Prior to July 1796, the court of pleas and quarter sessions was held at the following places, to-wit; John Hamilton's's from April, 1787, to the close of that year; Elmore Douglass, 1788; Simon Kuykendall's first half of 1789; then at Elmore Douglass' until July, 1790, when it was held in the first courthouse which was a small log building erected on West Station Camp Creek at the place formerly known as Mrs. Clarke's. The sessions were held at this courthouse until January, 1793, when the court met at the plantation of John Dawson. The April term 1793 was held at the house of Pearce Wall, and from July 1793, to January 1796, the sessions were held at the house of Ezekial Douglass. And from that date to January 1800, the sessions were held at the house of William Gillespie, and from April 1800 to July 1802, at the town of Cairo, and from October 1802, to January 1803 at the house of James Trousdale in Gallatin. Then at the house of James Cryer in Gallatin until October, 1803, when the first term of the court was held in the first courthouse at the permanent seat of justice. The first term of this court held under the organization of the State of Tennessee, was in July, 1796, when it was composed of the following justices commissioned by John Sevier, the first governor of the State, viz.: David Wilson, Thomas Donald, James Winchester, James Pearce, Edward Douglass, Wm. Cage, Stephen Cantrell, Isaac Walton, Thomas Masten, James Gwynn, Witheral Latimer and James Douglass. The first grand jury under the State organization was composed of the following names gentlemen: Archibald Martin, foreman; Edward Williams, James Farr, Joshua Wilson, Robert Hamilton, Lazarus Cullum, James Snowden, Wm Crabtree, Thomas Walten, Jeremiah Doney, Peter Looney, Ormund Alton, and Wm Edwards.
The court of pleas and quarter sessions continued in existence under that name until the year 1836.