Fayette County, Tennessee: History
Fayette County was established by Tennessee General Assembly in 1824 from the neighboring counties of Shelby and Hardeman. The same year, Somerville was selected as its county seat. The first churches in the county were the First Presbyterian Church in Somerville, established in 1829, and Immanuel Parish, established in 1832.
Herb Parsons 1908–1959) of Somerville, Tennessee, was Winchester's "Showman Shooter" for 30 years.
Following the emancipation of slaves on plantations, many of Fayette County's African-American residents worked as sharecroppers. In the 1960s and 1970s, civil rights activists fought for school integration and voting rights; and created tent cities to house displaced tenant farmers who had tried to register to vote.
In recent years, Fayette County has been transitioning from a rural area to accommodate the suburban sprawl from Memphis.