Major Towns
Hornbeak is nestled in the rolling hills of western Obion County, just a few miles west of Troy and a short drive from scenic Reelfoot Lake. For many years this quaint little town was known as Wilsonville. The town's name was later changed to Hornbeak after the proprietor of the town's general store, Frank Hornbeak. Hornbeak was incorporated in 1916.
Kenton - named after Simon Kenton, a frontiersman, Indian fighter, surveyor, and an intimate friend of Daniel Boone - is a bedroom community of 1,308 located at the heart of the quad-county area, approximately 15 minutes from four county seats, on Highway 45 West and Highway 89. Kenton is in two counties (Obion & Gibson Counties) and is located 45 miles north of Jackson, Tennessee, 75 miles southwest of Kentucky Lake, 35 miles southeast of Reelfoot Lake and 5 miles from the Obion River bottom and Half Moon Lake.
Obion, Tennessee is located on Highway 183, east of highway 51, only 16 miles from the famous Reelfoot Lake. Illinois Central Railroad runs through the town and Obion River/Gooch's Hunting & Fishing Reserve borders the town to the south. Obion proudly provides its residents a typical small town environment, a haven for retirement, with a slow leisurely lifestyle. Tradition plays an important role in the lives of the townspeople, the majority of whom are over fifty. Obion also proudly offers an abundant water supply to its farmers and industries.
Located just south of Union City, Rives was originally known as Troy Station. Settlers from South Carolina first came to the area in the 1820's and by the 1850's the town was flourishing because of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. Rives has a rich railroad history and at one time the town had several hotels to serve the passenger trains that traveled the area.
The town of Samburg was named for the man who ran a store in the town in the early 1900's. Situated on the southern shore of historic Reelfoot Lake, Samburg thrives as a tourist destination year-round. Samburg attracts thousands of visitors to town for fishing trips to Reelfoot Lake during the summer and spring months and for waterfowl hunting during the fall and winter months.
South Fulton is located in the far northeast corner of Obion County and borders Fulton, Kentucky. The town was first known as Jacksonville since the land in the area once belonged to President Andrew Jackson. The Chamber of Commerce of the Twin Cities serves South Fulton and Fulton, Kentucky. A new South Fulton High School and Middle School were recently built off the Highway 45 East Bypass and Tyson Foods has a feed mill in operation in the city. South Fulton boasts a variety of recreational facilities and several major industries.
One of American history’s most colorful heroes, Davy Crockett, is credited with helping map out the town of Troy. The town’s first house was a double log cabin that was used as a tavern until the late 1820’s. Troy was the first incorporated town of Obion County in early 1834.
Union City serves as the Regional Trace Center for northwest Tennessee and southwest Kentucky, as well as the county seat for Obion County. This community was recently designated as a micropolitan area by the U.S. census. The city is centrally located relevant to U.S.population centers and is 140 miles north of Memphis and 175 miles west of Nashville.
Woodland Mills is believed to have gotten its name from the fact that when it was settled it was primarily a wooded area and the earlier industries were mills. The town was developed at the crossing of the Nashville and Northwestern Railroads that were built here in the late 1850's. Incorporated in 1968, Woodland Mills is situated just north of Union City off the Union City - Hickman Highway.
VISITOBIONCOUNTYTN