History Tipton County, Tennessee

1 history

1.1 indian cultures
1.2 1811 , 1812 earthquakes
1.3 establishment
1.4 19th century

history
indian cultures

the tipton phase , of associated sites

from 10,000 bce, paleo-indians , later archaic-indians lived communities of hunter-gatherers in area covers modern day southern united states. approximately 800 ce 1600 ce, mississippi delta populated tribes of mississippian culture, mound-building native american people had developed in late woodland indian period. while there chiefdoms , centers along mississippi , tributaries, major center @ cahokia, in present-day illinois east of st. louis, missouri.

the tipton phase people local expression of mississippian culture. still inhabited region of modern-day tipton county during time of first contact europeans, @ arrival of spanish hernando de soto expedition. end of mississippian period, land claimed , populated chickasaw tribe. exact origins of chickasaw uncertain.

around 1800, europeans began settling chickasaw-inhabited lands east of mississippi river. chickasaw land in became known west tennessee , southwestern kentucky ceded in jackson purchase. both states grew considerably result of purchase. in 1818, both sides agreed transfer signing treaty of tuscaloosa. chickasaw paid annuities 15 years, united states late payment, or forced people take value in goods. these delayed or of poor quality.

1811 , 1812 earthquakes

due topographic changes caused 1811–12 new madrid earthquakes, part of tipton county cut off state of tennessee change in course of mississippi river. earthquake changed course of river near settlement of reverie, tennessee. old riverbed west of reverie. river runs east of reverie, putting reverie on arkansas side, while of area of tipton county located east of river, on tennessee side.

establishment

tipton county attracted european-american settlers established cotton plantations on fertile soils , either brought or purchased enslaved african americans field labor , house servants. area part of cotton culture associated mississippi delta, extended down yazoo river in mississippi. increase in population, county established on october 29, 1823 parts of shelby county, borders tipton county in south. land former chickasaw indian territory. county named jacob tipton (1765–1791), direct ancestor sir anthony de tipton, in 1282, said have slaid prince of wales @ battle of snowdon . jacob s father, armistead blevins, supervised organization of shelby county. tipton killed native americans in 1791 in conflict on northwest territory. jacob tipton son of john tipton, rival of john sevier during tennessee s state of franklin period.

19th century

early mississippi river steamboat commerce flourished in tipton county. in 1830, community of randolph, 1 of earliest settlements in tipton county, important shipping point in tennessee , rival of memphis commercial supremacy. fortunes declined in later years. riverboat traffic gradually yielded freight being shipped railroad. first rail service in tipton county established in december 1855, when memphis , ohio railroad completed route memphis nashville, running through mason.

union fleet passing fort randolph (1865)

two civil war forts, fort randolph , fort wright, built near settlement because of strategic location on second chickasaw bluff of mississippi river.

following civil war, investment in infrastructure renewed, , memphis , paducah railroad completed tracks covington in july 1873. telegraph line between memphis , covington opened in 1882. in 1894, covington connected electricity. forced water mains have provided residents of covington water since 1898. in 1922, street paving began in county seat. since 1929, residents of covington have had access natural gas.

in south main historic district in covington, 50 residences late 19th century , 20th century still intact. district listed on national register of historic places.