Part 2 COMMUNITIES OF MADSON CO. TN

Communities of Madison Co. Tn

Con’t

d n english 

I was told I forgot something about Denmark.

One story says it was a fox’s den another says a bear’s den. Either way the Den Marked the spot thus the name Denmark. True, who knows but it is a great story.

Malesus   was first known as Harrisburg which I don’t understand because none of  the first families were Harris. Some of the first settlers of this area were the Harton, McKnight,Young ,Dunbar, Hill,Day and Woodson. This community was known for both the Ebenezer Methodist and the old Cane Creek Baptist Churches. Faith was a very important part of this community one of the first ministers of the old Cane Creek Baptist was the missionary Rev. Obadiah Dodson. (The story on Obadiah Dodson is so interesting especially if you get to hear  Mr. Billy King talk about his research.)

Mercer was named by the railroad representative. T.B Mercer was riding back from Jackson to Bolivar. He came upon the spot where the Tennessee Midland Railroad was laying tracks. He went home and told his son, T.E. Mercer, he found the perfect place for a store. In 1888 a store was constructed then T.E. moved from Toone Tn in 1893  to operate the store with the  McGlatherly’s . In 1894 a railroad station  was built the representative asked the Mercer’s for permission to use their name as the name of the station . The reason he asked the name McGlatherly  was to long a name to go on the ticket. F.M. McGlatherly was the first station agent, J.  J. Pennington was the first postmaster and teacher. O. G. Gardner Lumber Yard (1893) was opened the harvested the trees send them to the saw mill then lumber would be sent by train to their finally destination. 

Huntersville was the site of Dr. John Hunter’s office and a store it was located on the land where the Jackson -Brownsville Rd crossed the Denmark to Poplar Corner Ferry Rd. Dr. Hunter was known as a saddle-pocket Doctor always ready  to go to the homes in his community to take care of the ill. Dr. Bond died of Yellow Fever in 1876. Some of the first families of the community were the Meriwether, Tyson, Bond, Perry, and Henning.

Eleven miles south of Jackson is Pinson named after on of the first surveyors sent by Col. Thomas Henderson. In 1821  Hunt,Pinson and three other surveyors were  sent  to map out the area in search for the source of the  Forked Deer and the Hatchie Rivers.These men were on foot wandering through the swamps. These surveyors were credited for discovering what would later be known as the Pinson Mounds. The town of Pinson was located on A.S. Rogers land soon there was a sawmill set up by Rogers and E.R. Lancaster. In 1834 Pinson  had it’s first Post Office soon they were laying the tracks for the Mobil and Ohio Railroad. With the arrival of the railroad the town grew. ( I will  tell the story of the storm that changed the landscape of Pinson later)

Homer was the name first given to what we know as Beech Bluff . Soon the village was renamed Beech Bluff the name coming from the groves of Beech trees and the natural large bluff.  This area was a summer resort before the Tennessee Midland Railroad came to the village in 1888.  At one time there was a stave mill ,the May Hotel and  P.W. Moore General Store to name a few of the businesses of the time. In 1912 a one room school house was replaced with a larger structure for the growing community.

Interesting facts:

Mason’s Wells was a health resort opened in 1861 boasting the healing waters.The resort had good rooms, healthy cuisine, healing  water,  salt and iron waters were said to have medicinal value, the resort also had a ballroom. The resort advertised a place you could find health and pleasure.Dr. Julius Johnson was on staff to tend to the visitors. The resort closed during the war but reopened soon there after. The resort was located in the southeastern corner of Madison Co.

Henderson was also  located in the southeastern  corner of Madison Co. in 1820 named for Colonel Thomas Henderson.

In 1875 Wisdom Co. was formed by taking land from Madison, Henderson, McNairy and Hardeman Counties. In 1879 the name was changed to Chester Co.in honor of Colonel Robert I Chester.

This is just an overview of Madison County communities. It  will be interesting to hear and read the stories that the residents of each community shares  during this Bicentennial year.