Eurekaton, Tennessee is a small but historically significant

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

located in Haywood County approximately halfway between

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

and

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. The town is mentioned in correspondence by both

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(who, with his wife, lodged there in the early 1950s while collecting butterfly specimens in its near vicinity) and by

William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer. He is best known for William Faulkner bibliography, his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a stand-in fo ...

, among others. The community was initially called Eureka, but there was already an existing town in Tennessee by this name so the suffix -ton was added arbitrarily. The community saw its first settlers in the 1820s, but grew significantly in the 1830s and 1840s through the emigration of numerous families from Virginia, North Carolina, and Alabama. The first store in the area was built by Fletcher T. Seymour, M.D., who was a founding member of the Southern Order of

Chi Phi Chi Phi () is considered by some as the oldest American men's college social fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The earliest of these organizations was forme ...

. A post office was also included in this building. This building is still standing but is no longer in use. Another general store was built in the community in 1916 under the guidance of Bob Moore, which has remained in on-and-off operation to this day. The first school in the community was located next to Seymour's store. The schoolhouse was formerly a church building which was relocated from nearby Dancyville. The primary church serving the community, Harmony Baptist Church, was organized in October 1837, the cemetery of which contains many of the communities notable early residents.

Enslaved people Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

in the area were allowed to belong to this church but later opted to form their own congregation known as Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church. Both churches are still in use and active today.

References

Populated places in Haywood County, Tennessee {{HaywoodCountyTN-geo-stub