County of the Month: Marshall - Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

The Purchase District, which included the area that is now Marshall County, was once part of the Chickasaw Indian lands acquired during the Jackson Purchase (1818). The first settlers of the area included Banister Wade, John Irvan, James Stewart and Rev. Henry Clay Darnall. Stewart is credited to have made the first permanent settlement on Wade's Creek, about one mile north of old Wadesboro.

Marshall County was created in 1842 and named for Chief Justice John Marshall. Its county seat, Benton, named for Thomas Hart Benton, was established on land belonging to John H. Bearden and Francis H. Clayton also in 1842.

Early roads in the area included one from Edner's Ferry on the Tennessee River, which ran east to Wadesboro. It is the approximate route of KY 80. Roads that connected Benton with Paducah to the northwest and Wadesboro and Murray to the south eventually came to be part of U.S. 641. Clark's River, with its three branches East, West and Middle Forks, is the largest and principle stream that traverses the county.

Cypress Creek, that runs into the Tennessee River, has rich farmlands almost from its source to its mouth. It was thought that people could not enjoy good health along its banks. Development in that area was avoided until the late 1800's.

Some of the First Citizens of Marshall (then Calloway) County: 1818-1820

Mr. Daniel, Mr. Bibb, Benjamin and James Knox, Robert and Nehemiah Williams, Arthur H. Davis, James Greer, John Gray, Robert Carney, Stephen Williams, Edward Dillard, Mr. Davis, Samuel Dinwiddie, james Morgan, W.M. Cummiins, Mr. Winfrey, Peter Agener, William Baker, Joseph Reaves, Jepthah Griffith, Levi Lamb, John Entrikan, Mr. Thrabe and Henry Darnall; William Gibson, James Smith, Henry Thompson and John Moore; Stephen and Dr. John Howard; Murrell Utley, R.E. Rowland, James Bourland, Elijah Goodman, James Jordan, Mr. Twitty, Mr. McDonald, Thomas Goodman, Mr. Benbrook, Mr. Williams, William Riley, Perry Lawrence, William Sneed, Mr. Beech, Mr. Skaggs, James and William Brown, Elijah Veech and James Eaton; Mr. Scott, Moses Clayton, Jesse Thomas and Daniel Ford, Samuel Watson, Mr. Tisdale, Hezekiah Williams, Jesse Jones, John Shumaker, Mr. Dunn and Mr. Lawson; Mr. Scott and Mr. Woods, Thomas Hill, Squire Jonathan Hill, Mr. McKinney, Stratton, M. Doon and James Branck; Mr. Jones, Bartlet henson, Isaac Condrum, John Kennedy, John and James Faughn; James Ashworth, Daniel Nance, Rayden Gray, William Earley, M. Campbell, John Campbell; Joel Yeates and William Short; Glover Baker, William Whiteside and John Brown; Jeremiah Murray, William Darnold and Benjamin Grindall.

School Days, 1894

Below can be found the name and number of each school district in the county, together with the name of the teacher for the year 1894.

Below are some resources available at KDLA for genealogists and researchers interested in the Marshall County area.

1. Walnut Grove - W.M. Anderson	30. Lone Valley - L.L. Freeman
2. Alford - L.A. Robb	31. Staton's - W.M. Elliott
3. Unity - R.L. Nanney	32. Oak Hill - J.N. Holland
4. Joppa - D.W. Lents	33. Sharpe - C.H. Hamilton
5. Olive - Mollie Treas	34. Stringtown - Maggie Hill
6. Johnson District - S.T. Harrison	35. Hickory Grove - D.B. Crowell
7. N/A	36. New Harmony - H.B. Holland
8. Collie District - R.W. West	37. Brazzeel - Dora Kelley
9. Cleveland - A.E. Cross	38. Benton - J.P. Brannock
10. Maple Springs - T.D. Brown	39. Church Grove - Elihu Harris
11. Salem - Charlie Jones	40. Cherry Grove - J.D. Mathis
12. N/A	41. Pleasant Valley - J.M. Houser
13. Birmingham - B.M. Philley	42. Oak Level - J.N. Henson
14. Mt. Carmel - Jane Holland	43. Johnson - Bethel Hall
15. White Oak - Ida Lutter	44. Pleasant Grove - L.I. Bean
16. Clark - M.B. Pace	45. Darnall - E.W. Stone
17. Briensburg - John T. Draffen	46. Liberty - H.W. Jones
18. Stice - L.V. Henson	47. Hardin - Thomas Jackson
19. Oak Ridge - E.G. Maddox	48. Jackson - William Barnhart
20. Gilbertsville - G.C. Edwards	49. Phipps - F.A. Higgins
21. Pugh - E.L. Sargent	50. Hale Spring - Edna Starks
22. Stahl - T.I. Hartsfield	51. Beasley - George W. Oliver
23. Scale - U.G. Karnes	52. Smith's - Attie Houston
24. Griggs - L.O. Peck	53. Davis Chapel - J.T. Clark
25. Palma - Naomi Reeves	54. Luckas Holland's - Floy Heath
26. McCain - A.T. Willoughby	55. Coursey - J.M. McGee
27. Calvert City - Moffit Howard	56. Cope - M.A. Bearden
28. Altona - Mamie Johnson
29. Howard's Grove - D.V. Sims