History of Blount County Tennessee United States of America

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Blount County is one of the oldest counties in the state, having been erected by the Territorial Legislature on July 11, 1795. It was named for Wm. Blount who was, at that time, the governor of Southwest Territory. It was carved out of Knox County. Its county seat, Maryville, was named for Mary (Grainger) Blount, wife of Governor William Blount. Its early settlers came principally from Virginia and North Carolina, among them was the mother of Sam Houston who settled near Maryville, in 1806. The settlement of the county really began in 1785, although pioneers had come in some years previously. Among the early settlers were the Bogles, McCroskeys, McCullochs, Boyds, Cunninghams, Tiptons, McGaugheys, and McMurrays. As we have already seen, they were greatly harassed by the Indians.

The Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions was organized on the second Monday in September, 1795, at the house of William Weaver. Early lawyers were John Lowery, Samuel Glass, John Wilkinson, John Garner and Enoch Parsons. Parsons was defeated for governor, in 1819, by McMinn. Maryville College, one of the best institutions for higher learning in the state, was founded by Rev. Isaac Anderson.

Statistics of Blount County: Population, 1920, 28,800. Assessed valuation of taxable property, 1921, $25,370,192. Area, 614 square miles. Number of farms, 2,601. Railway mileage, 98. Drained by the Holston and Little Tennessee rivers, the former navigable for boats. Surface mountainous with fertile valleys, which abundantly produce wheat, corn, oats, fruits, and live stock. Blount County has more pure-bred Aberdeen-Angus cattle than any county south of the Ohio River, and many fine herds of pure-bred Poland China hogs. Over six hundred silos in the county. Forests of oak and pine. Marble and iron are mined. County seat, Maryville, on railroad; population, 3,739. Has fine schools, two weekly newspapers, three banks, fine churches, and many flourishing industries. Alcoa and Townsend are other prosperous towns. Alcoa has a population of 3,358. Aluminum plant, hosiery mill, foundry, casket factory, three woodworking factories, and tannery, are among the leading industries of the county. B. R. Kramer is president of the Maryville-Alcoa Chamber of Commerce. Private schools of county are Maryville College, Maryville Polytechnic, and Friendsville Academy. Scholastic population, 10,079; high schools, 2; elementary schools, 86.

From:
Moore, John Trotwood. Tennessee, The Volunteer State, 1769-1923. Vol. 1. Chicago, IL, USA: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1923.

History of Blount County Tennessee

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