(Mr. Harrell Clement was Brad Douglas of WBBJ-TV Grandfather and one amazing photographer and historian.)
THE FERRY AT LOWERY’S LANDING, THE ONLY MEANS OF CROSSING THE HATCHIE RIVER.
Here is some information from the website dancyville.net research done by Mr. Joe Moore
Dancyville, named after Isaac Dancy, an old settler, is a post village, thirteen miles south of Brownsville, so said Goodspeed’s History of Tennessee, published in 1887. Goodspeed continues, “It was established in 1837 by Fennel T. Carpenter and John Southernland, who were it’s first merchants.”
Legend has it that when these merchants bought their first merchandise in St. Louis, they were asked where it should be shipped. There was no post office and the community did not have a name. When the merchants told this, they were asked if there were any kind of businesses in the community.
They answered, “Nothing except a blacksmith shop run by Isaac Dancy”. The wholesalers replied, “We will call it Dancyville and ship the goods there.”
So that is how the boxes were addressed.. Dancyville, Tennessee.. and they went by boat down the Mississippi and up the Hatchie River to Lowery’s Landing. From there they were hauled by ox cart to Dancyville.
Mr. Dancy died in 1863 and his son, John Henry Dancy, qualified as his administrator.
¹Quoting another source – Early Surnames of Dancyville area residents: Archbell, Caldwell, Cherry, Coppedge, Crawford, Dancy, Dixon, Douglas, Ford, Hughes, Hunter, Jones, Kerr, Key, Link, McFarland, MaMahon, Moore, Morris, Neblett, Payne, Ragland, Rawlins, Russell, Scott, Tanner and Tripp.
At this time roads in the vicinity of Dancyville were practically nil. The minutes of the County Court, dated March 5, 1838, shows “A committee to view and mark out a road from the Fayette County line through Dancyville in a direction to Brownsville was appointed and instructed to report at the next term of court.” This committee included John Coppedge, Isaac Dancy and others.
Also a similar committee was appointed¹ on April 2, 1838, to “View and mark a road in the direction of Somerville.” John B. Moore was appointed “Overseer to cut and clear said road from the corner of McFarland’s field through Dancyville to the Fayette County line and work his own hands, the hands of Zachariah Payne and all the citizens of Dancyville and report said cutting to the next or succeeding term of court.”
On October 7, 1839, another committee was appointed..a “Jury to view and mark a road commencing at the Fayette County line, near the Wesley Camp Ground and to intersect the Bolivar Road by running between Gridley’s and Mayes’ and report to the January term of Court
HistoryandstoriesoftheHatchieRiver 