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Boundaries - Historical Notes

Tennessee Code Annotated
Tennessee Attorney General Opinions

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

  1. Acts of 1792, Chapter 16, appointed Joseph McMinn, of Hawkins County, and George Rutledge, of Sullivan County, as commissioners to run and mark the line between the two counties from the mouth of the North Fork of Holston River to the top of Bays Mountain, for which they were paid $2.00 per day and the markers were paid $1.00 per day.  This act also appointed John Payne and Charles McClung to run the line between Hawkins and Knox counties from the mouth of Panther Creek to the Clinch River at $2.00 per day which was paid equally by Hawkins and Sullivan counties.
  2. Acts of 1794, Chapter 16, appointed commissioners to run the dividing line between the counties of Hawkins and Sullivan, from the mouth of the North Fork of Holston River to Bays Mountain, and between Hawkins and Knox counties from the mouth of Panther Creek to the Clinch River.
  3. Acts of 1796, Chapter 28, separated part of Hawkins County and Knox County into a separate county which became Grainger County.  The affected area in Hawkins County was described by metes and bounds and most of the act was devoted to the establishment of the new county.  This act was repealed by Acts of 1797, Chapter 13.
  4. Acts of 1801, Chapter 55, appointed Joseph Cobb as a commissioner to run the line between Graigner and Hawkins counties from the northwest corner of Joel Dyers and Thomas Henderson’s land to the Clinch River.  Cobb was paid $2.00 per day and  allowed to employ a marker at $1.00 a day.
  5. Acts of 1801, Chapter 56, appointed Daniel Carter, of Greene County, and William Payne, of Hawkins County, to mark and designate the line between the two counties.  Both were paid $2.00 per day.
  6. Acts of 1815, Chapter 13, provided that the newly cut road, so far as it extends through the plantation of Thomas Crosby on the road leading from Cheek’s Crossroads to Dotson’s Ford on the Holston River, be considered and taken as the line between Hawkins and Jefferson counties, leaving the said Crosby wholly within Hawkins County.
  7. Private Acts of 1821, Chapter 154, appointed Gabriel McCraw, of Hawkins County, Charles T. Porter, of Jefferson County, and Joseph Shannon, of Grainger County, as commissioners to run and mark that part of the line between the counties of Hawkins and Jefferson from the mark corner of the water fork of Bent Creek to Bull’s Gap.
  8. Private Acts of 1829-30, Chapter 213, made it lawful for the citizens of Washington, Sullivan, Hawkins, and Greene counties, at their expense or by subscription, to cause a re-survey of their counties to be made to ascertain the amount of square miles in each.  Alexander Inglish, William Hall, John Inglish, Terry White, Jonathan Baughman, John Peoples, Stephen Barnard, and John Ball were named commissioners and were authorized to open books and take subscriptions for the purposes stated.
  9. Private Acts of 1829-30, Chapter 243, recited in the preamble that the State of North Carolina had made a grant to one Allison in 1795 which included 28,000 acres of land, but that the portion settled by Allison and his family amounted to over 100,000 acres, most of which were in Hawkins County, and on which taxes had not been paid for several years, which fact had caused the land to be taken over by the sheriff.  This act allowed the heirs of Walter Sims, who had succeeded in title, to most of the land to redeem the same on or before the second Monday in November, 1830, by paying the taxes due, the interest and penalties owing thereon, and any other related charge, whereupon the sheriff was directed to convey a good and free title to them.  Lands which were not redeemed were to be turned over to the entry taker who was ordered to open his office on the third Monday in November, 1830, and take entries for occupancy at fifty cents per acre for not less than fifty acres nor more than one hundred sixty acres.  Provisions and rules for resolving boundary disputes and land area disagreements were enacted along with the admonition that all taxes must be promptly paid in the future.  A Resolution #32 was passed two years later directing the state comptroller to investigate and report to the general assembly the condition of all the monies received by the entry taker of Hawkins County for land entered within the Walter Sims survey.  The report included the amount paid by Sims heirs and the amount unpaid and into whose hands the land finally came to rest.  Private Acts of 1831, Chapter 83, amended the 1829 act concerning the redemption of the Sims lands by repealing Section 3 and providing that those lands not redeemed by those who were settled thereon would become a part of the public lands and be entered in the same manner as all other lands north and east of the Reservation line, and the entry taker was directed to pay over all the funds collected by him for entries in this area.
  10. Public Acts of 1829-30, Chapter 85, Section 5, provided that the boundary of land called “Sims’ Grant” in Hawkins County not be included in any reservations by the treaties of 1817 or 1819.
  11. Private Acts of 1835-36, Chapter 29, was an attempt to form a new county out of parts of Sullivan, Hawkins, Washington, and Greene counties to be called Powell County after Sam Powell, a former circuit judge.  A detailed description of the area was incorporated into law.  Parts of the upper area of Hawkins County were taken to form the new county, provided that the majority of the citizens living in that area voted to leave Hawkins County.
  12. Private Acts of 1835-36, Chapter 61, made good the probate and registration of certain titles to lands lying between the Henderson’s and Walker’s lines, in Claiborne, Hawkins, and Sullivan counties.
  13. Acts of 1837-38, Chapter 192, attempted to create Powell County which would be formed out of parts of Hawkins, Sullivan, Washington, and Greene counties if the majority of the people in the affected areas voted to leave their respective counties.  Samuel Morelock, Wesley Ball, and John Barnett of Hawkins County joined others who were already designated as commissioners to hold the elections.
  14. Acts of 1839-40, Chapter 15, was yet another attempt to form Powell County out of Sullivan, Hawkins, Washington, and Greene counties, the formation of which was subject to approval by a majority of the voters in the affected area.
  15. Acts of 1849-50, Chapter 69, Section 2, changed the boundary line between Hawkins and Grainger counties so as to transfer the farm belonging to David Harris out of Hawkins County and into Grainger County.
  16. Acts of 1851-52, Chapter 299, altered the boundary line between the counties of Hawkins and Jefferson and provided that the persons and property included in the bounds be entitled to all the rights and privileges of the citizens of Hawkins County.  This act was repealed by Acts of 1853-54, Chapter 130.
  17. Private Acts of 1857-58, Chapter 143, was another effort to form Powell County out of portions of Sullivan, Hawkins, Greene and Washington counties, which was to become effective upon the approval of the people living in the affected areas.
  18. Public Acts of 1866-67, Chapter 9, moved the mill and tract of land belonging to Hiram Herd out of Hancock County into Hawkins County.
  19. Public Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 13, Section 2, transferred the farm belonging to John Coldwell from Grainger County into Hawkins County.
  20. Public Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 60, moved the farm of William Davis out of Hancock County and into Hawkins County, and moved a tract of land belonging to the heirs of Benegis White out of Hawkins County and into Hancock County.
  21. Public Acts of 1869-70, Chapter 30, again sought to create Powell County out of portions of Sullivan, Hawkins, Greene, and Washington counties, all subject to the approval by referendum of the people living in the affected areas.
  22. Public Acts of 1869-70, Chapter 88, Section 9, changed the boundary lines between Hawkins and Hancock counties so as to include the home and lands of John Jones wholly within Hancock County.
  23. Public Acts of 1870, Chapter 6, formed Hamblen County in honor of Hezekiah Hamblen of Hawkins County.  The county was established from portions of Jefferson and Grainger counties.
  24. Public Acts of 1871, Chapter 91, changed the lines between Hawkins and Hamblen counties so as to include within Hawkins County the tract of land on which J.W. Keele, H.P. McCullough, and Thomas Moore resided.  Section 5 of said act transferred the property of Chisby Austin into Hamblen County.  This act was repealed by Public Acts of 1883, Chapter 107.
  25. Public Acts of 1873, Chapter 14, moved the residences and lands of Thomas Moneyhun, James Moneyhun,  Nicholas Moneyhun,  and Andrew Eadens out of Hancock County and into Hawkins County.
  26. Public Acts of 1873, Chapter 69, Section 3, changed the boundary line between the counties of Hawkins and Hamblen to include the lands of Daniel Reed in Hamblen County.
  27. Public Acts of 1877, Chapter 137, changed the boundary lines between the counties of Hawkins and Hamblen so as to include all the lands of A.M. Trullinge in Hamblen County.
  28. Public Acts of 1877, Chapter 149, changed the boundary lines between the counties of Hawkins and Grainger by detaching the farm of Anderson Mullens from Hawkins County and attaching the same to Grainger County.  This act was repealed by Public Acts of 1881, Extra Session, Chapter 6.
  29. Public Acts of 1879, Chapter 159, remarked the boundary line between the counties of Hawkins and Sullivan from the top of Chimney Top Mountain to the mouth of the North Fork of the Holston River.  This act was repealed by Public Acts of 1883, Chapter 239, which declared the recognized boundary between Hawkins and Sullivan counties be as defined and laid down in the edition of the Laws of Tennessee by Edward Scott, dated 1821, vol 1, Chapter 34.
  30. Public Acts of 1881, Chapter 86, changed the boundary line between Hawkins and Hancock counties to include all the lands of Wm. Lawson, George Lawson, John Jaynes, James Nichols, S.D. Trent, Wm. H. Bonner, and Taylor Cope in Hancock County.
  31. Public Acts of 1883, Chapter 44, changed the line between Hawkins and Hancock counties so as to include the lands of Wm. Medlock, Joseph Jones, and Hiram Horton in Hancock County.
  32. Public Acts of 1883, Chapter 159, changed the boundary line between the counties of Hawkins and Hamblen so as to include all the lands of G.W. White and John White (of Georgia) within Hamblen County.
  33. Public Acts of 1885, Chapter 64, changed the boundary line between the counties of Hawkins and Hancock so as to include the lands of Campbell Trent and Robert C. Tate in Hancock County.
  34. Public Acts of 1887, Chapter 30, changed the boundary lines between Hawkins County and Hamblen County so as to include within Hamblen County the properties of James H. Beal and William Moore.
  35. Public Acts of 1889, Chapter 33, changed the county line between the counties of Hawkins and Hamblen so as to include all of the lands of C.L. Alderson within Hamblen County.  This act was repealed by Public Acts of 1893, Chapter 83.
  36. Public Acts of 1889, Chapter 154, changed the boundary line between the counties of Hawkins and Hamblen so as to include the lands of James H. Moore in the county of Hamblen.
  37. Public Acts of 1889, Chapter 203, transferred the properties of C.C. Brewer, George Lea, and S.L. Winstead out of Hancock County and into Hawkins County, which consisted of about forty acres.
  38. Public Acts of 1895, Chapter 189, changed the lines between Hawkins and Hamblen counties by detaching from district fourteen of Hawkins County the lands of Jerry Thomas and part of the farms of E.C. Rader, George Collier, and F. M. Collier, and attaching the same to district eleven of Hamblen County.
  39. Public Acts of 1899, Chapter 208, took the farms of John W. Stapleton and R.M. Gray out of Hawkins County and placed them in Hancock County.
  40. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 301, changed the lines between the third civil district of Hawkins County and the fifth civil district of Hancock County so as to place all the farm belonging to Lee Mabe in Hawkins County.
  41. Private Acts of 1937, Chapter 209, moved the land belonging to J.F. Rimer out of the fifth civil district of Hancock County and into the third civil district of Hawkins County.