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, TennesseeCumberland 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. The local primary school was closed in 1960, merged with the larger one in nearby Vanleer, TennesseeVanleer. At about this time mail ceased to be rural free deliverydelivered from the post office, which became one providing mailing services and post offices boxes; today its own address is in Cumberland Furnace. In the 1980 census, Slayden had only 69 inhabitants and was known for the next decade as Tennessee's smallest incorporated town. In the 1980s the former railroad depot was removed to Hickman County, Tennessee to become an attraction at a proposed amusement park that never actually came into operation. The voting precinct in the area was abolished after the 2000 elections and split between those in Vanleer and Cumberland Furnace. In 2003 the town's future as an incorporated community seemed endangered when only six voters (out of 127 registered) participated in a municipal election and only two candidates qualified for the four unpaid positions on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. This was prevented when the vacancies were filled by persons who had received write-in votes; participation in the 2005 municipal elections was considerably higher. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slayden%2C_Tennessee