HOUSTON COUNTY

A topographical map shows the Wells Creek crater.

County Seat: Erin
There is rather notable valley in Houston County, eight miles wide. It is called the Wells Creek Basin. The crater was caused when a meteor struck the earth over a hundred million years ago. According to the historic marker there, “scientists believe it penetrated about 2000 feet before exploding. Shock waves raced in all directions, and a fiery mushroom cloud of fine rock dust and debris rose high in the air.” Today geologists still come to study it.


A sculpture of a leprechaun in Erin
Another story: "Erin" is a poetic name for Ireland. According to local history, the county seat of Houston County was named by Irish immigrants who thought the countryside here reminded them a bit of their homeland. With only about 8,000 residents, most of this countryside is still (thankfully) undeveloped, and if you drive through Houston County you can still see what these Irish immigrants were thinking.

When Tennessee History for Kids visited Houston County, we took a photo of the Houston County Courthouse.

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