The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-12-25

ed site, remote from swamps, and is
consequently almost free from mus
ouitoes and all malarial diseases. The
first house built here was in 1859; the
first business house in 1851. Little
progress was made in buildiag until the
year 1866, when it began to improve
and has continued to grow rapidly un-
til the present time, bidding fair to be-
come at no late day city of consider
able dimensions. From a mere way
station it has grown to point Ofgreat
Importance, having, it is claimed, near
ly three thousand inhabitants. BY
actual count, there are eighty business
firms, doing an annual business of
nearly one million dollars in the aggre-
gate. There are four hotels, five
churches, one college and other cred
liable public buildings IN the town.
On the east We control the trade of
east Gibson, west Carroll and part of
Henderson counties; on the touth we
have the trade of the south end of
Gibson and north end of Madison
counties for a distance of fourteen
miles; OH the west We have fine coun.
try for seven Or eight miles, the
trade of which we control, and on
the north we have the trade of
the country for a like distance.
The country supporting Milan on eve-
ry side has fine land, good water, one
of the finest climates in the south,
plenty of fine timber and shipping ia
cilities unsurpassed. 1t has been said
of Gibson county that the most remote
farm house in her bounds is not out of
sound of the railroad whistle. Milan
is peculiarly favored in respect to ship
ping facilities. All points north,
east, south and west are in direct com
munica,ion with our thriving town.
The Chicago, st. Louis d New Or
leans road places us in connection
with the northwestand all points south;
the Louisville Il Nashville road gives
US close communication with points
east, north and south and southwest;
while the Tennessee Central will
place US in communication with Nash
vile ON the east and the Mississippi
on the west. The L. G.. K. r. is near
Iy all graded from Huntingdon to
Trenton and sum sufficient to COM
plete it has recently heen voted by
Trenton and Milan, and subscriptions
taken to fully comply with PROPOSE
tion made by Col. Cole, the Southern
railroad King. The people have done
their duty, and Col. G. will fulfill his
promise at the earliest practicable mo>
ment. The prospective road from
Evansville, Ind, to New Orleans will
pass through our town when built,
thus making Milan one of the most i'm
portant railroad centers, as well as
towns, in the South.
We have one of the finest male and
female colleges in the state located
here, and Milan holds out induce
ments 10 those desirous of educating
their children not surpassed. Our
free school system has heretofore been
successful, and liberal state and county
taxation has been levied to support
the schools. 1t is recommended to
our new Board of Mayor and Alder
men that they levy a municipal tax
for school purposes, ard thus increase
the sum necessary for conducting our
educational interests.
Asa point for manufacturing, Milan
presents a fine opening. Water can
be had in north and east of town by
digging from fifteen to thirty feet.
Three miles east of town is a fine
stream of never failing water, afford
ing splendid water power, and compe-
tent engineers have stated that with
trifiing expense this stream could be
brought to our town, thus affording
facilities for cotton and other mills un-
equalled. This is in the heart of the
finest cotton and corn country in West
Tennessee. Cotton of the finest kind
is raised here in large quantities, and
the manufacturer could purchase the
raw material at his very doors in suf-
fcient amounts to keep his mill run
ming the entire year, thereby saving
the heavy shipping freights to north>
ern manufactures, and finding a ready
sale for his goods at the place of man.
ufacture. Manufactures are compar-
ti7ely in their infancy here, being
confined in the main to the ordinary
necessities of the counrry-wagon and
carriage manufacturing and the like
and the product not exceeding the de-