Lexington

History

Shortly after the 1821 creation of Henderson County, a site near its center was chosen as a county seat, and was named in honor of Lexington, Massachusetts, site of the first battle of the American Revolution. Land grant holder Samuel Wilson gave the land for the town, retaining a lot on the square where his house was already situated. The square is oriented so the corners point to the cardinal points on the compass. The first county courthouse was built in 1823; Lexington was incorporated in 1824 and by 1830 had a population of 260. As the lead-up to the Civil War began, Henderson County voted against secession. As the war progressed, both Union and Confederate regiments were recruited in the county. The area in and around Lexington was the site of a skirmish on December 18, 1862. Union Colonel Robert Ingersoll sent his troops to destroy a bridge over Beech Creek to disallow the Confederate army moving into the area. Ingersoll's troops did not destroy the bridge, and General Nathan Bedford Forrest's troops headed into Lexington. Forrest's troops overtook the Union soldiers, taking over 140 men, including Colonel Ingersoll, and collected artillery and supplies left behind by Union soldiers who escaped. In 1918, an African American man called Berry Noyse, who was accused of killing the sheriff, was lynched by a mob in the courthouse square and burned in the street.

Geography

Lexington is in central Henderson County. U.S. Route 412 (Church Street) is the main road through the city, leading east to Columbia and west to Jackson. Tennessee State Route 22 (Broad Street) crosses US 412 in the center of Lexington, leading north to Interstate 40 at Parkers Crossroads and south to Milledgeville. State Route 459 serves as a bypass around downtown Lexington. According to the United States Census Bureau, Lexington has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.34%, is covered by water. The Beech River, an east-flowing tributary of the Tennessee River, runs through the southwestern part of the city. Lexington is southwest of Natchez Trace State Park.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Lexington High School
  High · Lexington · 901 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Paul G. Caywood Elementary
  Elementary · Lexington · 623 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Westover Elementary
  Elementary · Huron · 587 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Scotts Hill High School
  High · Reagan · 556 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• Pin Oak Elementary
  Elementary · Lexington · 370 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• South Haven Elementary
  Elementary · Lexington · 329 students · 15:1 ratio
• Beaver Elementary
  Elementary · Wildersville · 318 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• Bargerton Elementary
  Elementary · Lexington · 275 students · 14.5:1 ratio