Most of Slayden was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1994. Below: maps from 1958 on and the census since 1920.
Slayden's growth was spurred by the existence of a railroad line (the "Mineral Branch" of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad) which was built in the late 19th century largely to assist the movement of iron from the nearby works at Cumberland Furnace to market. In the early 20th century Slayden was home to a department store and was considered a major community of Dickson County. With the closure of the Mineral Branch and the Cumberland Furnace works, the area went into an economic decline. As the area declined from the loss of the furnace works, nearby Nashville and Clarksville offered more non-farming opportunities. The local primary school was closed in 1960 and merged with the larger one in nearby Vanleer. At about this time mail ceased to be delivered from the post office, which continues to serve post office boxholders.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
