USA > Tennessee > Hickman County > A history of Hickman County, Tennessee > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
388
HISTORY OF HICKMAN COUNTY, TENN.
as the commissioners appointed at the previous session of the Legislature. The town which they were to lay out was, however, given the name " Centerville." Provisions were made for the removal of the public business, records, etc., to Centerville. William Eas- ley, William Phillips, and Charles Bowen, of Hick- man County, were appointed umpires to aid in the selection of a location for the seat of justice for Perry County. The musty records of the second session of this General Assembly, which met in 1822, convey a faint idea of the bitter fight which was then being waged in Hickman County over the removal of the county seat. The commissioners appointed at the previous session, or a part of them, had selected the present site of Centerville as the place for the perma- nent seat of justice for the county, and the town was already being built on the forty-six acres donated by John C. McLemore and the fifteen acres donated by Charles Stewart. The Centerville faction of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions held court at Centerville on the second Monday in July, 1822; while the Vernon faction held court at Vernon on the same day. On July 31 Representative David Crockett presented a petition to the Legislature from members of the Hickman County Court praying that the seat of justice remain at Vernon. This was sup- plemented by " a petition from citizens living north of the Hickman County line asking to be annexed to said County." This was an attempt to throw the cen- ter of the county farther north ; but this was counter-
389
OUR LEGISLATORS.
acted by a like petition from citizens living south of the line, presented on August 5 by Senator Walker. One week later Representative Crockett presented a " petition of sundry citizens of Vernon asking that said town may continue the seat of justice." On August 17 an Act was passed to the effect that " all the tract of country lying north of the following described bounds shall remain a part of Hickman County : Beginning on the southeast corner of the Hickman County line on the old Natchez Road, run- ning with this road to Griner's Old Stand, thence eastwardly on top of ridge between head waters of Swan and Buffalo, extending on with said ridge be- tween the head waters of Cane Creek and Trace Creek (of Lawrence County), so as to include Raccoon Creek in Hickman County, to the east boundary line of Perry County, thence north with Perry County line to the northwest corner of Hickman County." This fixed beyond controversy the true boundaries of the county, and James Young and William Carothers, Sr. (uncle of William H. Carothers), were added to the commission, appointed at the previous session, to determine the center of the county and establish a per- manent seat of justice. It was provided that, in the event of a tie vote, the County Court was to elect another member to give the casting vote. The loss of county records by fire during the Civil War leaves no records showing whether the commission agreed, or . whether the battle was finished at a session of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions. Vernon, how-
390
HISTORY OF HICKMAN COUNTY, TENN.
ever, gained a temporary victory by the Act of August 22, which, while it legalized the acts of both the court held at Centerville during July and that held at Ver- non, provided that processes from the court at Center- ville should be returnable to Vernon, which was to remain the county seat pending the action of the com- missioners. Senator Walker presented the petition of James Peery. It stated that he had placed his warrant on lands already entered, and at the end of a long lawsuit had lost them too late to make applica- tion to the commissioners of West Tennessee for an- other location. He asked that provision be made for him to have other lands. Hickman, Humphreys, Stewart, Dickson, Montgomery, and Robertson Coun- ties were constituted the Eighth Congressional Dis- trict.
In the Fifteenth General Assembly, which convened at Murfreesboro on September 15, 1823, Hickman County was represented in the Senate by Thomas Williamson, this county then being in a senatorial district with Lawrence, Wayne, Hardin, Madison, and Shelby Counties. In the House of Representatives it was represented by William Crisp, of Lawrence County. William B. Carter, Aaron V. Brown, Will- iam Hall, Felix Grundy, and James K. Polk were members of this General Assembly, as was also David Crockett, who at this time represented Humphreys, Perry, and eight West Tennessee counties. Robert Weakley, who was with Edwin Hickman at the time of the latter's death near Centerville, was speaker of
391
OUR LEGISLATORS.
the Senate. Robert L. Caruthers, who in 1863 was elected Governor of Tennessee, was clerk of the House of Representatives. Andrew Jackson was elected United States Senator. The counties of Montgomery, Robertson, Stewart, Dickson, Hum- phreys, and Hickman were formed into the Tenth Electoral District. Richard (" Kettle Dick ") An- derson was authorized to build a fish dam and trap across Duck River. The commissioners for establish- ing a seat of justice for the county of Hickman were authorized to sell the jail and courthouse at Vernon to the highest bidder, on a credit of twelve months. Edward Nunnellee, James Young, Jonathan J. Stan- fill, Robert Anderson, and Eli Hornbeak were ap- pointed permanent commissioners of the town of Cen- terville, and were authorized to sell the unsold lots of the town, the proceeds of these sales to be used in pay- ing for the building of a courthouse, prison, and stocks. In the deed made by McLemore and Stewart to the commissioners of the town of Centerville the name of Hornbeak does not appear, and the following are added to this list : Henry Hardin, Benjamin Coleman, William Carothers, and Joel Smith. They were fur- ther authorized to let contracts for the building of a courthouse, prison, and stocks, and to superintend the erection thereof. Should the sales of the lots not produce an amount sufficient for their erection, the County Court was authorized to raise the remain- der by taxation. It was further enacted that the County Court and Circuit Court of Hickman County
392
HISTORY OF HICKMAN COUNTY, TENN.
be in the future held at Centerville. All Acts incor- porating the town of Vernon were repealed, and it was provided that thereafter owners of lots in Vernon should " pay taxes as for other lands, and not as for town lots." Centerville had won! Dr. Samuel Se- bastian, who had succeeded William Stone as clerk of the County Court, came to Centerville and was its first physician. Canty Nixon was Centerville's first school-teacher, he teaching here in 1824. Dr. Joel Walker was the first postmaster. By this Legislature Robert Sheegog was made entry taker for Hickman County ; and James Weatherspoon, surveyor. Law- rence County was authorized to pay George Peery for surveying that county. A bill to incorporate Center- ville was laid on the table. Robert E. C. Dougherty was appointed one of the commissioners of the town of Christmasville, which was to be laid off on the bank of the Tennessee River opposite Perryville. The sec- ond session of this General Assembly met in 1824. Montgomery, Robertson, Stewart, Dickson, Hum- phreys, and Hickman Counties were constituted the Tenth Electoral District, and the returning officers of this district were required to meet at Charlotte to can- vass the vote for President and Vice President. Per- mission was given for an independent militia company to be raised at Centerville. This company was the Centerville Domestic Blues, and its first officers were : Henry Nixon, captain ; Samuel D. McLaughlin, lieu- tenant; and Davis H. Morgan, ensign. The sheriff and ranger of Hickman County were required to pub-
393
OUR LEGISLATORS.
lish their official notices in some Columbia newspaper. At this session the bill to incorporate Centerville be- came a law. J. D. Easley was Centerville's first mayor.
The Sixteenth General Assembly met at Murfrees- boro on September 19, 1825. The second session met at Nashville on October 16, 1826. Hickman, Law- rence, Wayne, Hardin, McNairy, Hardeman, Fay- ette, Shelby, Dyer, Tipton, Haywood, and Madison Counties were represented in the Senate by Dr. Joel Walker. Dr. Walker had been an ardent worker for the removal of the county seat to Centerville, and was, therefore, opposed by Robert Murray, of Vernon, who was a candidate for Senator. Murray was probably assisted in his race by David Crockett, who now lived in West Tennessee, and who had opposed Walker in the county-seat-removal fight. Murray was an Irish- man, and was a merchant and the postmaster at Ver- non at the time of the removal of the county seat. His brother, Francis P. Murray, also lived at Vernon ; and a brother-in-law, Alfred Rutherford, was buried in 1819 on the farm owned by the late W. F. Mays. So close was the race between Walker and Murray and so large the district-extending to Alabama, and Mississippi on the south, and to the Mississippi River on the west-that it was many weeks after the election before the final result was known. Returns from one West Tennessee county would place Murray in the lead; returns from another would give the lead to Walker. Dr. Walker won, and learned of his elec-
394
HISTORY OF HICKMAN COUNTY, TENN.
tion just in time to take his seat. In the House of Representatives, Hickman and Lawrence Counties were represented by William M. Crisp, of the latter county. On October 26, 1825, the resignation of James Weatherspoon, county surveyor of Hickman County, was read and accepted, and on October 28 George Peery was elected to succeed him. The report of Samuel Sebastian, clerk of the Hickman County Court, for the years 1821, 1822, 1823, and 1825, was presented. The third Saturday in September was fixed as the muster day for the Hickman County mili- tia-Thirty-sixth Regiment. Eli Hornbeak, Samuel Sebastian, James Scott, Henry Nixon, and Alex- ander Gray were appointed trustees of Centerville Academy. The second session of this General Assem- bly met in 1826. A fifty-acre tract of land entered by Horatio Clagett and donated to the Methodist Church, including " Mount Pleasant church house," was exempted from taxation. William Phillips, late sheriff of the county, was allowed the further time of two years to collect arrearages of taxes due him. Acts were passed providing for the adjudication of land claims of Robert E. C. Dougherty, Reuben McClaren, Daniel McClaren, and Joseph Porter. William On- stot was " allowed to make void an entry for twenty acres lying on Blew Buck Creek in Hickman County," and to reënter same on any vacant land in surveyor's district. In the proceedings of the Senate for No- vember 22, 1826, is the following entry : “ Received from the House of Representatives : A Bill to ascer-
395
OUR LEGISLATORS.
tain at what age a man becomes a bachelor and to in- crease the revenue of the State. Mr. Walker moved to lay said bill on the table for the same number of years that a man must live to be denominated a bache- lor under the provisions of the bill-to-wit, thirty years. And the question thereon was taken and de- termined in the affirmative unanimously. And so said bill was ordered to lie on the table for thirty years." In 1826 Jesse Sparks, elected by the Hick- man County Court, was commissioned as coroner for Hickman County.
The Seventeenth General Assembly met at Nash- ville on September 17, 1827. William Hall, who be- fore the expiration of his term became Governor by the resignation of Gov. Samuel Houston, was speaker of the Senate, of which Dr. Joel Walker, of Hickman County, was again a member. The record does not con- tain the name of Hickman County's Representative. Hugh Lawson White was reelected United States Sen- ator. Bedford, Maury, and Hickman Counties were constituted the Ninth Electoral District. The sheriff of Hickman County was authorized to advertise sales in newspapers published either in Nashville or Co- lumbia. It appearing that Sheriff Gabriel Faulx (Fowlkes) had advertised a tax sale on Sunday, and was thereby prevented from collecting delinquent taxes for the years 1824 and 1825, he was authorized to readvertise. Spencer Tinsley was given the right of occupancy where he lived and where he had built a mill " in Hickman County on Indian Creek." He
396
HISTORY OF HICKMAN COUNTY, TENN.
was to continue in possession of not more than 160 acres until these lands were finally disposed of by the United States. William Beakley, who had established a tannery (location not given), and Robert Wright, who had built a mill " on Cane Creek," were given the same privileges. Robert E. C. Dougherty, of Carroll County, was allowed to lay off a town on his lands. This town was to be named " Carrollton." Dough- erty, after his election as surveyor general, had re- inoved from Lick Creek to West Tennessee.
The Eighteenth General Assembly met at Nash- ville on September 21, 1829. Dr. Joel Walker, Sen- ator from the counties of Hickman, Lawrence, Wayne, . Hardin, and Perry, was elected speaker of the Senate without a dissenting vote. This was just five months after Hall, by virtue of his holding this office, had become Governor, and the fact that they might be selecting a Governor of Tennessee was plainly before the Senators when they voted unanimously for Hick- man County's distinguished citizen. Son of the pio- neer, Allan Walker, Joel Walker was the first and only Hickman Countian who was ever speaker of the Senate. A brother, Pleasant Walker, was for four years the sheriff of Hickman County, and relinquished this office for that of Representative, which he filled for five consecutive terms, he being the only man whom Hickman Countians ever so honored. Another brother was that legal giant-a great lawyer among great lawyers-Elijah Walker, who was for fifteen years a circuit judge. In the House of Representa-
397
OUR LEGISLATORS.
tives of this General Assembly was Bolling Gordon, representing Hickman and Dickson Counties. This Assembly passed an Act providing for the establish- ment of a penitentiary, and another providing for the establishment of a uniform system of public schools. Articles of impeachment were presented against Judge Joshua Haskell. One of the charges was that during the trial of George W. Garrett at Centerville in Sep- tember, 1828, Judge Haskell was " sometimes out of the courthouse, out of sight and out of hearing of the same."
The Nineteenth General Assembly met at Nashville on September 19, 1831. William Davis represented in the Senate the counties of Hickman, Lawrence, Wayne, Hardin, and McNairy. In the House of Representatives was Bolling Gordon, who represented Hickman and Dickson Counties. Aaron V. Brown represented Giles County in the House. Judge Joshua Haskell, against whom articles of impeachment had been presented in 1829, was tried during the session of this Assembly. Dr. Samuel Sebastian, Sheriff Gabriel Fowlkes, Henry Nixon, Dr. Joel Walker, and Robert E. C. Dougherty were witnesses. Nixon testi- fied that during the Circuit Court of Hardin County, while the case of Thompson vs. Sloan was being tried, the Judge left the courthouse while the first witness was being examined and remained away until the argument of counsel had closed. Returning at this time, he was informed by Nixon that they were ready for the charge. He stood at the end of the bar and
398
HISTORY OF HICKMAN COUNTY, TENN.
gave a very good charge, considering that he had not heard the testimony. Nixon's client, Thompson, won ; but after the departure of Nixon a new trial was granted, and at a subsequent term Nixon's client lost the suit. During the trial a question arose as to the admissibility of testimony. The Judge being absent, Austin Miller, a disinterested attorney who was pres- ent, decided the question and the trial proceeded. Dr. Sebastian testified that in the trial of Garrett, at Centerville, the Judge remained until the jury was impaneled ; then he absented himself and remained away much during the trial. Henry Nixon was so- licitor-general, and was compelled to send for the Judge to hear a part of his argument addressed to the court. At one time a dispute arose between counsel, but the matter was finally satisfactorily arranged by them without their having to interrupt the Judge, who, according to Fowlkes, was either eating a water- melon in the courtyard or was at a show near by. According to the testimony of Nixon, the Judge was at that time at the tavern, seventy yards away, engaged in conversation with Judge Nathan Green. Finally, in despair, Nixon announced that they could proceed no further on account of the continued absence of the Judge, whereupon Congressman Cave Johnson, who was present, remarked that they could do as well with- out the Judge as with him. Nicholas T. Perkins, who defended Garrett, testified that the prosecution of his client was so manifestly frivolous that the Judge did no wrong in ignoring the entire proceedings. This
399
OUR LEGISLATORS.
was only a small portion of the evidence against Judge Haskell, but he was acquitted. John R. Charter was released from the judgment against him in the Circuit Court of Hickman County. He was on the appear- ance bond of Franklin and Addison Weaver, who failed to appear for trial at the September (1830) term of the court. An Act was passed for the re- lief of Gabriel Fowlkes, who had made incorrectly a land entry. Robertson, Montgomery, Stewart, Hum- phreys, Hickman, and Dickson Counties were consti- tuted the Eleventh Congressional District.
In the Twentieth General Assembly, which met on September 16, 1833, the senatorial district of which Hickman County formed a part was represented by John Rayburn. In the House of Representatives, Dickson and Hickman Counties were again repre- sented by Bolling Gordon. John Netherland, Spen- cer Jarnagin, Joseph C. Guild, Robert C. Foster, and A. O. P. Nicholson were members of this Assembly. Stephen C. Pavatt represented Humphreys County. An Act was passed calling a constitutional conven- tion to meet at Nashville in the following May. The counties of Hickman, Lawrence, and Wayne were to compose one district, which would be entitled to two delegates to this convention, the returning officers to meet at Catron's iron works, in Lawrence County. An election was held in March, 1834, and Bolling Gordon and Henry Sharp were selected as delegates from this district. Another Act passed provided for the removal of the Supreme Court of the Fifth Judi-
400
HISTORY OF HICKMAN COUNTY, TENN.
cial Circuit from Reynoldsburg, Humphreys County, to Centerville. Of this court Stephen C. Pavatt had been the clerk since 1832. One of his bondsmen was Henry Nixon. It was further provided that all ap- pealed cases from the counties of Lawrence, Wayne, Hardin, Humphreys, Hickman, and Perry should be tried in the Supreme Court at Centerville. The Con- stitution of 1834 provided that the Supreme Court should be held " at one place, and at one place only, in each of the three grand divisions of the State." Nashville was selected as the place for Middle Ten- nessee, and, therefore, but few sessions of the court were held at Centerville. There is no record of the Supreme Court ever having been held here, but, ac- cording to that old and well-informed citizen, Horatio Clagett, the court met at Centerville several times. Persons desiring to build mills in Hickman and other counties named in the Act were granted any quantity of acres, not exceeding twenty-five, for this purpose. Robert Charter, Henry Nixon, Robert Sheegog, Eli B. Hornbeak, John Phillips, and Millington Easley were appointed to solicit subscriptions for the purpose of establishing the Planters' Bank of Tennessee, to be located at Nashville. The State was redistricted this year, but Hickman County remained with the coun- ties that it was then with. The returning officers of the senatorial district were to meet at Waynesboro; of the " representative district," at " the house of the late Thomas Petty on Piney."
The Twenty-first General Assembly met at Nash-
401
OUR LEGISLATORS.
ville on October 5, 1835. Senator Bolling Gordon represented the counties of Lawrence, Wayne, and Hickman. In the House of Representatives was Ga- briel Fowlkes, of Hickman County, who had relin- quished the office of sheriff to accept this position. Prominent members of this General Assembly were: William Trousdale, Andrew Johnson, Hopkins L. Turney, Robert L. Caruthers, Joe C. Guild, A. O. P. Nicholson, and Meredith P. Gentry. The first- named was in the Senate; the others, in the House. The State was divided into three chancery divisions and eleven judicial circuits. Dickson, Hickman, Humphreys, Stewart, Montgomery, and Robertson constituted the Seventh. The Middle and East Ten- nessee Railroad Company was incorporated, and books for subscription of stock were opened at Centerville. These books were placed in the hands of John G. Easley, E. B. Hornbeak, and Samuel H. Williams. Tumbling Creek and that portion of the present county of Humphreys which had previous to this been a portion of Hickman County were annexed to Hum- phreys County.
The Twenty-second General Assembly met on Oc- tober 2, 1837. Lawrence, Wayne, and Hickman Counties were represented in the Senate by Dennis G. Jones, of Hickman County. Hickman County's member of the House of Representatives was Pleasant Walker. Joseph C. Guild, Meredith P. Gentry, and A. O. P. Nicholson were members of this Assembly, the two latter being members of the House. Hick-
- 26 -
402
HISTORY OF HICKMAN COUNTY, TENN.
man County was added to the Eighth Judicial Circuit, and the time for holding courts at Centerville fixed as follows: On the second Mondays of March, July, and November. A " chancery district," composed of the counties of Dickson, Humphreys, Hickman, Stew- art, Montgomery, and Cumberland (afterwards organ- ized under the name " Cheatham "), was established, the court for the same to be held at Charlotte on the fourth Mondays of March and September. James D. Freeland, of Maury County, was granted the privi- lege of navigating Duck River with steamboats from Columbia to the mouth. An Act was passed incorpo- rating the Penitentiary Turnpike Company, which was to make a turnpike from the city limits of Nash- ville to a point beyond John Harding's, by the way of the penitentiary and Cockrill's Spring. They were further authorized to make it, if they desired, five miles farther in the direction of Centerville, Hick- man County. This was the first step toward the making of what is now known as the " Harding turn- pike," which has been used as a thoroughfare by thou- sands of Hickman Countians. The Vernon Academy was incorporated, Robert Sheegog, William N. Holt, Millington Easley, Thomas W. Easley, William H. Carothers, Basil B. Satterfield, and Jacob Humble being named as trustees. The Centerville Academy was also incorporated, with the following trustees : William Bird, Samuel Whitson, David B. Warren, James D. Easley, John G. Easley, and Samuel Sebas- tian. The time fixed for the county drill for Hick-
403
OUR LEGISLATORS.
man County, Seventeenth Brigade, was the first Fri- day and Saturday in September; the time for the regimental muster, the first Friday and Saturday in October. P. M. Hornbeak was allowed " thirty dol- lars for fitting up the hall at the commencement of the session." The line between Maury and Hickman Counties was changed so as to place in Hickman County the territory embraced in the triangle formed by Duck River, Fall Branch, and the Natchez Trace. Vernon was again incorporated. Robert Sheegog, Basil B. Satterfield, Dr. W. B. Douglass, G. Lane, and Howell Huddleston were appointed commission- ers to lay off and establish the corporate limits. Pro- visions were made for the election of five aldermen by the voters of the town. The aldermen, when elected, were to elect one of their number mayor. Pleasant M. Hornbeak was allowed $480 for services as assist- ant doorkeeper of the House of Representatives.
Both Jones and Walker were reelected and were members of the Twenty-third General Assembly, which convened on October 7, 1839. Andrew John- son and James C. Jones were members of the House of Representatives. A joint resolution was adopted on November 14, 1839, instructing the Senators from Tennessee, Hugh Lawson White and Ephraim H. Foster, to vote against chartering national banks by Congress, in favor of the subtreasury bill, and against a bill to prevent the interference of Federal officers in elections. White and Foster, feeling that they could not conscientiously carry out these instructions,
404
HISTORY OF HICKMAN COUNTY, TENN.
resigned, and Alex. Anderson and A. O. P. Nichol- son were named as their successors by Governor Can- llon. Felix Grundy had been elected by the Legisla- ture to succeed Foster, but he died on December 19, 1840. During this session of the Assembly, Will- iamsport Academy was incorporated, with the follow- ing trustees : Gerard T. Greenfield, William W. Cole- man, John O. Cook, Bolling Gordon, Troy S. Broome, Thomas P. Johnson, and John B. Hamilton. The militia regiments of Hickman County were made No. 97 and No. 98, and were attached to the Seventeenth Brigade, composed of the militia of Hickman, Har- din, Wayne, and Lawrence Counties. The time for holding regimental musters in Hickman County was fixed as follows : First Friday and Saturday in Octo- ber. The Duck River Steam Navigation Company was incorporated, and the following were appointed to open books for subscriptions to the stock at Center- ville: Bolling Gordon, Samuel B. Moore, David B. Warren, Edwin M. Baird, and John Studdart. The Centerville Academy was designated as the county academy of Hickman County, and the Act of 1838, constituting William Bird and others a body corpo- rate under the style of the " Centerville Academy," was repealed.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.