Selmer, Tennessee

Selmer, Tennessee. 35.1701 °North, 88.5923 °West. , Selmer has been the county seat of McNairy County since April of 1891 when it was moved from Purdy, TN. This change came to be when Purdy citizens voted an emphatic no to the railroad coming through their town. This decision moved the railroad 4 miles west, to what would become Selmer. Many leading citizens of Purdy then began to move to Selmer. On April 7th, 1891, the County Court held its first session at the new county seat and all courts have been held in Selmer since that time. On June 16th, 1891, the cornerstone for the new courthouse was placed., Also, in 1891 the first bank was established in Selmer. By the turn of the century McNairy County was the most favorably situated county of all the counties and cities in Tennessee. Selmer grew by leaps and bounds due to being served by two railroads and two national concrete highways, 45 (5) and 64 (15). , The McNairy County Historical Museum has preserved many artifacts of the county and continues to work diligently to keep the history alive as evidenced by the recent discovery of the Mesker Buildings in downtown Selmer. The McNairy County Archives is home to documents that reveal the flourishing years of Selmer. Our music history includes wall murals on downtown buildings depicting the Rock-n-Roll and Rockabilly that made this area famous. Another treasure is the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame inductees’ pictures which are proudly displayed on Court Avenue.