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> Be sure to visit our Chamber Member's
History section!
The land between the Tennessee and
Mississippi Rivers was purchased from the
Chickasaw Indians in 1818. The Jackson
Purchase--named for Andrew Jackson--was
divided between Tennessee and Kentucky.
Tennessee's portion became known as West
Tennessee.
Settlers soon swarmed in and the Tennessee
General Assembly created the County of Henry
on November 7, 1821. The county was named in
honor of Revolutionary War patriot and
statesman, Patrick Henry. Henry County
became the gateway for the settlement of
West Tennessee and beyond.
The town of Paris was established as the
county seat on September 23, 1823, and
became West Tennessee's oldest incorporated
municipality. The town was named for the
French capital in honor of Lafayette, who
visited Tennessee in the early 1800s.
A two-room "dogtrot" cabin of small poplar
logs was erected in 1823 to serve as the
county's first courthouse. Court was held in
the north room while pies and liquor were
sold in the south room.
During the War Between the States, the
courthouse lawn was the setting for the
organization of military units including the
Fifth Tennessee Infantry Regiment led by
Lieutenant-Colonel J.D.C. Atkins.
Henry County sent more than 2,500 volunteers
to the Confederacy and was given the title
"Volunteer County of the Volunteer State"
for providing more volunteer soldiers per
capita than any other county in Tennessee.
The Civil War came to the county after Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant ordered a Union force into
Paris. On March 11, 1862, four companies and
a battery of artillery consisting of 500 men
attacked the Confederate encampment which
numbered 400 soldiers.
After this "duel between artillery and
Enfield rifles" had gone on for 3 5 minutes,
the Federals retreated back toward Paris
Landing. The Battle of Paris ended with 20
Confederates killed or wounded and left the
Federals with four killed, five wounded and
one captured.
On March 21, 1864, Governor Isham G. Harris
was involved in a skirmish near Mansfield
where two Confederates were wounded. The
Union soldiers retreated with two killed,
including their major in command, and
several wounded.
Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest began his
Johnsonville Campaign at Paris Landing on
October 29, 1864. He captured four Union
gunboats, 14 transports, 20 barges, 26
pieces of artillery, $6,700,000 worth of
property and 150 prisoners on the Tennessee
River.
Another war also had a significant impact on
Henry County. Camp Tyson, named for Brig.
Gen. Lawrence D. Tyson, was built near the
Routon community in 1941. The camp was the
only barrage balloon training center in the
U.S. Army during World War II. Thousands of
American servicemen were trained for the
Barrage Balloon Service of the Coast
Artillery Corps. In addition, Camp Tyson
held German prisoners of war.
Henry County's first tourist attraction,
Sulphur Well, was created by accident in
1821 when an artesian well of sulphur
 water
was struck in an attempt to locate a large
salt bed on a Chickasaw reservation.
Eventually a summer resort was erected at
the site to accommodate the large numbers of
people who came to drink the water which was
thought to have health benefits. Many sought
refuge at Sulphur Well during the 1837
yellow fever epidemic.
In 1944, Sulphur Well was covered by TVA's
Kentucky Lake, the largest man-made lake in
the United States and the second largest in
the world.
Paris Landing State Park was created in 1945
and the lake soon became a popular
recreation destination. Paris became known
as the "Capital City of Kentucky Lake" and
tourism took on an important role in the
area's economy.
The "World's Biggest Fish Fry" emerged as
one of Tennessee's premier annual festivals
which draws tens of thousands of visitors
into Paris and Henry County during the last
full week of April.
Learn more about E.W. Grove School History
at www.ewgrove.com
Learn more about our
Historical Figures.
Learn more about Tennessee Genealogy at
TNGenWeb or
W.G Rhea Library |
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