The Reagor Hotel, Sharon, Weakley County, Tennessee
Soon after the railroad came , Mr. and Mrs. Jim Reagor built a large two-story hotel facing the railroad. It was a fine hotel and passengers who got off the trail in Sharon were probably greeted by a porter to take their bags and assist them across the street on the boardwalk, as seen in the picture.
“Drummers” with samples of all sorts of merchandise called on the Sharon merchants. They spend the night at the hotel and took orders for a great variety of goods. One of the drummers who stayd at the Reagor Hotel was Mr. J.W. Barton, who came to Sharon in 1889 and worked for his step uncle, John Wilson. He also worked a while for Hollis & Parish. After he “went on the road” he sold groceries and opened up the West Tennessee & West Kentucky territory for the Roberts, Johnson & Rand Shoe Co., in 1902. He gave an account of his experiences: “It was a strenuoius life, and wee (drummers) traveled out territories by horse and buggies, train, and even boat. We weren’t sure where we could eat or sleep—it was hard work.”
Mr. Iley Reagor was born in 1874, (probably son off Mr. & Mrs. Jim Reagon, not documented) and spent his early years living “downtown” with his parents at the hotel. He told this story of one of his first recollections. Late one fternoon, someone brought news that Jesse James and a group of men had arrived in Sidonia with a drove of horses they were taking to Middle Tennessee to sell. They were spending the night in the hotel at Sidonia. This created a lot of excitement and so everyone was out the next morning to see he famous outlaw ride through Sharon on his way east. It was probably about 1880, as Jesse James was killed in 1882.
The Reagor Hotel was sold to A. Mitchell in 1904 and then in early 1905 to John Patterson and Mr. & Mrs. C. B. Brooks. The Reagon Hotel burned in 1907 or 1910. (Some records indicate 1907 and some 1910).
Source: Sharon: The Last 100 Years.
Submitted by Judy Johnson of Sharon, Weakley Co., TN
