This photograph is from the WPA Roads Program and was taken on Highway 69, south of Decaturville on September 24, 1940. It was saved by Frank Gracey Jarrell of Nashville, a WPA clerk and great-grandfather of Brandi Hargrove. Read More
Brenda Fiddler has announced the completion of her latest book after six years of research and editing. It is actually a set of three books of pictures related to Henderson County. Knowing Brenda, there will also be a few Decatur County pictures that make the way into the volumes. Please print the order form in order to reserve your copy for delivery in May. Adobe reader is required to view and print the form.
JOHN STEELE1 BRALY was born February 14, 1815 in Rowan Co. NC, and died September
13, 1861 in Wayne Co. TN. He married NANCY MELVINA STOWE November 11, 1846 in
Perry Co. TN. She was born February 28, 1824 in Lincoln Co. NC, and died August 20, 1909
in Blackfoot, Bingham Co. ID.
More About JOHN STEELE BRALY:
Notes for NANCY MELVINA STOWE:
In the 1870 census, Nancy M. Brawley and family are living in the household of her son in
law, George Jackson. In the 1880 census, Nancy M. Brawley is living next door to the George
Jackson household.
More About NANCY MELVINA STOWE:
More About JOHN BRALY and NANCY STOWE:
Marriage: November 11, 1846, Perry Co. TN
Children of JOHN BRALY and NANCY STOWE are:
Read more about the Descendants of John Steele Braly including the Brawley family of Decatur Co. TN – requires Adobe Reader.
Check out our new Records & Data page with links to records and data of interest to Decatur County researchers. The Yesterday’s page will continue to be the best place to browse our Decatur County Historical Information.
Or course, the search engine remains the best place to search all pages in the Decatur Co. TNGenWeb.
The following petitions can be found on microfilm at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville, Tennessee. The original petitions are also available. These are part of Record Group 260, Acts of the 26th Tennessee General Assembly.
The page numbering is added by the archivists and included to aid you in location on the original documents.
Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tax rolls, Microfilm roll # 7, Perry Co, TN
In 1837, Perry County included what would become Decatur County. Districts 1 – 6 were located on the west side of the Tennessee River which would become Decatur County and districts 7 – 12 were located on the east side of the Tennessee River which would remain Perry County.
In the 5th district (Howesville) of the 1850 census for Decatur Co, James Q. (Quisenbury) Brewer is listed as having a saw mill and he was also Justice of the Peace. According to Bill Chumney, he moved to Perry County in 1838 by wagon train from Chatham County, NC. Water from Cub Creek was diverted through his saw mill to provide power. Mr. Chumney says, “I remember…seeing an old leather bound ledger that my grandmother had that James Q. used to keep his customers’ charges and payments on both the saw mill and justice of the peace fees.” We share Mr. Chumney’s feelings of regret that the ledger no longer exists.
B.R. Jennings‘ transcription of “Paducah Daily News” microfilm:
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 1888 The New Mail Service
The new steamboat mail service on the Tennessee River, which goes into operations this week, lands mail at the following places four times per week: Paducah, KY; Altoona; Star Lime Works; Birmingham, Aurora, Enterprise, Blood and Warburgh, KY; Dildah’s Landing TN; Pine Bluff; KY; New Buffalo, KY; Paris Landing, TN, and Bayne, Molke, Danville, Ariadne, Clayton, Johnsonville, Rockport, Cuba Landing, Ship’s Landing, Ledbetter, Britt’s Landing, Denison’s Landing, Parker, Brodie’s Landing, Mouse Tail, Perryville, Webb, Cedar Creek Landing, New Era, Lego, Peter’s Landing, Bob, Clifton, Laden, Swallow Bluff, Point Pleasant, Saltillo, Cerro Gordo, Coffee Landing, Savannah, Pittsburgh Landing, Hamburgh, Pyburn’s Bluff, Boyd’s Landing, and Walnut Grove, TN; Eastport, MS; Chickasaw, AL; Waterloo and Smithsonia, AL, Florence, AL.
February, 1883
Mr. Will Scott returned from a business trip up the Tennessee today. He reports great excitement in certain parts of that country over small-pox. The ports of Saltillo, Waynesboro, Clifton, and Decaturville maintain a strict quarantine and will allow no one to land there. There were sixteen cases of the disease at Johnsonsville and there have been six deaths from it. The water from the Ohio is backed up the Tennessee for nearly seventy-five miles.
April 23, 1885 East Perryville Burned
On landing at east Perryville, on the Tennessee, night before last, the Henry A. Tyler found that the two-story frame building there, used as a dwelling and a hotel, had just been burned down. The steamer took a lot of peanuts from the warehouse of Mr. J. H. Tate, at the landing, and on rounding out the officers heard bells ringing, and discovered that the large warehouse they had just left, and the store adjoining, were already in flames and being rapidly consumed. There was no insurance on any of the property and both fires are supposed to have been incendiary work. The two fires were fully one hundred yards from each other and several hours apart. Mr. Tate was the merchant and shipper of that landing, and, of course, his loss will be serious. East Perryville, is immediately opposite old Perryville, 158 miles above this place.
James and Elizabeth (?) Carrington moved from South Carolina to Roane County, Tennessee, about 1824. They raised a family of 10 children in Roane County. The oldest son, John Jackson “Jack” married Hannah J. Burke on September 30, 1846. In the 1850′s, Jack and Hannah with others from Roane County traveled by flatboat to Decatur County.
“DOCTOR GEORGE” George Walter Brasher, b. 28 Jul 1871, d. 25 Jun 1942, became a medical doctor and had a highly-respected general practice in Decatur County. He was very popular, trusted, and known almost universally as “Doctor George.” On March 13, 1898, he married Arbia Bright, b. 19 Dec 1874, d. 2 Feb 1920, and they had seven children: 1. Jettye Brasher, b. 31 Dec 1898, m. Clayburn Holmes 2. Phelan Bright Brasher, b. 23 Mar 1900, m. Eleanor ________ two daughters 3. Roberta Brasher, b. 25 Jun 1902, m. Charles Saltzman. 4. Mattie Brasher, b. 22 Mar 1905, m. William Dietz. 5. Joe Brasher, b. 5 Nov 1907, d. 28 Nov 1908, aged 1 year. 6. Anna Faye Brasher, b. 7 May 1909, d. 29 Oct 1912, aged 4 years. 7. George Walter Brasher, Jr., b. 9 July 1912, d. 15 Jan 1978. See below. About three years after the death of his first wife, Arbia, Doctor George married Irene Foote on 17 Jan 1923. There were no children by the second marriage. Doctor George and Arbia are buried in the Brigance Cemetery, south of Decaturville.
Decatur County was divided concerning the issue of the Civil War. There were 550 votes opposing separation and 310 votes for separation.
Captain Isham G. Hearn raised the first troops for Confederate service. These troops became the 27th Tennessee C.S.A., also called the “Decatur Co Tigers” and the “Blind Tigers”. C.H. Williams served as Colonel, B.H. Brown served as Lt. Colonel, and Samuel Love served as Major.
The second company was raised by Jonathan Luton. It became part of the 31st C.S.A. (West Tennessee) Regiment. A. H. Bradford served as Colonel, C.M. Cason served as Lt. Colonel, and John Smith served as Major.
Four companies were raised for the 52nd Tennessee Regiment C.S.A. by N.A. Wesson, W. R. Akin, J.H. Thomas, and John McMillan.
In October, 1862, Captain Elisha Roberts raised the first company for Federal troops.They became the 6th Union Regiment Tennessee Cavalry. William Chandler and William C. Webb served as Captains.
The 2nd company raised was the Tennessee Mounted Infantry raised by Andrew Roberts. Company A began service in 1863 and by 1864 this regiment had 7 companies. This regiment was involved in fort duty, scouting for stragglers, and preventing CSA recruitment.
Decatur County was comparatively free from marching armies and widespread destruction. The residents did, however, suffer from predatory bands of irregular calvary or roving bands. The landing at Perryville was used by Nathan Bedford Forrest to cross his army and he came through Perryville another time on his way to Jackson.