McNairy County, Tennessee

McNairy County
County
McNairy County Courthouse in Selmer
McNairy County Courthouse in Selmer
Flag of McNairy County
Flag
Official seal of McNairy County
Seal
Map of Tennessee highlighting McNairy County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°11′N 88°34′W / 35.18°N 88.56°W / 35.18; -88.56
Country United States
State Tennessee
FoundedOctober 8, 1823
Named forJohn McNairy[1]
SeatSelmer
Largest citySelmer
Government
 • MayorLarry Smith [2]
Area
 • Total
564 sq mi (1,460 km2)
 • Land563 sq mi (1,460 km2)
 • Water0.8 sq mi (2 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
25,866 Decrease
 • Density46/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitewww.mcnairycountytn.com

McNairy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,866.[3] The county seat and largest city is Selmer.[4] McNairy County is located along Tennessee's border with the state of Mississippi.

Sheriff Buford Pusser, whose story was told in the Walking Tall series of movies, was the sheriff of McNairy County from 1964 to 1970.[5]

McNairy County is the location of the Coon Creek Science Center, a notable fossil site that preserves Late Cretaceous marine shells and vertebrate remains (such as mosasaurs).

The postwar musical environment of the county played a pivotal role in the development of popular music. Influential disc jockey Dewey Phillips hailed from Adamsville, Tennessee. Carl Perkins made the first recordings of his career in the home studio of Stanton Littlejohn at Eastview, Tennessee.[6] Perkins and Elvis Presley had their first meeting at one of Presley's earliest road performances in Bethel Springs, Tennessee.

  1. ^ Bill Wagoner, "McNairy County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: March 11, 2013
  2. ^ "Mayor's Office".
  3. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: McNairy County, Tennessee". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ^ Buford Pusser, the Man, his Career, and Tragedies Archived October 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Buford Pusser Museum website; retrieved October 23, 2013.
  6. ^ "Discovering Carl".