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Created on October 8, 1823, McNairy County was formed from a part of Hardin County and named in honor of John McNairy, whom President George Washington had appointed as one of the three judges of the Southwest Territory.
The first courts were held in the home of Abel V. Maury until a log courthouse could be constructed. The first county seat was named Purdy in honor of John Purdy, the government surveyor who laid out the town lots. Located on the stage road that ran from Nashville to Mississippi, Purdy developed a reputation as a beautiful town. Benjamin Wright, a veteran of the Creek Indian Wars, soon emerged as the driving force behind the economic development of Purdy. In 1831 the county built a new courthouse, where both Davy Crockett and James K. Polk made political speeches.
In 1855 the citizens of Purdy refused to raise the one hundred thousand dollars in subscriptions for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad to route its line through the town. The decision resulted in the gradual decline of Purdy, and in 1870 an effort began to move the county seat to a location near the rail line. In 1890, when P. H. Thrasher, an Alabama investor, built a courthouse and donated it to the county at Selmer, voters agreed to move the county seat to the railroad town, where it remains. In addition to Purdy and Selmer, McNairy County has eight other incorporated towns: Adamsville, Bethel Springs, Michie, Milledgeville, Finger, Ramer, Eastview, Stantonville, and Guys.
Newspapers were published in Adamsville, Falcon, Purdy and Selmer. Scattered early issues are available from 1857, and a complete run begins in 1969. See Extended History for More information. There was a fire at the McNairy County courthouse in 1881, some early records were destroyed.
McNairy County is bordered by Chester County (north), Hardin County (east), Alcorn County, Mississippi (south) and Hardeman County (west). Cities and Towns include Adamsville, Bethel Springs, Eastview, Finger, Guys, Michie, Ramer, Selmer, Stantonville. The Official County Website is located at ?
Tennessee State Library and Archives has Inventories of McNairy County Records on Microfilm. Click Here to Order County Microfilm Inventories and Reels. Early McNairy County Records. Newspaper Microfilms are loaned to Tennessee libraries. Individual reels may also be purchased. An Inventory of Newspapers on Microfilm at TSLA is available on our web site.. McNairy County, Tennessee History Books at Amazon.com.
Click Here to Search Tennessee Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records!
Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.
McNairy County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1861 and Probate Records from 1861 and is located at Courthouse, Room 102, Selmer, TN 38375-2194; Telephone: (731) 645-5446.
The County Clerk maintains Marriage & Divorce records. It also has jurisdiction over probate cases. Wills, administrations, and all other records pertaining to probate are recorded in the respective county clerk's office. If the will or administration was contested, the records of these actions may be filed in the circuit court or chancery court.
Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
McNairy County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1823 and is located at Courthouse, Selmer, TN 38375-2194; Telephone: (731) 645-5446 .
The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the McNairy county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
McNairy County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1856 and is located at Courthouse, Selmer, TN 38375-2194; Telephone: (731) 645-1015.
Circuit Court Clerks serve an important role in the operation of the court system in Tennessee. Chancery courts have jurisdiction over property disputes, and circuit courts oversee criminal cases, divorces, and adoptions. Early courts included courts of common pleas and quarter sessions.
There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912, Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records, Tennessee Marriages to 1825; Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 and Tennessee Marriages, 1851-1900.
Below is a list of online resources for McNairy County Court Records. Email us with websites containing McNairy County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Birth, Marriage & Death Records!
Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Contact the McNairy County Clerk For County Marriage Divorce Records (See McNairy County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where Certificate was granted.
Tennessee State Vital Records, is located at Central Services Building, 1st Floor, 421 5th Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee 37243; Phone (615) 741-1763, FAX (615) 741-9860. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records registers and maintains the original certificates of births, deaths, marriages and divorces that occur in Tennessee. They have the following records:
Make certified checks and money orders should be made payable to "Tennessee Vital Records". Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services Please do not send cash or checks. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to: Tennessee State Vital Records, Central Services Building, 1st Floor, 421 5th Avenue North, Nashville, TN, 37243.
There are a few online marriage databases which include: Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912, Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records, Tennessee Marriages to 1825; Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 and Tennessee Marriages, 1851-1900
Below is a list of online resources for McNairy County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing McNairy County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Voter Lists & Census Records!
Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for McNairy County, Tennessee are 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in McNairy County, Tennessee are Industry and Agriculture Schedules available for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.
Below is a list of online resources for McNairy County Census Records. Email us with websites containing McNairy County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Tennessee and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for McNairy County Maps. Email us with websites containing McNairy County Maps by clicking the link below:
Search Tennessee Military Records!
Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for McNairy County Military Records. Email us with websites containing McNairy County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Tennessee tax lists can be used to locate families, document historic properties and study community history. Early tax lists generally include all white males over 21 and indicate whether they owned land or slaves. They usually do not provide other personal information.
The tax lists enumerated for McNairy County for the years: 1867-1888, 1890-1900 ; are available on microfilm at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. They are generally filed with each county's records, but some early lists are in a separate collection. To order a search of the records by mail, follow this link [EMAIL]
The 1796 Constitution levied taxes on every freeman of the age of twenty-one years and upward possessing a freehold in the county wherein he may vote, and being an inhabitant of this State, and every freeman being an inhabitant of any one county in the State six months immediately preceding the day of the election, shall be entitled to vote....
Many early surviving tax records were published in an effort to replace the missing federal censuses. Original extant tax records are preserved in the respective county courthouse as well as in the Tennessee State Library and Archives, where a card index exists for tax records in its collection pre-dating 1835, arranged by county, date, and district.
Original tax schedules for most Tennessee counties for 1836 through 1839 are available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
The 1891 tax lists of male inhabitant voters in each county were recently found. Available on microfilm at the Tennessee State Library and Archives, these nine reels are arranged alphabetically within each district in each county. Tax records from trustees office in counties are available on microfilm as well.
Below is a list of online resources for McNairy County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing McNairy County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for McNairy County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing McNairy County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Obituary Records!
This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
There are many churches and cemeteries in McNairy County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the McNairy County Tombstone Transcription Project. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.
Although few histories for Tennessee churches have been published, there are church records for almost every county in the state. Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist were the principal religions of early settlers in the state, and documents from these groups make up the largest number of records available. Other representative religions include Lutheran, Church of Christ, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and Jewish. Most early Tennessee churches only kept minutes and membership records. Church records could, however, include records of baptism, marriage, burial, membership, or removal, but it is rare to find all or several of these categories maintained by one church.
A large collection of transcripts of Tennessee cemetery records has been compiled by members of chapters of the DAR. Records collection available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives and through the FHL. The state library and archives has notebooks containing listings of cemetery records.
County genealogical and historical societies and local citizens have collected, compiled, and published numerous volumes of cemetery records.
Below is a list of online resources for McNairy County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing McNairy County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Family Tree Records!
The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for McNairy County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing McNairy County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
During the 1861 secession crisis, McNairy County divided along political lines,
with some one thousand voting for secession and eight hundred against. McNairy
Countians living north of an invisible line running east to west remained pro-Union
(and later supported the Republican Party), while those living south of the line
supported secession, the Confederacy, and the Democratic Party. Military Governor
Andrew Johnson chose McNairy County slaveholder Fielding Hurst to head up the
Sixth Cavalry of the Army of the Tennessee (Union). McNairy County was the scene
of looting and burning throughout the war years.
In the postwar years, McNairy Countians returned to agriculture, producing cotton,
corn, and hogs. By 1920 the county population totaled 18,350 people, most of
whom tilled the 3,263 farms. Selmer had a population of 546, three banks, a newspaper,
and various commercial establishments. The county had six high schools and 109
elementary schools.
Cheap power from the Tennessee Valley Authority promoted McNairy County's economic
growth in the mid-twentieth century. In 1945 Brown Shoe Company and Myrna Mills,
a textile manufacturer, became the first industries to locate in the county.
These industries encouraged other textile manufacturers to build plants in McNairy
County and utilize the female work force. In the 1970s E. B. Blasingame founded
Aqua Glass, which quickly emerged as the county's largest employer, with approximately
1,100 employees. The next three largest manufacturers were the General Electric
Corporation (350 workers), Diversified Refrigeration (225 workers), and Reitter & Schefenacker
USA (200 workers).
McNairy County's Adamsville was the home of Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton (1975-79).
McNairy County sheriff Buford Pusser's career in combating lawlessness and illegal
whiskey was chronicled in three best-selling books by W. R. Morris, three blockbuster
movies, and a short-lived television series. A museum in his hometown of Adamsville
recognizes his law enforcement career. Other famous residents of McNairy County
include Marcus J. Wright and his brother John V. Wright, both of whom served
as Confederate generals. Marcus Wright also served as military governor of Columbus,
Kentucky, early in the Civil War. After the war the U.S. government hired him
to compile the "Official Records of the Rebellion," an effort that required thirty-three
years and resulted in the creation of the most important single primary document
about the war. Dew Wilson, a former Confederate army officer, served under President
Grover Cleveland as commissioner of Indian Affairs in the Oklahoma Territory.
T. Wash Scott was counsel general to Mexico in the 1850s.
Today, McNairy County's 560 square miles of rolling hills and flatlands are dotted
with homes, pastures, fields, and well-groomed towns. The Indian trail that became
Davy Crockett Highway (U.S. Highway 64) is undergoing transformation into a four-lane
scenic highway that will traverse the Volunteer State. The county's 2000 population
was 24,653.