Formation of Jefferson County

Jefferson County, named for President and statesman Thomas Jefferson, was erected June 11, 1792, while present-day East Tennessee was still part of the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio (also called the "Southwest Territory").  Portions of Greene and Hawkins Counties were taken to form Jefferson County.

For a short time during Tennessee's early history, the area of Jefferson County was included in Caswell County, a county of the short-lived State of Franklin (or Frankland, as sometimes written by historians and contemporary writers).

Territorial Ordinance Creating Jefferson County

Be it ordained that from and after the fifteenth day of the present month of June, the counties of Greene and Hawkins shall be circumscribed by a line beginning on Nolachucky river at the place where the ridge which divides the waters of Bent and Lick creek strikes it, thence with that ridge to Bull's Gap of Bay's mountain, thence a direct line to the place where the road that leads from Dodson's ford to Perkin's iron works crosses the watery fork of Bent creek, thence down that road to the head of Panther creek, down the meanders of that creek to the river Holston, thence a northwest course to the river Clinch.  Again, from Nolachucky river where the ridge that divides the waters of Bent and Lick creek strikes it a direct course to Peter Fine's ferry on French Broad, then south to the ridge that divides the waters of French Broad and Big Pigeon and with that ridge to the eastern boundary of the territory.

And be it ordained that two new counties be laid out and established below the aforesaid line, that is to the southward and westward of it, to be distinguished from and after the said fifteenth day of June instant by the names of Jefferson county and Knox county.  The county of Jefferson to be butted and bounded by the above described line from the eastern boundary of the territory to the river Holston, and down the river Holston to the mouth of Creswell's mill creek, thence a direct line to the mouth of Dumplin creek on French Broad, thence up the meanders of French Broad to the mouth of Boyd's creek, thence south twenty five degrees east to the ridge which divides the waters of Little Pigeon and Boyd's creed and with the said ridge to the indian boundary or the eastern boundary of the territory as the case may be, and by the eastern boundary: And Knox county to be butted and bounded by the line of Jefferson county to the mouth of Creswell's mill creek to the indian boundary or eastern boundary of the territory as the case may be: Again from the mouth of the said creek up the meanders of the river Holston to the mouth of Panther creek, thence northwest to the river Clinch, thence by the river Clinch to the place where the line that shall cross Holston at the ridge that divides the waters of Tennessee and Little rivers according to the treaty of Holston shall strike it, and by that line.

And be it ordained that Charles McClung and James Mabrey be appointed Commissioners to run and mark the northwest line from the mouth of Panther creek to the river Clinch, and the line from the mouth of Creswell's mill creek to the mouth of Dumplin: And Alexander Outlaw and Joseph Hamilton that from Bull's Gap to the watery fork of Bent creek and from Nolachucky river to Fine's ferry on French Broad, and the south line to the dividing ridge between French Broad and Big Pigeon.

And be it ordained that Courts of Pleas and Quarter Sessions shall be held in and for the said counties for the due administration of Justice for the county of Knox on the third Monday of January, April, July and October -- for the county of Jefferson on the fourth Mondays of the same months and may be continued by adjournments from day to day not exceeding six days.

And be it ordained that the court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions shall be held for the county of Knox at Knoxville, and for the county of Jefferson at the house of Jeremiah Matthews.

Done at Knoxville the 11th day of June in the year of our Lord 1792.

Counties Formed from Jefferson County

Sevier (1794), Cocke (1797), and Hamblen (1870) Counties were formed by dividing parts of Jefferson County.  A small portion of present-day Blount County, near Walland, was contained in the original boundaries of Jefferson County.

County Boundary Changes

In the early history of the County, residents occasionally petitioned the Tennessee Legislature for relief in the form of minor boundary changes.  One often-affected area was along the modern junction of Jefferson, Sevier, and Knox Counties.  Information regarding these boundary changes is contained in the collection of Legislative Petitions and the Private Acts of the Tennessee General Assembly, both of which are available at the Tennessee State Library & Archives, Nashville.

The State of Tennessee County Technical Services Division has compiled a history of boundary changes for every county in Tennessee.  Those related to Jefferson County have been transcribed and uploaded to this Web site, but you can read the compilations for every county at the CTAS Web site.  Documents are in PDF format and may be large files.