COUNTY ORIGINS

Patrick HenryNamed for Patrick Henry, Henry County is located in Western Tennessee, one of the state's three Grand Divisions. It is bordered on the north by Calloway County, Kentucky; on the west by Weakley County; on the south by Carroll County; and on the east by Stewart and Benton Counties.

The western part of Tennessee was occupied by and belonged to the Chickasaw Indians, who ceded it to Tennessee in 1818. An act of the General Assembly of the state of Tennessee which was passed on November 7, 1821, created Henry county from the western part of Stewart county. In 1819, James B. House and Adam Rowe settled on the Obion River, then a part of Stewart County. They were the first of many to come. By 1830, the population of Henry County was 12,249.

A second act passed November 16, 1821, appointed Sterling Brewer, James Fentress, and Abram Maury as commissioners to locate and purchase at least 50 acres for the county seat. The court of pleas and quarter sessions were to be held on the first Mondays of December, March, June, and September. Court was to be held at the house of Henry Wall until a courthouse was built.

County Formation

The lands of today's Henry County were in the possession of North Carolina until 1790 when they were ceded by North Carolina to the Federal Government. These lands then became a part of the Southwest Territory. In 1796, this area became the new state of Tennessee. Stewart County was formed, in 1803, to provide a form of government for all of Western Tennessee. In truth, the western part of Tennessee was occupied by and belonged to the Chickasaw Indians. It became available for occupation only after Andrew Jackson and Isaac Shelby , representing the United States government, entered into a treaty in 1818 by which all land to the Mississippi River was purchased from the Chickasaw. This Jackson Purchase of 1818, gave Tennessee the ability to issue land grants in the Western District of Tennessee.

An act of the General Assembly of the state of Tennessee which was passed on November 7, 1821, created Henry county from the western part of Stewart county. In 1819, James B. House and Adam Rowe settled on the Obion River, then a part of Stewart County. They were the first of many to come. By 1830, the population of Henry County was 12,249. A second act passed November 16, 1821, appointed Sterling Brewer, James Fentress, and Abram Maury as commissioners to locate and purchase at least 50 acres for the county seat. the court of pleas and quarter sessions were to be held on the first Mondays of December, March, June, and September. Court was to be held at the house of Henry Wall until a courthouse was built. In 1835, the state legislature took the southeast part of Henry County, that part east of the Big Sandy River, and added it to land from Humphreys County to form the new county of Benton. After this event, in 1836, Henry County was subdivided into 17 civil districts by commissioners appointed for that task. In 1850, the districts were reorganized and increased to 20 and then in 1870 the number of civil districts was increased to 25.


Immigration

The early settlers of Henry County came into the Western District of Tennessee primarily from North and South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama. They either came directly from these states as the land first became available to the public or they came indirectly from other areas in Middle or Eastern Tennessee. Both land and water routes were used.

Land Routes & Traces

With the peace treaty of 1814, Secretary of War William H. Crawford commissioned the surveying of roads or traces throughout the District. The old Natchez Trace ran from Nashville to Alabama and on to Natchez on the Mississippi River. The Natchez Trace diverted south at Reynoldsburg from Glovers Trace which connected directly to Nashville. The Trace followed the ancient Harpeth and West Tennessee Trails thru Benton County's Cypress Creek and Chalk Level community and continued due south, ending at Chickasaw Old Town, near Tupelo, Mississippi. Another branch of the Trace continued west through Eva, crossing Beaverdam, Burnside and Charlie Creeks and on through Camden and Glover's Gap (named for Chickasaw Chief William Glover). After 1823, this trail led further into the Western District.


Paris

Paris, the county seat was incorporated September 30, 1823. The 50 acres for the location of Paris were a gift from the estate of Joseph Blythe and from Peter Ruff. A History of Henry County Tennessee by E. McLeod-Johnson, states that this original land contained " 104 lots, the public square, and the streets and alleys. It is thought that the sale of lots lasted 2 days with the first lot being bought by David Culp.

Sulphur Well

While prospecting for salt, John and William Randle and James Miller struck sulphur water. Because of the large quantity of sulphur water and the prevalent thought that sulphur water was very healthy, a resort developed at this site. It no longer exists.