Boundaries - Historical Notes

The following is a summary of acts which authorized boundary changes for Knox County.

1. Acts of 1794, Chapter 16, appointed John Payne and Charles McClung to run the dividing line between Hawkins and Knox County, from the mouth of Panther Creek to the Clinch River.
2. Acts of 1796, Chapter 34, appointed Joseph Greer, Abraham M’Clery and William Bailes as commissioners to run the lines between Knox and Sevier counties. The commissioners were paid $2.00 per day for their services and $1.00 was given to the marker for each day’s work. The expense was to be borne by Knox and Sevier counties.
3. Acts of 1803, Chapter 49, appointed George Preston and John McClellan to run the line between Knox and Roane counties.
4. Acts of 1842, Chapter 177, changed the line between Knox and Grainger so that the entire farm of Sam McBee would be in Knox County.
5. Acts of 1849-50, Chapter 82, in response to a petition by a number of citizens of Knox and Sevier Counties, provided that the line between those counties from the mouth of Criswell's Mill creek to the top of Bay's Mountain be run by John W. Legg, county surveyor of Knox and John Mullendore, Sevier County Surveyor.
6. Acts of 1853-54, Chapter 177, provided that the lands of William Moulden and the heirs of D. Adams would be in Knox County, in order to clear up any controversy that might arise between Knox and Sevier counties.
7. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 248, Section 4, changed the boundary between Knox and Jefferson counties to provide that the farm of Thomas Stringfield would be in Jefferson County.
8. Private Acts of 1859-60, Chapter 196, Section 6, placed part of John Robertson's homestead farm, the farm of Howard Hubbs and the farm of William Dyer in Union County, out of Knox County.
9. Public Acts of 1869-70, Chapter 48, Section 3, changed the line between Knox and Grainger counties so that the lands of James McBee be included in Grainger County.
10. Public Acts of 1873, Chapter 72, also changed the Knox-Union boundary, placing the farm of James McHaffie entirely in Knox County.
11. Public Acts of 1875, Chapter 140, Section 4, moved the lands of John and W. Edward Anderson out of Knox, into Union County.
12.  Public Acts of 1883, Chapter 103, changed the county lines between Knox and Union so that the tract of land owned by Joseph McHaffee be included in Union County.
13. Public Acts of 1887, Chapter 132, changed the boundary between Sevier and Knox Counties, placing the farms owned jointly by G. W. Underdown and George King in Knox County.
14. Public Acts of 1889, Chapter 20, moved the farm of the Reverend Hugh Caldwell out of Union County into Knox County.
15. Public Acts of 1889, Chapter 124, changed the boundary between Knox and Anderson Counties to include in Anderson what was known as "Holt's Island" in the Clinch River, the property of W.C. Kincaid in Anderson County.
16. Public Acts of 1889, Chapter 194, moved the lands of Charles H. Smith, R. H. Harless, A. K. Mynatt, L. D. Bates, and Joseph Bates out of Union County into Knox County.
17. Public Acts of 1895, Chapter 95, changed the boundary between Knox and Sevier counties, to detach about fifty acres, the farm of D. A. Ferguson, from Sevier and place it in Knox County. This act also specified that the boundary line would be the public road running east-west along the edge of the Ferguson farm.
18. Public Acts of 1895, Chapter 183, transferred all of the farm of Samuel Bayless, north of the Raccoon Valley road, out of the Knox County into Union County.
19. Public Acts of 1899, Chapter 117, moved the farm of T. F. Adams, out of Sevier County, into Knox.
20. Acts of 1905, Chapter 186, altered the boundary line between Union and Knox Counties by detaching a small triangular piece of land belonging to W. E. Smith and William Childress from Knox County and placing it in Union County.
21. Acts of 1909, Chapter 68, moved the "Hugh Caldwell" farm from Knox into Union County.
22. Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 739, transferred the lands of I. L. Moore and Sally Moore out of Grainger County into Knox County.
23. Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 741, provided that the farm of Viola E. Hamilton, previously located in Grainger County, would be attached to the thirteenth civil district of Knox County.
24. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 637, detached the remainder of the lands of A. C. Parrott from Grainger County and transferred them to Knox County.
25. Private Acts of 1963, Chapter 120, changed the boundary between Union County and Knox County, to include the farm of Clint Davis in Union County.
26. Public Acts of 1982, Chapter 666, changed the boundaries between Knox County and Union County by detaching the property described in the act, containing 85 acres, more or less, and belonging to Edgar L. Bayless, and wife, Twilla Bayless, from Knox County and attaching the same to the sixth civil district of Union County.