Transcribed by:  Charles A. Sherrill, 1992
A project of the Bradley County Historical Society
Donated by: Charles A. Sherrill to Bradley County, TNGenWeb June 06, 1999

Introduction

These petitions were written by residents of Bradley County to the Tennessee State Legislature in the years between 1837 and 1866.

The issues and concerns expressed by the petitioners reflect life in Bradley County during its formative years. Such issues as disputes with the Ocoee Land Office, citizenship for Cherokee Indians, establishing academies for basic education, and electing and feeding the local militia point out the differences between Bradley County then and now.

However, there are also striking similarities between issues of importance in the antebellum years and those which preoccupy Bradley Countians today. The petitions about transportation, building government edifices, legalizing liquor sales and exposing political corruption are all about topics familiar to readers of the “Cleveland Daily Banner” today.

The Bradley County Historical Society has sponsored the transcription and reproduction of these petitions in order to provide added research material and enhance our understanding of those who have gone before.

The original petitions are on file at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville. These transcriptions were made from a microfilm copy. A print copy of each petition, reproduced from the microfilm edition, is on file at the History Branch of the Cleveland Public Library.

Digital images of original petitions (from microfilm) are available from the Tennessee State Library & Archives.  Click here for details.

Because these documents were written by pioneer settlers in a primitive land, the spelling, punctuation and grammar in the originals does not meet today’s standards. For the most part, these errors have been transcribed verbatim onto these pages. However, where it was necessary for clarification, commas, periods and capital letters have been inserted. The text has also been broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Where a word was illegible, the transcriber has made his best effort to determine the word, and has indicated this with a bracketed question mark [?].

The contrast provided by both the differences and the similarities of issues concerning Bradley Countians of then and now remind us that although our world is always changing, the past shines a light on the present and provides a window into the future.

Each petition is in a separate post.  Click here for links to the petitions.

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• Petition for repeal of tippling act, 1837 1
• Petition to form a new county, 1837 2
• Petition of Early Boyd for land office refund, 1839 4
• Petition of John C. Glass for land office refund, 1839 7
• Petition of Louisiana Haggard about land dispute, 1839 8
• Petition to suspend sale of land in Ocoee District, 1839 9
• Petition regarding school lands in Ocoee District, 1839 11
• Petition regarding liquor sales, 1839 13
• Petition regarding funds for Oak Grove Academy, 1839 15
• Petition of Zachariah Rose regarding navigating the Ocoee River, 1839 16
• Petition regarding funds from College Lands, 1841 18
• Petition of Jacob Weaver’s heirs for land office refund, 1841 19
• Petition of Elias Hutchinson for land office refund, 1841 20
• Petition to move the Polk/Bradley county line, 1841 22
• Petition to incorporate Cleveland, 1841 24
• Petition of Alexander Clingan for reimbursement of expenses in transporting a prisoner, 1842 25
• Petition for funds to build public buildings, 1849 27
• Petition to change method of selecting officers in the militia, 1843 29
• Petition regarding land dispute between Thomas Twomey and William Cook, 1843 30
• Petition to grant citizenship to a Cherokee family, 1845 33
• Petition to complete the Hiwassee Railroad, 1845 35
• Petition regarding Hiwassee Railroad, 1845 38
• Petition requesting payment for grain used by volunteer militia, 1845 41
• Petition to incorporate the Cleveland Female Academy, 1846 45
• Petition of Isaac Brazelton for peddling license, 1847 46
• Petition of Absalom Carson for peddling license, 1847 48
• Petition regarding missing school funds, 1849 50
• Petition regarding taxation of slaves, 1849 52
• Petition from women protesting liquor sales, 1851 53
• Petition from men protesting liquor sales, 1851 55
• Petition on internal improvements, 1851 58
• Petition protesting railroad, 1851 60
• Petition requesting new turnpike, 1853 63
• Petition to appoint commissioners in Charleston, 1853 68
• Petition protesting peddlers, 1853 69
• Petition to change civil district boundaries, 1855 70
• Petition to make the Hiwassee River navigable, 1855 71
• Second petition to make the Hiwassee River navigable, 1855 73
• Petition protesting taxes on out-of-state goods 76
• Petition to legally establish Oak Grove Female Academy, 1855 78
• Petition of Sheriff Bates for reimbursement, 1857 80
• Petition about corrupt tax officials, 1857 81
• Petition asking for small currency to be issued, 1857 83
• Petition asking for small currency to be issued, 1859 85
• Petition endorsing local option on liquor sales, 1859 86
• Petition to build a public toll bridge over the Hiwassee River, 1861 87
• Petition requesting funds for a Female College, 1865 89
• Petition to alter Bradley/Meigs county line 92