Boundaries - Historical Notes

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

1. Acts of 1809, Chapter 36, appointed John Allen of Stewart County, and Dudley Hutson of Humphreys County as commissioners to run and mark the line between Stewart County and Humphreys County according to Acts of 1809, Chapter 31, for which services they would be compensated at the rate of up to $2 per day.
2. Acts of 1809, Chapter 97, provided that so much of Dickson County as lay west of the Tennessee Ridge would be a part of Humphreys County; beginning on the said ridge where the dividing line between Stewart and Humphreys counties struck the Dickson County line, then south along the top of Tennessee Ridge so far as to include the waters of White Oak Creek in Humphreys County, and then west to the said Dickson County line.
3. Private Acts of 1821, Chapter 125, appointed David B. Carns, Joseph Ury, Hugh Ross, Dawsey P. Hudson and Benjamin Hudson, as commissioners, to employ a surveyor and two chain carriers to run and mark the lines of Humphreys County. They would begin at the northeast corner of the county near David Wells' and run west to the mouth of White Oak Creek, crossing the Tennessee River, and still running west four miles and one-half, thence south fortyfive degrees west ten miles and one-half, thence south so far that an east course would give Humphreys County 625 square miles. They would also calculate and take into Humphreys County that part of the head of White Oak which was taken off from Dickson County in the year 1809 and added to Humphreys County.
4. Private Acts of 1823, Chapter 251, changed the lines between the counties of Humphreys and Stewart beginning at the first ford on White Oak Creek below McKernan's Mill, thence north two miles, thence eastwardly to the northeast corner of Humphreys County, at or near David Wills', which lines would be the permanent dividing lines between the two counties.
5. Public Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 60, Section 6, moved the lands belonging to George Beard out of Humphreys County and into Perry County.
6. Public Acts of 1879, Chapter 57, Section 2, rearranged the lines between Humphreys County and Perry County so that the lands belonging to G. D. Hays, T. B. Smith, S.W. Goodman, J. H. Goodman, A. D. Goodman, A. G. Goodman, W. F. Goodman, J. M. Gray, J. L. Phelps, G. T. Phelps, and J. H. Wooten would all be included within Humphreys County wholly and the line would run as was generally described therein.
7. Public Acts of 1883, Chapter 93, changed the lines between Humphreys County and Dickson County commencing at the northwest corner of A. Vetter's farm, running north and crossing the Northwestern Railroad to the county line on the top of the Tennessee Ridge, so as to include the lands of W. Beckman and the tenants of W. A. Moody wholly within the confines of Dickson County.
8. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 730, rearranged the boundary lines between Benton County and Humphreys County so that the lands of J. M. Porter and J. C. Porter, about 241 acres in all, and known as White Oak Island in the Tennessee River would be taken out of Humphreys County and placed into Benton County