History of Trousdale County Tennessee United States of America

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Trousdale County was erected in 1870, from parts of Sumner, Macon, Smith and Wilson counties, and was named in honor of Wm. Trousdale, governor, 1849-1851.

The first court was held in the Methodist Church at Hartsville on the first Monday in September, 1870. The following named magistrates were present: Jas. R. DeBow, chairman; Chas. McMurray, and Jas. R. Jefferies. Hartsville was chosen as the county seat in an election held in the following November. The Circuit Court held its first term in September, 1870, Judge W. H. Williamson, presiding.

The following chancellors have presided over the division of which Trousdale County is a part: Chas. G. Smith, Horace H. Lurton, afterwards a member of the United States Supreme Court, B. J. Tarver, and Geo. H. Seay.

The Lauderdale, Donoho, Sewell, Cunningham, Mill and Caruthers families were early settlers in this county. Albert Gallatin Donoho was the first white child born near Hartsville, in 1798. Like the people in all the neighboring counties the early settlers here suffered much from the atrocities of the Indians.

The section afterwards known as Trousdale County sent a company to the Mexican war under command of Capt. R. A. Bennett and Lieuts. J. M. Shaver, Patrick Duffy and King Kirby.

Among its distinguished officers in the War between the States were: Col. James Bennett, Capt. Wm. Barksdale, Maj. G. Lowe, Capt. H. C. Ellis, and Col. Wm. J. Hale.

The battle of Hartsville was fought on December 7, 1862. The Federal garrison, after an hour's fight, surrendered to the Confederates under Gen. John Morgan.

Statistics of Trousdale County: Population, 1920, 5,996. Assessed valuation of taxable property, 1921, $5,369,678. Area, 166 square miles. Number of farms, 876. Railway mileage, eight. Drained by Cumberland River and tributaries. Surface hilly with rich valleys, and splendidly adapted to stock raising. Staple products are corn, wheat, tobacco, hay and live stock. Hartsville, the county seat, is on the Cumberland River and the terminus of a branch of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. It has a population of 1,023 and has good schools, churches, a weekly newspaper, two banks, and prosperous business establishments. Scholastic population of county, 1,734; high schools, one; elementary schools, twenty-five.

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

History of Trousdale County Tennessee

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