The fresh lands of the county yielded-rich harvests for the planter and the forest was cleared away rapidly. The primitive hand-mill and mortar were resorted to at times in the first settlement of the county for meal, as little flour was then used. Joseph Reel is claimed to have been the first settler in the county in 1818 and settled on Beech River, about five miles east of the site of Lexington. Samuel Willson settled on a 726 acre tract where Lexington stands in the spring of the year 1822 and the site for the town was obtained from him. Dr. John A. Wilson was also a resident of the county near Lexington at the time of the organization of the courts. He was elected county court clerk in 1822 and held the office till 1835. Maj. John T. Harmon settled at the headwaters of the Big Sandy about 1821. He was appointed surveyor. Jacob Bartholomew and William Hays settled near the headwaters of Beech River. William Cain and George Powers settled near what was called Pleasant Exchange. John Purdy settled near Jacks Creek. He was deputy surveyor for a time and he gave name to the town of Purdy. James Baker settled about eight miles from Lexington and Jesse Taylor near the place. Other early settlers were the McClures, Brigances, Trices, Strongs, Shackelfords, McGees and others. The census for 1830 shows a population of over 8,000.(INCLUDED WITHIN THAT NUMBER WAS SPENCER AND CHRISTINA ALTOM AND FAMILY)
The county is bounded on the north by Carroll County, on the east by Decatur(formally Perry), on the south by Hardin and Chester, and on the west by Chester and Madison Counties. The county size was reduced in 1845 by cutting off a strip about three miles wide and attaching the same to Decatur County, and a small fraction lying west of Forked Deer River was attached to Madison County in 1868, and a considerable portion of the southwestern corner was attached to Chester County in1882.
The first courthouse in the county was a small log house- one story high and was built in 1822, at a cost of $142 , and did not last long. The second house, which was of brick, was built in 1827 by Samuel Wilson, at a cost of $4,595.97. This house was not a good one and in 1832, Robert Baker, E.H. Tarrant and G. Kerherdon were selected to let out the contract for remodeling the house. It was let to James Baker for about $1,000, and completed October1, 1833. In 1844 the walls of the house were taken partly down and rebuilt. This work was done by James H. Watson. The courts in the meantime met at the Masonic Hall. This house stood till 1863, when it was accidentally fired by some of the Third Michigan Cavalry, who were quartered in the house. The most of the couty records were consumed in this fire. After the war the courts met at the store house of Wm. Brooks, the office of T.C. Muse and other places till 1866, when H.G. Threadgill, A.H. Rhodes, JP Fuller JR Teague and Samuel Howard were appointed a committee for the erection a a new courthouse. to be completed October 1, 1867.
The first jail was a temporary log jail and was built by William Patton, at an expense to the county of $83. This served until about 1827, when a new brick jail was erected. This was used untill 1881, when it was sold and a new jail was built. The first criminal execution in the county was the execution of a slave woman for the drowning of a child of Dr. John A. Wilson. The woman was his own slave. A very exciting trial was the case of the State against Milton Reiley for the murder of William(Bud) Willis. The killing occurred at Independence. The trial was moved to Jackson, where he was convicted and executed on June 9,1849. A case of some interest occurred in December, 1859, in which Ben. F. Page, by his next friend Sam. N. Anderson sued Sam. C. Wheatley for slander. The jury, N. T. Buckley, J.P. Cross, J.M. Stubblefield, T. Barr, A.B. Jones, W.H. Jordan, J.N. Small, N.C. Epay, T.N. Black, S.H. Holmes and Wm. Wood, gave judgment for $2,344.58 and 1/2 cents. Aaron Curtis was convicted of manslaughter for killing Calvin Barnett, and given a sentence of Seven years to the penitentiary. In 1860 Wilson Tidwell and John Barnett each received three year sentences for larceny, and Columbus Phillips the same time for mule stealing. A number of suits were brought against parties for killing during the period of the war. These parties were generaly acquitted or driven from the country by the indictments standing against them.
The military history of Henderson County properly begins with the late civil war, although quite a number went from this county to the Mexican War. At the election held on June 8, 1861, Henderson County, along with 3 other counties(Carroll, Decatur, and Weakley) were the only counties in West Tennessee that voted against seccession. The vote of Henderson County was 810 for "separation", and 1,013 for "no separation"; but when the final clash of arms came the county was largely in sympathy with the South. The first full companies for the Confederate service were four companies raised for the Twenty-seventh Tennessee(Confederate)Regiment. This regiment rendezvoused at Trenton in the summer of 1861. The regiment numbered about 1,000 men and was put in camp of instruction at Trenton for a time for disciple, but soon moved to Henderson Station on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad for sanitary reasons. Here it remained till the battle of Belmont, when it was ordered to Columbus, Ky. The next troops were one company for the Thirty-first Tennessee(Confederate) Regiment. This regiment also organized at Trenton in the fall of 1861. The remaining troops from this county were members of the Fifty-second Tennessee(Confederate)Regiment. This regiment was organized at Henderson Station .(p) The Seventh Union Regiment of Tennessee Cavalry was raised mainly in Henderson and Carroll Counties. The regiment numbered 650 men. Their work was confined almost entirely to guard duty along the line of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad and the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. In addition to the guard duty they scoured the country, picking up deserters, stragglers, and preventing recruiting for the Confederate Army, and fighting guerrilla bands. A portion of the regiment was captured by Forrest at Trenton in 1862, on on March 24, 1864, nearly the entire regiment was captured by Forrest's men at Union City.
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