The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-09-06
Tennessee Boasts
a Deserted Village"

"When Goldsmith dedicated his
famous poem, The Deserted Village,
to his friend Reynolds, he expressed his
fear that a deserted village could only
be possible in the imagination of the
past, but nevertheless, depopulated a
village to perfection i'll his effort.
Could DR.. Goldsmith have lived until
to-day he could have looked with his
own eyes upon deserted village-one
to make real Sweet Auburn, loveliest
village of the plain.
I'm 1929 old Purdy was established in
McNairy county, Tenn, upon the main
stage line leading from the eastern
plains of the state to the Mississippi
river, and crossing then into the limit
less West. The county was settled
sparsely, but by sturdy class of PEG
pie from Virginia and the Old North
State, who had crossed the mountains
10 hew their fortunes from the wilder
ness. and WOO from the virgin bosom
at these broad acres the treasures that
the ages had deposited there.
"These people were largely of Scotch
Irish descent, and by their characters
tic persistence soon transformed the
wild region into prosperous agricultur-
al districts, and Purdy, the county seat
grew to be one of the most important
commercial points in the western divi-
sion of the State, outstripping Memphis
and jackson, now the most populOus
and prosperous points in Western Ten
nessee. Besides the then unrivaled
commercial standing Of Purdy, social
influence had been established that
made of it the center of all the wealth
and luxury that had fourished in splen
dor for many of those primitive years.
THE high school and the colleges
came in the wake of the churches of
almost every denomination, and palatial
residences were erected upon the broad
street that checkered the crest of the
eminence upon which was builded the
city. A county fair fourished, as did
other evidences of the enterprise and
thrift of the people, and for that time
like the ancient city, all roads led to
Purdy. But blight came and then
was portrayed the truth, that Ill fares
the land to fastening ills a prey, where
wealth accumulates and men decay.
The railroad in passing missed the pio-
neer city but few miles, and then be-
gan war away back midway the last
century, that finally resulted in the de-
serted village. The fight was for the
removal of the court house to point
on the Mobile and Ohio railroad and
during all intervening periods up to
about dozen years ago the conflict
never ceased. 1t was battle of ballots
in the halls of legislation, upon the
streets of the town, and the roadsides
leading thereto, but the result was pre-
destined, and one by one the ihhabi
tants of the doomed village began to
lose confidence and seek other localities
until when victory came to the re
I'moval party" there were but few in
deed to remove, and the new town of
Selmer, which became the county seat
was built by comparative strangers and
not by those who made and main
tanned old Purdy.
Among those prominent, and who
have made, many of them, national
regulations who claim this as the home
of their childhood, are Marcus J. and
John V. Wright, Col D. M. Wilson, of
the Indian service, the ShulIs, the
| Dukes, and the Johnsons, not one of
whom, nor a defendant of one of whom,
now resides in the solitudes of the de-
serted town. Indeed only one or two
dilapidated buildings are occupied,
while standing in undisturbed quiet
are the mansions of those who have
gone to seek more active fields in life.
Truly this is Goldsmith s Deserted
Village stripped of its romance and
only sadness can come to him who looks
upon the cruel destruction time has
here wrought and feels the silence of
its perfect dissolution. Memphis Com
mercial- Appeal