Most early settlers in Bledsoe county came from eastern seaboard states (North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina) or the counties of East Tennessee, primarily Roane, Grainger, Anderson, and Knox.
Expansion was rapid in the early days as lands opened following Indian cessions. More than 3,000 people settled in present-day Bledsoe County during the 5-year period between 1805 and 1810.
Early published Tennessee histories describe this westward and southern migration in great detail. Miss Elizabeth Robnett’s book, History of Bledsoe County, discusses specific factors regarding the establishment of settlements here.
U. S. Highway 27 and U. S. Highway 127 were important migratory paths for travellers before railroads were built.