History of Dyer County Tennessee United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Dyer County Tennessee, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Dyer County was erected on October 16, 1823, from the Western District and was named in honor of Col. Henry Dyer. It was organized in October, 1824 and, in accordance with a provision of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions and of the Circuit Court, were held at the house of John Warrens until 1826, when they were held in Dyersburg, the county seat. The magistrates of the first court were: John Rutherford, Benj. Porter, John D. Burrus, Wm. Lyrrell, and Dr. Thomas Hash. The chairman was John Rutherford, and the clerk Wm. Mitchell.

The first settlement was made in 820 at Key Corner,35 now in Lauderdale County. The second settlement, in 1821, was made about four miles east of Dyersburg by Geo. Davis, Wm. Martin, Jerry Pierce, and Willis Chamberlain.

Dyersburg was laid off in 1825 and incorporated in 1826.

It is believed that the first house in the county was of logs and built by Elias Dement.

Statistics of Dyer County: Population, 1920, 29,983. Assessed valuation of taxable property, 1921, $17,819,244. Area, 495 square miles. Number of farms, 3,922. Railway mileage, 69. Bounded on the west by the Mississippi River and well drained by smaller streams. It is hilly, rolling and level, and is one of the most fertile counties in the state. Well adapted to the production of cereals, cotton, and other crops. Intersected by the Illinois Central Railroad and the Birmingham and Northwestern. Staple products are cotton, corn, wheat, potatoes, hay, lumber and live stock. Dyersburg, the county seat, has a population of 6,444, and is a flourishing town, on both railroads, and seventy-six miles north of Memphis. It is a manufacturing town, and has fine schools and churches, three banks, a weekly newspaper, and prosperous commercial establishments. Newbern has a population of 1,767, good schools, churches, a weekly newspaper, two banks, manufacturing and commercial enterprises. Scholastic population of county, 10,769; high schools, 10; elementary schools, 75.

From: Moore, John Trotwood. Tennessee, The Volunteer State, 1769-1923. Vol. 1. Chicago, IL, USA: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1923.

History of Dyer County Tennessee

Local History Notes:

Local History and Genealogy Links: