Dyersburg, the county seat and principal town of the county, is situated on North Forked Deer River and the N. N. & M. V. Railway, seventy miles from Memphis, in the center of a rich farming country, and has upward of 2,000 inhabitants. The town is an important shipping point, both by river and railroad, has a number of manufactories, does a large mercantile business, and is considered one of the most properous little cities in West Tennessee.

Dyersburg was surveyed and laid off into town lots in 1825, the sale of the lots occuring July 26 of that year, and early in the following year a whisky and tobacco store was opened by Wm. Dement in a small log house which stood on the bank of the river, on the present site of the flouring-mill. At the same time and place a tavern was kept by Dement's father. In the latter part of the same year Alexander Russell opened a general merchandise store in a log house on the south side of the Public Square, on the lot now owned by Samuel Parker, Esq., and in 1827 Isaac Sampson and Alexander McCullough formed a copartnership, and engaged in general merchandising in a log house on the lot now occupied by M. M. Marshall's residence, west of Mills Street. Other general merchants, from that year until 1840, were Lorenzo D. Hillamen, Lake & Co. (of Jackson), Hale & Clark, Connell & Frazier, John B. Fiser, Connell & Payne, F. J. Connell, E. A. & A. G. Ferguson and M. D. Fiser, while Jesse Simmons kept tavern. The merchants between 1840 and 1850 were M. D. Fiser, P. E. Wilson, Burton & Doyle, James H. Doyle, Clark & Piner, Connell & Ferguson, J. W. Eckols, John L. James and McGoughey, Parker & Co., and the taverns were kept by P. T. A. Walker, Henry Boone, R. H. Goodloe, H. W. Vaughn and Joseph Pierce, in the order given. Between 1850 and 1860: E. G. Sugg, P. E. Wilson, W. C. Doyle, J. W. Eckols, Sanders & Pierce, McDavid & Son and James H. Doyle; the taverns were kept by Vaughn and Pierce. Between 1860 and 1870: W. C. Doyle, J. R. Baker & Bro., Hall & Williams, Chamblin & DeBerry, Chamblin & Son, Sawyer & Eckols, M. M. Walkins, W. H. Simpson, P. E. Wilson, Frazier & Sawyer and DeBerry and Baker. Between 1870 and 1880: Doyle & Watkins, P. E. Wilson, Frazier & Sawyer, S. Solmson, Cotton & Buchanan, DeBerry & Baker, Parr, Nolan & Co., Sugg & Pendleton, Hall & Williams, W. H. Simpson, Chamblin, Simpson & Co., J. E. Roberts, Hersh Bros., Ferguson & Son, W. H. Lloyd, H. C. Williams, Watkins & Co., J. R. Baker, S. G. Parker, E. W. Smith, Childs, Harrison & Co., Webb & Co., J. G. Sharp & Co., E. C. Page, J. W. Wilson, Jackson & Nichols, Turner, Matthews & Co., Coker, Burke & Co., M. Stein, Miller & Thurmand, and M. Goldsmith. Of the present: Baker & Co., Roberts, Jeargin & Co., B. M. Williams, A. M. Stevens, general merchandise; F. M.Bowling, Plaut & Co., W. H. Simpson, M. Stein, dry goods; Fowlkes & Baker, R. R. Watson, W. E. DeBerry, T. J. King & Son, M. Goldsmith, Butterworth & Smith, McDavid & Co., R. D. Thompson, Fowlkes & Co., W. H. Fowler, Brantley, Lucas & Co., groceries; L. Harrison, W. R. Hayes, W. T. Wood, B. C. Waddlington, drugs; S. G. Parker, J. W. Thomas, jewelry; P. M. Maury, boots and shoes; John G. Seate, Nichols, Woolen & Co., stoves; John Beisser, E. S. Thurmand, A. R. Hawkins, confection; D. W. Dabney, A. D. Crockett, furniture; John Hunter, merchant tailor; J. C. Pinner, photographer; Mrs. R. F. Thomas, Mrs. Carrie Pinner, Mrs. E. Brown, millinery; Baker, Walker & Co., buggies and wagons; L. B. Parton, V. W. Snell, meat markets; T. L. Wells, general insurance; Miss Ella Ford, E. G. Sugg, L. C. McClerkin, hotels; George Russell, Wm. Chatman, Mrs. Woodrize, restaurants; A. A. Joyce, F. Albritton, boot and shoe-makers; P. J. Wymer, J. M. McGinnis, H. W. Vaughn, John Kohnmann, blacksmiths; R. A. Burke, W. R. Rook, livery stables. The bank of Dyersburg was chartered in 1879, and began business in 1880, with Dr. R. C. Parr as president. The capital then was $10,000, since when $5,000 surplus has been added, making the present cash capital $15,000. A handsome $10,000 brick bank building is in course of erection, to be completed by December next. The present officers are J. W. Parr, president; C. L. Nolan, vice-president; R. H. Campbell,cashier. The bank does a general State banking business. Manufactories: A. M. Stevans' saw-mill, daily capacity of 30,000 feet, erected in 1880; A. M. Stevens' planing-mill, daily capacity of one car load of finished lumber, erected in 1885, (a large roller precess flour-mill, of 150-barrel daily capacity, the property of Mr. Stevans, was burned during the summer of 1886); the Forked Deer Flour Mill Company, $25,000 capital, organized in 1885, has a large frame mill and grain elevator, a $12,000 plant of roller process machinery of 125-barrel daily capacity, and a $500 electric light plant; the Forked Deer Tobacco Works, registered factory No. 81 (Smith & Scott, proprietors), were established in 1883, and manufacture plug and smoking tobacco, capital, $20,000; Nichols & Co.'s Wooden Bowl Factory, daily capacity twelve dozen bowls, was established in 1881; Roberts & Co.'s and Baker, Walker & Co.'s steam cotton gins, each of from 500 to 700 bales capacity per season of four months, were established in about 1870; Frank Shepherd operates a general machine repair shop.

Hess Lodge, No. 93, F. & A. M., was organized in 1831; Dyersburg Lodge, No. 65, I.O.O.F., was organized in 1851; Dyersburg Lodge, No. 1536, K. of H., was organized in 1879; Commandery No. 73, N.O.G.C., was organized in 1881; Forked Deer Lodge, No. 650, C. K. & L. of H., organized in 1883; Strahl Lodge, No. 48, A.O.U.W., was organized in 1882; Dyersburg Y.M.C.A., organized in 1882, and reorganized in 1884.

The Dyer County Agricultural and Mechanical Association, organized in 1870, have excellent grounds near town, and hold annual fairs. The Dyersburg Recorder was established in 1858 by Hanmer & Chambers, and continued under that management for about a year, when Frank Sampson purchased Mr. Hanmer's interest, and a short time thereafter Thomas W. Neal purchased Mr. Chamber's interest. The publication was continued under the firm name of Neal & Sampson for one year, and sold to W. W. Dudley, who published the paper until its suspension during the late war. In 1872 the Dyer County Progress was founded by Thomas & Glover, but suspended in a brief period, after passing through numerous hands. In 1883 the Dyersburg Clipper was founded by J. R. Taylor, but like the Progress was unsuccessful, and was removed to a neighboring State. The papers of the present are Neal's State Gazette and the Dyer County News, The Gazette was established in 1865, by Thomas W. Neal, and by him has been published uninterruptedly to the present. It is Independent-Democratic in politics, and is deservedly popular and prosperous. The News is edited and published by Hugh Todd, and made its initial issue November 4, 1886. It is Democratic in politics, and present a neat appearance. The early physicians of Dyersburg were Drs. Stith Richardson, A. Benton and P. C. Walker. Later followed Drs. R. H. McGaughey, R. C. Parr, E. R. Vernon, D. C. Hibbitt, J. W. Phillips and W. P., Fowlkes. The present practicing physicians are Drs. R. H. McGaughey, T. R. Moss, Jospeh Walker, Frank Sommers, W. H. Tucker, J. M. Bird, H. F. Ferguson and J. F. Lafferty; S. A. Brasfield, dentist.

Dyersburg was incorporated in 1836 and recharted in 1885 with additional powers and privileges.