Hickman County, TN
History
The history of Hickman County began before Tennessee achieved statehood in 1796. In April 1791, Edwin Hickman, a native of North Carolina, led a surveying party into what is now Hickman County. Hickman's party included James Robertson (husband of Charlotte Reeves), later known as the Father of Middle Tennessee; Robert Weakley, who also played a prominent role in the early history of the state; and others. The party camped at the mouth of a small creek on the north side of Duck River opposite the present site of Centerville.Created in 1807 from southern Dickson County, Hickman County extended all the way to the present Alabama State line, and Vernon, on the Piney River, became the first county seat. By 1820, several new counties had been created out of Hickman County, and a movement began to move the county seat to a more central location. In 1823, the new town of Centerville became the county seat.
The county's early industry centered around the iron furnaces. Indeed, Goodspeed's 1886 History of Tennessee rated Hickman County's iron ore as the best in the state. In addition to iron manufacturing, Hickman County's economy has centered on agriculture and timbering. Today, Hickman County's industry includes manufacturers of packaging materials, metal buttons, various wood products, structural steel, pies, ammunition, and illuminated signs.
Modern Day Adjacent Counties
Dickson County (north)Williamson County (east)
Maury County (southeast)
Lewis County (south)
Perry County (west)
Humphreys County (northwest)