Important Dates - Chronology of Early Rhea County
EVENT 1783 First settlers claim North Carolina land grants. 1796 Tennessee becomes the 16th state. 1801 Roane County, which contained most of Rhea is created. 1805 Tellico Treaty - Cherokee Nation surrenders claims to additional land. 1806 Return J. Meigs lays out the site of the Hiwassee Garrison and Indian Agency. 1807 Rhea County established. 1808 John McClellan surveys land for 72 individuals. 112 are listed on tax list. 1811 Land is laid off for the town of Washington. Courthouse and jail planned. 1812 WAR OF 1812 1814 Stocks and pillory built. 1830 New Courthouse is built. 1836 Meigs County created from Rhea. 1847 Flood devastates town of Washington. 1861 CIVIL WAR. Rhea County forms home guard. Tennessee secedes from the Union, and joins the Confederate States of America. 1866 Tennessee re-admitted to the Union. Many Rhea citizens relocate. 1899 County seat moved to Dayton.
IN THE BEGINNING....The area that is now Rhea County was originally occupied by the Cherokee and ceded by treaty. Large areas of land were also acquired by North Carolina land grants. As early as 1760, Elisha Weldon (Walding, Wallen, Wallins, Walling, Walden) visited the area. In 1768 Thomas Hutchins made a survey of the Tennessee River. Early Rhea County deed books indicate that a group of men made a trip to the Muscle Shoals area in 1783 and may have filed for warrants on the land when they returned to North Carolina.
The Tellico Treaty of 1805 with the Cherokee extended the boundaries to a line due west from the mouth of the Hiwassee River. From 1805 to 1807, the area that is now Rhea County was in Roane County. Before that, it was part of Knox, Hawkins and Sullivan Counties. Most of the North Carolina land grants were in the area previously known as Hawkins County.
In 1803 and 1806, the Hiwassee and Sail Creek Indian schools were established by the Reverend Gideon Blackburn, followed closely by the building of the Hiwassee Garrison and Indian Agency which was managed by the Indian Agent, Return J. Meigs. An 1809 List of Officers and Regulars in Captain Thomas J. VanDyke's Company has survived the ravages of time and gives us the names of early immigrants to the area. In 1816 the garrison was moved to a new site due to a conflict over the ownership of the land. Charles McClung filed a suit against Meigs claiming that he had purchased the land in 1807 from John Donelson (who had been granted the land by North Carolina in 1788).
As in other counties, much of the land acquired by early settlers was a result of laws passed by the Tennessee State Legislature 1806-1809 which allowed a settler to claim the land he was living on as well as other unclaimed lands. To learn the names of some of these early settlers, look at the 1808 Tax list.
After the county was formed in 1807, many small boundary changes continued to be made. These changes returned a small portion of Rhea to Roane in 1815. Other changes were made between Rhea and Bledsoe (1821), Hamilton (1821 and 1833), and McMinn (1833). In some cases, Legislative acts changed boundary lines to accommodate citizens with land in two counties. In 1836 Meigs County was created from Rhea.
Research in early Rhea County can involve the counties of Roane, Knox, Hawkins, Sullivan, Bledsoe, Hamilton, Meigs and McMinn.
FORMATION OF THE COUNTY
In October, 1807 a bill was presented in the Tennessee Legislature to reduce the size of Roane County and create two new counties. The names for the new counties were Bledsoe and Cumberland. At the suggestion of the Grainger County Representative, John Cocke and the Montgomery County Representative, Willie Blount, the name Cumberland was struck out and replaced with Rhea.
The bill was sent to Governor Sevier in November and returned with his signature on December 3rd, 1807.
The original boundaries were changed in 1809 to place the dividing line between Rhea and Roane Counties at White's Creek. In 1815, a small portion of Rhea County lying north of White's Creek was returned to Roane County.
In 1817 another Legislative Act enlarged Rhea County and eliminated a large part of present day Hamilton County from Rhea. Other Boundary changes were made in 1817, 1819, 1821, and 1833.
Check this page later for further descriptions of boundary changes.
"Beginning at White's Creek near Matthew English's saw mill, at the mouth of Crab Orchard Creek, thence running up said creek to the mouth of Burke's Creek, thence a direct course to the new corner of Rhea County, at the line of Overton County, is hereby declared to be and made a part of Roane County."
CIVIL DISTRICTS
In 1835 Civil Districts were laid off based on voting populations. Steven Winton, Abraham Cox, Jr. and John D. Chattin were appointed Commissioners. In 1836, they were replaced by James McCanse, James A. Darwin and William McDonald.
At this time the population of Rhea county consisted of 692 qualified voters in the 8 newly created districts.
Follow this link for an 1836 Plat Map of Rhea County and the descriptions of the districts and lists of persons whose homes served as the first voting places.
RHEA COUNTY IN THE CIVIL WAR
While you are waiting for more information you might enjoy visiting the Civil War Center at Louisiana State University. This link is to a genealogy page called Researching People of the Civil War Era, but there is much more to see, including state archival sources, battle sites and information on special collections of Civil War materials.
For unit histories for all states, try these Tarleton links:
Confederate
Union
ANNOUNCEMENT
Ms Betty Broyles is working on a new book of Civil War Reminiscense. The book will include letters, diaries and newspaper articles listing the activities of Rhea County citizens in those difficult times. Information from and by soldiers will be included, but the focus will be on the activities of the folks at home.
If you have material that you would like to see included in the book, you are invited to submit it directly to Ms. Broyles:
Ms Betty Broyles
3433 Knollwood Hills Drive
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37415
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