RHEA COUNTY lies on the left bank of the Tennessee River, and is\u00a0divided between the valley of East Tennessee and the Cumberland table-land.\u00a0 Parallel with the Tennessee River are a series of broken knobs, between which\u00a0 and Walden’s Ridge is a narrow valley, extending the entire length of the\u00a0 county. The principal streams are White Creek, Clear Creek, Big and Little\u00a0 Richland, Sole Creek, Muddy Creek and Piney River. Like other counties through\u00a0 which Walden’s Ridge passes, it is rich in coal, iron and limestone.<\/p>\n
The settlement of the county dates back to the beginning of the century. In 1805, by treaty. the Cherokees relinquished all right and title to the lands. An Indian agency was then established on the Tennessee River in the southern part of the county, where a fort covering an area of about two acres was constructed. It was used until 1819, when the agency was removed to the site of the present\u00a0 town of Charleston, in Bradley County. The Hiwassee purchase having been made in\u00a0 that year the limits of the county were extended south of the Tennessee River to\u00a0 include the greater portion of the present county of Meigs.<\/p>\n
The act for the establishment of Rhea County was passed December 3, 1807, and\u00a0 January 25, 1808, the county court was organized at the house of William\u00a0 Henry<\/strong>, situated at Big Spring about half way between the\u00a0present towns of Darwin and Dayton. The justices present were James\u00a0 Campbell<\/strong>, Jonathan Fine<\/strong>, Abraham\u00a0 Howard<\/strong>, John Henry<\/strong>, Joseph\u00a0 Brooks<\/strong>, Daniel Rawlings<\/strong> and William\u00a0 Long<\/strong>. James Campbell<\/strong> was chosen chairman;\u00a0 Daniel Rawlings<\/strong>, clerk; Miller Francis<\/strong>,\u00a0 sheriff; Thomas Woodward<\/strong>, coroner; Alex\u00a0 Ferguson<\/strong>, register; Thomas G. Brown<\/strong>, ranger; \u00a0Joseph Brooks<\/strong>, trustee, and William Brown<\/strong>,\u00a0 solicitor. An attempt was made soon after to permanently locate the county seat.\u00a0 The commissioners and several others met at what was known as the Hazzing place,\u00a0 on the north bank of the Tennessee River, to view that location. In passing the\u00a0 double Pond, one of the party, a man named Handy<\/strong> was drowned,\u00a0 and from this circumstance, it is said, that locality was abandoned.<\/p>\n At the next term of the court William Lyon<\/strong>, James Lauderdale<\/strong> and Joseph Dunham<\/strong>, were appointed\u00a0 to let the contract for a jail to be built on the farm of William\u00a0 Henry<\/strong>. This building was a log structure, twelve feet square\u00a0and eight feet high. It was completed the following July by Robert\u00a0 Gamble<\/strong>, who took the contract for $38.75. It was not All of these structures stood upon a square reserved for them. In 1821 the erection of a new jail was begun, but it was not completed until two or three years later; it consisted of a dungeon built of rock, with walls five feet thick, a debtor’s room, and a residence for the jailer, the last two built of\u00a0 brick. In 1833 the present brick courthouse was completed by Thomas\u00a0 Crutchfield<\/strong>, a contractor, who erected similar buildings for no less than eight counties in East Tennessee.<\/p>\n The circuit court for Rhea County was organized in 1810, but as the records\u00a0 have been lost or destroyed, but little can be given of its transactions. The\u00a0 first grand jury empaneled was composed of James Galbraith<\/strong>,\u00a0 Robert Minus<\/strong>, Walter Edwards<\/strong>, William\u00a0 Henry<\/strong>, James George<\/strong>, Sr., John \u00a0Abel<\/strong>, John Luck<\/strong>, William Kennedy<\/strong>, James Cowan<\/strong>, George The first resident attorney in Washington was James C. Mitchell, who located\u00a0 there immediately after the town was laid out. He was one of the leading\u00a0 criminal lawyers of that day, and was the preceptor of Hopkins L. Turney, the\u00a0 father of the present chief justice. The latter married a daughter of Miller\u00a0 Francis, and soon after receiving his license to practice moved to Middle\u00a0 Tennessee. Thomas J. Campbell, a son of Judge David Campbell, began his legal\u00a0 career in Washington, but subsequently removed to Athens.<\/p>\n Judge Campbell died soon after the town was laid out, and was buried on the left bank of the of the creek near the road leading to the river.<\/p>\n Samuel Frazier, who filled the office of State’s attorney for several years,\u00a0 located in Washington some time in the twenties, and continued a resident of the\u00a0 place until his death. His brother, Thomas Frazier. was a student in his office,\u00a0 and resided in the town for some years after beginning the practice of his\u00a0 profession. He subsequently went to Middle Tennessee, became a circuit judge at\u00a0 the close of the War, and was brought into prominence through his impeachmcnt by\u00a0 the Legislature. Franklin Locke, a son of John Locke. was also for many years a\u00a0 member of the bar. He was an excellent judge of law but ‘was not very successful\u00a0 as an advocate. N. B. Beard and John G. Stuart were prominent lawyers, during\u00a0 the fifties. The latter was a successful politician, and served several terms In\u00a0 the Legislature. After his marriage he removed to Cotton Post, and subsequently\u00a0 to Middle Tennessee. The present members of the profession in the county are N.\u00a0 Q. Allen, of Darwin; C. L. Locke. of Washington; V. C. Allen, John A. Denton, I.\u00a0 W. Holt. W. F Lones, and A. P. Haggard, of Dayton. The officers of Rhea County since its organization have been as follows:<\/p>\n Sheriffs – Miller Francis 1808-17; Woodson Francis, 1817-27; John Lea,\u00a0 l827-29; Samuel R. Hackett, 1829-31; Henry Collins, 1831-36; Samuel R. Hackett,\u00a0 1836-40; D. M. Roddy, 1840-42; Isaac S. Bingam, 1842-48; Willie Lewis,\u00a0 1848-1850; Jesse P. Thompson, 1850-52; J. F. Ladd, 1852-54; J. M. Caldwell,\u00a0 1854-60; James M. Cunningham, 1860-61; John Howard, 1861-62; Thomas A. Allen.\u00a0 1862-64; John P. Walker, 1864-66; William Morgan. 1866-70; B. F. Holloway.\u00a0 I870-72; J. F. Paine. 1872-74; R. L. Garrison, l874-76; M. M. Ferguson, 1876-78;\u00a0 J. L. McPherson, l878-84; J. R. Thompson, l884-86; J. H. Galbraith, 1886. Clerks of the county court – Daniel Rawlings, l808-23; James Berry, 1823-36; N. G. Frazier, 1836-40; B. D. Smith, 184O-44; J. S. Evens. 1844-52; William H. Bell. l852-60; H. A. Crawford, 1860-64; J. J. Hoge, 1864-70; James L. Locke. 181870-71; James H. Locke, Registers – Alexander Ferguson, 1808-21; James Berry, 1821-23; John Robinson,\u00a0 1823-27; Jonathan Fine, 1827-29; Jesse Thompson, 1829-36: Edward E. Wasson,\u00a0 1836-48; William Compton, 1848-56; J. S. Evens, 1856-60; H. N. Whittenburg,\u00a0 1860.64; Allen L. King, 1864-66; John Morgan, 1866-67; Thomas K. Thompson,\u00a0 1867-70; Aaron Rhea, 1870-71; S. S. Ramsey, 1871-72; Young Colville, 1872-78: G.\u00a0 W. Johnson, 1878.<\/p>\n Soon after the site of Washington was surveyed R. G. Waterhouse laid off an\u00a0 addition on the south, to which he gave the name of the “Southern Liberties.”\u00a0 Four of the best lots he donated to Hon. John Rhea, in whose honor the county\u00a0 was named. The first settlers in the town are said to have been “Billy”\u00a0 Washington. who lived in a cabin near the town spring, and John Birdsong, a\u00a0 hatter. Probably the first merchant was William L. Leuty. Isaac S. McMeans,\u00a0 Haynes & Campbell, Frederick Fulkerson & Co., Rice, Humphreys & Co.\u00a0 and Hazzlerig & Berry were also in business previous to 1820. Among the\u00a0 merchants of a later date were Thomas McCallie, John P. Long, Henry Collins,\u00a0 John Witt, R. N. Gillespie, J. W. Inman, D. N. Rawlings & Co., A. S.\u00a0 Rawlings and Hoyl & Chatten. The first hotels were kept by John Love, whose\u00a0 house stood where John Howard now lives, and John Rice, who was located on the\u00a0 site of the present hotel. The latter was succeeded by David Leuty. Among the\u00a0 other early settlers were John Hackett, a land speculator; John Parker, jailer\u00a0 and shoemaker; John Locke, cashier of the loan office of the old Bank of The only church in the town prior to the civil war was a large hewed-log\u00a0 building, erected by the Presbyterians on the lot now occupied by the cemetery.\u00a0 It was used by all denominations, and was also occupied by the Tennessee Academy\u00a0 for many years. In 1832 a large brick church was built, but before it was\u00a0 entirely completed it was destroyed by a tornado. About 185O an academy building\u00a0 was erected. It was used until a short time after the war, when it burned.<\/p>\n Prior to the division of the county in 1836, Washington was a flourishing\u00a0 town. It then began to decline somewhat, and has never recovered. The\u00a0 destruction occasioned by the civil war, together with the building of the\u00a0 Cincinnati Southern Railroad, which passes four miles to the west, has sealed\u00a0 its fate, and doubtless before many years have elapsed it will have entirely\u00a0 disappeared.<\/p>\n Dayton, in the southern part of the county, is one of the most remarkable\u00a0 towns in the State, having grown in the space of three years, from a small\u00a0 village to a city of over 3000 inhabitants. It was formerly known as Smith’s\u00a0 Crossroads. Among the first settlers in the vicinity were the Lauderdales, Cain,\u00a0 John, Philip and Abel, Spencer Benson, Charles and Robert Gamble and James\u00a0 Cowan. In 1813 or 1814 Smith & Cozby, a firm that had been selling goods at\u00a0 Hiwassee Garrison, opened a store at the cross roads. The latter soon after The village continued under the name of Smith’s Cross roads until 1877. Its\u00a0 growth was slow until 1884, when a company of English capitalists, of whom Sir\u00a0 Titus Salts, is principal, began the work of erecting blast furnaces, developing\u00a0 mines, and constructing a system of rail roads for the transportation of raw\u00a0 material, coal, iron, and limestone, all of which is found near at hand, The\u00a0 first furnace was put in operation on February 9, I896, and has since turned out\u00a0 an average of 100 tons of pig iron daily. A second furnace was put in blast\u00a0 about April 1, 1887. The first superintendent of the works was John H. Ferguson,\u00a0 who continued until about one year ago, when he was succeeded by George Jamie. The other manifactories of the town are the Dayton Roller Mills, operated by The first newspaper, published in Dayton, was the Times, established by F. M.\u00a0 Morrison, who soon after removed it to Pikeville, and changed the name to the\u00a0 Advance. In November, 1884, B. A. Frazier established the Gazette. He then\u00a0 purchased the Advance, and under the name of the Advance-Gazette continued the\u00a0 publication until September, 1886, when it was purchased by a stock company\u00a0 which consolidated it with the Spring City News. It has since been known as the\u00a0 News-Gazette, of which T. T. McWhirter is general manager and B. A. Frazier,\u00a0 editor. The News was established by Mr. McWhirter at Rhea Springs in 1877, and\u00a0 removed to Spring City in 1880. The news company, with perhaps one exception,\u00a0 has the most commodious and best equipped newspaper office in East Tennessee. In\u00a0 October, 1885, the Leader, a Republican paper, was established by Thomas &\u00a0 Gilmore, who have since continued its publication.<\/p>\n In 1885, the Dayton Masonic College, a large three story brick building was\u00a0 completed, and the institution went into operation with Creed M. Fulton as\u00a0 president, who, with an able corps of assistants, is making the school a\u00a0 success.<\/p>\n The second largest town in the county is Spring City, situated on the\u00a0 Cincinnati Southern Railroad about _____ miles from the northern boundary. It\u00a0 was laid out upon the building of the railroad on lands owned by Jonathan &\u00a0 Edley Caldwell. A Narrow-gauge railroad, which has been completed over Walden’s\u00a0 Ridge to the Cumberland table-land has added much to the importance of the town.<\/p>\n Evensville is another thriving village on the Cincinnati Southern Railroad.\u00a0 It took its name from the first Merchant, J. S. Evens, who began business in\u00a0 1878. It is the seat of the Tennessee Valley College, which went into operation\u00a0 in 1881 under the management of Prof. W. E. Stephens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" RHEA COUNTY lies on the left bank of the Tennessee River, and is\u00a0divided between the valley of East Tennessee and the Cumberland table-land.\u00a0 Parallel with the Tennessee River are a series of broken knobs, between which\u00a0 and Walden’s Ridge is … Continue reading
\nsatisfactory to the sheriff, however, and he protested against its being\u00a0 received by the county court. On February 12, 1812, the county commissioners,\u00a0 James Campbell<\/strong>, Robert Patterson<\/strong>, David\u00a0 Murphree<\/strong>, Daniel Walker<\/strong>, John\u00a0 Locke<\/strong> and Jesse Roddy<\/strong> met at the house of\u00a0 Judge David Campbell<\/strong>, at the head of Spring Creek, and decided\u00a0 to locate the county seat at that place. This site was included in a grant owned\u00a0 by Richard G. Waterhouse<\/strong>, but it appears that Judge\u00a0 Campbell<\/strong>had an occupant claim upon it, and it was he who made\u00a0 the deed to the commissioner, receiving therefore lots valued at $100. The first\u00a0 lots were sold on May 21 and 22 by Miller Francis<\/strong>,auctioneer.\u00a0 Sixty-nine lots sold for an aggregate of $1,984.25. The remaining lots were sold\u00a0 in April, 1813. As soon as the first sale took place contracts were let for the\u00a0 erection of a courthouse and jail. The contract for the former was taken by James C. Mitchell<\/strong> for $926.35; it was a two story frame\u00a0 building thirty feet square. The jail was built by John Moore\u00a0<\/strong> for $338.25.It was a log building with double walls, the intervening space being\u00a0 filled with small stones. Two years later a pillory and stocks were erected by\u00a0 James Berry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nWorley<\/strong>, Daniel Walker<\/strong>, Joseph\u00a0 Johnson<\/strong>, William Lyon<\/strong>, Elias\u00a0 Ferguson<\/strong> and Joseph Dunham<\/strong>. The first\u00a0 indictments were against William Lester<\/strong>, John\u00a0 Owens<\/strong> and Labin Grunly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nTrustees – Joseph Brooks, 1808-09; Jonathan Fine. 1809; William Johnson, — to 1823; Carson Caldwell, 1823-29; John Cozby, 1828-36; Abraham Miller, 1836-38;\u00a0\u00a0John Cozby, 1838-42; John Cook, 1842-44; J. S. Evens, 1843-52; A. R Smith, 1852-54; W. E. Colville, 1854-56; J. H. Locke. 1856-60; William G. Allen, 186O-62; P. T. Rawlings, 1862-64; E. H. Morgan. 1864-70; John James, 1870-74; G. M. D. Spence, 1874-76; R. L. Garrison, 1876-78; John D. Morgan, 1878-82;. M. D. Spence, 1882-86; T. C. Darwin, 1886.<\/p>\n
\n1871-72; J. S. Chumley, 1872-74; John Howard, 1874-78; W. R. Henry, 1878-82; J. T. Howard, 1882. Clerks of the circuit court-Asahel Rawlings. l810-21; John\u00a0Locke, 1821-35; Franklin Locke, 1835-36; Darius Waterhouse, 1836-56; W. H. H.\u00a0 Burkett, 1864-66; Franklin Locke, 1866-74; G. W. Ault, 1874-78; M. S. Holloway,\u00a0 1878-82; N. D., 1882-86; H. C. Collins, 1886..<\/p>\n
\nTennessee, Edmund Bean and John Day, blacksmith; Pierce, Miller & Co.,\u00a0\u00a0 Morrison and Burnett, hatters; Jefferson Love and Neal & Meyers, tanners. In\u00a0 1934, John B. Hood began the publication of a paper, which he had previously\u00a0 published at Athens. It continued for only two or three years, and has had no\u00a0 successor at Washington.<\/p>\n
\nretired, but the former, “Billy ” Smith, continued for many years. At a later\u00a0 date John H. Fleming, W. b. Cozby and Edwards & Caldwell were engaged in\u00a0 business there. The first church in the vicinity was erected by the Methodists,\u00a0 and was known as French’s church. About 1830 the Presbyterians also erected a\u00a0 building.<\/p>\n
\nSnow Bros; a flouring mill, owned by Allen & Keith, which is soon to be\u00a0 enlarged and befitted with the latest improved machinery; two planing and saw\u00a0 mills, operated by A. H. Rennebaum and B. G. Steere, and a broom factory,\u00a0 operated by Buchard & Galbraith. A foundry and machine shop will also soon\u00a0 be put in operation by John H. Ferguson. The commercial interests are\u00a0 represented by J. H. Rogers & Son, H. T. Blevins & Co., R. N. Magill, W.\u00a0 N. Ault, Gilbert Reed, W. A. Yarber, Ferguson & Spence, Dayton Coal &\u00a0 Iron Company, and McAndrew & Johnson, general merchandise; Shaver Bros. and\u00a0 John W. Hudson, groceries; S. A. Gettys & Co., notions and fancy goods;\u00a0 Buchanan & Crabbs and Bicknell & Johnston, drugs; J. M. Boynton,\u00a0 furniture; John Abel, jewelry, and J. A. Foster & Co., saddle and harness.\u00a0 The Dayton City Bank with a capital stock of $50,000, has been incorporated, and\u00a0 will begin business within a few weeks. V. C. Allen is president, and D. C.\u00a0 McMillan vice-president.<\/p>\n