his diploma in 1914 at the age of 24. Meanwhile, he taught in one room country schools during the summer months to help pay his subsistence at Bethel Springs. Upon finishing high school he was asked to be principal at a high school just being established at Ramer. His career was interrupted in 1917 by induction into the army in WWI but he returned in time to graduate the first class at Ramer High School, a class of four. In September 1924, C. L. Majors began the first of two two-year terms by occupying the offices of McNairy County's chief educational officer, a single room on the second floor of the bank building on Court Ave in Selmer. He was the entire staff until 1927 when the school board provided him with some clerical assistance. In the 1920's, the school system was governed by an elected board of seven members, each representing a defined district and each informally controlling school matters in his district. At the beginning of this administration, there were approximately 96 schools with over 5,300 pupils. There were 5 white four year high schools and 4 junior high schools but there were no black secondary schools. The high schools operated on a nine month year but the elementary schools were in session only four months a year. More than two-thirds of the elementary schools were one teacher schools. The average expenditure per child per year was $16.00. The average teacher salary was less than $400 per year. The new superintendent inherited a system with dilapidated schools and pupil transportation was in a primitive state and it hardly could have been otherwise considering the quality of our roads. Transportation contracted to private individuals using either covered wagons or trucks with enclosed beds. The average daily attendance was well below enrollment. A combination of factors contributed to low attendance. Undoubtedly many parents saw no special need for education and did not encourage attendance. Often absence from the need for labor at home. A healthy child was an asset on the farm, especially at planting and harvest time. Bad weather, bad roads and epidemic diseases also held down attendance. Attendance was crucial in the small one teacher school where is some instances average daily attendance fell to nine or less, requiring consolidation with another school. Resources and facilities for schools in McNairy County in 1924 were indeed limited, but Majors became chief education officer at a favorable time. The public was beginning to demonstrate concern over the condition of schools and Majors had the opportunity to preside at a time of significant improvements. The General Assembly passed several measures in 1925: the length was established at eight months, the salary of teachers increased, licensing of teachers standardized, the school fund increased and a general building program begun. McNairy County quickly adopted the eight month school year. In order to accommodate the need for labor at harvest time, schools opened in July for about two months, then dismissed for about six weeks for "cotton picking time" before resuming. Need for improvement was nowhere more evident than in the quality of school buildings. The county possessed only three brick buildings. The majority were box or frame structures. The building were hot and stuffy in warm weather, cold and drafty in the winter. All schools were heated by wood burning stoves. In a survey in 1927, Majors concluded that 22 new building were desperately needed. Sanitary facilities were appalling even by the standard of the day. Not one single building had

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running water, 63 had wells and 33 relied on natural springs for water. Only four schools had approved sanitary outdoor toilets. Most were classified as unsanitary and there were many that had no toilets, presumably bushes at least provided privacy. The building needs were almost unobtainable and required imagination and aggressive leadership on the part of Majors. Much of his energy and time went into the improved of our school buildings. Fortunately, rising revenues enabled the school board to devote more money for construction and repair. Funds for construction and remodeling increased from $4,000 in 1924 to $22,000 in 1927. Unfortunately, Majors did not have the pleasure of seeing his building program brought to fruition because he left office in September 1928. Despite the onset of the age of specialization in school planning and construction, building rural schools still had to rely on voluntary contributions of materials and labor on the part of the parents. The required patron contribution was clearly defined in 1923: "The Board will furnish flooring, ceiling, siding shingles, doors and windows and all finishing materials. The patrons to furnish all foundation and framing timbers and to erect the building upon an approved plan, without cost to the County, and the patrons to do all the hauling of material free of charge." Teachers were expected to be moral examples for our youth and this meant teachers should be active in and regular in attendance in church and in all cases lead an exemplar life. Some problems were unique and required the wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job. One such problem: "Dear Sir: We have several cases of itch in the Mackey school, the ones that have it won't stop school, there-fore; those that don't want it are having to stop." C. L. Majors brought the educational system a dynamic and innovative quality of leadership. He succeeded in improving school facilities and the competence of teachers. High school enrollment grew approximately 63 percent. In August 1928, Majors lost his bid for a third term in a bitter campaign. Perhaps his leadership was too aggressive and changes were made too rapidly, perhaps increased taxes to pay for the improvements was a factor, consolidation may have been a factor. Whatever the reason, Majors left office with the knowledge that he had succeeded in achieving significant improvements in the public schools and he left his mark on the education system in McNairy County.

MCNAIRY COUNTY COURT, 1908 – ESTATE OF H. N. EMMONS
FRED EMMONS VS ROBERT E EMMONS, OUR CASE NO 172

H N Emmons died intestate in McNairy County on — October 1902, leaving Mrs R P Emmons, his widow, Fred Emmons, Robert E Emmons, Nixon Emmons, Wes Emmons, Josie Sanders and J C Sanders, all residents of McNairy County, Tenn and J L Emmons, resident of Texas. Land was sold Monday, Dec 14, 1908 at the front door of the court house in Selmer, Tenn. Being lots no 9, 10, 11 in block C of the original plat of Selmer. A suit was also filed against the Barber Buggy Co by James, Fred and Nixon Emmons Jan 1902, No 29. Which was purchased from P H Thrasher for $600.00 January 1894. Some of the items purchased from F P Browder by Mrs H N Emmons beginning in 1894\5: white lead, linseed oil, paint brush, Prussian blue paint, medicine, rock candy, caster oil, coffee, eggs, nutmeg, washpan, coal oil, bar of soap, turpentine, bottle of healing oil, 1 load manure, hamm, matches, colored

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