McNairy County Independent, February 1, 1924 ADAMSVILLE The town of Adamsville was founded about 1835, by G. G. Adams, from whom it took its name, and who was one of the first merchants, and Justices of the Peace, It is located on the eastern boundary line of McNairy county, and near the western border of Hardin county. It is one of the best inland towns, if not the very best, in the State. It has a population of about seven hundred inhabitants, with a rich and fertile country around it, and with a citizenship equal to any place on earth. For social and religious people it is unexcelled. Its first merchants were G. G. Adams, W. G. Rogers, John Bowman, and George Cox, brother of Mrs. Rachel Abernathy. The town was first started just east of where J. E. Dollar now lives, and west of where the town is now situated. Soon afterward, the town was moved between where it is today located and near where the Baptist church now stands. It was settled by Anderson Cox, father of Mrs. Rachel Abernathy, on the west, and Charlie Carroll from North Carolina, and James Scott; on the north by H. F. Newell, the father of J. B. Newell, who became one of the leading merchants prior to, and just after the Civil War period, Dr. Walker, J. M. Jones, Keeble T. Wynn, Jesse Jones, Albert Scott, owning and farming the lands where the town is now located, on the south by Robert McWhirter, William Rogers, and John L. Groves, on the east by (Maury) James Scott, who settl4d, and lived there a life time. He amassed a great deal of wealth in real estate, and raised a large family of children, who made the county valuable citizens, helping to develop the town and county. Still north, and outside of the town, lived William Holman, who was a soldier and mechanic in the Jackson war of 1812. He had a large land grant where the Tidwell Brothers now own. He became the needed blacksmith of the new county, and in his family the blacksmith work and tailoring of the county was done until years after the Civil War. The McWhirters tanned all leathers for the people, William Rogers manufactured the whiskies, John Helbert, living west of the town, manufactured all kinds of furniture, then used by the county at large. The Stanley's did the wool carding, from which all the clothing for winter wear was manufactured, also the hosiery, and such like, making the wool carders in that day indispensable. The Wilson families were early settlers west of Adamsville, as were the Kerrs, John Lindsay, William Cleary, Carroll Hailey, Jesse Merrill, the Suratts, Findley Gorrell, and Thomas Combs. The first land warrant was laid for Revolutionary services embodying a large tract of land east of Adamsville, from which the base survey of the town is formed even yet. George Brasfield's lands reached over into Hardin county, and is known as Entry No. 6764, in many deeds of record in Hardin county. The first school teachers were Green and Thomas Hanks, Prof. Andrew Yancey, Authalius Ater, Mrs. Rosetta Jones (afterwards Mrs. Rosetta Surratt,) oldest sister of Mrs. Rachel Abernathy. At that time there were no school houses or church buildings inside the town, limits, but these schools were taught at a Baptism church, Called Pleasant Ridge, which was about two miles out, northwest of the town. Mrs. Rosetta Surrat was a daughter of Anderson Cox who settled the place where the Baptist church is now located and now owned by the J. E. Hamilton heirs. The first school building was built just after the Civil War on Main Street running north, where J. A. Stanton now resides, The first church building was a Methodist church, where the Methodist Episcopal Church now stands. The next was the Christian church, built mainly by G. W. Sipes; then the Baptism church, built mainly by J. T. Warren; then Cumberland Presbyterian church was built, mainly by Alphonso and Luther Fariss. The first men who practiced as physicians until they each died; then came Drs. T. F. and Jasper Jones, Drs W. M. and James L. Sanders, Dr. Freeling, Dr. A. A. Jones, all of whom are dead, except Dr. T. F. Jones, who now resides and practices medicine at Albany, La. The teachers of note since the Civil War period are T. F. Sanders, and M. R. Abernathy, but M. R. Abernathy stayed longer and did more to build up and educational interest, and bestir the young men and women to cultivate and educate themselves, than any other one man. Prof. Abernathy became a great leader in the school work of the county, he being recognized as a foremost teacher, From his efforts many young men became useful and worth- while citizens of this and other states. Adamsville is the birth place and early home of many useful men, namely: Shelly Wolverton, W.K. and Terry Abernathy, Dr. A.J. Wolverton, who always claimed he was prompted and started out by Prof. M. R. Abernathy. W. S. Wolverton is getting gar advanced in age, but is still a leading citizen of Ardmore, Okla., where he is leading in church building work, and is called the father of Methodism, at his home city. T. Wash Scott was reared here, and became minister from this Government to Mexico, just after the Civil War times, being appointed by President Andrew Johnson. R. F. Scott was made the first mayor of Adamsville, and was acting in 1870, when he was accidentally killed by a steam mill explosion. John Hooker and Neddy Willet lived out north of town in the early settling of the county, as did Captain James Morrow, who helped to cut the first thoroughfare leading from east to west, and called the Stage Road. J. P. Prince and Surratt built a store house here before the Civil War, and this is today standing next to the Stock Store, a two story wooden building. Then this two-story building was considered a very large mercantile building, and was the talk of the entire county, like some of the sky scraper buildings in cities are today. Unfortunately Adamsville had saloons prior to the war which were gathering places for a few sots, who annoyed law abiding men, and forbade women from attending the town on Saturdays, as drunkenness was prevalent. It was not safe for a lady to be at Adamsville on such days, lest she be insulted by profanity which filled the air at the time, hindering the progress and up building of the town for many year. Mrs. Gilbert Combs was the first postmistress of Adamsville, and served for years, when the postage was paid, when the letter was called for, at its destination. Then later J. Monroe Wolverton was for years postmaster, after the stamp was placed upon each letter when it was started on its mission to the one addressed. Miss Matilda Ann Holman made all men's clothing, until the War period, when she became old, and her health gave away . Then followed Miss Sallie Holman, now Mrs. Sallie Wolverto, who took charge of this line of work, tailoring works, and while she is above 80 years, still does her bit, in this line. All fine broadcloth goods were manufactured by these ladies, when ready-to-wear clothing was never bought here by merchants, as they practice economy in the strictest sense of the work. In the early days of Adamsville all plows, hoes, axes, hammers, and all farm tools were manufactured here by the Holmans. The wool was carded by the Stanley's the furniture by J. H. Helbert, the leather for shoes tanned by the McWhirters, the whiskies made by William Rogers, and all shoes worn were manufactured by home manufactures, who lived in the communities. Hence, only a small portion of what was used in those days shipped in from other places. The farmers bought each year, one barrel of sugar, one barrel of Louisiana syrup, and a bog of about 150 pounds of green coffee, and this was their yearly supply. Rev. A. B. Jones was the local Methodist preacher, who filled appointments, when the pastor failed to get around on the circuit, and also solemnized the rites of matrimony, when any couple wanted to get married. Uncle Jesse Jones entertained at his home all Circuit riding Methodist preachers, as they generally wanted to live at a distance, so they could put up and stay with him. Adamsville has been the home place of several of the county officers since the Civil War, Among those were Hon. J. B. Jones, Dr. Jobe Bell, and Dr. G. H. Butler, who represented McNairy county in the General Assembly of the State, Jas. L. Littlefield, J. H. Scott and F. O. Hamilton as County Trustees, and W. H. Hamilton Register of Deeds and Public Documents. There are many persons and things associated with Adamsville in the early history of the town, and personal mention of men, that would be interesting, but space forbids further mention. Jas. Littlefield