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JOHNSON COUNTY is the extreme eastern county of the State. It is bounded on the north by Virginia and on the east and southeast by North Carolina. The area in acres Is 249,600, or in square miles about 890. It is well watered by springs and streams. The Watauga River forms the dividing line between this county and Carter for a short distance. and receives the principal stream of the former, Roane Creek. The remaining streams of the county are Little Doe River, a tributary of Roane Creek, and Laurel Fork and Beaverdam Creek, which waters enter the Holston River. The surface of the county is usually broken. The Iron Mountain traverses it from northeast to southwest, and Stone Mountain marks the boundary of North Carolina. Doe Mountain lies wholly within the county, and extends a distance of about twelve miles. The most fertile lands lie along Little Doe, Roane Creek and the district known as Shady. The mineral resources are exceedingly valuable. This is especially true of iron ore, which exists in extensive beds, and for nearly a hundred years has been worked in a small way.

The first settlement in Johnson County is said to have been made about 1770, on Roane Creek, near its confluence with the Watauga, by a man named Honeycut. Other settlements were made soon after farther up Roane Creek, and on Little Doe and the Laurel. Shady was also settled at a comparatively early day, Among the pioneers who had found homes in the territory now embraced in Johnson County prior to 1778, were Joseph Hoskins, George and Samuel Heatherby, Thomas, John and Charles Asher, Richard and Benjamin Wilson, John and Henry Grimes, Joseph Gentry, John, Jesse and Josiah Hoskins and John Higgins. At that time the entire population of this section did not exceed 150. Among those who came during the next twenty years and located in Little Doe were Jacob Perkins, George Brown, George Crosswhite, Ed. Polly, Joseph Timpkins; and David Stout. Jacob Perkins died about 1820, leaving five sons: Joseph, Joshua, Amos, Jacob and John. The others all have a number of descendants in the county. Of the settlers on Roane Creek, duriug the period from 1778 to 1798 may be mentioned, Leonard Shown, John Barry, John Vaught, David Wagner, Jacob and Michael Slimp. Vaught bad a mill and "still-house" which he left to his son, Joseph Vaught. Shown located at the cross roads, which has long borne his name. David Wagner lived east of Shown's Cross Roads. He was the father of Mathew, David H., Jacob and John Wagner, At a very early day Nathaniel Taylor erected iron works on Roane Creek, He afterward transferred them to his son, James P. Taylor, who sold them to David Wagner.