Ordinance By William Blount Governor of the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio, 1792

BE IT ORDAINED, That from and after the fifteenth day of the present month of June, the counties of Greene and Hawkins shall be circumscribed by a line beginning on the Nolichucky river, at the place where the ridge which divides the waters of Bent and Lick creek strikes it; thence with that ridge to Bull's Gap of Bay's Mountain; thence a direct line to the place where the road that leads from Dodson's ford to Perkin's iron works, crosses the watry fork of Bent creek; thence down that road to the head of Panther creek, down the meanders of that creek to the river Holston; thence a northwest course to the river Clinch; again, from Nolichucky river where the ridge that divides the waters of Bent and Lick creek, strikes it a direct course to Peter Fine's ferry on French Broad; thence south to the ridge that divides the waters of French Broad and Big Pigeon, and with said ridge to the eastern boundary of the Territory.

And be it ordained, That two new counties be laid out and established below the aforesaid line, that is to the southward and westward of it, to be distinguished from and after the said fifteenth day of June instant, by the name of Jefferson county, and Knox county. The county of Jefferson to be butted and bounded by the above described line from the eastern boundary of the Territory to the river Holston, and down the river Holston to the mouth of Cresswell's mill-creek; thence a direct line to the mouth of Dumplin creek on French Broad; thence up the meanders of the French Broad to the mouth of Boyd's creek; thence south twenty five degrees east, to the ridge which divides the waters of Little Pigeon and Boyd's creek, and with said ridge to the Indian boundary, or the eastern boundary of the Territory, as the case may be, and by the eastern boundary; and Knox county to be butted and bounded by the line of Jefferson county, from the mouth of Cresswell's mill-creek to the Indian boundary, or eastern boundary of the Territory, as the case may be: again from the mouth of the said creek up the meanders of the river Holston, to the mouth of Panther creek; thence north west to the river Clinch; then by the river Clinch to the place where the line that shall cross Holston at the ridge, that divides the waters of Tennessee and Little river, according to the treaty of Holston, shall strike it, and by that line.

And be it ordained, That Charles M’Clung and James Maberry, be appointed commissioners to run and mark the north west line from the mouth of Panther creek to the river Clinch, and the line from the mouth of Cresswell's mill-creek to the mouth of Dumplin; and Alexander Outlaw and Joseph Hamilton, that from Bull's Gap to the Watry Fork of Bent creek; and from Nolichucky river to Fine's ferry, on French Broad, and the south line to the dividing ridge between French Broad and Big Pigeon.

And be it ordained, That courts of pleas and quarter-sessions shall be held in and for the said counties for the due administration of justice, for the county of Knox, on the third Mondays of January, April, July, and October, and for the county of Jefferson, on the fourth Mondays in the same months, and may be continued by adjournments from day to day, not exceeding six days.

And be it ordained, That the courts of pleas and quarter-sessions shall be held for the county of Knox, at Knoxville, and for the county of Jefferson, at the house of Jeremiah Matthews.

Done at Knoxville, the 11th day of June, in the year of our Lord, 1792.