County of town: Hardeman County
Location of town: Western edge, N. of center, in county; crossroads of US-64 & TN-179
County is in the SW portion of the state
Post Office Located 140 W. Main St., Whiteville
Elevation: 492 ft (150 m)
Population: 4,573 (2013)
History:
"Dr. John White moved to Hardeman County from Virginia in the early 1800's and established a trading post in the wilderness. His Whiteville Trading Post was located at the east end of the modern Whiteville street called Norment's Lane. His is one of the earliest known settlements in Hardeman County. Following the signing of a treaty with the Chickasaw Indians in 1818, other settlers began arriving at the Whiteville Post and settled nearby along the banks of Clear Creek. The first stage line passed through the settlement as early as 1821.
"By the 1830's, Whiteville had a post office, school, doctors, lawyers, three stores, one hotel, one saloon and a blacksmith shop. In 1844, settler John Bills wrote, "Whiteville is a thriving settlement." In 1856, the Jeffersonian Institute was erected. The school emphasized music and art. In 1928, a gymnasium built in Whiteville, the first in the county, became the site of county basketball tournaments for many years thereafter.
"In 1930, the Allen-White High School was established, in honor of Jessie Christopher Allen and James H. White, who served as driving forces for the establishment of a school for Negro students. Allen-White was the only African-American high school in Hardeman County; students came from all over the county to attend, with some boarding.
"Many of Hardeman County's most prominent African-American families came from the Whiteville area. Early records indicate the county's first hand-operated merry-go-round inventor and operator, the first jeweler and the first dry cleaning operator were members of Whiteville's African-American community. The community formed its own co-op and soda fountain, had two attorneys, and started the Mid-South Oil Consumer Co-op, the only oil co-op owned by a minority firm in the United States. Dr. Gilbert Shelton, a prominent, well-educated African American Doctor practiced medicine downtown in an office next to the old Post Office. Lane Chapel CME Church, organized about 1900, and the Elcanaan Missionary Baptist Church remain prominent historic churches established by Whiteville's African-American community.
"Many beautiful historic homes and buildings remain in Whiteville to attest to its rich past. Visitors will discover of a variety of architectural styles and periods of homes throughout the city, as well as many interesting historical building remaining in the downtown area. One of these homes was used for a portion of the movie "In the Valley of Elah" which stars Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon." ~ Hardeman County Chamber of Commerce