The principal streams of the county were Shoal Creek, Factory Fork, Beeler Fork, Chisholm Creek, Knob Creek, Sugar Creek, Blue Water, Little and Big Buffalo Rivers, and many other smaller streams. The first settlers were found mainly on the larger streams, which furnished fish for food, power to run mills, cottongins, and other machinery, but, also, in the absence of roads, they furnished outlets to other parts of the county. At Pennington's the first watermill in the county was built in 1816 by Moses Pennington; a distillery was also built near the mill-the first in the county. The Primitive Baptists built the first church in 1817, near where Henryville was afterward built, of which church the Rev. John Hunter was the first minister. The first school was taught in the above church in 1817. Jesse Helton built the first cotton-gin in the county in 1817, on Middle Fork. James Scott erected a mill on Shoal Creek in 1820.
Many deer, wolves, bears, wildcats, and turkeys were found in the county, and the food of the pioneer consisted largely of game. Among the most noted hunters of his day was the celebrated David Crockett, who was one of the Justices chosen for the county at its organization. He resigned his office on November 1, 1819, and soon became involved in numerous lawsuits for debt. At one time he owned nearly 400 acres of land in the county, but in 1822 he have away what property he had left, by his "free will," to Nancy Musgrave, and moved to Gibson County in West Tennessee. From this section he was a representative and afterward congressman. About 1835, having been defeated for Congress, he left the State and went to Texas, where he assisted the Texans in their struggle for independence. He fell bravely fighting at the Alamo.
Lawrence County was established by an act of the General Assembly in 1817, but was not formally organized until the first Monday in May, 1818. The county was cut off from "the territory south of Maury and west of Giles," and embraced a much larger area formerly than now. It has been reduced from time to time. The same act which ordered the new county, also ordered that it should be called Lawrence, in honor, it is supposed, of Commodore Lawrence, of the United States Navy. The act further provided for the laying out of a county seat. David Crockett, Henry Sharp, Maxmilian H. Buchanan, and John Beeler were selected to lay out the county and select a county seat.
As mentioned in the beginning, William, John, and Spencer were residents of Lawrence County in 1820. William continued to live in Lawrence County. He and his wife, Esther(Kuyendall)Altom had the following children: ANDREW JACKSON Altom who married Polly J. PARR in 1838 in Lawrence County, ELIHU Altom who married Julia Ann ROACH in 1849 in Lawrence Co., ELIZABETH Altom who married William SHIPMAN in 1839 in Lawrence Co., PARAMELIA Altom who married Maxwell KEELING in 1835 in Lawrence Co., ESTHER Altom who married James HUTCHESON, PHEBE Altom who married Alfred HUTCHESON in 1848 in Lawrence Co., WILLIAM A. Altom who married Mary Roach in 1846 in Lawrence Co., DAVID C. ALTOM, and JOHN M. ALTOM.
William died sometime prior 1846, when his property was sold. His family shortly thereafter, moved from Tennessee into Texas and Arkansas and eventually settling in Southwest Arkansas in Columbia and LaFayette Counties.
To view the 1820 census of Lawrence County, Tennessee, or the estate sale of William Altom click below:
ESTATE SALE OF WILLIAM ALTOM(ALTUM)
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