Jefferson County

Jefferson County Basics

Jefferson County, as created by Territorial Governor William Blount on June 11, 1792. It was formed from portions of Greene and Hawkins Counties (Hawkins County was also known as Caswell County and and Spenser County)and was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson. Dandridge is the county seat.

1795: Two bloomeries in Jefferson County the Mossy Creek forge ten miles north and Dumpling forge five miles west of Dandridge were built about the same year (1795*)and were both were abandoned nearly fifty years ago. (around 1810) (Source: A History of American Manufactures, from 1608 to 1860:, Volume 1, John Leander Bishop, Edwin Troxell Freedley, Edward Young, Edward Young & Company, 1864, p. 613) *(Report of Investigations - Tennessee Division of Geology, vol 17-22, Tennessee Division of Geology, 1962, p. 60)

1815: The Manumission Society of Tennessee was formed by Friends: Charles Osborn, John Canady, John Swain, Elihu Swain (Charles Osborn's father-in-law, John Underhill, Jesse Wills, David Maulsby and Thomas Morgan in Lost Creek Link

Jefferson county having a far greater extent of surface than it has now was established at the same time with Knox in June, 1792, by the Governor when the State was a part of the territory south west of the Ohio River. This county is situated in the great Valley of East Tennessee and is remarkable for its superior lands, its excellent schools, its enterprising farmers its numerous churches, and its orderly and intelligent society. It joins Knox county on the west and the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad runs through its northwestern side. It is bounded on the north by Grainger and Hamblen counties on the north east by Hamblen ,on the east by Cocke and on the south by Sevier. It is somewhat broken by hills and ridges and one large ridge runs through it dividing the waters of the French Broad and Holston. South east of the French Broad is a triangular area embracing about fifty square miles which is a part of the great knobby belt extending from the Bays Mountain region to the Tennessee River. The soils of this area are mellow and derived from the sandy shales of the Nashville group of rocks. It is well adapted to grass and grain, but is, excepting on the streams, too hilly for large continuous arable tracts. On the north west side of the French Broad, the soils and formations are very different. The rocks are limestones and dolomites, mainly of the Knox group and the soils are calcareo, siliceous, and clayey, and suited for all crops grown in East Tennessee. Some of the ridges are flinty. The great staples are corn, wheat, oats, and hay. The uplands especially produce good crops of wheat and the lands on the French Broad River are noted for their heavy yield of corn. For many years both before and since the war, the farmers have turned their attention to the raising of mules, horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. Of late however this has been considerably abated, and now they are putting more of their lands down in clover and grass with the view of raising cattle and of establishing dairies.