Chester County

"A Struggle to Exist"

The first effort to create Chester County was in 1875.  During this year, a bill was passed that would create a new county from parts of Madison, Henderson, McNairy, and Hardeman counties.  The county was to be named Wisdom.  The name Wisdom would have honored a family named Wisdom who lived in Purdy in McNairy county.  The bill specified the boundaries of the new county.  The Wisdom family, however, never received the honor mentioned above because in 1879 a new act was introduced and passed.  The Act of 1879 repealed the Act of 1875 and stated that the new county would be named Chester to honor Col. R.I. Chester.  Col. Chester served in the Civil War and was at that time a representative from Madison county.  The second section of the Act of 1879 of the Tennessee Legislature gave the boundaries of Chester County and appointed commissioners to run the boundaries.  The act also required an election in the four parts of Madison, Henderson, McNairy, and Hardeman which were to help create the new county.  This election would ratify the proposal change from the Act of 1875 to the Act of 1879.  The organization of the new county was slowed down, however, by yet another obstacle.  An injunction suit was filed by J.D. Brown, John Brown, and Isaac Parrish of the Henderson county section.  This suit was sustained, but the supreme court reversed the decision and the injunction was dissolved in April 1882.  On May 29, 1882, the new county elected officers.

Section nine of the Act of 1879 appointed commissioners to select a site for a county seat.  The only two seats nominated by the commissioners for the county seat were Henderson and Montezuma.  Henderson was chosen to become the county seat by an overwhelming majority of the popular vote.  Henderson was a central point of Chester County and became the center of all major activities in the county. Prior to becoming the county seat, Henderson was the location of some historical events that contribute to the history of Chester County.  Henderson was established in 1857 when the Mobile and Ohio railroad was being constructed.  The original name of this town was Dayton, but the name was changed during the Civil War to Henderson’s Station, probably after Henderson County.  A depot was built near the railroad and the town’s business area developed near the depot and the railroad tracks.  The Civil War, however, brought the building boom to an abrupt halt.  During the Civil War, many farmers from the surrounding areas brought baled cotton to Henderson Station to be shipped on the railroad to northern markets.  In 1862, after northern troops had taken over this area and were guarding the depot, the rebels invaded Henderson Station.  The rebel raid resulted in over one hundred bales of cotton being burned on the station platform, along with the depot and water tank.  After the Civil War ended, the town of Henderson once again began to grow.

In the words of S.E. Reid, “Chester County, Tennessee, is a good place to live, a good place to labor, to love and help promote peace and happiness of the community and uphold the dignity of the great state in which we live.”

Prepared by Wendy Carroll
2nd place in Tennessee Contest sponsored by Henderson Station Chapter NSDAR

The Schools of Chester County

 


East Chester Elementary Grades K-3	Jacks Creek Elementary Grades K-3
West Chester Elementary Grades K-3	Chester County Middle School Grades 4-6
Chester County Junior High Grades 7-8	Chester County High School Grades 9-12

Attractions and Events in Chester County

Tourism Association of Southwest Tennessee

State of Tennessee Links for Chester County
 

Chester Schools	Welcome	Virtual Tour
Our Teachers	Our Staff	Calendar and News
Pride Page	Cafeteria	Our Town
Our County	Our State	Attractions

 

 

 

Last Updated 07/29/03