[ Source: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1886] 

It can not be said who was the first settler of Perry County. The settlements were made in the valleys along the water-courses, and have ever-since been confined to those localities. There is no account of settlements prior to 1818, but it is evident that a number of individuals settled in the territory of the county before that date. Robert Patterson, whose son William was born on Tom Creek in 1818; Ferney Stanley, who taught the first school in the county, on the same creek, in 1820; Rev. Wm. Hodge, Rev. Samuel Atkins, John Stanley, Wm. O. Britt, Enoch Hooper and John Young, all settled on Tom Creek about the year 1818. 'William Patterson, now deceased, if not the first, was among the first born in the county.

The family of Whitwells, Thomas, John, Samuel and James Lomax, Homer Cude, James Salmon, John Anderson, Rev. Joseph Kelley and Jesse Depriest were among the first settlers on Cane Creek. Jacob Huffstedler, born on board of a sailship en route from Germany to America in 1775, settled with his family on Cane Creek in 1821. John Homer, Elbert Matthews, Jerry Holligan and James Wilkins and their families settled on Buffalo River, near Beardstown about the year 1824. Joseph Pucker, from North Carolina, settled on the farm now owned by E. Dodson, near Linden. Isaac W. Stanly settled on Buffalo River, and was surveyor of Perry County for many years. James Dixon (at whose house the county of Perry was organized), James Yates, Wiley Tanner, John and Jesse Newton and others settled on Lick Creek as early at least as 1818.

Joseph Brown, William and Nathan Ward and Nat. Dabbs were among the first settlers on Marsh Creek. Samuel Denton, John Tracy and Jesse Childress settled on Cedar Creek about 1818. Joshua Briley, Thomas Evans, Nicholas Welch and James Scott were the first settlers on White Oak Creek. Jacob Fraley, George Hollabough and John Webb settled on Sinking Creek about 1818 or 1820, and about the same time David Hogan, Hodge Adams and Nancy Randal settled on Rockhouse Creek. Allen Barber and the Jarmons settled on Hurricane Creek, and John Siser, John Turner, Elijah Duncan and the Cobles on Brush Creek, and Thomas Dowdy, Joshua Cotes and Abraham Barber on Coon Creek. Other early settlers of the county were Wm. Holmes, John L. Houston, Oswald Griffin, John Wins, Green B. Newsom,West Wood, John A. Rains, Aaron Lewis, Jacob Harmon, Mark Murphy and Joseph Dixon. The first steam-boat that passed up the Tennessee River, was the "General Green," in 1819. Many of the pioneer settlers visited the river to see the great curiosity.

James Dixon built the first horse-mill in the county, on Lick Creek, about the year 1820, and the first water-mill in the county was erected on Cedar Creek in 1821, by John Tracy. The first merchant in the county was James Yates, who began business about the year 1819, on Tom Creek. The first cotton-gin was erected on Cedar Creek in 1821, by Samuel Denton. The raising of cotton was not a prominent industry in the county until after the close of the civil war, when the farmers engaged in it extensively for a few years; but, finding it unprofitable, they have now almost entirely abandoned it. For some years past the leading industry among the farmers has been, and is now, the cultivation of peanuts, of which there are from 500,000 to 800,000 bushels produced annually in the county, this being one of the leading counties in the State for that product. The number of bushels of cereals raised in Perry County, in 1885, was as follows: Indian corn, 423,461; rye, 565; barley, 125; oats, 23,874; wheat, 16,051. The number of animals reported in the county were: horses and mules, 2,462; cattle, 4,806; sheep, 4,799; hogs, 16,764. The number of dogs is not reported, but it is declared, on good authority, that there are more clogs than sheep in the county. Two or three curs and five or six hounds constitute the ordinary pack of dogs owned by many individuals. Owing to the fact that only a small portion of the land is cleared, thus leaving extensive forests, wild animals, such as deer, wildcats, foxes, coons, etc., and wild turkeys, still abound in considerable numbers. The people enjoy the sport of hunting, hence the great number of dogs. When the county was .flrst settled the above-enumerated animals, and also bears, wolves and panther were numerous. There are none of the latter now remaining.

Perry County is somewhat noted for its tanneries. The first yard established in the county was at a place on the Tennessee River known as Rat Tail, by Charles Gotthardt, a native of Germany. This yard was started about 1843, receiving its peculiar name from the circumstance of its having been infested with rats disembarked from a St. Louis barge loaded with hides. During the ten years succeeding the foregoing date, ten tan-yards were established at different points in the county, and the annual product of all then within the county, according to the best estimates that can now be made, was $50,000. The war and its consequences have compelled all these tanneries, excepting two, to suspend operations. Of the two remaining, the one owned by Robert Houssels was established at its present site in 1868, and now yields an annual product amounting in value to $75,000. The other one, owned by James B. Sutton, yields an annual product amounting in value to $5,000. Mouse Tail, on the Tennessee River, named in contra-distinction of the old landing, Rat Tail, now in disuse, is the principal place of shipment for the tanning products. The number of green hides required to supply these tanneries is about 7,000, nearly all of which are shipped from the North.

A number of grist-mills, sufficient to supply the demands of the county, have been erected at different points. Saw-mills have been constructed on the creeks, principally for getting out black-walnut and poplar lumber for shipment. The supply of walnut timber has been exhausted, but there is a large quantity of good poplar timber still remaining. Immense quantities of lumber, shingles and tan-bark have been shipped on the Tennessee River from this county to St. Louis and other points in the North. Between 1866 and 1880 Thomas Whitwell operated a wool-carding-mill on Rockhouse Creek. It was then removed to Hurricane Greek, where Messrs. Henderson & Williams have recently rebuilt it and supplied it with new machinery throughout. During the seventies Josiah Bastian operated a woolen-mill on Cane Creek.

The county of Perry was created by an act of the General Assembly of the State, passed in November, 1819. The act provided "that a new county be established north of Wayne, west of Hickman, and south of Humphreys, by the name of Perry County, beginning at the southeast corner of Humphreys, running west, thence south, thence east, thence north to place of beginning, and to include all the territory lying between Humphreys, Hardin, Wayne and Hickman Counties." The act also provided that, until otherwise directed, the quarter sessions and circuit court should be held at the house of James Yates, on Tom Creek, or at such other place in said county as the justices thereof might select. The territory originally included in the county embraced, in addition to what it now contains, nearly all of Decatur County.         

Sufficient mention of the action of the county court has been made above. It resumed its authority at the close of the war, when martial law was succeeded by the civil, and held its first session in April, 1865. It now consists of Judge Thomas Whitwell and the following magistrates: H. A. Culp, C. Lineberry, C. T. Wiley, William Briley, W. T. Weems, J. B. Dickson, S. M. Barnett, H. H. Long, J. G. Edwi, P.Whitwell, J. B. Gregory, W. A. Hix, J. R. Bates, W. H. Lancaster, S. V. Alberson, Edmond Harder, N. J. Hinson, M. M. Little, J. P. Ledbetter and H. J. Bumpass. The first term of the circuit court was held at the house of James Dixon, on Lick Creek, in the spring of 1820, Judge Humphreys presiding. The early records of this court have been destroyed, so that no connected sketch of its actions can now be compiled. Prior to the formation of the chancery court, the circuit court had jurisdiction over the chancery practice. The first term of the chancery court of Perry County was begun and held in Linden on the first Thursday after the third Monday of June, 1854, with Hon. Stephen C. Pavatt, chancellor, presiding. This court, as well as the other courts, did not convene during the war period. The records of this court have been well kept and were not destroyed during the war. The Perry County bar consists of James L. Sloan, T. W. Sims, L. W. Morrison and George Pearson. Other lawyers, who have resided in the county and practiced for a few years, are H. E. Rice, H. C. Carter and J. W. Doharty.

Perry County has no military history, prior to the late civil war, worthy of mention. Some of her early settlers were survivors of the war of 1812, and some of her later citizens participated in the war with Mexico. At the outbreak of the Rebellion, a strong Union sentiment prevailed, which was maintained by its adherents throughout the entire struggle. The people were greatly divided, the majority, however, being in favor of a Southern Confederacy. With the citizens of the county the war became intestine. Those favoring the Southern cause were the first to enter the struggle. Early in the spring of 1861 Capt. Lewis Shy enlisted the Perry Guards, and joined the Confederate Army with his company, which became Company G, Twentieth Tennessee Infantry, Zollicoffer's brigade. The Captain had his leg broken early in the war, and then resigned. He was succeeded by Capt. Robert Anderson, and lie by Capt. George Pettigrew. This company lost more men in the battle of Fishing Creek, Ky. than any other company in the regiment. Capt. N. N. Cox (afterward colonel of the Tenth Tennessee) raised a company in Perry County in July, 1861, and with it joined Wheeler's battalion of cavalry. Capt. Wm. H. Harder enlisted the third company in the county, in 1801, mostly from Cedar Creek Valley. This company joined the Twenty-third Tennessee Confederate Infantry. Capt. I. N. Hulme raised the fourth company, the Perry Blues, in November, 1861. This became Company G, Forty-second Tennessee Infantry. The next and fifth company was raised by Capt. W. H. Whitwell early in 1862. This became Company C, Tenth Tennessee Confederate Cavalry. The sixth company was raised by Capt. Bass, and became Company A of the last named regiment. Capt. Elisha Stephens, of Perryville, raised a company (B) for the same regiment. About half of this company enlisted from Perry County. Capt. B. G. Hickman's Company H, of the Tenth Tennessee, was also from Perry County. Enough men to make half of a company went out of the county and joined the Twelfth and Twenty-seventh Tennessee Regiments. There were about (300 men of the county who joined the Confederate Army.

The union men of the county tried to avoid the war by remaining at home. But finding it dangerous to remain where they were constantly harassed by their enemies, concluded to take up arms and fight for their principles. Accordingly Capt. W. C. Webb took the initiatory step, and with about forty men joined the Sixth Tennessee Federal Cavalry and became a part of Company G of that regiment. Afterward Capt. R. A. Guthrie raised a company for the Second Tennessee Mounted Federal Infantry, and Capt. J. W. Taylor raised another company for the same regiment. A number of citizens of the county who were pressed into the Confederate Army early in the war escaped therefrom, and joined different commands in the Federal Army, so that it is fair and safe to estimate the number of Union soldiers furnished by the county at something over 200. In time spring of 1863 Col. Frierson, with about 120 Confederate soldiers, had possession of and commanded the post of Linden; and early one morning Col. Breckenridge and Capt. Webb, with a portion of the Sixth Tennessee Federal Cavalry, took the place by surprise, and captured Col. Frierson and over 50 of his men, and about 100 horses, a number of mules, a, wagon load of arms, and burned the court house in which the Confederates were partially quartered. Only two or three men were killed in this engagement. Near the close of the war a dash was made through Linden by a troop of Confederate Cavalry, when the Federal soldiers were not holding it in force. A few Federal soldiers, however, were there, and all made their escape except one who was captured and killed. The war became desperate here before it closed, as it was conducted mostly by mounted men who ceased to take prisoners. Happily, however, since it has closed, those who were bitter enemies then have become friends, and all bitterness engendered by the war has been forgotten, or at least forgiven.