The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-21


there Is still, in 1873, about the same
proportion of improved land, woodland,
and otherwise uHimproved land in the
county that tAeFe wassh Isl Bwee
the number OF acre S. given the mint
census and the nur8bet retur d for tax
alton there is discfepancg of nearIF
10000 acres, There are teen civi
districts in the county, an the sam
number Of school districts, which coiuS
eide with the civil districts
Organization. Hardeman county was
established under an act Of the General
Assembly of the State bearing date Octo
Der 10, 1928, and on the 18th day OF
October, / S23, the. county was formally
Organized By the following named GENTLE
men, who were the regularly authorized
commissioners for the purpose; Andrew
Taylor, William POLK, Jacob Pirtle. John
Y Cochran, William P. Robertson.
Nathan Steli, John ROssou, and one or
two -oihers whose names are not known
aud do not appear on record. The FIRST
county court elected William Polk as its
chairman and Thomas Jones iIardemau
as ITS first clerk The first settlers were
principally from sAiaury county, IN this
State, and from Kentucky, and th.ir de-
seendant constitute to-day the leading
citizens of the county. - ..
Physical Geography. Hardeman coun.
ty is included in the Plateau or Slope of
West Tennessee, and is one Of the best
counties on the Slope. The country i'm
mediately around Bolivar, the county
seat, is quite level. Eortbward toward
| the county line it is rather broken, with
rich valleys and table lands; eouthward
it is inclined to be billy, but the lands
are very good, and this section is regard.
ed as an excellent farming district. Pro-
ceeding eastward to the county line, is is
| again billy, bus there are some rich and
productive valleys In a westerly direc-
ton it is generally level aud rich 10
fact, there are few counties in West Ten
nessee. which present a greater variety
| of surface character, and bot few afford
better farming facilities The prevailing
| color Of the soil throughout the county
| is dark, and in most sections it
is a mellow, siiiceous loan, high.
i4y productive. The prevailing color
Of the subsoil is a red clay, which,
when mixed with the soil, produces we'll,
and responds readily to the application
of manure The average depth Of the
soil is about FIVE inches, but in the valleys,
| which are numerous, it is deeper, reach
| ing frequently eighteen inches. Along
the ridges, however, it lie very shalloR,
| most of it having been carried OF BY Ha-
ter to the valleys The bottom lands,
and what are known as the table lands,
are regarded as the best for corn and
small grains, and also for vines, and the
! uplands are the best for cotton. Where
| the lands are level they wear we'll, and
are easily titled, but in the moro broken
and billy sections of the county, though
easily titled, they are easily worn, and
require good handling, especially deep sub
sOiling, to make them last well.
Formations Some indications of iron
ore are observed IN this county. On
| Spring Greek, more particularly describ+
| ed hereafter, and also on Hatchie River,
there are frequent indications of iron.
| Beds of Ignite have also been discovered,
which fur nish q tolerable fuel. 10 sever,
al sections of the county Outeroppings Of
sandstone occur, and on Muddy Creek
there is bed of limestone. Formations
| of limestone are also discoTerable at
| several points on what IS known IS
Cypress Creek. In the Geology Of Ten
nessee. DR. Stafford says: ain the vicinity
of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad,
in Hardeman county, there are IN the
! Ripley Group of the Cretaceous series.
| two local beds, interesting on account of
the fossils they contain as well as for
other reasons. The Grst is a bed Of bda
gray, impure limestone, from two to six
| feet thick. It is found on both sides of
the railroad, near Muddy Creek Il
l'abouuds IN two or three species Of
Turritella Ostrea ToHuer,; Mort, claws
Of a iC1liaHasSG, and other species. The
second isa bed of-clayey sand with green
grains. This has been seen west of tile
limestone at two exposures-one in o
small cut on the railroad, about TWO
miles east of Middleton, the other about
two miles south or southeast of Niddle-
ton, on branch of Cypress Creek loi
Hardeman) and near the old stage road
7 The lands IN Hardenan resting on the
Cretaceous strata are very good, the sol
being generally to the growth of corn and
cotton. It should also be observed tina
in many districts of the county the sol
is heavily mixed with sand, which i
sometimes found in beds ranging il
thickness from three to ten inches. Thest
1 beds, however, are generally some dis
lance below the surface, and are only OG
casionally seen cropping out above th,
surface In the sections where thes
sand beds are more frequently seen, TIL
lands are especially adapted to the grow
| ing of cotton. The Cretaceous forma
tions are confined to the eastern part .
the county Much the larger portion ]
based on the Lagrange Sauds, but all th
strat1fed formations are very frequently
concealed by the Orange Sand Drift,
I -. - =. II II -
people of Hardeman county, and No
without reason, that they have the bes
Watered region in West Tennessee. TIL
7 streams u hich are deserving Of meptiol
are as follows Big Hatchie River enter
the county near its southeastern cOrnei
run northwest, PASSING through tn
county Little Hatchie River enters th
county from the east, and empties int
II Big Hatchie, about twelve miles east
:. Bolivar. Wade's Creek rises q little mort
Of east from the county seat, and emptie
into Big Hatchie River, about nine mile
east of the county seat. PineY Cree
rises IN the north eastern part of til
{ county, and empJies into Hatehie Rivel
. about three miles east of Bolivar GrG
4 Greek rises ia the northeastern part (
the county and empties into Hatchie
, two miles north of Bolivar. Mill Cree
rises in the same neighbOrhood, range
nearly west, and empties into Hatchi
: six miles north west Of Bolivar. Glove
Creek also, rises in the north-easter
) section of the county, runs vest, an
empties into Hatehie nine and ha
miles of Bolivar Hickory Greek rise
ten miles west of Bolivar, and empti'
! into the Hatchie sixteen miles NORTH
+ west ofBolivar Clear Greek rises eigl
miles Southwest of Bolivar, ranges ca
!. aud north, and empties into Hatch
f seven miles northwest of Bolivar. Plea
: ant Run rises six miles SOUTHWEST