[2] The town had a period of prosperity in the years after the Civil War.

As the only significant town between Dresden and Union City, it was a business center for western Weakley County.

It became an incorporated municipality in 1869, with lawyer William Parker Caldwell serving as its first mayor.

[3] Initial plans for the north-south Mississippi Railroad called for the rail line to pass through Gardner, but in 1873 the planned route was shifted from Gardner to Martin.

[2] William Parker Caldwell's home in Gardner is still standing and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.