Petition to the Tennessee General Assembly dated 29 October 1835.

Important:  This is one of two related petitions submitted to the General Assembly.  Click here to view the other petition.

Note:  The county enacted as a result of these two petitions was called Powell County.  The process for its formation was never completed. One mapmaker, however, drew the proposed county based on the legislative act.  Click the thumbnail to view a larger image.

A second petition to the Senate & House of Representatives was signed by 330 additional citizens, according to the transcription.  However, only 320 names were listed.

The signers stated that they “reside in the extreme limits of the Counties of Hawkins, Greene, Washington & Sullivan.”

The new county would be named Powell in honor of the Circuit Court Judge and lie south of the Holston River and “beginning at Shipley’s Ferry or near there Ten miles from Blountville,” would run along the river to within twelve miles of Rogersville, then south to a point on Beech Creek, then to within twelve miles of Greeneville, then east to within twelve miles of Jonesboro, and northeast to the beginning.

The petitioners proposed that “the business of the Court which may be holden in said County, may be held at Geo. Gammon (?) & Co’s. Store until the Seat of Justice may be perminately [sic] settled as aforesaid.” The store was 20 miles from Blountville, 23 miles from Greeneville, 15 from  Jonesboro, and 27 from Rogersville.

The following names were all listed and numbered in the same handwriting, and there is no certification attached.

320 Signers (table is sortable by given name and surname):

Source:  Abstract of the petition by Betsy West, published in the TN Genealogical Society‘s “Ansearchin’” News, Vol. 2, 1974, pp. 74-76.