The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-03-04
BOLIVAR.

ABOUT nIIy acres OF lan0 was given
for the connty-seat of Hardemau
County by William Ramsey and
Ezekiel Polk, each of whom received
one choice lot. This was April %.
1924. Then the business was turn
ed over to the town commissioners
who had been selected to sell the
town lots and erect public buildings.
The new county-s seat was named
Bolivar in honor of the great South
American liberatOr, Simon Bolivar.
The courts met at the house of L.
McNeal. A log house was then
built for the accommodation of the
courts in the court square. Soon
afterwards a good brick building
was erected. This house stood till
it was destroyed BY fire which was
caused by the Federal soldiers IN
1864. Steps were begun for a new
court house In 1866 BY act OF the
Legislature passed 1868 the c,unty
was allowed to sell S25, 900 worth
of bonds to build new court house.
This was soon finished. The cOun-
ty now owns splendid brick court
house with good Offices with several
fire aud burglar proof safes and
vaults. In the tower is bell and
town clock. In 1924 Thomas
McNeal and w. Ramsey were or
dered TO build a Jail, and they
thought best to put it near the court
house. The cost was not be over
$40. The second Jail stood where
Mr.. j. A. Wilson's residence now
stands. This was built about 1880.
Most OF the material was furnished
by Messrs. j. Tunage and P. Miller.
The next jail was completed in 1874
and stood nearly In front of the
present Jail when it was d estroyed
by fire in 1875. The present elegant
Jail and sherlff's residence was built
i'm 1875. Business houses were built
in Bolivar in 1925 by Joe Mccain,
ID. w. Wood and REYNOLDS. These
were log houses and stood on the
west side near the center of the
block, and a large part OF the trade
was with the Indians. The principal
business IF Bolivar is now done by
the following firms: d. E. Durrett,
Kahn Bros, j. A. Barrett, j. A.
Wilson and w. III. Reynolds;
groceries. G. L. ingram, Joseph
Tate, j. L. Joyner. w. Redd, w.
B. Williams and r. F. WIlkerson;
drug stores, Savage q Emerson and
B. V. Hudson. The first newspaper
Published in this place was the
Bolivar Palladium published be-
fore 1880. Then followed the Bolivar
Herald and then the Democrat
which was founded by j. j. Nicely
in 1845, and continued till the war.
The Bolivar Bulletin was founded
in 1865 by M. E. Parrish, which is
printed every week by Wood u
Williams. 1t is progressive Demo-
cratic paper, its columns are full
of good reading matter and every
one should read it. The Bank of
Bolivar was chartered in September
1886. The old cemetery lying in
the eastern part OF the town was
purchased by the town commission
ers, in July 1926. This was the
common burying ground till 1860
W hen the Union Cemetery was pur-
chased from Mr.. P. Miller by
Messrs. j. I'll Bills anil j. j. Nicely
the Masonic lodge, and the Odd
Fellows Lodges. This Is now the
general burying ground. The Polk
Cemetery was decided by Edwin
Polk to James K. Polk, Jr., A. /.
McNeal, w. Nicely, w. L. Bills, w.
e. Collier and w Nelson on Oct.
%, 1916 t. be forever a family
burying-ground Col. Ezekiel
Polk, was the first burie here. In
1921 he wrote his own epitaph be-
ginning with these lines:
Here hes the dust of old E. L.
One instance of Mortality.
Pennsylvania born, Carolina bred,
In Tennessee 0ied upon his bed.
In the summer of 1886 a place
was selected two and one,haif miles
West of Bolivar for an asylum.
The building is made OF brick with
white stone TRAININGS. Its length Is
750 feet. The main part of the
building is four stories high, and
occupied by the officers. On each
side of the main building are two
sections three stories high separated
from each other by fire proof
walls. The building cost over $780,
900 without the furnishing, and will
400 patients. Bolivar
is noted for its fine schools. The
st. James Hall is the best Ia Har-
deman County. 1t is large brick
building.
KATIE CARRINGToN.
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