Christmasville, Carroll County, Tennessee   

Nov. 14, 1823 the Tennessee State Legislature passed a bill establishing Christmasville on the South Fork of the Obion River on McLemore's Bluff on John Christmas McLemore's 1,000 acre tract at surveyor's post #2 established in 1783 land survey for North Carolina.  Several tracts were given to Revolutionary War soldiers.  By 1818 several families from North Carolina had purchased land lying in the Chickasaw Cession and called the area "Little North Carolina." Buckeye Point - 1 mile east of Christmasville was the site of an Indian campground.

River travel was the main transportation system.  William Stafford and John William Ray built flat boats there until one sunk and stopped the river travel past Christmasville.  As late as 1854 Algee and Jenkins were shipping by river to New Orleans and Havana, Cuba. The boat landing was made of Cypress and when the water is low, it can still be seen. The records of shipping from this port are in the Gordon Browning Museum and Genealogy Library. 

Christmasville was known as a central transportation center because it had a grist mill early in Carroll Co. history.  All roads built from adjoining counties led to Christmasville and were named "Christmasville Road."  Joseph Cooper came to Christmasville from Montgomery Co. NC by 1819 along with other residents and operated the first "Toll Road and Bridge."

A post office was established in 1827, Christmasville being a post town for distribution of mail.  Amos Ury was the first postmaster and Robert Young the last 1902.

The first deed was found recorded in 1833 when McLemore sold lots with a hotel, tan yard, stores and houses.  1850 list 135 families in the 3rd district with 816 people.  Thomas Moore left a sketch of the town with stores, houses and the famous Buckner Furniture Shop that had a lathe run by a big wheel powered by a small mule walking inside.

Thomas Moore describes Buckner as a genius.  David Moore, his brother wrote several poems about the "Big Old Spring" that furnished water for the whole town.  It was also called the "Tanyard Spring."  After the Civil War, many inhabitants moved to Trezevant, Dresden and McKenzie.

Christmasville has three churches, New Hope Presbyterian that was originally called Obion, Pilgrim's Rest Cumberland Presbyterian where many of the early settlers are buried and Concord Baptist.

Plum Creek School, Kedron, Concord and Young's school served the community.  They were noted for their good basketball and baseball as well as bare knuckle boxing.

The town of Christmasville moved away from the river to the "old schoolhouse road" and then to the present blacktop road.  Some say the mosquitoes were big enough to tote a man off and if the cotton mouth snakes were tied together they would have reached around the world.

from notes submitted by  

Additional Info from December 1987 issue of The Tennessee Magazine