Dyersburg is a city in and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States. It is located in northwest Tennessee, 79 miles (127 km) northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 16,164 at the 2020 census, down 5.72% from the 2010 census.[6]
History
Early history
The lands encompassing Dyersburg were originally inhabited by the Chickasaw people. As westward expansion continued, the Chickasaw Nation relinquished their claims to West Tennessee through a series of treaties, culminating in the final agreement, the Treaty of Tuscaloosa, signed in 1818. The lands composing the future Dyer County were then transferred, via the Jackson Purchase, to the US Government, and American settlers from the eastern states began moving into West Tennessee around 1819.[7]
19th century
In 1823, the Tennessee General Assembly established two new counties immediately west of the Tennessee River, Dyer County being one of them. John McIver and Joel H. Dyer donated 60 acres (240,000 m2) for the new county seat, aptly named Dyersburg, at a central location within the county known as "McIver's Bluff". Dyer surveyed the town in 1825, laying out 86 lots.[8] The county (and county seat) were named for Joel Dyer's father, Colonel Robert Henry Dyer. Col. Dyer served as the first postmaster of Dyersburg, and sat on its first chancery court.[9] The first courthouse was constructed on the square in 1827, while the current Classical Revival-style courthouse, designed by Asa Biggs in 1911, remains a centerpiece of the downtown historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Map of Dyer County, Tennessee (1836)
One of the earlier settlers was McCullouch family. Alexander McCullouch, a War of 1812veteran who served as aid-de-camp under John Coffee at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, moved his family in the late 1820's to a plantation west of Dyersburg from northern Alabama. He operated a general store in town for a number of years prior to his death in 1854.[10]
Dyersburg's early development hinged on its strategic location as a hub for steamboat navigation on the Forked Deer River. The success of the Grey Eagle's maiden voyage in 1836 solidified Dyersburg's status as a river town. The county's first industrial boom commenced in 1879 with the shipment of timber from A. M. Stevens Lumber Company to St. Louis markets via steamboat. This paved the way for further investments in timber processing, with the establishment of a large sawmill in 1880 and a planing mill in 1885. The financial sector also saw growth with the opening of the Bank of Dyersburg in 1880, while another timber industry, Nichols & Co. Wooden Bowl Factory, began operations in 1881.[8]
Civil War
During the Civil War, Dyersburg witnessed several skirmishes, ultimately resulting in Union victories. On August 7, 1862, about 50 men of the 6th Illinois Cavalry Regiment attacked a group of Confederates about 5 miles east of Dyersburg.[11] In a report by Brigadier General Grenville M. Dodge, he wrote the Confederates who escaped left without their clothes, arms, or horses and said that "they killed some 25 to 30 [Confederates], took 53 horses, and a large number of guns & arms." Dodge also recommended burning the county as "They pay no attention to the oath, feed and guide the rebels." He reported they were assisted in routing the Confederates by "two Negros" and that "No white man had the pluck to do it."[11] On August 18, 1862, the 6th Illinois Cavalry Regiment attacked a small band of Confederates on the Obion River six miles from Dyersburg taking all their horses, arms, and ammunition.[12]
On January 30, 1863, the Skirmish at Dyersburg was fought. Confederate soldiers from Dawson's Guerrilla Band spent the day skirmishing near the Forked Deer River bridge in Downtown Dyersburg with men from the Third Michigan Cavalry. Near midnight, Union forces under the command of Colonel Oliver Wood of the 22nd Ohio Infantry Regiment located the rebel stronghold in a house near the bridge and "completely routed them [Confederates], killing 2, wounding 4, and capturing 17, when the rebels broke and fled in every direction."[13]Nathan Bedford Forrest and Robert V. Richardson occupied Dyersburg in August 1863, before retreating upon the arrival of Colonel Edward Hatch in the area.[14]
Late 19th-Early 20th Century
In June 1883, the Chesapeake, Ohio, & Southwestern Railroad (the successor to the failed Memphis, Paducah, & Northern Railroad) completed the 54 mile gap between Trimble Station and Covington, TN, bringing a rail connection to the town.[15] Another railroad, the Dyersburg Northern (later the Chicago, Memphis, and Gulf Railroad), was chartered in 1904 and began operation in 1907 to run trains from Dyersburg to neighboring Lake County and its seat Tiptonville.[16]
The new railroad links encouraged the creation of new industries and businesses. In 1884, for example, investors established the Dyersburg Oil Company, a cottonseed factory. This company remained locally important through the 20th century.[8]
The 20th century saw Dyersburg emerge as a crucial railroad hub. By 1914, it became the junction point for three different lines, led by the Illinois Central Railroad.[8]
In 1916, Julius Morgan was convicted of raping Laura Sullivan of Dyersburg and became the first person to be executed by the electric chair in Tennessee.[17]
Lynching and Mob Violence
William Thomas
A black man named William Thomas was lynched on March 19, 1917, for allegedly shooting an officer.[18]
Lation Scott
On December 2, 1917, a 24-year-old black farmhand named Lation (or Ligon) Scott[19] was brutally lynched by a white mob[20] before a crowd of eight thousand[21] people.[22] Over the course of several hours, Scott was publicly tortured. He was chained to a post in an empty lot adjacent to the town's court square.[23] Torturers burned out his eyes with red-hot irons.[22] When he cried out in pain, a red-hot poker was rammed down his esophagus.[22] He was then castrated, and more hot irons placed on his feet, back, and body until "a hideous stench of burning flesh filled the Sabbath air".[22] After being tortured, Scott was slowly burned at the stake.[20][22] Scott's torture and murder occurred over a three and a half hour period.[22] No one was prosecuted for the lynching.[19] Author Margaret Vandiver wrote in Lethal Punishment: Lynchings and Legal Executions in the South, “The lynching of Lation Scott was the most ghastly of all those I researched.”[19]H. L. Mitchell, future president of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union, wrote of the lynching, "The flames rose high, and the odor of burning flesh permeated the air. The black man's body sagged against the iron post and chains. Nauseated, I broke through the crowd and rushed back to the railway station where I stretched out trembling, on the cold ground."[24] The lynching was widely reported on at the time, with Baltimore newspaper The Afro-American running the headline "TENNESSEE LYNCHING OUTRIVALS WORST GERMAN ATROCITIES"[21] and coverage in The New York Times.[25]
There were no more documented lynchings in Dyersburg after Scott's.[26]
In 1942, Dyersburg Army Air Base was established by the War Department to facilitate and support military bomber training. Following the end of World War II, the base was decommissioned in 1946.[27] A museum is currently located at the site of the former air base.[28]
Buildings across from the Dyer County Courthouse in 2022Example of downtown Dyersburg architecture
On September 17, 2003, Harold Kilpatrick Jr. took 15 hostages in a classroom at Dyersburg State Community College. Kilpatrick was killed following a nine-hour standoff with police.[32]
In June and July 2020, multiple peaceful demonstrations were held in downtown Dyersburg around the city's Confederate Statue.[33][34][35][36] These protests focused on systemic racism and police brutality.[37] At one of the protests a speech was given about Lation Scott, a man who was brutally lynched in front of a crowd of thousands in the same court square over a hundred years prior. These events are notable as they are the first known protests to have occurred in the town.[38] During one protest, participants were met by a group of counter-protesters concerned about the removal of Dyersburg's Confederate Statue, with some claiming the statue commemorates all Confederate soldiers in Tennessee including black ones, and claiming "Black men joined because of deprivations, like burning, raping and looting, committed by the Union". Another said Black Lives Matter was becoming "like a terrorist group." Rebuking the counter-protestors, A Dyersburg resident said, “We’re not here about the statue. We’re here to get justice for our brothers and sisters. That statue didn’t kill George Floyd. That statue didn’t kill Breonna Taylor.”[35][37]
Geography
Dyersburg is located in central Dyer County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.5 square miles (45.2 km2), of which 17.3 square miles (44.9 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.66%, is water.[39]
The city's proximity to the New Madrid Seismic Zone places it at risk for future earthquakes. USGS data shows an 18.28% chance of a major earthquake within 31 miles (50 km) of Dyersburg within the next 50 years. The largest earthquake within 30 miles (48 km) of Dyersburg was a 4.0-magnitude event in 2005.[40]
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,164 people, 6,865 households, and 4,500 families residing in the city.
2000 census
Dyersburg's population was estimated at 17,002 in 2013. As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 17,452 people, 7,036 households, and 4,517 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,158.7 inhabitants per square mile (447.4/km2). There were 7,885 housing units at an average density of 523.5 per square mile (202.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 75.68% White, 22.02% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 7,036 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males. In 2013 there were 7,989 males and 9,013 Females. The median age: 37.6.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,232, and the median income for a family was $34,754. Males had a median income of $30,898 versus $21,337 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,388. About 17.4% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over.
On March 9, 2024, the Dyersburg High School Girls Basketball Team (The Lady Trojans) won their first State Championship in Class 3A by beating Upperman High School 41-39. The tournament was played at Middle Tennessee State’s Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. [48]
Parks and recreation
Dyersburg has several public parks, recreational centers, and swimming pools.[49]
West Tennessee Healthcare Dyersburg Hospital is a Joint Commission accredited hospital.[56] The medical center has 225 beds.[57] Originally built as Parkview Hospital in 1956,[58] the hospital has changed stewardship multiple times since its inception.[59][60]
Emmett Kelly, Jr. (1923-2006), "The World's Most Famous Clown" better known as "Weary Willie"[67]
Michael Swift (1974–present), former National Football League player. Played for San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers, and Jacksonville Jaguars from 1997 to 2000[68]
^Willoughby Jr., Earl (November 6, 2002). "The genesis of Dyer County". Dyersburg State Gazette. Retrieved September 28, 2019.[dead link](subscription required)
^ abcdVan West, Carroll. "Dyer County". Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
^Cutrer, Thomas W. (1993). Ben McCulloch and the Frontier Military Tradition. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN0807860948.
^"Station: Dyersburg III Golf, TN". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
^"{title}". Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
^Sources vary as to the exact date of his death. Banks (p. 87) gives June 4; both "Antietam on the Web" and Allardice (p. 87) state June 14; Eicher (p. 596) gives June 15.
^"Hon. John A. Greer Dies Sat. April 5". The Perry Countian. April 11, 1941.
^Mooneyham, Mike (December 15, 2002). "Remembering George "Two Ton" Harris". The Wrestling Gospel According to Mike Mooneyham. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
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