Boundaries - Historical Notes

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

1. Acts of 1798, Chapter 10, stated that after the passage of this Act, the bounds of Davidson County would be as follows:  beginning on the south bank of the Tennessee River opposite the mouth of Sycamore Creek, runs south to the Indian Boundary line, thence eastwardly with the said Indian Boundary Line to the main west fork of Stone's River, thence down the middle of the said fork of the river to the old continental line, continuing down said fork with such boundary line of the said county heretofore established by law, and continuing with that line to the beginning.

2. Acts of 1801, Chapter 37, continued the south boundaries of the Counties of Smith, Wilson, Davidson, Williamson, and Robertson to the south boundary of the State itself.

3. Acts of 1801, Chapter 49, formed Wilson County and used the Davidson County line in the description of the boundaries of the new County.

4. Acts of 1801, Chapter 58, directed the County Courts of Davidson and Williamson Counties each to appoint a surveyor to run and mark together the line between the two Counties.  If either County failed to appoint a Surveyor and the other County did appoint one, the appointed surveyor would run and mark the boundary line.  Each County would share the cost of $2.00 per day as compensation to the surveyor.

5. Acts of 1803, Chapter 77,  appointed William Nash of Rutherford County and Samuel Weakley of Davidson County as Commissioners to run and mark the true boundary lines of the two counties.  They could employ two chain carriers who would be paid $1.00 per day while they themselves were to be paid $2.00 per day, all of which costs would be at the expense of Rutherford County.  The Surveyors would make a plat, noting all the water courses and any other remarkable circumstances.  Any Justice of the Peace of Davidson County whose area fell into Rutherford County was declared to be a Justice of the Peace of Rutherford County.  The Surveyor of Davidson County would then join the Surveyor of Wilson County to run and mark the Counties' boundary.

6. Acts of 1805, Chapter 52, appointed Henry Rutherford as Commissioner to run and mark the line between Williamson, Davidson, and Dickson Counties at the salary of $2.00 per day, which would be equally apportioned among the Counties named.  The act required Rutherford to be sworn before entering upon his duties.

7. Acts of 1806, Chapter 22, stated that the sum due Henry Rutherford for surveying and marking the lines between Williamson, Davidson, and Dickson Counties would be paid two-fifths by Williamson and Davidson Counties, and one-fifth by Dickson County, out of their regular county funds.

8. Acts of 1815, Chapter 153, transferred to Williamson County that part of Davidson County which lay south of a line drawn due west from the mouth of the Little Harpeth River to the northwest corner of Williamson County.  The move would first be approved by the people living in the area and, if so approved, the people were exempted from the payment of certain taxes.

9. Acts of 1837-38, Chapter 124, provided that the dividing lines between the Counties of Davidson, Robertson, Montgomery, Dickson, and Cumberland would be run and marked by a surveyor who would furnish the Sheriff with an accurate map of each County. 

10. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 161, detached the residence and farm of Nathaniel C. Carter from Davidson County and attached it to Rutherford County.

11. Private Acts of 1859-60, Chapter 135, changed the boundary lines between Davidson and Robertson Counties to run commencing with the forks of Sycamore Creek where the road from Springfield to Nashville crossed, running east with the meanders of the north prong of Sycamore to the tunnel of the Edgefield and Kentucky Railroad Company.  Section 13 of the act moved the farm of Thomas Y. Northern out of Wilson County and into Davidson County.

12. Public Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 82, Section 10, repealed Private Acts of 1859-60, Chapter 135, above, and restored the line between Davidson and Robertson County as it existed prior to the passage of that act.

13. Public Acts of 1873, Chapter 100, transferred the farm and home of M. Wilkinson out of Robertson County and placed them in Davidson County.

14. Public Acts of 1877, Chapter 110, changed the lines between Davidson and Cheatham Counties to include the properties of J. D. Walkup, M. P. Sneed, J. P. Newsom, and A. J. Newsom in Davidson County.

15. Public Acts of 1879, Chapter 137, Section 7, moved the lands of J. T. Alexander and John M. White out of Davidson County and into Rutherford County.  Section 11 attached Dr. B. G. Hampton's home tract on the Cumberland River to Davidson County from Cheatham County.

16. Public Acts of 1889, Chapter 45, moved the lands of T. M. Hinkle and A. W. Clinard out of Davidson County and into Robertson County.

17. Public Acts of 1891, Chapter 258, changed the boundary between Davidson County and Rutherford County to wholly include within Rutherford County the lands belonging to M. H. Mullins, J. V. Mullins, T. P. Waldron, Dr. S. B. Nelson, Trustee, and Charles S. Gambille.

18. Public Acts of 1893, Chapter 2, changed the lines between Davidson, Williamson, and Rutherford Counties so that all the lands belonging to J. M. Gooch would be included in Rutherford County.

19. Public Acts of 1895, Chapter 28, detached from the Sixth Civil District of Williamson County and attached to the Fourteenth Civil District of Davidson County all the properties belonging to Mrs. E. A. Linton, Mrs. W. L. Brown, J. T. Brown, T. L. Herrin, W. C. Potts, P. T. Martin and P. N. Potts.  This act was repealed in 1899.

20. Public Acts of 1897, Chapter 175, moved the farm of K. R. Plummer, containing about forty-five acres, more or less, out of Rutherford County and into Davidson County.

21. Public Acts of 1897, Chapter 227, transferred the property belonging to I. J. Battle, which was located near the Oak Grove School House between the two counties, out of Williamson County and into Davidson County.

22. Public Acts of 1897, Chapter 279, moved all the farms of Hugh L. Phillips, Margaret Phillips, Annie H. Williams, R. N. Carmack, and A. J. Caldwell, out of Williamson County and into the Eighth Civil District of Davidson County.

23. Public Acts of 1899, Chapter 220, repealed Public Acts of 1895, Chapter 28, above.

24. Public Acts of 1899, Chapter 263, detached all the lands belonging to Lewis Bond from Wilson County and placed them in Davidson County.

25. Acts of 1907, Chapter 20, changed the lines between Davidson County and Williamson County to include wholly within Williamson County the farm and residence of P. A. Sowell, and wife, Myra M. Sowell.

26. Acts of 1907, Chapter 223, detached the home and farm of Thomas J. Pride from Davidson County and transferred them into Wilson County.

27. Acts of 1907, Chapter 387, transferred the house and farm of George Simmons out of Cheatham County and into Davidson County.

28. Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 514, rearranged the boundaries between Davidson County and Wilson County so that forty-four acres of land owned by Mrs. Rebecca Worrell, seventy acres of land belonging to Gordon Cummins, one hundred fourteen acres of land owned by Couch Bradford, eight acres belonging to J. M. Wright, eighty-four acres of Mrs. Mollie Jenkins, and forty-nine acres of A. T. Jenkins were transferred from Wilson County to Davidson County.

29. Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 444, added to the Second Civil District of Davidson County the land formerly in Rutherford County as follows:  beginning at a point in the county line between said Davidson and Rutherford Counties at a point in the Laverne and Couchville Road, and southwest and northwest corner respectively of the properties of John Griffin, and Roy Walden, running east along the property line of John Griffin and J. W. Walker approximately 4000 feet to Hurricane Creek, south with the Creek to the Davidson County line between the properties of Castleman and Hunter, thence with the County line to the beginning, containing about three hundred twenty acres, more or less.