Dyersburg

History

The lands encompassing Dyersburg were originally inhabited by the Chickasaw people. As westward expansion continued, the Chickasaw Nation relinquished their claims to West Tennessee through a series of treaties, culminating in the final agreement, the Treaty of Tuscaloosa, signed in 1818. The lands composing the future Dyer County were then transferred, via the Jackson Purchase, to the US Government, and American settlers from the eastern states began moving into West Tennessee around 1819. The first courthouse, a two-story log cabin, was constructed on the town square in 1827. It was replaced by a one-story frame building in 1836. One of the earlier settlers was McCullouch family. Alexander McCullouch, a War of 1812 veteran who served as aid-de-camp under John Coffee at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, moved his family in the late 1820s to a plantation west of Dyersburg from northern Alabama. He operated a general store in town for a number of years prior to his death in 1854. Dyersburg's early development hinged on its strategic location as a hub for steamboat navigation on the Forked Deer River. The success of the Grey Eagle's maiden voyage in 1836 solidified Dyersburg's status as a river town. The county's first industrial boom commenced in 1879 with the shipment of timber from A. M. Stevens Lumber Company to St. Louis markets via steamboat. This paved the way for further investments in timber processing, with the establishment of a large sawmill in 1880 and a planing mill in 1885. The financial sector also saw growth with the opening of the Bank of Dyersburg in 1880, while another timber industry, Nichols & Co. Wooden Bowl Factory, began operations in 1881. Another railroad, the Dyersburg Northern (later the Chicago, Memphis, and Gulf Railroad), was chartered in…

Geography

Dyersburg is located in central Dyer County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.66%, is water. Dyersburg is located on the Forked Deer River and is from the Mississippi River. The city's proximity to the New Madrid Seismic Zone places it at risk for future earthquakes. USGS data shows an 18.28% chance of a major earthquake within of Dyersburg within the next 50 years. The largest earthquake within of Dyersburg was a 4.0-magnitude event in 2005.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  728
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  659
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  513
• Indigo Bunting

  Passerina cyanea (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  459
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  434
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  429
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  398
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  394

Largest nearby schools

• Dyer County High School
  High · Newbern · 1,070 students · 15.5:1 ratio
• Dyersburg Primary
  Elementary · Dyersburg · 777 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Dyersburg High School
  High · Dyersburg · 707 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• Dyersburg Intermediate School
  Elementary · Dyersburg · 570 students · 15:1 ratio
• Newbern Elementary School
  Elementary · Newbern · 561 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Dyersburg Middle School
  Middle · Dyersburg · 559 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• Fifth Consolidated School
  Elementary · Dyersburg · 530 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• Northview Middle School
  Middle · Newbern · 413 students · 16.5:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.63 — 2026-08-04
  6 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
• M 2.64 — 2026-05-15
  8 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
• M 4 — 2026-04-23
  1 km WNW of Cooter, Missouri
• M 2.84 — 2026-03-02
  3 km NW of Marston, Missouri
• M 2.52 — 2025-12-30
  12 km WNW of Newbern, Tennessee
• M 2.59 — 2025-12-03
  1 km NNW of Cooter, Missouri