Peter and Elizabeth Range settled on Knob Creek in Washington County, Tennessee, in 1779. In writing of these families It is necessary to confine myself, with few Exceptions, to the first or pioneer members, as even a partial genealogy would be greatly beyond the limits of this article. David Matlock received a warrant for a 540-acre tract of land in Washington Countyin 1782 on the west side of the Doe River including the big spring and the bottom on both sides of Doe River. Tennessee. Holston River, river formed by the junction of the North and South forks just west of Kingsport, eastern Tennessee, U.S. As the settlers made their way from North Carolina and Virginia, they traveled along many hunting trails of the Cherokee and the Catawba Indians. The Saura were the original Native Americans to reside in present-day Surry, and the Great Wagon Road opened colonial settlement to the region in the early to mid-eighteenth century. Virginia refused and in November of the same year, North Carolina agreed to annex the area. 3-400 acres-Washington County-both sides of Indian Creek, David Reese-#4, Book 36, pg. 401-200 acres-Greene County-side of Nolachucky a Draght leading into Providence Creek, Robert King-#633, Book 82, pg. I would not rule out water passage in this area, but I would not think it would be plausible from point A to final destination. Other documents reveal the deaths of some family members during Indian raids from 1775 to 1776 by the Cherokee. 141-300 acres-Washington County-fork of Big Limestone Creek, Adam Orth-#217, Book 53, pg. According to Tennessee Valley Authority historians, when the Tennessee Valley Authority was created in 1933, Congress mandated that the TVA headquarters be located on the banks of the Tennessee River. https://georgiapioneers.com/subscribe/subscribe.html, https://georgiapioneers.com/subscribe/subscribe.html. Julius Dugger and Andrew Greer were the first white men to settle in the Watauga Country. In 1771, Colonel James But for now, lets turn our focus on the people who arrived to the land known as Tennessee. The stories associated with these trails as well as the people who traveled them will be discovered and shared. In late 1783, North Carolina passed an act to sell vacant land to settlers. Enjoy Your Journey To The Past !! James Robertson and John Sevier were known to lease lands from the Cherokee however, Ive not been able to locate a written source for such documents which would prove this theory. Obtain Lease . In 1799 the Knob Creek Brethren Chruch was established. A Committee of Safety was organized and during the spring of 1776, Virginia was asked to annex the area. James Maury wrote at the time: "By Bedford Courthouse in one week 'tis said and I believe truly, near 300 inhabitants of this colony passed on their way to Carolina." [ 10] There was once a post office located at the house, "Rocky Mount," but I have not been able to ascertain when this was established. Hyder When the war began, Virginian settlers had established communities stretching from the Holston River valley (now mostly in Tennessee) to the western "district" of Augusta County (now primarily southwestern Pennsylvania) and the colony had every intention of asserting its claims. men. The second attack was stopped at Fort Watauga.In response to these attacks, the militia burned Tuskegee and Citico. watauga generation scheduleirina emelyanova pasternak 26th February 2023 / in coastal carolina football camp 2022 / by / in coastal carolina football camp 2022 / by On September 25, 1780, the Overmountain Men Bowlin and Mary (Lee) Curtis settled by the Watauga River about 1792. All three forks in Virginia, South Holston Lake, and the Holston River in Tennessee below the South Holston Dam offer relatively easy-to-reach recreation opportunities. 194-643 acres-Sullivan County-north side of, James Blair-#829, Book 74, pg. which he purchased the lease of land 10-240 acres-Washington County-on the North fork of Doe River, George Russel-#11989, Book 89, pg. During this article, you will read of the past by way of old Indian trails, hunting parties and the mountainous terrain that led to this wilderness frontier. Resolved, That Col. John Carter be supplied with 200 wt. In the fall of the year 1771, Anthony Bledsoe ran the boundary line between the Colonies of Virginia and North Carolina, far enough west to ascertain that the Watauga settlement was in North Carolina, and Alexander Cameron, the British agent, immediately ordered the settlers on the Watauga to move oflf of the Indian lands. February 1, 1796 Leonard Hart obtained 239 acres next to the Hendrix (Hendricks) Family in the Turkeytown. These early settlers formed the Watauga Association which was was semi-autonomous government created in 1772. By the early 1770s, four different communities had been established in northeastern Tennesseeon the Watauga River, the North Holston, the Nolichucky, and in Carter's Valley. The exodus from the land was dramatic. It is a tributary of theFrench Broad River. This is the story told by park rangers and by the excellent film and signage at todays Fort Loudon State Park. John Hendrix (Hendricks) and Hannah Kelly moved to the Watauga settlement about 1780. The group included his brothers and brother-in-law. He built a cabin on the Watauga River near Boone's Creek. He received his commission as Gov .of the territory August 7, 1790. It was known as Brush Creek for the Creek than runs through it. an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. These were Lutheran, Reformed, or Brethren. In 1791, the Treaty of Holston proclaimed a treaty with the Cherokee in (LogOut/ I find mistakes like this all the time and correcting them for future family historians is not an easy task. In 1799 there was a petition in Washington County asking for marriages performed under the State of Franklin to be recognized. assembled on the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga to begin their march to the Battle of Kings Mountain. Borden's Grant This The Middle Fork flows 56.5 miles (90.9km) from near the western border of Wythe County, Virginia, joining the South Fork in Washington County, Virginia, southeast of Abingdon. McLiem and The grants were awarded in response to Great Britain's arming of indigenous Americans to fight American revolutionaries. [12] The Donelson Party passed the Indian Cave entrance on their way down the Holston River in 1779 to settle present-day Nashville, Tennessee. Eastern Tennessee. 1500 acres of land as a Boundry for Iron Works in the fork of Wataugah and Doe River Joining the Land of said Carter also Isaac Lincoln, Godfry Carriger, Teter Nave, Leonard Bowers, William Duggard, Elisha Humphreys, David Matlock, Deceased and Emanuel Carter, Deceased. I have tried to get people to delete this mistake from my George Brown to no avail. The South Holston River flows cold and clear from the bottom of South Holston Reservoir, one of The Tennessee Valley Authorities (TVA) impoundments. He had brought a packhorse loaded with goods with Julius Dugger and Andrew Greer were the first white men to settle in the Watauga Country. The main stem of the Holston is impounded by the Tennessee Valley Authority's Cherokee Dam near Jefferson City, Tennessee. In 1779, Tidence Lane established the Buffalo Ridge Baptist Church. The State of Franklin was an unrecognized, independent state in what is now eastern Tennessee. Carter County, Tennessee was named for Landon. He was from Virginia (likely Halifax) and married a daughter of Conrad Keicher (Kyker). Jonathan Tipton and Joseph Tipton (brothers of Colonel John Tipton) had moved to the area accompanied by their father, Jonathan, who was over seventy-five years of age.. His equipage was unpretending. Colonel John Tipton moved to the Watagua settlement in 1783. Their son, Russell Bean, is said to have been the first European child born in In answer to your question, yes, Sullivan County was at one time Washington County. Colonel William Christian commanded 2,000 men in a punitive expedition against the Cherokee towns, suppressing their resistance. There were three main settlements in the area known as Watauga, Carter's Valley, and Nolichucky. Others include, Jonathon Tipton, John Carter, Charles Robertson and Zachariah Isbell all arrived in the area prior to the year ending in 1771. North Carolina authorities seized some of the people who John Sevier had enslaved. The South Holston Tailwater is home . He served in Shraedel's Company during the Revolution. By August of 1760, the Cherokee attacked the fort and was able to force the surrender of Captain Raymond Demere and others. James Robertson and John Sevier, two of the leading members of the Watauga settlement, immediately set about to devise ways and means by which they could avoid the order of the British agent. Let me hear from you !! I understand that the route between Fort Loudon and Fort Prince George is known because the site of the massacre of the Ft Loudon residents is known and I understand that to be on privately owned land some distance from Fort Loudon. 67 Ibid. Its first capital was Jonesborough. The John Carr family came from South Carolina, and was one of the first in Washington County, Tennessee. In 1780 John Carter and his son, Landon C. Carter, built a two story frame home with two fireplaces. Jonathan Tipton and Joseph Tipton (brothers of Colonel John Tipton) had moved to the area accompanied by their father, Jonathan, who was over seventy-five years of age.. Do you see your ancestor among those in the list? 630-200 acres-Sullivan County-land lying on two entries made by Nathan Page, John Tate-#916, Book 76, pg. TVA projects have greatly changed the waterways in E TN so that the direct water routes of our ancestors are not so apparent on modern maps. Washington, the oldest county of the state, allows the echoes of familiar sounds from the mockingbird and the bobwhite. "The Dragging Canoe has l Along with its three major forks (North Fork, Middle Fork and South Fork), it comprises a major river system that drains much of northeastern Tennessee, southwestern Virginia, and northwestern North Carolina. In 1775 Michael Bawn and James Pearn were each granted permission by the county to build a grist-mill on Little Many artifacts have been discovered all through the years. The community was first known as Blue Plum. When colonists settled on Cherokee lands in the Holston River Valley of northeastern Tennessee, Cherokee forces attacked their settlements. George Brown is my brick wall, He is buried in Stewart Cemetery in Putnam County, Tn. In 1761 troops on their way to aid besieged Fort Loudoun passed through this area of northeast Tennessee, built the Island Road, and constructed Fort Robinson on the Long Island of the Holston. A man who lived in Cookeville was trying to do a good thing and decided on his own to put down a stone commemorating his service in the Revolutionary War, (it is not a DAR stone). The Holston River begins in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and flows for 274 miles through Virginia into Tennessee. North-of-Holston(now Sullivan County) was settled by those who came down the valley from Virginia and thought themselves to be in Virginia. They felt at home and never said adieu to him and his family with the parting regret and tenderness of an old friendship. It is a tributary of theFrench Broad River. Our ancestors left an amazing trail to follow. The reason I bring up water is that I have another ancestor and his brothers-in-law who I think traveled by water from the area of Roane County TN to Madison County AL around 1809. The first five men appointed to administer the Watauga settlement were John Sevier, James Robertson, Charles Robertson, Zachariah Isbell, and John Carter. Their son, Russell Bean, is said to have been the first European child born in It has led them down a rabbit hole to nowhere. Panther Creek State Park is a 1,435 acre park located on the Cherokee Reservoir in the historic Holston River Valley, six miles west of Morristown. The settlers believed they had settled in Virginia. assembled on the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga to begin their march to the Battle of Kings Mountain. Abraham Hendry was Chairman of the Court, he and all other members were bound to the agreement. Also, sickness and accidents attributed to early deaths as did childbirths. Church in the Knob Creek settlement. As the fort stands today in remembrance of those long ago, let us remember the people who dreamed of a fort to establish trade and growth in the lands known today as Tennessee. 1-240 acres-Washington County-north fork of Doe River, David Reese-#2, Book 36, pg. 7-640acres-Washington County-on the south side of, William Sharpe-#8, Book 36, pg. Samuel Weaver purchased 600 acres on Little Limestone creek (#629) about 1784. (LogOut/ It was erected by the settlers of Reedy Creek and Cook's Valley, and was one of the first structures of the kind in the county. Although the Holston River is now defined as ending at the French Broad River to form the Tennessee River at its mile post 652 in Knoxville, before 1933 the terminus of the Holston River was defined as the location 51 miles downstream of Knoxville at Lenoir City where the Little Tennessee River enters the river. The South Fork Holston River originates in Smyth County, Virginia near the community of Sugar Grove, where it is formed by the combination of several coldwater streams. The waters of the Watauga River forms its boundaries to the north and the peaks of Buffalo Mountain, Jump Hill and Jackson Mountain border the eastern edges. Places Robertson brought 16 Regulator families across the mountains from North Carolina. At the Treaty of Lancaster the Six Nations of Indians gave up their claim to land . Robinson, It flows southwest through the Great Appalachian Valley, joining the French Broad River near Knoxville to form the Tennessee River. Tennessee offers many local attractions and business for you to explore. James Robertson and Colonel John Donelson were two of these men who created an agreement with the Cherokee and established Fort Nashborough. The first permanent settlement in Tennessee was made in 1769 on Boones Creek The Holston River is a major river system of southwestern Virginia and East Tennessee. In the United States, all land can be traced back to the original land patent. [1] Holston Mountain was named after the Holston River. TheNolichucky Riverflows throughWestern North CarolinaandEast Tennessee. After the battle with the indigenous people at Fort Watauga A dream come true, to be free on fertile soil, to live among one another with joy and respect. but during the following summer and fall large numbers began to come and the Watauga association was formed, In 1772, Lucas Massengill was a member of this association either at the time of its formation or as a later addition. During the 1770s, European Americans established the "Nolichucky settlements" in what is nowGreene County, Tennessee. In 1775 Michael Bawn and James Pearn were each granted permission by the county to build a grist-mill on Little Other families followed such as Samuel Masenngill, Henry Masengill, Julius Dugger and Andrew Greer. Like theirs his house was plain, convenient without pretension or show. 1st Class O.B. The settlers claimed that they were living on land that was part of Virginia, but a land survey showed that claim to be false. In its upper reaches some of these plants are controlled by private interests; in the downstream portion they are owned by the United States Government's Tennessee Valley Authority. The government of North Carolina, however, refused to The construction of the fort was initiated during the spring of 1776. Court Minutes Book B-240 Holston Army Ammunition Plant Video. Thank You so much for visiting Piedmont Trails and be sure to stay up to date by subscribing to the website. Fort Nashborough was among the first settlements but it wasnt the earliest one. In the early 1700's Britain was burdened with tens of thousands of German refugees. Ord[ered]. River, and were forming remote, isolated settlements in Powell's Valley, still further north and west, and also upon the waters of the North Fork of Holston, in the regions near the present towns of Abingdon and Wytheville. They settled about three miles above the present town of Elizabethton. Our destinations are set for western skies during the mid 18th century. Nashville: The Tennessee Historical Commission, 1964. 9-400 acres-Washington County-on a branch near Great Nobb Licks, Samuel Harris-#10, Book 36, pg. Among the dams and associated reservoirs on the South Fork Holston River are Boone Dam and Boone Reservoir; Fort Patrick Henry Dam and Fort Patrick Henry Reservoir, and South Holston Dam and South Holston Reservoir. he entertained with profusion rather than with plenty , without ?. It was created in 1784 with the intent of becoming the fourteenth state. Johnson City, Tennessee is in Washington, Carter and Sullivan Counties. 404-100 acres-Greene County-On waters of Nolachuckey. The government of North Carolina, however, refused to territory. South Holston Lake offers a variety of fishing opportunity as well, as it contains smallmouth bass, common carp, walleye, pike, sunfish, crappie and a few trout. Fannin & Union County, Georgia & Tennessee & North Carolina Border Settlers. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 4509 West Stone Drive. Between 1769 and 1771, four settlements were made in what is now East Tennessee. There were three main settlements in the area known as Watauga, Carter's Valley, and Nolichucky. Following the demise of Fort Loudon and the creation of the Royal Proclamation of October 7, 1763, a new settlement emerged along the banks of Boone Creek in 1769. It is divided into two almost equal parts by the Holston River, which traverses its entire length. In 1784, William Ellis purchased 325 on Boone's Creek. There they entered land on the south side of the Holston River. However, all except the North Holston community were in North Carolina on land that belonged to the Cherokee Nation. The Cobbs and Massengills '' by S. E. Massengill. Jeremiah Tennessee. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. These early settlers formed the Watauga Association which was was semi-autonomous government created in 1772. I have been able to discover 75 surnames from the time period of 1776 to 1782. The Committee acquired arms and oversaw the construction of Fort Watauga (or Caswell) which was built at the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River in 17751776. Carter, Property Passed From there the river flows roughly southwestward, just north of Bays Mountain, until it reaches its confluence with the French Broad River just east of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. Dungan. Each head of household received 640 acres and 100 acres for his wife and 100 for each child. Security agreement. In 1780, while the militia was away at the Battle of Kings Mountain, the Cherokee raided the setttlements. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Limestone. pay 10 pounds per 100 acres. Those settlers had come across the Blue Ridge Mountains from Rowan County. Many settlers came to the Holston and Watauga Settlements after the Battle of Alamance in May, 1771, when there was a mass migration of settlers from central North Carolina to the frontier regions. Sevier and his supporters came to the Tipton house to reclaim them. [The Watauga Fort was attacked], July twenty-first 1776. of gun powder from the magazine in Halifax, for the defense of the District of Washington, and Mr. Christopher Dudley is hereby directed to furnish him with the same. Other settlers followed him there. Would Sullvan County at one time been included in Washington County. The Middle and South Forks join in Washington County and since the completion of the South Holston Dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1950 have been impounded in its reservoir. This great road was the main entry into Kentucky from 1775 to 1800 when the population grew from a few hardy pioneers to 220,955. In 1788, however, a road was cut directly east from the settlement at Knoxville to the settlement on the Cumberland River. Greer, 224-640 acres-Hawkins County-end of Powells Mountain, John Holloway, Jr.-#627, Book 81, pg. East Tennessee College was established by law on the 26th of October, 1807, as one of the two colleges in the State, for which one hundred thousand acres of land, south of French Broad and Holston, and west of Big Pigeon river, had been set apart by act of Congress the previous year. Jacob Range improved land in 1779 on the Big Harpeth River and later petitioned for a grand to that land. An American Family History is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, You may want to study John Russells map of 1794 that includes TN, GA and other surrounding territories. I greatly appreciate it. The John Carr family came from South Carolina, and was one of the first in Washington County, Tennessee. to what, in that day was called style. It is possible that Lucas Massengill came first, as he was a member of the Watauga association and there is no evidence known to me that William Cobb was a member. filed in the court office. Colonel John Tipton moved to the Watauga settlement in 1783. Isbell, and Benjamin Gist appointed to lay off the place for erecting the Court house, prison stocks, and the said return is ord. David Matlock received a warrant for a 540-acre tract of land in Washington Countyin 1782 on the west side of the Doe River including the big spring and the bottom on both sides of Doe River. HSAAP Brochure. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Settlers were now able to travel to the area legally in accordance to Royal law.