Colonel William A. Phillips

Dyersburg is a city 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 signed in 1818. Following this, European settlers began arriving in the area 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)

Brothers Ben McCulloch and Henry McCulloch settled in Dyersburg prior to moving westward to participate in the Texas Revolution. It was in the Dyersburg area they befriended Davy Crockett. They later became well-known as Texas Rangers and Confederate officers.

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]

The arrival of the Newport News and Mississippi Valley Railroad in 1884 further expanded market possibilities; a branch line, the Dyersburg Northern, soon linked the county seat to Tiptonville. 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]

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.[10] 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."[10] 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.[11]

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."[12] Nathan Bedford Forrest and Robert V. Richardson occupied Dyersburg in August 1863, before retreating upon the arrival of Colonel Edward Hatch in the area.[13]

20th century

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.[14]

Lynching and Mob Violence

William Thomas

A black man named William Thomas was lynched on March 19, 1917, for allegedly shooting an officer.[15]

Lation Scott

On December 2, 1917, a 24-year-old black farmhand named Lation (or Ligon) Scott[16] was brutally lynched by a white mob[17] before a crowd of eight thousand[18] people.[19] 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.[20] Torturers burned out his eyes with red-hot irons.[19] When he cried out in pain, a red-hot poker was rammed down his esophagus.[19] 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".[19] After being tortured, Scott was slowly burned at the stake.[17][19] Scott's torture and murder occurred over a three and a half hour period.[19] No one was prosecuted for the lynching.[16] 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.”[16] 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."[21] The lynching was widely reported on at the time, with Baltimore newspaper The Afro-American running the headline "TENNESSEE LYNCHING OUTRIVALS WORST GERMAN ATROCITIES"[18] and coverage in The New York Times.[22] There were no more documented lynchings in Dyersburg after Scott's.[23]

The Edward Moody King House is on the National Register of Historic Places.

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.[24] A museum is currently located at the site of the former air base.[25]

On March 5, 1963, a Piper Comanche plane carrying country singers Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas, and Cline's manager & pilot Randy Hughes stopped to refuel in Dyersburg. The plane crashed around 20 minutes later in inclement weather near Camden, Tennessee.[26]

In 1990, Boss Hoss Cycles was founded by Dyersburg resident Monte Warren.[27][28]

21st century

Buildings across from the Dyer County Courthouse in 2022
Example 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.[29]

In June and July 2020, multiple peaceful demonstrations were held in downtown Dyersburg around the city's Confederate Statue.[30][31][32][33] These protests focused on systemic racism and police brutality.[34] 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.[35] 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.”[32][34]

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.[36]

Dyersburg is located on the Forked Deer River and is 13 mi (21 km) from the Mississippi River.

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.[37]

Climate

Climate data for Dyersburg Regional Airport, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 78
(26)
80
(27)
85
(29)
93
(34)
97
(36)
105
(41)
104
(40)
104
(40)
103
(39)
93
(34)
84
(29)
78
(26)
105
(41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 47.3
(8.5)
51.7
(10.9)
61.1
(16.2)
71.0
(21.7)
79.7
(26.5)
87.6
(30.9)
90.1
(32.3)
89.5
(31.9)
83.7
(28.7)
73.0
(22.8)
59.5
(15.3)
50.4
(10.2)
70.4
(21.3)
Daily mean °F (°C) 38.3
(3.5)
41.8
(5.4)
50.6
(10.3)
60.0
(15.6)
69.6
(20.9)
77.6
(25.3)
80.4
(26.9)
79.0
(26.1)
72.5
(22.5)
60.9
(16.1)
48.9
(9.4)
41.5
(5.3)
60.1
(15.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 29.2
(−1.6)
31.8
(−0.1)
40.2
(4.6)
49.0
(9.4)
59.5
(15.3)
67.7
(19.8)
70.7
(21.5)
68.5
(20.3)
61.3
(16.3)
48.8
(9.3)
38.3
(3.5)
32.6
(0.3)
49.8
(9.9)
Record low °F (°C) −12
(−24)
−5
(−21)
6
(−14)
25
(−4)
38
(3)
46
(8)
55
(13)
49
(9)
37
(3)
25
(−4)
6
(−14)
−7
(−22)
−12
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.80
(97)
4.56
(116)
5.87
(149)
5.08
(129)
5.38
(137)
4.47
(114)
4.29
(109)
3.27
(83)
2.64
(67)
4.16
(106)
4.54
(115)
5.19
(132)
53.25
(1,353)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.3 7.8 11.3 9.9 10.4 8.4 7.2 5.7 6.7 7.8 8.5 9.4 102.4
Source: NOAA[38]

[39]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1870683
18801,01047.9%
18902,00998.9%
19003,64781.5%
19104,14913.8%
19206,44455.3%
19308,73335.5%
194010,03414.9%
195010,8858.5%
196012,49914.8%
197014,52316.2%
198015,8569.2%
199016,3172.9%
200017,4527.0%
201017,145−1.8%
202016,164−5.7%
Sources:[5][40][4]

2020 census

Dyersburg racial composition[41]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 10,106 62.49%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 4,337 26.82%
Native American 18 0.11%
Asian 169 1.05%
Pacific Islander 7 0.04%
Other/Mixed 809 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 725 4.48%

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.

Sports

From 1923 to 1925, Dyersburg was home to a Minor League Baseball team known as the Dyersburg Forked Deers (1923–1924) and Dyersburg Deers (1925).[42] They won the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League championship in 1923 and 1924.[43][44]

Parks and recreation

Dyersburg has several public parks, recreational centers, and swimming pools.[45]

Education

Media

Newspaper

The Dyersburg State Gazette is a semi-weekly broadsheet newspaper published in Dyersburg.[48] The newspaper has had a circulation reaching 7,900.[49]

Infrastructure

Transportation

Hospital

West Tennessee Healthcare Dyersburg Hospital is a Joint Commission accredited hospital.[51] The medical center has 225 beds.[52] Originally built as Parkview Hospital in 1956,[53] the hospital has changed stewardship multiple times since its inception.[54][55]

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "City of Dyersburg, Tennessee". City of Dyersburg, Tennessee. Archived from the original on July 4, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  2. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Dyersburg, Tennessee
  4. ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. ^ "QuickFacts Dyersburg city, Tennessee". QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  7. ^ Willoughby Jr., Earl (November 6, 2002). "The genesis of Dyer County". Dyersburg State Gazette. Retrieved September 28, 2019.[dead link](subscription required)
  8. ^ a b c d Van West, Carroll. "Dyer County". Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  9. ^ Willoughby, Earl Jr. "Dyer County TNGenWeb: Robert Henry Dyer". www.tngenweb.org. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  10. ^ a b The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. 24. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1880–1901. pp. 29–30. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022.
  11. ^ The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. 24. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1880–1901. pp. 33–34. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022.
  12. ^ The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. 35. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1880–1901. p. 335. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022.
  13. ^ The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. 109. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1880–1901. pp. 431–432. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022.
  14. ^ "Tennessee Executions". Tennessee Department of Correction. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  15. ^ Burghardt Du Bois, William Edward (1918). The Crisis, Volume 15, No. 4. New York: Crisis Publishing Company. p. 183.
  16. ^ a b c "1917: Lation Scott lynched". executedtoday.com. December 2, 2014. Archived from the original on May 13, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  17. ^ a b Hiaasen, Carl (February 21, 2015). "Racial lynchings, our own history of terrorism". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  18. ^ a b "TENNESSEE LYNCHING OUTRIVALS WORST GERMAN ATROCITIES". Baltimore, Maryland: The Afro-American. December 8, 1917. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Burghardt Du Bois, William Edward (1918). The Crisis, Volume 15, No. 4. New York: Crisis Publishing Company. pp. 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183.
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  21. ^ Mitchell, H.L. (October 22, 2014). "Mean Things Happening in this Land: The Life and Times of H.L. Mitchell, Co-Founder of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union". University of Oklahoma Press. p. 1. ISBN 9780806186078. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  22. ^ "NEGRO BURNED AT STAKE.; Tennessee Mob Puts Prisoner to Death in Sight of Thousands" (PDF). The New York Times. Vol. LXVII, no. 21863. New York, NY. December 3, 1917. p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  23. ^ Vandiver, Margaret (2006). Lethal Punishment : Lynchings and Legal Executions in the South. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press. pp. 96–98. ISBN 9780813537283. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  24. ^ "WWII Dyersburg Army Air Base – Halls TN, 1942". Tennessee History. August 22, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  25. ^ "Dyersburg Army Air Base Memorial Association". website. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  26. ^ Larry Jordan (March 5, 2013). "What really happened in the Patsy Cline plane crash". boardhost.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  27. ^ "Boss Hoss Background". Boss Hoss. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  28. ^ Jones, Ken (January 20, 2016). "Boss Hoss under new ownership, staying in Dyersburg". State Gazette. Retrieved May 29, 2022.(subscription required)
  29. ^ "Dyersburg Hostage Situation Ends in Death, Bloodshed". KAIT. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
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  32. ^ a b "Protesters, counter-protesters hold discussion in Dyersburg". WBBJ. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  33. ^ "Protesters address racial injustice, police brutality in Dyersburg". WBBJ. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  34. ^ a b "Confederate monument in Dyersburg becomes focus of protest against systemic racism". Jackson Sun. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  35. ^ "Protesters gather in downtown Dyersburg, spectators react". WBBJ. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
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  37. ^ "M 4.0 - 12km S of Ridgely, Tennessee". USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  38. ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  39. ^ "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.
  40. ^ "{title}". Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
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  46. ^ "About the College". www.dscc.edu. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
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External links