HISTORY OF MADISONVILLE

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The County Court was organized in 1820, and the first County Seat was known as "Old Tellico" located two miles east of Madisonville on the Old Federal Road.

Acts of 1821 Chapter 144, Page 140, provided that after January 1, next, the Quarterly County Court of Monroe County would be held on the third Monday in December, March, June, and September, and the court could sit for 6 judicial days. The Justices had the authority to adjourn Court to some other place from it's present site and could also remove the office of the Clerk, or leave it at the house of William Blair, whichever the justices preferred.

Acts of 1825, Chapter 88, page 142, remove the County Court, and the Circuit Court, which were then being held at the house of David Caldwell in Monroe County, to the town of Tellico. All process which was returnable to the house of David Caldwell would be changed to conform to the terms of this act. At that time Madisonville was named Tellico until 1830 when the name was changed to Madisonville in honor of Madison Greenway who circulated a petition and presented to the State Legislature.

Acts of 1829, Chapter 245, Page 213, named James M. Greenway, James Vaughn, and Christopher H. McGinnis, as Commissioners to settle with the board of Commissioners of the County seat of Monroe County, and the Commissioners were given the authority to issue subpoenas to have the former Commissioners appear before them to make a settlement if the need arose. The former Commissioners were required to submit a detailed statement under oath to the receipts and disbursements made during their tenure of office, and, if these were insufficient to complete the building of the Court House, the County could levy a tax on the property of the County to produce the funds to complete the same.

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