Michie, Tennessee

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Michie, Tennessee
Town
Water tower in Michie
Water tower in Michie
Nickname(s): 
Monterey, Pea Ridge
Location of Michie in McNairy County, Tennessee.
Location of Michie in McNairy County, Tennessee.
Coordinates: 35°3′16″N 88°25′53″W / 35.05444°N 88.43139°W / 35.05444; -88.43139Coordinates: 35°3′16″N 88°25′53″W / 35.05444°N 88.43139°W / 35.05444; -88.43139
CountryUnited States
StateTennessee
CountyMcNairy
Area
[1]
 • TotalTemplate:Infobox settlement/areadisp
 • LandTemplate:Infobox settlement/areadisp
 • WaterTemplate:Infobox settlement/areadisp
Elevation
Template:Infobox settlement/lengthdisp
Population
 (2020)[2]
 • Total679
 • DensityTemplate:Infobox settlement/densdisp
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
38357
Area code(s)731
FIPS code47-48180[3]
GNIS feature ID1293644[4]

Michie is a town in McNairy County, Tennessee. The population was 591 at the 2010 census and 679 at the 2020 census.

History

Monterey and Civil War

Michie is rooted in a 19th century community known as "Monterey." When the community applied for a post office in 1887,[5] the name Monterey had already been taken by another town in Tennessee, so the community settled on the name "Michie" after a prominent local family.

File:McNairy County, Tennessee, 1916 Map.jpg
Map of McNairy County in 1916. Michie (District 9)
File:Michie, Tennessee Geological Survey Map (2016).pdf
Topological map showing Michie and surrounding communities.

The community of Michie, known as "Pea Ridge" by locals at the time, was formed as early as the 1820s. Settlers resided along Lick Creek and built water mills until roadways were established by the County in the late 1840s and early 1850s. Benjamin F. Sanders would rename the community "Monterey" after a prominent location in the Mexican-American War. Between the 1840s and 1860s, Monterey was established as the Seat of District 9 in McNairy County.[6] In the early 1860s, Tennessee debated seceding from the Union. When the vote for secession came to District 9 of McNairy County on June 8, 1861, the vote concluded with 145 votes for and 0 against.

While the community as a whole initially served as a reconnaissance site for the Confederacy, Monterey hosted numerous other features as a place of interest for both sides of the War. The "Mickey House," a misinterpretation of the Michie family's name, was referenced as a meeting point and headquarters for the numerous corps of the Confederate Army of Mississippi and Tennessee in early April 1862. On April 5, Confederate forces left the house for the Battle of Shiloh, approximately 3.5 to 7 miles east of Monterey.[7] After the fatal Battle on April 6, the "Monterey Hospital" was established after a warehouse was repurposed to hold injured Confederate soldiers. Until late April, Confederate troops were tasked with holding Monterey in pits and artillery sites nearby the hospital.[8] The site was contested until it fell into Union hands following a series of skirmishing in late April of 1862. Monterey was the primary site for General Grant and a multitude of other Union forces until earthworks reached past Acton into Corinth. Monterey was used by the Union until forces were concentrated to Corinth in preparation for the Siege on Corinth in late May. By June, the Monterey hospital was closed and Monterey became an insignificant outpost with only 1 small skirmish in 1863 until the end of the war.[9]

Following the war, Monterey was generally desolate. The only complete remaining structure was the Monterey hospital, described by Benson J. Lossing. Ultimately, northern influence faded as southerners slowly dissolved the name "Monterey" and returned back to "Pea Ridge" in the late 1800s into the early 1900s. The "Pea Ridge" name became an official post office in 1887 and worked alongside the nearby "Michie" post office until they both were assimilated.

Municipal Era

The town incorporated in 1961.[10][11]

Mayors

In 1961, Michie successfully incorporated and held an election to inaugurate their first mayor. "Doc" Eldridge Samuel Howard served as the first mayor of Michie from 1961 until 1971. The town election yielded Joe Greer as the succeeding mayor of Michie for one term until 1973.[12] Between 1973 to 1977, Sammy "Sam" Bowers ran the position. In August 1977, Howard was re-elected mayor to succeed Bowers. Howard would pass away shortly after, but vice-mayor James "Tommy" Thomas Wigginton was forwarded to the mayor position after Howard's death. Tommy Wigginton served Michie for five terms (19 years) until his death in 1996.[13] Following Wigginton's passing, Barry Moore was selected to fill the vacant position of mayor. After Moore's service, Don Greer served for 11 years. Vice-Mayor David Baker was selected to fill Greer's vacancy when he resigned and served for two years between 2011 and 2013. After Baker, the City of Michie elected Anthony Smith, who served an 11-year timespan until his formal resignation in 2024.[14] From thereafter, Alderman "Wes" Rainey fulfilled the vacant mayor position until his resignation in 2025. Jay Poindexter was selected to fill the vacancy and now serves as the City's Mayor in 2026.

Infrastructure

From 1979 to 1980, an expansion and update was completed to the Michie Water System, rising from 450 to 850 customers.[15] In 1981, construction for a regulation-approved baseball/softball park began and completed on May 3, 1982. By 1982, the Michie Volunteer Fire Department was organized. From February 1982 to August 1983, the Michie Civic Center constructed and opened to the public. Around the early to mid-1980s, the Michie City Park was constructed, paid for by Michie's General Funds with assistance from Federal Revenue Sharing. A factory, U.S. Apparel, was established in 1985 in the old Michie Community Center. From 1980 to 1990, the population of Michie grew from 530 to 677. Large-scale road renovations were made in 1991 for Michie's paving program, though roadwork was common in many years prior.[16] By 1994, the Town of Michie purchased a new pumper and tanker for their fire department, which would also see the completion of their fire station in 1996.[17]

Current Municipality

As of 2026, Jay Poindexter is the mayor of Michie. The current aldermen are David Lynn Baker, Jed Baker and Robert Dunn. The city's attorney is Terry Wood.[18]

File:Tommy Deeds (Copy).jpg
A list of deeds by Mayor James "Tommy" Thomas Wigginton of Michie (1996).[17]

Geography

Michie is located at 35°3′16″N 88°25′53″W / 35.05444°N 88.43139°W / 35.05444; -88.43139 (35.054533, -88.431452).[19] The town is concentrated around the intersection of State Route 22 and State Route 224, just north of the Tennessee-Mississippi state line. State Route 57 traverses the northern part of Michie, connecting the town with Pickwick Lake to the east. Shiloh National Military Park, where the Battle of Shiloh took place during the Civil War, lies along TN 22 to the north.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.6 square miles (15 km2), all land.

Communities

Though some are not formerly incorporated into Michie, many communities identify with Michie due to their relations with commerce, entertainment and education. Some communities include:

Newspaper

Michie's newspaper is the McNairy County News, which has the largest following of any weekly newspaper on Facebook in the state of Tennessee. They are located at 252 Mulberry Ave. in Selmer.

Demographics

Template:US Census population As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 647 people, 275 households, and 201 families residing in the town. The population density was 116.6 inhabitants per square mile (45.0/km2). There were 310 housing units at an average density of 55.9 per square mile (21.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.84% White, 1.08% African American, 0.46% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.70% of the population.

There were 275 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.4% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,929, and the median income for a family was $34,688. Males had a median income of $30,119 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,122. About 9.3% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

School

Michie Elementary is the home of the Blue Devils, located on 6418 Hwy 57E, Michie, TN.[20] MES is 1 of 5 schools located in the McNairy County School District. As of 2025, the enrollment population rests at 366.[21] Their sports consist of Jr. High Football, Softball, both male and female basketball teams, and a track team.[22] The school was originally a high school before its transformation in the 1960s.[23]

References

  1. ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ↑ "The Michie House & the Battle of Shiloh: More than Just a Hospital Site". American Civil War Forums. October 1, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Historical Perspective on the Importance of Monterey, McNairy County, Tennessee". Issuu. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Map of the battle field of Shiloh, April 6 & 7, 1862". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  8. ↑ Van West, Carrolln (n.d.). War Between the Ridges: Michie’s Civil War Places and Stories (PDF). p. 2.
  9. ↑ "Operations in Tennessee, March 4-June 10, 1862: SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN TENNESSEE" (PDF). TN Map: Civil War.
  10. ↑ Larry Miller, Tennessee Place Names (Indiana University Press, 2001), p. 137.
  11. ↑ Larry J. Daniel, Shiloh: The Battle That Changed the Civil War (Simon and Schuster, 2008), p. 346.
  12. ↑ Kennedy, Nancy W. (Comp.). (n.d.). Election data. [Page 22]. McNairy County, TN History. https://mcnairytnhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Elections.pdf
  13. ↑ Bryant, Ed (June 19, 1996). "Tribute to Mayor James Thomas Wigginton" (PDF). Congress.gov. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  14. ↑ Wigginton, Jackson (November 13, 2025). "The Wigginton Family Tree". Google Documents. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  15. ↑ Tucker, E. & Bryant, T.J. (c. 1991). Best small towns in America contest [Unpublished document]. Retrieved November 6, 2025. (see gallery)
  16. ↑ Rinks, Randy (March 28, 1996). "House Joint Resolution 505: A Resolution to honor the memory of Mayor Tommy Wigginton of Michie" (PDF). Tennessee General Assembly. p. 1. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Anonymous. (1996, May). [List of deeds by mayor in Michie, TN]. [Unpublished document]. Michie Civic Center, Michie, TN. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Michie | MTAS - Serving Tennessee City Officials". University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service. Institute for Public Service. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  19. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  20. ↑ "About MES". Michie Elementary School. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Overview of Michie Elementary". U.S. News. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  22. ↑ see Michie blue devil athletics Facebook page
  23. ↑ Rinks, Randy (April 15, 1999). "House Resolution 24 of the First Extraordinary Session: A Resolution to honor and congratulate the Michie High School Class of 1949 on the celebration of their 50th class reunion" (PDF). Tennessee General Assembly. p. 1. Retrieved November 7, 2025.

Template:McNairy County, Tennessee

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