USA > Tennessee > History of Tennessee from the earliest time to the present : together with an historical and a biographical sketch of from twenty-five to thirty counties of east Tennessee, V.2 > Part 46
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The first church was erected by the Presbyterians in 1822 or 1823. It was a small frame building, and stood where the graveyard now is. The first preacher was Dr. Isaac Anderson of Maryville. A few years later the Baptists built a house, which was used until the erection of the present one. Eli Cleveland and Richard Taliaferro were the first preachers. The Methodists did not erect a church until about 1850, but a con- gregation had been organized many years before.
Previous to the completion of the railroad to that point London was known as Blair's Ferry, and consisted only of a steamboat landing, a store and a few houses. The first steamboat to pass up the river was the " Atlas," which in 1828 ran up as far as the junction of the French Broad and Holston. It was not until about 1835, however, that steamboats began plying regularly. In 1851 Wiley Blair laid off a town covering a por- tion of the present site of Loudon. and named it Blairsville. He failed to sell any lots. and the next year S. M. Johnston & Co., having bought the land, had the town re-sur- veyed, and named it London. For the next four years it was the terminus of the rail- road, and its growth was rapid. Produce in large quantities was brought from various points on the river and transferred to the railroad, and it is said that steamboats were frequently compelled to lay several days waiting their turn to discharge their cargoes. Among the merchants of this period were Orme, Wilson & Co., Johnston & Smith, S. H. Harvey & Co., Frank Goodman, W. C. Maclin & Co., J. M. Wheeler. Hugh Tinley and W. T. Lowe. Reynolds & Lenty opened a hotel; Jones & Harris established an extensive foundry and rolling mill: Mason. Wilson and others formed a stock company and erected a fouring-mill, and Harvey & King put a saw mill into operation. In 1854 a newspaper, called the London Fre- Press, was established by Samuel and William O'Brien. It con- tinued for several years. The Orion was also published for a short time previous to the war by J. A. Bannister. It was not a financial success, and he departed suddenly, leav. ing several creditors behind. In 1895 the Union Pilot, a radical Republican paper was started at Philadelphia by M. L. Blackburn, who soon after removed it to Loudon, and thence to Clinton. Other papers have since been published as follows: The Journal, by William Russell; the Times, by W. C. Nelson; the Republican Farmer, by Dr.
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LOUDON COUNTY.
Thomas Foster; the Sun, by W. H. Mitchell, and the Record, established in March 1996. with Dr. F. W. Goding as editor. He was soon after succeeded by W. H. Mitchell. tue present editor and proprietor.
Soon after the town was laid out the Methodists, Presbyterians, Cumberland Presby- terians and Episcopalians each erected a house of worship. At the close of the war the Baptists formed an organization, and purchased a store house, which was fitted up for church purposes, and has since been occupied by them. The Methodist Episcopal Church. also organized a congregation and erected a house. During the war the Presbyterian Church was torn down, and the building belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church South was badly damaged. The latter was afterward repaired and occupied for a time. but was finally sold to the county, and used as a school house. In 1882 the Cumberland Presbyterians erected a new church, and the old building has since been occupied by the Presbyterians and Methodist Episcopal Church South.
The population of Loudon is now rapidly increasing. Situated as it is on the Ten- nessee River, at the crossing of the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad, and in. the center of a fine agricultural country, its location is one of the best in East Tennessee. The close proximity of inexhaustable beds of marble and large tracts of timber furnish still greater advantages for the investment of capital. The business interests of the town are represented at the present time by the following individuals and firms: Simpson & Bell, W. K. Sheddan, A. Howard, L. P. Campbell, Johnston Bros .. F. M. Felts, W. Warner, W. W. Fuller, James Mahoney & Co., general merchandise; J. F. Horne & Bro .. drugs; Greer, James & Co., hardware, and Horne Bros. & Greer, produce and grain.
The formation of Loudon County from fractions of Roane. Monroe and Blount Counties was authorized by an exception to Section 4 of Article X of the constitution of 1870. Several previous efforts to form such a county had failed, on account of the impos. sibility of complying with the general provisions of the old constitution. The act to estab- lish the new county was passed on May 27, 1870, and approved by Gov. D. W. C. Senter, on June 2, being the first act ever approved by a governor of Tennessee. By this act the proposed county was named Christiana, but by an act passed a few days later it was changed to Loudon. The commissioners appointed to hold the election for the ratification or rejection of the proposition were J. Matthews and F. R. Hackney, of Blount; John B. Tipton and J. D. Jones, of Monroe, and W. Y. Huff, J. D. Turner. Mitchell Rose, J. W. Robinson and W. B. Hope, of Roane. The election resulted in the necessary two-thirds majority for the new county. In August, following, county officers were chosen, and on September 5, 1870, the county court was organized at the Baptist Church in Loudon. Twenty-three justices of the peace were present, and qualified. W. Y. Huff, of the First Civil District, was elected chairman.
At the January term, 1871, S. A. Rodgers, Thomas J. Mason and R. R. Anderson were appointed commissioners to let the contracts and superintend the erection of county buildings. The town square was donated as a site for the courthouse, and a plan for that building submitted by A. C. Bruce, was selected by the county court. The contract Was let to J. W. Clark & Bro. for $14,900, and in September, 1872. the building was ready for occupancy. In 1874 a house and lot was purchased from E. C. Johnston, and during that year a brick jail was erected at a cost of about $5,000. Subsequently steel cages were provided for the cells at an additional cost of over $4.000. In 1878 a farm for a poor asy- lum was purchased from N. P. Bacon and H. A. Crox for $5,300. It is situated about one and one-half miles below Loudon, and contains 275 acres. Notwithstanding these large expenditures. the county is without a debt, except outstanding warrants amounting to about $2,000.
The following is a list of the officers of the county since its organization: Sheriffs-J. D. Turner, 1870-76; J. T. Carpenter, 1876-78: J. D. Foute, 1875-81; S. P. Cook. 1981 -.
Trustees-S. Lane, 18:0-14: G. W. Littleton, 1874-76. T. J. Masoa, 1876-77. S. A. Humphreys, 1975, Joseph H. Williams, 1878-86, J. J. Duff, 1886.
Clerks of the circuit court-John S. King, 1870-84; John W. Hayden. ist: J. E. Cassady. 1884 -.
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
Clerks of the county court-M. II. Taliaferro, 1870-74; M. L. Mourfield, 18;1-86; E. S. Lineberry, 1886-87 .*
Registers-Francis Beals, 1870-72; J. L. McLemore, 1872-78; R. N. Ragains, 1878-82; R. L. Loftis, 1882-86; J. B. Payne, 1886 -.
Clerks and masters-Mitchell Rose, 1870-73; Elbert Kerr, 1973-84; N. H. Greer, 1884 -. Other elective offices have been held by citizens of the county since its organization as follows: Judge of the third circuit, Samuel A. Rodgers; attorney-general, W. L. Welcker; State senator, Henry A. Chambers, 1876-77; D. F. Harrison, 187%; representa- tive to the Legislature, William Cannon, 1876-78; J. T. Shipley, 1884-86.
The circuit court was organized by Judge E. T. Hall on September 26, 18:0. The first grand jury was composed of the following men: Darius Hudgins. H. N. Dale, J. C. Pennington E. S. Adkins, A. M. Cook, David Rogers, W. R. Best. H. H. Segal, J. C. Wyley, P. Whitlock, R. C. Alford, J. E. Crowder and W. J. Wells. The first indictment was found against Lafayette and Samuel Franklin for the murder of Hezekiah Hu .... The former was arrested, convicted of murder in the second degree, and sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary. Samuel Franklin escaped arrest.
Among the attorneys who have resided at Loudon may be mentioned Judge S. A. Rod- gers, W. L. Weleker, S. Lane, HI. A. Chambers, D. R. Nelson and E. P. McQueen, the last three of whom constitute the present bar.
BLOUNT COUNTY.
B LOUNT COUNTY lies between the Tennessee River and the great Smoky Mountain. and south of Knox County. It has an area of about 470 square miles, one-sixth of which is mountain land. It is abundantly supplied with water and water power. The principal stream is Little River, which receives the waters of Crooked Creek, Pistol Creek, Nails Creek and Ellejoy. In the southern and western portions of the county are Abram, Nine Mile, Six Mile, Four Mile, Baker and Boyd Creeks. The mineral resources are abundant. In addition to iron and marble, silver and gold are found in paying quantities. The settlement of Blount County was begun in 1785. The first fort or station was estab- lished by Robert McTeer. "It stood about one and one-half miles south of Eusebia Church. It soon became the nucleus of an excellent neighborhood of intelligent, worthy, and patriotic citizens, emigrants principally from the valley of Virginia, who brought with, and diffused around them, Republicanism, religion, intelligence and thrift."t Among those who located in the vicinity were the Bogles, McCroskeys, McCullochs, McGaugheys, McMurrays, Boyds, Cunninghams. Moores, Tiptons, Jeffries, Cusicks and others. Numerous other forts and stations were soon after established in various parts of the county. Among them were John Craig's. situated on the present site of Maryville, near where the depot now is; David Craig's, near Brick Mill; Houston's, about six miles south of Maryville; Kelly's, near Rockford; Kirk's, on Little River, a few miles above Kelly's; Thomas', about three and one-half miles southeast of Maryville; Martin's, at Sanderson's Mill, on Nails Creek; Hunter's, on Nine Mile Creek; Gamble's, near where George Snyder now lives; Henry's, on Little River; Calvin's on Crooked Creek; Black's at the head of Crooked Creek; Gillespie's, south of Little River; and Ish's, in the north- west part of the county. near the Tennessee River. For several years the settlement suffered severely from Indian depredations. The proximity of the mountains, which fur- nished safe hiding places for the savages, made it necessary constantly to guard the frontier, and many times compelled the inhabitants to seek refuge in the strongest forts. It is
*Deceased. Successor not elected.
+Ramsey's Annals.
BLOUNT COUNTY. $20
said that on one occasion, in April, 1793, no less than 280 men, women and children were gathered together in Craig's fort, and there remained for several days in the greatest dis comfort. To detail the instances of Indian outrage and aggression and the heroism of the brave pioneers, in their acts of defense and retaliation, however, would require a volume, and as the more signal instances are detailed elsewhere they will not be repeated here .* No section of Tennessee was settled by a more heroic, fearless and energetic people, and no county is richer in the splendid traditions and honorable achievements of its pioneers. The earliest settlers were mainly Scotch Presbyterians and the first churches were organized by them. In 1786 Eusebia Church was organized in the MeTeer neighborhood, it is thought. by Hezekiah Balch. A large log building was erected, and later a camp-ground was constructed near by. In 1792 or 1793 New Providence Church was organized in the vicinity of Craig's fort. now Maryville, by Rev. Gideon Blackbe' who also established Baker's Creek Church soon after. In 1796 the nuclens of a co .. uy of Friends was formed near where Friendsville now is, by John Hackney, James Matthews, James Allen and John Walker. The next year William Griffith located in the vicinity of Unitia, and Thomas Jones and William and Daniel Durham on Cloyd's Creek. The land in the vicinity of Louisville was obtained by Robert, John and James Gillespie mider the act of the Legislature to promote the erection of iron works. They built a small furnace and forge, which they ceased to operate as soon as they obtained a title to the land.
The erection of small tub mills was begun with the earliest settlement of the country The first is said to have been built near MeTeer's fort. After the organization of the county, in 1795 and 1790, permits to erect mills were granted to the following per-ons: John Craig, on Pistol Creek; John Walker, in Tuckalecchee Cave: Samnel Thompson. on Crooked Creek: Thomas Gibson, on Gallaher's Creek, and James McNutt, on Pistol Creek.
The raising of cotton being an important industry in the early history of the county. a large number of cotton-gins were erected. Those in operation in 1802 were owned by Thomas Berry, James Scott. Samuel Houston, William Stanfield, William Lowry and Patrick Collins.
Blount County was established by an act of the Territorial Assembly, passed July 11, 1795. The court of pleas and quarter sessions was organized on the second Monday in September, 1795, at the house of Abraham Weaver. The justices present were William Wallace. William Lowry, James Scott, Oliver Alexander, David Craig and George Ewing. William Wallace was chosen chairman. On the next day JJohn Trimble. Thomas McCulloch and William Hamilton produced commissions from Gov. Blount and took their seats. John McKee qualified as clerk, Littlepage Sims, as sheriff: William Wallace, as register; Robert Rhea. as coroner: James Gaily. James Blair and Gray Sims. as constables. The next term of the court was held at the house of John Craig. The grand jury empaneled consisted of James Tedford, foreman; Samuel McCulloch, Joseph McConnell, Samuel Hogg. John Alexander, John Cochran. James Kerr, Joseph MeReynolds, James Gillespie, James Logan, John Huklin, James Cummings. Jolin Rider, John Weatherspoon and Robert Wilson. The first indictment was found against Daniel Huff for assault.
The commissioners appointed to locate the county seat and superintend the erection of county buildings were William Wallace. Joseph Black. Samuel Glass, David Craig. Jobn Trimble. Alexander Kelly and Samuel Henry. They selected fifty acres of land owned by John Craig, which was laid off into streets and lots, and in accordance with the legislative act named Maryville, in honor of Mary Grainger. the wife of Gov William Blount. For some reason the commission failed to provide a suitable court. house, and in 1799 Andrew Thompson, Barclay McGhee, William Lowry. John Cochran and John Woods were appointed to let the contract for such a building. These men also failed to complete the work, and in 1802 a now committee was appointed for that pur- pose. A log structure was at last completed, which was superseded about 1820 by a
See page 87.
52
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
frame building. In April, 1839, Jesse Thompson, Andrew C. Montgomery, Heury Hannum, William Toole, Samuel Pride. Heury Hamill and James Trundle were appointed to superintend the erection of a new brick courthouse, which was completed the following year This building was occupied until 1585, when it was destroyed by fire, and the present handsome brick structure erected at a cost of $12.000. The first jail was a log building and stood just back of the courthouse. About 1878 a new jail was completed upon the site of the present brick building, which was erected some time ago.
The circuit court for Blount County was organized February 5, 1$10, by James Trimble, who appointed Robert Houston clerk. The chancery court was not organized until February 11, 1853. the business of this court having previously been transacted at Madisonville.
Among the first lawyers resident in the county were John Lowry, Samuel Glass. John Wilkinson. John Garner and Enoch Parsons. Glass was a member of the constitutional convention of 1796, and afterward was elected to the State Senate. John Lowry was the first attorney-general of Hamilton District, and one of the leading lawyers of his time. Enoch Parsons was a prominent attorney, but became more conspicuous through his candidacy for the office of governor, in 1919, against Joseph MeMinn. He was defeated by a large majority, and soon after removed to Alabama. Among the lawyers of a later date were John S. McNutt, S. T. Bicknell (who represented the county in the Legisla- ture for several years), Joseph W. Lemons. J. H. Parsons, S. J. McReynolds (who served for two years as county judge), Jesse G. Wallace. W. D. McGinley and John E. Toole. Wallace began practice about 1845, and continued to reside at Maryville until the civil war. He then cast his lot with the Confederacy, and, at the close of hostilities, he removed to Franklin. Tenn., where he still resides. Mr. Toole also entered the profession about 1845, and soon won a high reputation as an advocate. He was not a scholarly man, nor a well-read lawyer, but he won his position by iudomitable energy and great tenacity of purpose. Upon the breaking out of the war he was made provost-marshal by the Confederate States Government, and after the Federal occupation of East Tennessee, he went South and never returned. W. D. McGinley continued to practice at Maryville until his death in 1881. He was an excellent advocate before a jury, but was somewhat too unsystematic to achieve the highest success in chancery practice. The present bar of Blount County is one of more than average ability. The members are as follows . C. T. Cates, Sr., S. P. Rowan, M. L. McConnell, Will A. McTeer, Thomas N. Brown, G. S. W. McCampbell, and C. T. Cates, Jr.
As has been stated. Maryville was laid out in 1795. The first merchants were John and Josiah Nichol. Lowry & Waugh and King & Montgomery. They were succeeded by James & Ignatius Wilson. James & William W. Berry, C. & J. H. Gillespie, J. J Walker and Wallace & Jacobs. During the ten or fifteen years previous to the war the leading business men were Bicknell & Wallace, James M. Toole & Co., Coffin & Wilson, A. M. & J. G. Wallace. Brobson & Toole, William McTeer & Co., W. H. Andersen & Co. and J. C. Fagg & Co. Among other early settlers of Maryville were Samuel Love, a hatter and hotel-keeper; James Turk. a saddler; Samuel Houston, a blacksmith: --- Cald- well, a tailor; Alexander McGhee and Edward Gaunt, physicians: Jesse Wallace and John Garner, hotel keepers: John Woods and John Montgomery, millers; and Gideon Blackburn, minister.
The first newspaper in Maryville was the Intelligencer, established in 1837 by F. A. Parham. The next year, Montgomery McTeer began the publication of a bi-monthly paper devoted to agricultural arts and domestic economy. . It was known as the American Journal of Productive Industry. During the same year the Temperance Ban- ner was established. As its name implies. it was devoted to the cause of temperance. None of these papers was published but for a short time. In November, 1853. the Blount County Advocate was founded by W. P. Collins, and, in May, 1855. James E. Swan began the publication of the Fart Tennesse in. The newspapers published since the war have been the Margrille Republican, begun in October, 1867, by R. C. Tucker: the Soldier's Gazette, established in December, 1969, by M. L. McConnell; the Blount County
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Standard, established in December, 1877; the Maryville Inder, the publication of which was begun in 1875 by J. A. Silsby; the Blount County Democrat, established in May, 1879, by R. N. Hood; the Margrille Watchman, established in March. 1882, by Will A. McTeer; the East Tennessee Vores, published by J. T. Anderson & Co; the Maryville Times, published since 1881 by A. J. Nef & Son; and To Day's Vers, recently established by the News Publishing Company.
As an educational center Maryville has long been prominent. In 1806 the Legislature. under the act establishing county academies, appointed Gideon Blackburn, John Montgom- ery, John Lowry (merchant), Joseph B. Lapsley and Andrew Kennedy trustees for Porter Academy in Blount County, to whom were afterward added James Gillespie, Jr., John Lowry (attorney), James Houston, Sr., Alexander McGhee, James Turk and Thomas Henderson. In 1818 provision was made for a female department, and a separate board of trustees were appointed for it. The first schools in Maryville were taught in a log building, stand- ing near the Spring in the western part of town. Among the teachers were P. Smith and Rev. Mr. Moore, a Methodist minister. About 1819 or 1820 a log building, which was afterward weather boarded, was erected on a lot in front of the present college grounds. It was occupied by the academy for many years. Since the war the institution has been removed to a place near the old Logan Chapel camp-ground, about seven miles north- east of Maryville.
Maryville College is one of the oldest and most highly esteemed educational institutions in Tennessee. It was founded by Rev. Isaac Anderson, who, near the beginning of the present century, came with his father's family from Virginia, and located in Knox County. He entered the ministry, and soon became known as an eloquent and effective speaker and a bold and original thinker. He was a Presbyterian, and adopted the peculiar doctrines known as "Hopkinsianism." which led to the division of the church into the old and new school. Recognizing the need of this section for a greater number of educated ministers in 1819 he presented to the Synod of Tennessee, then in session at Maryville, a plan for the organization of a theological school, which was adopted, and the institution was estab- lished as the Southern and Western Theological Seminary, a name that it bore until 1819, when it was incorporated by the Legislature as Maryville College. Dr. Anderson became the first president, and continued in that position until his death January 28, 1857. He was succeeded by Rev. John J. Robinson. The following year the control of the institu- tion was transferred to the United Synod of the Presbyterians in the United States of America, on condition that the property revert to the Synod of Tennessee should the United Synod cease to exist.
In forty years, from 1819 to 1861, the institution educated and trained 150 men for the gospel ministry, while of the several hundred alunni sent out very many entered the other learned professions, and not a few of them attained to eminence and distinction. The endowment fund gathered little by little, through all those years, amounted to only $16,000. During the war the work of the college was suspended for five years; the faculty was broken up; the library was badly damaged; the college buildings were destroyed; two-thirds of the endowment funds were lost; in short the college was in ruins, not worth in funds and real estate more than $7,000. Under these circumstances some of the best and oldest friends of the college thought it dead to live no more. But the Synod of Ten- nessee met in the fall of 1865, and resumed organic relations with the old General Assembly, and feeling that it could not hold its ground and extend its influence without Maryville College, it was resolved to revive it. The only professor remaining, G. S. W. Crawford, was ordered to reopen the college for instruction as soon as practicable. This was done on the 5th of September, 1866. with au attendance of thirteen students. In less than three years two more professors were added to the faculty, and there was a large increase of students. New grounds aud new buildings became a necessity, and to secure them an appeal was made to the friends of Christian learning in the North with the following results: A beautiful campus of 250 acres, a professor's house costing $3.000. a college building cost- ing $23,000 and two handsome dormitories costing $12,009 each. An endowment fund soon became a necessity, and in 1880 Prof. T. J. Lamar was appointed as an agent to secure one
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
if possible. In this he was successful, and by December 31, 1883, $100,000 bad been raised-$30.000 came from New York City and Brooklyn. $30,000 from Pittsburgh, $25,000 from Dayton, Ohio. $10,000 from Auburn, N. Y., and $5,000 from East Tennessee.
The faculty of the college consists of a president, six professors and three assistant teachers.
In 1850 the East Tennessee Masonic Female Institute was organized and put into operation in the brick building now occupied by the public schools. The trustees were Samuel Pride, S. T. Bicknell. J. M. Toole. J. W. Davis, B. D. Brobson, J. E. Toole, J. A. McKamy and George Brown. Fielding Pope was elected president, and Mary S. Towne. Mary J. Love and M. J. Cates assistants. The institution was conducted under the aus- pices of the Masonic fraternity until the beginning of the civil war, but was not reorgan- ized after its close.
About 1873 a normal school, designed for the training of destitute students from the mountain districts, was established by Dr. J. D. Garver. In 1878 the property known as the Dr. Pride residence was purchased with funds furnished by a few wealthy friends of Philadelphia, who became members of the board of trustees, and the school was conducted under the direction of Dr. Garner until 1884, when a new board obtained control of the property under a three-year's lease. The original design of the institution has been abandoned, and it is now conducted as a sort of preparatory or intermediate school. In 1871 W. P. Hastings, a member of the Society of Friends, organized a school for freed- inen, in the old Zion Church; it was composed of a motley crowd of children and adults desirous of learning to read. The accommodations of the school were very inadequate, and Mr. Yardly Warner, working under the auspices of the Indiana yearly meeting, began the soliciting funds to aid in the erection of a suitable building. In this he was suc- cessful. the work was begun in 1872, and the building ready for occupancy on January 1, 1874. The institution has since been conducted as a training school for col- ored teachers, and has been one of the most successful schools of the kind in the State. It has an average attendance of about 175. The property is valued at over $20,000, and an endowment fund of $25,000 has been provided for the aid of students. Since 1878 it has been under the care of the New England yearly meeting, but Mr. Hastings has continued as president.
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