Keeling is in the southwest corner of Haywood County near the Tipton County Line. An old 1877 county map shows the name as Keelan’s Station. Settlers were in the area before the railroad came, but that is when Keeling began to prosper. One source says the railroad ended at Brownsville before the war began in 1861, so maybe the Memphis leg wasn’t finished until after the war. (Need a Railroad Buff)

Major Murnam, of Ireland and a Union Quartermaster when Memphis was under Federal control, settled here and built his home facing away from the railroad. We wonder if he married a Southern Lady. Others early names in the area: Allston, Baxter, Bourne, Chaney, Elkin, Green, McBride, McCall, Phillips, Rudd, Tarry, Maclin, and Williamson. Later families: Hinsley, Hightower, Marbury, Davis, Sartain, Sharp and Smith.

Businesses

John W. Maclin owned a mule operated cotton gin, ginning about 4 bales a day.  He lived inside Tipton County very near the county line of Haywood.  Ed Tarry had the first store.  Other merchants were George Hinsley and L. M. Maclin, Sr.  Mr. Baxter ran a sawmill.

Post Office

The first post office was in Ed Tarry’s store and he was the postmaster.  Ben Hightower followed him as postmaster.  Ruby Baxter was probably the last. 

Church

The first church was Greenleaf Presbyterian Church which dissolved in 1856 and the members going to Belmont, Mason or Stanton. There is an adjoining abandoned cemetery and some tombstones remained in the late 1980’s. This place of worship also had a slave gallery as did many of the local churches at that time. Today a house of worship faces Highway 70 in Keeling and I believe it is called Greenleaf. I’ll look the next time we go to Bozo’s for bar-b-cue.