{"id":35,"date":"2011-10-16T02:07:12","date_gmt":"2011-10-16T07:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tngenweb.org\/coffee2\/?page_id=35"},"modified":"2023-06-25T07:17:53","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T12:17:53","slug":"goodspeeds-history-of-coffee-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tngenweb.org\/coffee\/goodspeeds-history-of-coffee-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Goodspeed’s History of Coffee County"},"content":{"rendered":"

This document was transcribed by Jan McFarlin in 1999. The text and grammatical construction appears as in the original. Names appear as spelled and no effort has been made to modify the document to fit today’s accepted literacy form.<\/p>\n

\n

COFFEE COUNTY<\/span> <\/span><\/strong>is situated partly on the Highland Rim and at the base of the Cumberland. The rocks are the same as found everywhere in the basin. Near Manchester, the county seat, a bluish or dove-colored marble appears in abundance, forming the bed of Bark Camp Fork of Duck River, which is admired by geologists for its subdued beauty and fine quality. Near the above town a conglomerate is met with that answers a very good purpose for millstones. Some of it has all the characteristics of buhrstone, being hard and gritty. Wherever exposed, it has a cellular structure. A short distance from Manchester, on the Bark Camp Fork, is a copperas cave, so called, being a great opening under a huge, shelving rock. The copperas found in this cave is used by the people for domestic purposes, such as dyeing, etc. The cave is semi-circular and lies beneath a precipice over which a stream of water falls fifty feet. The projecting rock above is a mixture of flint and limestone, and below is a bed of black shale. The late Dr. Troost<\/strong>, State geologist, made a report on the minerals of Coffee County in 1837 in which he mentioned the existence of iron ore in more than one place, notably near the mouth of Compton Creek, where he reported were ore banks sufficient to warrant the erection of furnaces.<\/p>\n

The surface of the country is beautifully diversified with hill and valley, abounding in springs of pure water, and traversed by numerous streams which furnish splendid water-power for milling purposes. The water-power near Manchester is probably unsurpassed in the State, both Barren and Bark Camp Forks of Duck River having several waterfalls each of from twenty-five to thirty-five feet. The site of the present paper-mills was surveyed in 1847 by Government civil engineers with a view to locating a United States armory at that point, and had the locality been accessible then, as now, the armory would have been established, as the report was favorable.
\nThe soils of the valleys are very fertile, and adapted to the raising of all kinds of grain and the grasses, and grapes, apples, peaches, pears, and other fruits grow in abundance.
\nThe timber is beech, sugar, maple, elm, ash, black and white walnut, cherry, mulberry, yellow poplar, locust, linn, buckeye and other varieties.
\nBarren and Bark Camp Forks unite and form Duck River near Manchester, and the other streams of the county are Dowdy, Riley, Cat, Spring, Compton, Gatewood, Woolen, Gage, Norman and Noah Creeks, all emptying into Duck River, and Berry Fork, Garrison Fork, Bean and Pond Springs Creeks. Elk River touches Coffee County at Call’s mill, in the Twelfth District.<\/p>\n

Coffee County, or rather the territory now embraced within the boundaries of the county, was probably settled as early as 1800, at which time, so say traditions, the face of the country was covered with a thick growth of tall cane. However, if such was the case, there remain few if any indications of that fact at the present. Probably the first settlement was made on Noah Fork of Duck River, in the neighborhood of the site of the present hamlet of Needmore, in the Second District, by Daniel, John and Neely Patton<\/strong>, brothers, while at or near the same time one Eastland<\/strong> settled in the neighborhood of the old stone fort, near the site of Manchester, in the Sixth District. Just when and from where those pioneers came is not definitely known, though the date is supposed to be about 1800, as other settlers coming seven and eight years later found them here with surroundings indicating a domicile of several years’ duration. During the year 1809 Joseph Hickerson<\/strong>, John J. Smith<\/strong> and William Roberts<\/strong> came to the county, the former from North Carolina and the two latter from South Carolina. Mr. Hickerson<\/strong> settled on Duck River, two miles southwest from Manchester, in the Sixth District; Mr. Smith<\/strong> on Dowdy Creek, in the Fourth District; and Mr. Roberts <\/strong>in Adam Bend of Duck River, in the Fifth District.<\/p>\n

The other early settlers of the county were as follows: Hunley and Herald Wiggins<\/strong>, William Murry<\/strong>, Timothy Carroll<\/strong>, James Nelson<\/strong>, Andrew Ervin<\/strong>, James Berry<\/strong>, Lecil Bobo<\/strong>, R. E. Lasater<\/strong>, William S.Waterson<\/strong>, Jesse Wooten<\/strong>, George Arrington<\/strong>, H. Morgan<\/strong>, Samuel Murry<\/strong>, Claiborne Harper<\/strong>, William Howard<\/strong>, D. S. Wright,<\/strong> John and David Hickerson<\/strong>, Louis Carden<\/strong>, Henry Rivers<\/strong>, John L.Taylor<\/strong>, Thomas Allison<\/strong>, Reuben Carden<\/strong> and Joseph Brown<\/strong>, in the neighborhood of Manchester and the sixth District; Reuben George<\/strong>, Robert S. and Adam Rayburn<\/strong>;, William Hodge<\/strong>, William Cross<\/strong>, Norman Norton<\/strong>, Thomas Douglass<\/strong>, Whitley Herald<\/strong> and Robert McCreary<\/strong> in the First District; William Waterson<\/strong>, Sr., Andrew Maxwell<\/strong>, William McFaddin<\/strong> and James Moore <\/strong>in the Second District; Thomas Patton<\/strong>, John Keel<\/strong>, Alexander<\/strong>, James and William McMirtle<\/strong>, Andrew Irwin<\/strong>, Thomas Bell<\/strong>, Jonathan Webster<\/strong>, William Farren<\/strong> and James Cunnegan<\/strong> in the Third District; Smith and WillisBurke<\/strong>, John Blythe<\/strong>, James Prier<\/strong>, William Holland<\/strong> and Henry Wilson<\/strong> in the Fourth District; Duncan Neal<\/strong>, William Bowden<\/strong>, Hugh Davidson<\/strong>, Sr., Hugh Davidson<\/strong>, Jr., William Smith<\/strong>, HarvardBlackman<\/strong>, Benjamin Jenkins<\/strong> and William Barton<\/strong> in the Fifth District; Walter Brixey<\/strong>, S. J. and J. T. Crockett,<\/strong> G. W. Roberts<\/strong>, Abraham Howard<\/strong>, James F. Phillips<\/strong>, Samuel Austell<\/strong> and WilliamHoward<\/strong> in the Seventh District; John Charles<\/strong>, William L. Carden<\/strong>, E. Good<\/strong>, M. C. Phillips<\/strong>, W. C. Charles<\/strong> and James Winton<\/strong> in the Eighth District; Charles Colston<\/strong>, Richard Cunningham<\/strong>, StephenWinton<\/strong>, Hiram Harpole<\/strong>, David Simpson <\/strong>and David Banks<\/strong> in the Ninth District; William Lackey<\/strong>, John Adcock<\/strong>, Charles Roach<\/strong>, Hugh O’Neal<\/strong>, James Darnell<\/strong>, John Brandon<\/strong> and Daniel Epley <\/strong>in the Tenth District; Robert Bean<\/strong>, James Cunningham<\/strong>, Isham Womack<\/strong>, James Sheid,<\/strong> John Crockett<\/strong>, Sr., Stewart Cowan<\/strong> and P. T. Stephenson <\/strong>in the Eleventh District; William J. Howard<\/strong>, Amos Austell,<\/strong>Peter Willis<\/strong>, H. M. Rutledge<\/strong> and Robert Lackey<\/strong>, in the Twelfth District; William Moore<\/strong>, Benjamin Deckerd<\/strong>, Thomas Anderson<\/strong>, Robert Ragon<\/strong>, _____ Montgomery<\/strong>, _____ Ferrill<\/strong>, B. S.Stephenson<\/strong> and the Gunn<\/strong> family in the Thirteenth District; James Timmons<\/strong>, Arthur Rutledge<\/strong>, Coleman Blanton<\/strong> and John Childress<\/strong> in the Fourteenth District; William Heathcock<\/strong>, John Nelson<\/strong>, HamiltonDuncan<\/strong>, Ambrose Duncan<\/strong>, Douglas Duncan<\/strong>, William Lunley<\/strong> and John Sherrill<\/strong> in the Fifteenth District. Among the citizens of the county at the time of its organization, living in various localities, were Randolph Gibson<\/strong>, William Richardson<\/strong>, Walter Stroud<\/strong>, Ephram Cate<\/strong>, Alfred Bradley<\/strong>, Jesse Reynolds<\/strong>, Rush N. Wallace<\/strong>, R. R. Price<\/strong>, Larkin Burnham<\/strong>, John G. Walker<\/strong>, Westley Sutton<\/strong>, HenryPowers<\/strong>, Isaac Rains<\/strong>, Gabriel Jones<\/strong>, James Zell<\/strong>, Johnson Gossett<\/strong>, Wade Stroud<\/strong>, Alexander Downey<\/strong>, Josiah Berry<\/strong>, John Lusk<\/strong>, William Montgomery<\/strong>, John Bragg<\/strong>, Charles and Joseph Gentry<\/strong>, Alexander Neal,<\/strong> John W. Camden<\/strong>, David Ewell,<\/strong> William Johnson<\/strong>, Thomas Blair<\/strong>, A. Stafford<\/strong>, Smith Carney<\/strong>, Moses Hart<\/strong>, C. Rainwater<\/strong>, David Butler<\/strong>, Henry Flipp<\/strong>, William Collins<\/strong>, Hiram Wyatt<\/strong>, Moses B. Childress<\/strong>, Samuel V. Simms<\/strong>, Sherill, Adam, Anderson and James Oliver,<\/strong> Daniel McLain<\/strong>, JamesTaylor,<\/strong> Travis Bowden<\/strong>, John and William Beard<\/strong>, Charles Oldfield<\/strong>, J. D. Robinson<\/strong>, William and Felix Carroll<\/strong>, G. W. Haggard<\/strong>, J. L. Kelling<\/strong>, G. W. McGrew<\/strong>, Michael Stevens<\/strong>, Levi Donnell<\/strong>, James A. Brantley<\/strong>, R. F. Ross<\/strong>, Moses F. White<\/strong>, H. S. Emmerson<\/strong>, Larkin Burnham<\/strong>, Johnson Garrett<\/strong>, Gabriel Jones<\/strong>, John Herriford<\/strong> and William Holmes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So far as known, the first grist-mill erected in Coffee County was that of Josiah Berry<\/strong> on Barren Fork of Duck River, three miles northwest from Manchester, built in 1812, and the second one was built by Joseph Hickerson<\/strong>, on Brewer Creek, near Manchester, in 1815. Both were water power. Between 1820 and 1830 Joseph Hickerson<\/strong> erected a saw and corn-mill on Duck River in the Sixth District. Arthur Rutledge<\/strong> erected what was afterward known as the Childress mill, on Compton Creek, in the Fourteenth District. Thomas Busby<\/strong> built a corn, wheat and powder-mill on Spring Branch of Duck River, in the Fifth District, which was afterward bought by Lecil Bobo<\/strong>, and as such ran up to about 1850, and Wm. Williams<\/strong> built a corn-mill on Barren Fork of Collins River, all of which were water power. Between 1830 and 1840 Jonathan Webster<\/strong> built a corn-mill on Noah Fork, in the Third District; Howard Blackmore<\/strong> built one on Spring Branch of Duck River in the Fifth District; John Stevens<\/strong> built on on Gage Creek in the same district; Wm. Smith<\/strong> built on on Bradley Creek; all water power. In 1830 Wm. Bowden<\/strong> and Hugh Davidson<\/strong> erected cotton-gins on Duck River, in the Fifth District. At Blue Springs, two and a half miles north from Tullahoma, Messrs. Nash<\/strong> and Calley<\/strong> established a wagon manufactory, planing-mill and saw-mill in 1863, to which a branch of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway was built during the same year, and for several years an immense business was transacted. The mills were removed a number of years ago and the railroad torn up. The minor industries of the county, located outside of Manchester and Tullahoma, are as follows: Third District – Samuel Brantley<\/strong>‘s saw and grist-mill and Beckman<\/strong> Bros.’ flour and grist-mill on Noah Fork. Fourth District – James Drake<\/strong>‘s still-house. Fifth District – Sims, Davis & Hildebrand<\/strong>‘s flour, grist and still on Gage Creek. Sixth District – B. P. Bashan<\/strong>‘s and John Tolliver<\/strong>‘s grist-mills on Brewer Creek; L. D. Hickerson<\/strong>‘s (Jr.), saw-mill on Haggard’s branch and James W. Stephen<\/strong>‘s grist-mill on Goodman’s branch. Seventh District – T. E. Jones<\/strong>‘ grist and saw-mill at Hillsboro; James Howard<\/strong>‘s corn-mill, and Call & Huffer<\/strong>‘s still-house on Bradley’s Creek. Ninth District – John A. Bryant<\/strong>‘s two grist-mills on Barren Fork of Hickory Creek. Tenth District – George Schroeder<\/strong>‘s corn-mill and still on Hickory Creek, and James Fletcher<\/strong>‘s still on Barren Fork of Collins River. Eleventh District – O. H. Allen<\/strong>‘s grist-mill on McGowan Creek, and J. A. Lusk<\/strong>‘s corn-mill and T. S. Gunn<\/strong>‘s still on Bean Creek. Twelfth District – E. A. Call<\/strong>‘s flour and grist-mill, Ellis Davidson<\/strong>‘s grist-mill, E. A. Call<\/strong>‘s and W. W. Harris<\/strong>‘ stills; all on Bradley Creek.
\nOn January 8, 1836, the General Assembly passed an act entitled “An act to establish the county of Coffee” out of territory to be cut off from the counties of Bedford, Warren and Franklin. The above act appointed Hugh Davidson<\/strong>, Alexander Blakely<\/strong>, John Hickerson<\/strong>, William Bradshaw<\/strong>, Thomas Powers<\/strong> and Lecil Bobo<\/strong> commissioners to run the boundary lines and locate a permanent seat of justice for the new county, and in February following the lines were run, leaving the county bounded on the north by the counties of Rutherford, Cannon and Warren, east by Warren and Grundy, south by Franklin and Moore and west by Bedford. The seat of justice was located upon the lands of James Evans and Andrew Haynes, the same being described a “situated on the south side of Bark Camp Fork of Duck river on both sides of the road leading from Winchester, Franklin County, to Nashville, being within four miles of the center of the county and supposed to contain 200 acres.” Messrs. Evans<\/strong> and Haynes<\/strong> donated the above land to the county by deed registered March 1, 1836.<\/p>\n

An election of county officers was held in March and the county formally organized in May, when William S. Watterson<\/strong>, John G. Walker<\/strong>, John O. Johnson<\/strong>, Joseph Hickerson<\/strong> and Jesse Wooten <\/strong>were appointed to survey and lay off the county site into town lots, sell the same and award contracts for building a courthouse and jail. The sale of lots took place soon afterward and the contracts awarded for a brick courthouse and jail. The courthouse was completed in 1837 and was destroyed by fire in December, 1870. The building was a two-story brick and cost about $10,000. The present courthouse was completed in 1871 and stands on the site of the one destroyed. It is a handsome brick two-story building of modern style. On the ground floor is the county court room and the quarters of the county officers, while the second floor is devoted to the circuit court and jury rooms. The building stands in the center of a large public square, inclosed with a combination iron and wood fence, and cost about $15,000. The first brick jail was completed in 1837 and was used as such up to about 1857, when it was destroyed by fire. The present brick and stone jail was completed in 1859, costing about $6,000.<\/p>\n

At the organization of the county it was laid off into thirteen civil districts, but was subdivided at different times until there are now sixteen their territory belonging originally to counties as follows: First, Second, Third, Fourth, Sixteenth and part of the Fifteenth Districts to Bedford; Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth to Franklin; Ninth, Tenth and part of fifteenth to Warren. The county had a population of 8,184 in 1840; of 8,354 in 1850; of 9,689 in 1860; of 10,237 in 1870; of 11,500 in 1880, and about 12,000 in 1886. At the August election, 1886, there were 2,249 votes polled in the county, of which the Democratic ticket received 1,833, and the Republican ticket 416, giving a Democratic majority of 1,387. In 1870 there were 253,816 acres of land assessed for taxation in Coffee County, the value of which was $l,520,201, and the total value of property assessed was $1,911,074. The number of acres assessed in 1886 was 261,610 valued at $986,599, and the total value of property assessed was $1,421,415. The tax aggregate for 1886, shows taxes assessed as follows: State, $4,264; county, $4,039; school $6,695; roads, $888, with additional railroad and telegraph taxes as follows: Main stem of Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad, total tax of $1,262.02; McMinnville Branch of Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway, total tax of $1,270.77. In 1870 the cereal products of the county were, wheat, 43,075 bushels; rye, 10,226 bushels; corn, 309,503 bushels; oats, 25,462 bushels. In 1886 the products were, wheat, 58,160 bushels; rye 4,500 bushels; corn, 650,290 bushels; oats, 35,000 bushels.<\/p>\n

In 1870 there were in the county, 3,009 head of horses and mules; 2,448 head of cattle; 8,107 head of sheep, and 17,226 head of hogs. In 1886 there were 4,100 head of horses and mules; 5,800 head of cattle; 7,300 head of sheep, and 20,800 head of hogs.
\nThe Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad runs through the extreme southwest corner of Coffee County, and was completed in 1852, while the Sparta or McMinnville branch of the same runs in a northeast direction across the county, being completed to McMinnville in 1856, and to Sparta in 188 __. The two roads furnish ample transportation facilities for the county.<\/p>\n

Adam Rayburn<\/strong>, Alfred Ashley<\/strong>, Robert S. Rayburn<\/strong>, Alex Downey<\/strong>, John G. Walker<\/strong>, Larkin Burnham<\/strong>, Wm. Hodge<\/strong>, Johnson Garrett,<\/strong> James Zell<\/strong>, Wm. Montgomery<\/strong>, Gabriel Jones<\/strong>, Lecil Bobo<\/strong>, Josiah Berry<\/strong>, John W. Camden<\/strong>, John Herriford<\/strong>, John Charles<\/strong>, James W. Arnold<\/strong>, John Lusk<\/strong>, Jesse Wooton<\/strong>, Wade Stroud<\/strong> and Wm. Holmes<\/strong>, all bearing commissions from the governor appointing them magistrates for Coffee County, met at the old log Baptist meeting-house which stood on the site of Manchester, the county seat, on Monday, May 2, 1836, and after taking the oath of office, organized the county court by electing John W. Camden<\/strong>, chairman. Daniel McLain<\/strong>, John Bell<\/strong>, James A. Brantly<\/strong> and Moses F. White<\/strong>, who had been chosen clerk, sheriff, register and trustee, respectively, at the March election produced their certificates of election, qualified and assumed the duties of their offices. The sessions of the court were held in the meeting-house until the completion of the courthouse in 1837.<\/p>\n

The circuit court was organized in June, 1836, at the old Stone Fort Tavern, with Judge Samuel Anderson<\/strong> on the bench, and James Whitesides <\/strong>as attorney-general; George W. Richardson<\/strong> was the clerk, he having been elected to that office at the March election. The early records of this court were destroyed by fire, there being none now previous to 1854, and the writer secured the above information from the older citizens, among whom were Messers. Wylie Hickerson<\/strong> and R. E. Lasater<\/strong>, of Manchester, both of whom were residents of the county at its formation.<\/p>\n

Like those of the circuit court, the records of the chancery court were destroyed to a great extent by fire, those of the year 1868 being the earliest, and the deficiency was filled by the memories of the citizens. The court was organized with the county, and Judge B. L. Ridley<\/strong> was probably the first chancellor presiding, George Arrington<\/strong> being appointed clerk and master.<\/p>\n

Below is given a list of the judges, chancellors, attorney-generals and different county officers, together with the date of their service: Samuel Anderson<\/strong>, 1836-44; A. J. Marchbanks<\/strong>, 1844-61; Wm. P. Hickerson<\/strong>, 1865-67; N. A. Patterson<\/strong>, 1867-69; William P. Hickerson<\/strong>, 1869-77; J. J. Williams<\/strong> 1877-86; M. B. Smallman<\/strong>, present incumbent.<\/p>\n