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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 Rutherford County.

  1. Acts of 1803, Chapter 74, appointed William Minor Quesenberry as a Commissioner to run and mark the lines between the counties of Davidson and Wilson, and Rutherford and Smith, at a compensation of $2 per day for himself and $1 per day for the chain carriers.
  2. Acts of 1803, Chapter 77, amended Acts of 1803, Chapter 70, which created the County of Rutherford, by commissioning William Nash, of Rutherford County, and Samuel Weakley, of Davidson County, to run and designate the true boundary between the two agreeable to the Act amended. The Commissioners would receive $2 per day each and the chain carriers $1 per day, making true and accurate maps and plots of the counties and the watercourses. All Justices of Davidson County falling into Rutherford County would continue as Justices of Rutherford County.
  3. Acts of 1806, Chapter 50, required the principal surveyors of the First and Second Surveyor's District to extend the county lines of Rutherford, Williamson, Dickson, and Stewart, and describe them by some line of a section, south to the Indian Territory, or to the southern boundary of the State.
  4. Acts of 1809, Chapter 28, recited in the preamble that the Act requiring the Surveyors of the First and Second Districts to extend the lines of certain counties south to the Indian Territory, or the southern boundary of the State (Acts of 1806, Chapter 50) did not specify who would pay the Surveyors for their work. This Act states that Rutherford County would pay for the extension of its boundaries on a warrant drawn on the County Treasury.
  5. Acts of 1811, Chapter 35, moved the Second District Surveyor's office from Jefferson to Shelbyville.
  6. Acts of 1835-36, Chapter 39, appointed Hugh Robinson, of Cannon County, and Solomon Beesley and Alfred P. Gowen, of Rutherford County, to run and mark the line between the Counties of Cannon and Rutherford, and Warren, in accordance with the directives of the Acts, both counties sharing the cost thereof. This Act amended Acts of 1835-36, Chapter 33.
  7. Acts of 1837-38, Chapter 61, appointed Guilford Jones, of Smith County, to locate and mark the center of DeKalb County, and, in the event Jones cannot do the work, the surveyor of Rutherford County will complete the job for which it would be lawful for the County Court to pay.
  8. Acts of 1841-42, Chapter 85, changed the lines between Rutherford and Cannon counties beginning at a point in the present line, south of the twelve mile tree, and due west of the house of Absalom Bowen, then west to the top of Cripple Creek ridge, thence along the said ridge until it intersects the present line, and the territory lying east of the said line, including the residence of Herod Laseter is attached to Cannon County.
  9. Acts of 1843-44, Chapter 34, required the boundary to be run between Rutherford County and Williamson County beginning at the point where the west boundary line of the 25th Civil District of said county touches the south boundary line of Williamson County; thence north with the west boundary of the said civil district and west of the residences of Abraham Glen and James Vaughn till it strikes the dividing line between the two counties. Residents of the area to be stricken off could elect five Commissioners to employ the County Surveyor to run and mark the line. All area east of the line was in Rutherford County and the residents were full-fledged citizens thereof.
  10. Acts of 1843-44, Chapter 74, changed the line between Bedford County and Rutherford County beginning at the southeast corner of Williamson County and running eastwardly so as to include the lands and residences of Richard Nance, John Dunn, Theophilus Leathers, and Samuel G. Holden in Rutherford County.
  11. Acts of 1847-48, Chapter 152, directed the County Surveyors of Rutherford County and Coffee County to survey the line between the counties and to mark the same wherever necessary. The County Courts of the respective counties were obligated to pay them for their work.
  12. Acts of 1849-50, Chapter 144, rearranged the lines between Rutherford County and Bedford County to make it run from Hendrix's southwest corner with S. H. Little's south boundary line, due east 84 poles to the said Hendrix's and Little's southeast corner, thence due east 248 poles to the Rutherford County line so as to include all the lands of S. H. Little and William Smotherman in Rutherford County.
  13. Acts of 1851-52, Chapter 20, changed the lines between Cannon County and Rutherford County so that the campground known as the Mount Pisgah, or Jones Camp Ground, would hereafter be located wholly within Cannon County.
  14. Acts of 1851-52, Chapter 302, moved the home and property belonging to John L. Pearcy out of Wilson County and placed them entirely in Rutherford County.
  15. Acts of 1851-52, Chapter 304, altered the boundary lines between Rutherford County and Williamson County to run a line beginning where the Nashville and Shelbyville Road now crosses the Bedford County Line, running thence northward to M. C. Jordan's southwest corner; thence with his line to the head of the Big Harpeth River; thence down Big Harpeth River, as it meanders, to the mouth of the East Fork; thence northward, so as to strike the Rutherford County line near the Rehoboth Meeting house, and the citizens of the portion taken off should be added to and become citizens of Rutherford County as the land became part of it.
  16. Acts of 1853-54, Chapter 94, changed the lines between Rutherford and Williamson Counties beginning on the Bedford County line and running north between the lands of Stephen Wood and Longshear Lamb; and thence northward so as to include the dwelling houses of Thomas L. White, Mr. Rushing, and Henry Cromer, to the southwest corner of Drewry Bennett's land; thence north to the east fork of Big Harpeth river, and down said east fork to its mouth; and thence with the line as at present established.
  17. Acts of 1853-54, Chapter 108, moved the lands of John H. Wood from Rutherford County into Cannon County, and the farms belonging to John D. Alexander, and Lewis Creson out of Cannon County and into Rutherford County.
  18. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 161, transferred the residence and lands of Nathaniel C. Carter out of Davidson County and into Rutherford County.
  19. Acts of 1857-58, Chapter 47, realigned the boundaries between Rutherford County and Coffee County so that the line would run with the old line between the said counties, running on the summit of the main dividing ridge between the waters of Stone and Duck Rivers, including Smith Carney's dwelling house in Rutherford County and the citizens hereby affected by this change are endowed with all the rights and privileges of the other citizens of Rutherford County.
  20. Acts of 1859-60, Chapter 135, detached that portion of the farm belonging to Ben Webb from Bedford County and attached the same henceforth to Rutherford County.
  21. Acts of 1859-60, Chapter 211, changed the lines between Wilson County and Rutherford County where it passed through the lands of Claiborne H. Rhodes so that all the part of his land lying in Wilson County would hereafter be a part of Rutherford County.
  22. Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 60, altered the line between Rutherford County and Wilson County commencing at or near Robert Black's, near the Cannon County line, running west so as to include W. J. Witty, and J. R. Jennings, until it strikes the Cainsville and Statesville Turnpike road at an abrupt turn near H. G. John's residence, running with the said pike till it crosses Fall Creek, thence with said Creek to the Rutherford County line. Section 10, of this same Act, moved the lands of Thomas Burnett, Sarah Johnson, W. A. McCord, and John Hailey, out of Marshall County and into Rutherford County.
  23. Acts of 1868-69, Chapter 20, transferred the properties of Gideon Rigg out of Rutherford County and into Williamson County.
  24. Acts of 1870-71, Chapter 117, changed the lines between Rutherford County and Cannon County at a point a short distance south of Readyville so as to include in Cannon County about 50 acres of land belonging to John H. Wood which was located in Rutherford County, beginning at the line between John H. Wood and J. L. Dunn.
  25. Acts of 1871, Chapter 34, detached the lands of S. H. Thomas E. H. Hale from Bedford County and attached the same to Rutherford County, giving a general description of the new line.
  26. Acts of 1871, Chapter 135, realigned the boundaries between Rutherford County and Williamson County so that the lands of T. F. P. Allison, William Patton, Samuel Willhoite, the lands of the heirs of Mrs. Neal, and the lands of Thomas Wilson, lying alongside the lines of the said counties would all be part of Williamson County but Rutherford County must not be reduced below the constitutional limits.
  27. Acts of 1879, Chapter 57, moved the farm belonging to A. M. McKnight out of Cannon County and into Rutherford County.
  28. Acts of 1879, Chapter 137, transferred the lands of J. C. Anderson out of Rutherford County and into Williamson County. Section 7 of the same act moved the property of J. T. Alexander and John M. White, out of Davidson County and into Rutherford County.
  29. Acts of 1883, Chapter 124, changed the lines between Rutherford County and Marshall County so that the farms of S. B. Holt and J. A. Joice, which were located in the 8th Civil District of Rutherford County, would hereafter be included wholly within Marshall County.
  30. Acts of 1887, Chapter 18, detached the lands of William Byrn, J. E. Allen, W. S. Rhodes, and R. E. Jarman from the 17th Civil District of Wilson County and attached them to the 16th Civil District of Rutherford County.
  31. Acts of 1889, Chapter 56, rearranged the boundary lines between Rutherford County and Wilson County to follow the meanderings of the center of Fall Creek on the north boundary of R. D. Puckett's lands to the center of the Cumberland and Stone's River Turnpike, thence with the center of the Turnpike to the intersection of the old line so as to include the lands of R. D. Puckett in Rutherford County.
  32. Acts of 1891, Chapter 19, transferred the lands of T. J. Little from Williamson County and placed them in Rutherford County.
  33. Acts of 1891, Chapter 25, changed the lines between Rutherford County and Coffee County to the effect that the lands of Wiley Hamilton, J. N. Chadwick, and N. P. Norton were included wholly within Rutherford County.
  34. Acts of 1891, Chapter 254, altered the lines between Rutherford County and Cannon County beginning at a rock on the Cannon County line, thence due west running through the center of the "Porterfield Schoolroom" 25 poles to the west door; thence north 6 4/5 poles to the lane; thence east 25 poles to the corner of the Cannon County line, containing one acre and ten poles, which area would henceforth be a part of Cannon County.
  35. Acts of 1891, Chapter 258, moved the lands and properties of M. H. Mullins, J. V. Mullins, T. P. Waldron, Dr. S. B. Nelson, trustee for his wife, and Charles H. Gombille out of Davidson County and into Rutherford County.
  36. Acts of 1893, Chapter 2, changed the boundary between Rutherford County, Williamson County, and Davidson County to include the lands of J. M. Gooch in Rutherford county, which land was bounded on the north by the lands of Mrs. Caruthers, Palmer and Richardson; on the west by the lands of the James Chrisman estate; and on the south by the lands of William Potts.
  37. Acts of 1893, Chapter 5, rearranged the boundaries between Rutherford County and Williamson County so as to take out of Rutherford County and include within Williamson County the land of T. E. Stammers which was bounded on the east and south by the lands of William McMeekin and on the west and north by the Williamson County line, containing about 20 acres, more or less.
  38. Acts of 1893, Chapter 28, changed the line between Bedford County and Rutherford County near the village of Beech Grove, Coffee County, so that after it reaches the northwest corner of W. H. Stephenson's tract of land, going in a southeasterly direction, it be turned east about 120 poles along W. H. and J. L. Stephenson's north boundary line, to the Manchester and Murfreesboro Turnpike, at the point where the Coffee County and the Rutherford County lines intersect said pike, so as to include all the lands of W. H. Stephenson and J. L. Stephenson, and a lot on which stands a Baptist Church house within Bedford County.
  39. Acts of 1895, Chapter 16, detached the lands belonging to Doc Tribble from Rutherford County and attached them, as generally described in the Act, to Coffee County.
  40. Acts of 1897, Chapter 175, rerouted the boundary lines between Davidson County and Rutherford County so that the line followed the boundary of the farm belonging to K. R. Plummer and placed the entire acreage, some 45 acres, more or less, wholly within Davidson County.
  41. Acts of 1899, Chapter 316, moved all the lands of Dr. Z. F. Dismukes out of Cannon County and into the limits of Rutherford County.
  42. Acts of 1899, Chapter 380, shifted all the lands of J. M. Williams, and the farm of B. A. McLain, completely out of Bedford County and placed them in Rutherford County, as the same were described in the Act.
  43. Acts of 1901, Chapter 307, transferred the farms of W. F. Ogilvie and E. S. Hughes, as they were described in the Act out of Marshall County and into Rutherford County.
  44. Acts of 1901, Chapter 349, rearranged the boundary lines between Rutherford County and Williamson County so as to include the properties of Joseph Cooke wholly within Rutherford County and the lands of William White wholly within Williamson County.
  45. Private Acts of 1909, Chapter 46, removed the lands belonging to W. I. Cate from Williamson County and attached them to Rutherford County.
  46. Private Acts of 1915, Chapter 246, transferred the lands of Charley Edwards out of the First Civil District of Rutherford County and into the 23rd Civil District of Wilson County.
  47. Private Acts of 1915, Chapter 527, allowed the lands of Bud Lane to be moved out of Wilson County and into Rutherford County.
  48. Private Acts of 1915, Chapter 670, lifted the property belonging to G. W. Oakley and R. M. Baxter out of Williamson County and placed it into Rutherford County.
  49. Private Acts of 1915, Chapter 675, permitted J. F. Boyce to remove his property from Bedford County and place it in Rutherford County.
  50. Private Acts of 1917, Chapter 754, moved the properties belonging to R. E. Epps, out of the 20th Civil District of Rutherford County into Bedford County.
  51. Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 344, detached a portion of the farm of E. C. Shearin, which was located in the 8th Civil District of Rutherford County, from that county and attached the same to the 10th Civil District of Bedford County.
  52. Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 543, stated that the line between the First Civil District of Bedford County and the 24th Civil District of Rutherford County, which was also the county line, would be so changed to include the property of J. L. Hoover entirely within the 24th Civil District of Rutherford County. This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 219.
  53. Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 575, changed the boundaries between Rutherford County and Bedford County so that the lands of B. G. Bingham, containing about 170 acres, more or less, and known as the Granville Bingham Farm, would be located entirely within Rutherford County.
  54. Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 712, detached the lands of Jim Williams from Cannon County and attached the same to Rutherford County.
  55. Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 713, moved the property belonging to J. L. Barker, known as the Flint Spear Farm, from Cannon County into Rutherford County.
  56. Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 346, transferred part of the property of A. F. Morgan estate lying in the 20th Civil District of Williamson County, about 8 acres, out of that County and into Rutherford County, and the line between the King farm and the Morgan estate would be the county line.
  57. Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 650, moved the 131 acres, more or less, belonging to W. I. Pate, out of Rutherford County and into Williamson County.
  58. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 430, excluded from Rutherford County all of the lands known at the J. P. Maxwell Tract, the R. B. Maxwell Tract, and the Tom Covington Tract which were all located in the 12th Civil District of the County, and included the same in the 18th Civil District of Williamson County.
  59. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 127, was the enabling legislation for transferring the farm of Davis Brothers, containing some 103 acres, more or less, out of the 9th Civil District of Bedford County and into Rutherford County.
  60. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 422, altered the boundaries between Rutherford County and Wilson County so that the properties of J. G. Allen, H. P. Allen, C. W. Allen, and F. E. Allen, containing 72 acres, 34 acres, and 125 acres, respectively were taken out of the 17th Civil District of Wilson County and placed into the 16th Civil District of Rutherford County.
  61. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 588, shifted the land of Joe Leath which lay immediately across the boundary line in Rutherford County, containing 8 or 10 acres, so that hereafter the land would be included in the 23rd Civil District of Wilson County.
  62. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 649, detached the lands of B. R. Floyd, then lying in the 12th Civil District of Rutherford County, from that County and attached them to Williamson County.
  63. Private Acts of 1937, Chapter 456, moved the 20 acres of land owned by J. W. Shelton out of the 2nd Civil District of Coffee County and into Rutherford County.
  64. Private Acts of 1937, Chapter 694, rearranged the lines between Rutherford County and Coffee County so that the approximate 14 acres belonging to James A. Bryant would no longer be in the 2nd Civil District of Coffee County but would hereafter be placed in Rutherford County.
  65. Private Acts of 1939, Chapter 518, transferred the real property owned by Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Redmon, and that of Joe Pate and Jodie Pate, which was adjacent to the 8th Civil District of Rutherford County into Rutherford County from the 20th Civil District of Williamson County.
  66. Private Acts of 1943, Chapter 390, detached the land of F. F. Craig from Cannon County, as the same was more particularly described in the Act and attached the same to the 19th Civil District of Rutherford County.
  67. Private Acts of 1943, Chapter 410, moved an 18 acre tract of land, as it was described in the Act, out of the confines of Cannon County and into the 23rd Civil District of Rutherford County.
  68. Private Acts of 1945, Chapter 434, changed the boundaries between Rutherford County and Williamson County so that all the lands of W. O. Barnes would be included within Rutherford County, the same being known as the Crenshaw land, plus the Daniel Glymp farm, containing about 138 acres, formerly in the 18th Civil District of Williamson County.
  69. Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 813, realigned the boundaries between Rutherford County and Cannon County so that the tract of land belonging to O. E. Tassey, consisting of 37 acres, situated in the 16th Civil District of Rutherford County would thereafter be a part of the First Civil District of Cannon County.
  70. Private Acts of 1955, Chapter 54, changed the lines between Rutherford County and Wilson County so as to include in the 1st Civil District of Rutherford County the two tracts of land belonging to Orell Woodson, and wife, Alma, as the same was described in the Deeds to them from Stroud Pickard and Mrs. Bettie Cawthon Maddux, both of which together contained about 31 acres formerly situated in the 23rd Civil District of Wilson County.
  71. Private Acts of 1959, Chapter 375, moved the portion of the 215 acre tract of land of W. M. Earp, and wife, Juanita, then situated in the 17th Civil District of Wilson County, from that area into the 15th Civil District of Rutherford County and the lines between the two Counties shall hereafter run accordingly.