Acts of 1843 Chapter 38

SECTION 1. That a new county be, and the same is hereby established to be composed of
fractions taken from the counties of Maury, Lawrence, Wayne and Hickman, and to be known and
designated by the name of Lewis County, in honor of Captain Merriwether Lewis, who has rendered
distinguished services to his country, and whose remains lie buried and neglected within its limits, and
shall be bounded as follows:
SECTION 2. Beginning on the South bank of Duck River, at a point twelve miles on a straight
line West from Columbia, and running in a South direction, leaving Columbia twelve miles to the East, to
the Turnpike leading from Mount Pleasant to Tennessee river, thence with said turnpike road to the
Wayne County line, running thence in a Northerly direction, leaving Waynesboro to the West twelve
miles, thence in a North-East direction through Hickman county, leaving Centerville twelve miles to the
West to Duck River, thence up said river to the beginning.
SECTION 3. That John Aiken and Albert G. Cooper of the county of Maury, Shadrick Morris
and James Voss of the county of Lawrence, James Gullett and David Voorhies of the county of Wayne,
Hugh B. Venable and John Clayton of the county of Hickman, shall be, and they are hereby appointed
commissioners, with authority to employ a competent surveyor to run out and designate the boundaries of
said county, and also to employ a competent surveyor to ascertain by actual survey of the several
counties, from which the county of Lewis is to be composed, and if upon such survey there shall be
territory and population sufficient to meet the requirements of the constitution, without infringing upon
the constitutional territory or population of either of the counties, from which said county of Lewis is to
be composed, then said county of Lewis is hereby established upon the following conditions.
SECTION 4. It shall be the duty of said commissioners, as soon as they ascertain that there is
territory and population sufficient to constitute a new county under the requirements of the third section
of this act, after first giving twenty days notice in two or more public places, of the time and place in each
of the fractions proposed to be stricken off from the counties of Maury, Lawrence, Wayne, and Hickman,
that they will open and hold an election in each of the fractions proposed to be taken off from the counties
aforesaid, for the purpose of ascertaining whether a majority of the voters, residing in the several
fractions, are in favor of, or opposed to the establishment of said county of Lewis; and all persons
qualified to vote for members of the General Assembly, who have resided in the fractions aforesaid six
months immediately preceding the day of election, shall be entitled to vote, and each voter who desires to
vote for the establishment of the new county, shall have on his ticket the words New County, and those
desirous to vote against the new county, shall have on their tickets the words Old County; and if upon
counting the ballots, the judges of the several elections in said fractions, shall return that a majority of
each of the fractions have voted for the new county, then the county of Lewis shall be, and the same is
hereby established, with all the powers, privileges and advantages, and subject to all the liabilities of other
counties in this State.
SECTION 5. All officers, civil and military in said county, shall continue to hold their offices,
and exercise all the powers and functions thereof, until others are elected according to law, and the said
county of Lewis, shall elect her officers on the same day, and under the same rules and regulations as
provided by law for the election of officers in other counties in this State.
SECTION 6. The commissioners appointed by the third section of this Act, shall appoint such
persons as they may deem suitable to open and hold the elections for county officers for the said county
of Lewis, and such persons so appointed shall be, and are hereby invested with full power and authority to
appoint deputies, clerks, and judges, and by himself and deputies to administer all necessary oaths, and to
do and perform all other duties as by law are required of Sheriffs or other officers holding similar
elections.
SECTION 7. It shall be the duty of the commissioners aforesaid, as soon after the county of
Lewis shall have been established as practicable, to select and procure by purchase or otherwise, a
suitable site for the seat of justice in said county; and the said commissioners, having first caused a deed
to be made to themselves, and their assigns with general warranty, to a sufficient quantity of land,
including the site so selected, shall cause a town to be laid off thereon, with as many streets and alleys as
they may deem sufficient, with a suitable square for the erection of public buildings; said commissioners
may reserve such lots as they may deem advisable for the purpose of erecting a jail and such other
purposes as they may think advisable; and said town so laid off shall be known by such name as a
majority of said commissioners may give it.
SECTION 8. BE IT ENACTED, That the commissioners of said county shall sell the lots in said
town on a credit of at least twelve months, first giving due notice thereof in some newspaper
published in this state, and shall take bond with security from the purchasers of said lots, payable
to themselves and their successors in office, and shall make title in fee simple as commissioners
to the respective purchasers of said lots.
SECTION 9. The proceeds of the sales of the lots aforesaid, shall be a fund in the hands of said
commissioners, for the defraying the expense incurred in the purchase of said tract of land on
which the said county seat shall be located, and also for defraying the expenses of erecting the
public buildings for said county of Lewis.
SECTION 10. The commissioners shall superintend the building of such public buildings as the
county court of said county shall order and direct to be built, and shall let the same out, and take
bonds from the undertakers with ample penalties and sufficient securities, payable to themselves
and their successors, conditioned for the faithful performance of his or their contracts.
SECTION 11. The said commissioners shall also appoint five commissioners, whose duty it shall
be to divide and lay off said county of Lewis into civil districts, designate the place for holding
elections, therein, and do an perform all the duties relative thereto, which by the laws of this state
such commissioners are authorized and required to do.
SECTION 12. The county of Lewis shall be attached to the 8th Judicial Circuit, and the circuit
courts in said county shall be held on the 4th Mondays in March, July, and November, in each
year.
SECTION 13. The militia of the county of Lewis shall form one regiment which shall be known
and designated as the 158th Regiment, and shall be attached to the 24th Brigade of Tennessee
Militia.
SECTION 14. That the county court of Lewis County, when organized, shall be authorized to
make such appropriations as they may think proper to the commissioners appointed under the
provisions of this act, to compensate them for their necessary expenses and services.
SECTION 15. That for the convenience of the citizens and for the administration of Justice, the
county and circuit courts of said county of Lewis, shall be held at the house of John Blackburn, until the
public buildings for said county shall be completed, due notice of which shall be given to the clerks of the
several courts in said county by the commissioners herein appointed, after which time they shall be held
at the court house in the county aforesaid.
Passed: December 21, 1843.