History of Cocke County Tennessee United States of America

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Cocke County History

Cocke County was erected on October 9, 1797, and named in honor of William Cocke. It was carved out of Jefferson County. The first settlements were made along the Nollichucky River in 1783. Among the early settlers were: George McNutt, John McNabb, John Gilliland, Wm. Lillard, Samuel Odell and Daniel Adams. For the first ten years the Indians gave them much trouble. The first church was organized by the Baptists in 1794, about a year after the Indian depredations ceased. Eminent lawyers of the early days were: Thomas Gray, William Garrett and Tilghman A. Howard, the last named of whom moved to Indiana and became a well known general in the Civil war.

Statistics of Cocke County: Population, 1920, 20,782. Assessed valuation of taxable property, 1921, $11,402,158. Area, 458 sq. mi. Number of farms, 2,800. Railway mileage, 48. Drained by the French Broad and Nollichucky rivers. Smoky Mountain extends along the southeastern border of the county, and this section is covered with timber. Soil in valleys is very fertile. The staple products are corn, wheat, grass, and live stock. Newport, the county seat, is on the Southern Railway, 50 miles east of Knoxville; has a population of 2,753, several churches and schools, two weekly newspapers, two banks, cotton and flour mills, and a canning establishment the largest of its kind in the south. Scholastic population of county, 6,652; high schools, 1; elementary schools, 86.

History of Cocke County Tennessee

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