Highways and Roads - Historical Notes

The following is a listing of acts which once had some effect upon the county road system in Johnson County, but which are no longer operative.

1. Acts of 1849-50, Chapter 64, authorized Benjamin Cole to open a turnpike road, beginning at Lewis Garland's on Stony Creek in Carter County, covering Iron Mountain and intersecting the Taylorsville Road, at or near William Shown's in Johnson County.
2. Private Acts of 1859-60, Chapter 114, was a general road law for thirteen of Tennessee's counties, including Johnson. This act provided that the county court was to classify county roads, employ a road superintendent and levy a road tax.
3. Public Acts of 1901, Chapter 136, regulated the working and laying out of public roads in all the counties of the state, except those with a population of 70,000 inhabitants and over according to the Federal Census of 1900.
4. Private Acts of 1911, Chapter 302, was a bond issue of not more than $200,000 and not less than $50,000, to mature within thirty years and to be used for "constructing good roads." This act also provided for three commissioners to sell these bonds and to oversee the use of their proceeds.
5. Private Acts of 1917, Chapter 15, authorized Johnson County to issue $200,000 in coupon bonds for the building of turnpikes and the improvement and maintenance of public roads, upon an affirmative vote by the citizens of Johnson County. The act further provided for the levy of a tax and created a sinking fund for the payment of same and provided for the appointment and payment of commissioners and the regulation of same. This act was amended by Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 393, which provided that the two members composing the sinking fund commission be paid $3.00 per day.
6. Private Acts of 1921, Chapter 623, was a road law for Johnson County. It created a highway commission of three members, appointed by the quarterly county court, and a road superintendent, appointed by the highway commission. This act also contained provisions for a county road tax levy and for road duty. This act was amended by Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 338, to lower the maximum age for road duty from fifty years to forty-five years, and by Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 649, which provided that up to $200 per year could be paid to the highway commissioners for their expenses. This was superseded by Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 567.
7. Private Acts of 1963, Chapter 56, attempted to amend Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 567, so as to provide that the road commission be elected every two years and the superintendent of roads every four years by the voters of Johnson County. This act was rejected by local authorities and therefore never became operative.
8. Private Acts of 1971, Chapter 117, attempted to amend Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 567, by raising the salary of the superintendent of roads to $7,500 per year and providing a monthly expense account of $50; but this act was also rejected by local authorities.
9. Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 567, created the Johnson County Highway Commission. This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 2012, Chapter 55.