Glass, once known as Palestine (and prior to that, Soonsupper) is found this way in one or more of Goodspeed’s Obion County biographies. It is located west of the town of Obion and about half way to Elbridge. This information has been gleaned from here and there and is really more than I know about Glass, so if you know more (or better), send corrections.

Alexander Starrett is reported as a pioneer settler and David Miller is said to have built the first house. The first store was opened by W. R. Hardison, who later became a Nashville wholesaler. Other merchants included A. B. Woody & Co., S. W. Tate & Co., and Geo. P. Wright. John Hopple was the blacksmith and also had a wagon shop, and Quincy Taylor owned and ran the grist mill. Later, Alex Smith was the Paducah and Memphis Railroad agent at Obion and also was postmaster at Obion for six years.

The physicians were: Samuel Hornbeak, J. L. Ivey, John Peacock and J. J. Wells.

Other earlier citizens were Calvin Brown Sr., Paul Chiles, John Miller, E. N. Moore, J. C. Revell, Alex Smith, Jesse Wells, F. M. Woody, Rufus Woody, Philip Wright.

The community had a schoolhouse by 1857 and the Church of Christ was established there with H. D. Bantau as the first minister. Early members included P. A. Wright, T. H. Mills, A. K. Wells, Jesse Wells and Rufus Woody. Several buildings housed the Church of Christ through the years and at one time the Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist used the same building for Sunday Schools. W. R. (B.) Moore, graduate of Vanderbilt and University at Leipzig, Germany taught in the preparatory school at Glass and among his students were Lexie Parks and Calvin and Robert Brown.

F. &. A. M., Palestine Lodge No. 296 organized circa 1860 and consolidated with Obion in 1929 and moved there, retaining the original title. Brown Lodge I. O. O. F organized circa 1870.

Businesses circa 1940: Gantlett Variety Store (see photo), Alvy Grisham – Blacksmith, Fox & Watson Sawmill, and A. B. Church and M. C. Corkran had general stores. The postmaster was A. B. Corkran and preceding him was J. Foster, Alex Mitchell and Louis Mitchell.

Sources:

• Obion County History, Union City, Tennessee, Volume One, 1981, Pub. Obion County Historical Society, Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas.
• Obion County History, Union City, Tennessee, Volume Two, 1985, Pub. Obion County Historical Society, Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas.
• Marshall, E. H., History of Obion County, Reprinted, 1970, 1974, by H. A. Lanzer Co., Union City, Tennessee