History of Grundy County Tennessee United States of America

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Local History Notes:

Grundy County was erected on January 29, 1844, from parts of Coffee and Warren counties, and named for Felix Grundy, who, together with Samuel B. Barrett and others had been dealing extensively in the mountain lands of that section. The act which created this county appointed Adrian Northcutt and William Dugan, residents of that part of the county taken from Warren, and John Burrows and Alfred Braley, residents of that part taken from Coffee, commissioners to organize Grundy County. The act also designated Beersheba Springs as a place for holding first courts.

The first County Court organized on August 6, 1844, with the following named magistrates in attendance: Adrain Northcutt, John Fults, Wm. Dugan, Ambrose Killian, Robert Tate, Isaac Campbell, Stephen M. Griswold, Jas. Lockhart, John Burrows, Thos. Warren, and Daniel Sain.

The following officers, who had been elected on July 8, 1844, qualified: Philip Roberts, sheriff; Reuben Webb, county court clerk; Abraham Jones, register; John Burrows, trustee. The court then elected Stephen M. Griswold, entry-taker; Wm. S. Mooney, surveyor; and Richard M. Stepp, coroner.

Beginning with the next session the courts were held continuously at the house of Jesse Wooten until October, 1848, when the county seat was established at Altamont. Later, Tracy City was made the county seat.

Tracy City was the first home of the great Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railway Company, now located near Birmingham. It was established by the late A. S. Colyar.

A large colony of Swiss located near Altamont has done much for the material progress of the county.

Statistics of Grundy County: Population, 1920, 9,753. Assessed valuation of taxable property, 1921, $2,691,248. Area, 325 square miles. Number of farms, 563. Railway mileage, 30. Drained by numerous small streams. The surface is from 1,800 to 2,200 feet above sea level. County well adapted to the live stock industry, having fine grazing lands. Staple products are corn, hay, fruits, and live stock. Tracy City, the principal town, has a population of 2,669, and is the center of large coal and iron industries. Large deposits of these minerals are found. Tracy City has good schools and churches, furnace, manufacturing establishments, and stores. It is on a branch of the N. C. & St. L. Railway. Altamont, the county seat, has a population of 114 and is a flourishing town. Scholastic population of county, 3,590; high schools, 4; elementary schools, 31.

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

Biographies:

John C. Bell, representative, was born in Grundy county, Tenn., Dec. 11, 1851. He attended the public schools, and further pursued his studies for two years at Alto, and two years at Boiling Fork, Tenn.; read law in Winchester, Tenn.; was admitted to the bar in 1874, and the same year removed to Colorado and commenced the practice of law at Saguache. He was appointed county attorney of Saguache county, and served until May, 1876, when he resigned and removed to Lake City, Col., then the most thriving city in the great San Juan mining region; was elected county clerk of Hinsdale county in 1878; was twice elected mayor of Lake City, and in August, 1885, resigned that position and removed to Montrose. In November, 1888, he was elected judge of the seventh judicial district of Colorado for a period of six years; in the fall of 1892 was nominated for Congress from the second district of Colorado, first by the Populist and afterwards by the Democratic convention, and was elected to the 53d Congress. He took an active part in favor of free silver in the debate on the repeal of the Sherman act. He was re-elected to the 54th, 55th, 56th, and 57th congresses, 1893-1903.

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

History of Grundy County Tennessee

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