History of Greene County Tennessee United States of America

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Local History Notes:

Greene County was created by the State of North Carolina from a part of Washington County in April, 1783, and was named in honor of Gen. Nathanael Greene.9 Settlements were begun in 1778, or earlier. Some of the early settlers were: Anthony Moore, who located near Henderson's Station, Daniel Kennedy, and Henry Earnest, who was greatly interested in the establishment of the Methodist Church named Ebenezer, said to be the first organization of this sect in the State of Tennessee. It was located on the Nollichucky River.

On the third Monday in August, 1783, the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions was organized at the house of Robert Carr, near the Big Spring, in Greeneville. The magistrates present were: Joseph Hardin, John Newman, George Dougherty, James Houston, Amos Bird and Asahel Rawlings.

From the very beginning much attention was paid to education. Greeneville College, founded by Hezekiah Balch, was chartered in 1794, and Tusculum College was established in 1818, by Dr. Samuel Doak. Some Quakers settled in this county, many of whom became greatly interested in emancipation of slaves.

Statistics of Greene County: Population, 1920, 32,824. Assessed valuation of taxable property, 1921, $20,501,539. Area, 580 sq. mi. Number of farms, 5,313. Railway mileage, 31. Drained by Nollichucky River and Lick Creek. Surface partly mountainous and well timbered. Valleys are very fertile. Staple products are corn, wheat, oats, grass, tobacco and live stock. The tobacco industry has developed rapidly in the last few years, a fine quality of burley being produced. The Southern Railway intersects the county. Fine deposits of limestone and iron are found in the county. Greeneville, the county seat, has a population of 3,775, and is on the Southern Railway. Greeneville is a large tobacco market with six large warehouses, four banks, hosiery mill, chair factory, two wagon factories, tobacco factory, stemmery and redrying plant, one of the largest proprietary medicine concerns in the south, three flour mills and other industries; a weekly and daily papers. Other towns are Baileytown, Mosheim, Chuckey, and Midway. There are several commercial organizations, including the Burley Association, C. H. Bewley, secretary; Rotary Club, J. H. Rader, secretary. Greene County has 300 miles of pike roads and 200 miles of graded roads. The county is very progressive in educational matters, having five Presbyterian mission schools, Tusculum College, and private schools in Greeneville. The public school system is said to be one of the finest in the state. Scholastic population of county, 12,895; high schools, 8; elementary schools, 100.

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

Biographies:

Elias Nelson Conway, governor of Arkansas, was born in Green county, Tenn., May 17, 1812; seventh son of Thomas and Ann (Rector) Conway. He was a land surveyor and removed to Arkansas Territory in November, 1833, where his brother, James Sevier, was surveyor-general. He was engaged in surveying Boone and Washington counties in the territory of Arkansas, became auditor of the territory July 25, 1835, and was state auditor from Oct. 1, 1836, to May 17, 1841, and again from July 5, 1841, to Jan. 3, 1849. He originated the donation land laws of the state and the homestead laws of the United States. He addressed the legislature in 1840, advising the donation of forfeited lands to actual settlers, and the communication was copied by the press of every state in the Union. Arkansas adopted the idea in December, 1840, and it became a part of the national polity in 1862. The Democratic state convention of 1844 nominated State Auditor Conway for governor and he declined the honor because of other public obligations. At the request of the convention to select a candidate, he named Thomas S. Drew, who was elected. He accepted the nomination for governor in 1852 and again in 1856, and served from Nov. 15, 1852, to Nov. 16, 1860. He was burned to death in the conflagration at Little Rock, Ark., Feb. 28, 1892.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Henry Wharton Conway, delegate to congress, was born in Green county, Tenn., March 18, 1793; eldest son of Thomas and Ann (Rector) Conway; grandson of Gen. Henry Conway of the Revolutionary army, and great-grandson of Thomas Conway, the first of the family in America. He entered the U.S. army as ensign in 1812, was promoted 2nd lieutenant in 1813, fought at Fort Boyer and Mobile Point, 1814, and served as a clerk in the treasury department, 1817. He migrated to Missouri in 1818 and to Arkansas Territory in 1820, where he was receiver of public moneys. He was a delegate to the 18th, 19th and 20th congresses, 1823-29. He was wounded in a duel with the Hon. Robert Crittenden, brother of John J. Crittenden, afterward U.S. senator from Kentucky, who was present at the meeting, Oct. 29, 1827. He died near Arkansas Post, then the seat of government, Nov. 9, 1827.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

William B. Conway, jurist, was born in Green county, Tenn., about 1806; fifth son of Thomas and Ann (Rector) Conway. He was educated at Bardstown, Ky., studied law under John J. Crittenden and practised at Elizabethtown, Ky. In 1840 he removed to Arkansas, where his brothers, James Sevier and Elias Nelson, held high official positions, and he became judge of the 6th circuit. He served on this circuit from Dec. 19, 1840, to Nov. 15, 1844, and on the third circuit to December, 1846, when he was made associate justice of the supreme court. He died in Little Rock, Ark., Dec. 29, 1852.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

David McKendree Key, cabinet officer, was born in Greene county, Tenn., Jan. 27, 1824; sen of John and Margaret (Armitage) Key; grandson of David Key, of Greene county, and a descendant of John Key, who came to the United States from Scotland. His father was a clergyman who settled in Monroe county in 1826. David worked on a farm until 1845, when he entered a school established on Bat Creek camp-ground which became Hiwassee college in 1849 and was incorporated in 1850. He was the first graduate, receiving his A.B. degree in 1850, and that of A.M. in 1853. He was admitted to the bar in 1850 and in 1853 removed to Chattanooga, where he practised his profession. Upon the outbreak of the civil war he joined the Confederate army as lieutenant-colonel of the 43d Tennessee infantry and served throughout the war. He was married, July 1, 1857, to Elizabeth J. LaNoir. He was a member of the Tennessee constitutional convention, chancellor of the 8d chancery division, 1870-75; U.S. senator from Tennessee, 1875-77, having been appointed by Governor Porter to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Andrew Johnson and holding the office till the election of James E. Bailey in January, 1877; U.S. postmaster-general in President Hayes's cabinet, 1877-80; and U.S. district judge, 1880-94, retiring from the office, Jan. 26, 1894, when he was succeeded by Charles D. Clark. He received the degree of LL.D. from Hiwassee and from the University of Tennessee. He died in Chattanooga, Tenn., Feb. 8, 1900.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Greene County Tennessee

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