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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 Jackson County.

  1. Acts of 1805, Chapter 67, in reducing Smith County to its constitutional limits, caused all that part of Smith County lying east of the upper boundary of said county to be annexed to Jackson County.
  2. Acts of 1806, Chapter 36, established a new county by the name of White County from the area south of and adjoining the counties of Wilson, Smith, Jackson, and Overton, and the sheriff of White County would meet with the sheriff of Jackson County to compare polls.
  3. Acts of 1806, Chapter 50, authorized James Chissum, of Overton County, to work and run the lines between Jackson County and Overton County and Jackson County and White County, and to employ two chain carriers and two markers to assist. He was to be paid $2 per day and the others $1 for their services, which expense would be borne equally by the counties.
  4. Acts of 1819, Chapter 15, authorized the commissioners of the town of Gainesboro to make such further allowance to James Hancocke and Thomas Murry, who were employed as chain carriers in running the lines of Jackson County, as they may think it proper and to appropriate the funds out of any monies remaining in the hands of the commissioners.
  5. Acts of 1820 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 28, was enacted for the relief of the inhabitants of the town of Williamsburg following the removal of the county seat to Gainesboro. The owners or holders of lots in Williamsburg were exempted from the payment of the state and county taxes. They would still be liable for other taxes and the taxes for the year 1820.
  6. Acts of 1825, Chapter 281, made it the duty of the surveyor of Jackson County to run and mark the line between Jackson County and White County and to complete the same by next January 20, as herein directed, “beginning at three white oaks and two red oaks on the east bank of Hutchins Creek, one of the corners on the line running west, 14 miles and 160 poles to the southwest corner of Jackson County which line is hereby designated as the line between the two counties for jurisdictional and all other purposes. The county court shall compensate the surveyor for this work as they may consider it reasonable.
  7. Acts of 1829, Chapter 257, required the Jackson County Surveyor to run and mark the line with White County, beginning at the southeast corner of Smith County and running then a direct line to the place where the county line of Jackson County as run by William W. Woodfork, crosses Cane Creek, which line, when so run shall be a constitute a part of the dividing line between White and Jackson counties. All entries of land which may have been made in either county, and which may, by the establishment of said line, be ascertained to lie in some county other than where the entry was made shall be as good and valid as if the entry had been made in the proper county to begin.
  8. Acts of 1833, Chapter 206, annexed to Jackson County the plantation and house belonging to Ann Quarles which was adjacent to the line, same to be effective from and after January 1, 1834.
  9. Acts of 1847-48, Chapter 36, directed that the dividing line between Jackson and Overton Counties be so changed as to run with the Cumberland River from where the said line first strikes the river above Celina, to the Kentucky line.
  10. Acts of 1849-50, Chapter 80, changed the line between Jackson and Smith County from the point where the said line now crosses Hurricane Creek, the same shall run with the said Creek to Cumberland River, thence with the river northward to where the county line crosses said river and from thence north as the line now runs.
  11. Acts of 1859-60, Chapter 100, Section 8, moved the house and lands belonging to Matthew M. Brewington from Putnam County into Jackson County.
  12. Acts of 1865-66, Chapter 104, detached the land and residence of Andrew Conn from Jackson County and attached the same to Macon County.
  13. Acts of 1866-67, Chapter 23, amended Acts of 1865-66, Chapter 104, to change the name of the person whose property was affected from Andrew Conn to Andrew Comer.
  14. Acts of 1868-69, Chapter 43, Section 3, transferred all that portion of the lands of H. B. Clark which now are located in Jackson County into Smith County so as to have the entire property in one county.
  15. Acts of 1870 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 62, changed the lines between Jackson and Overton Counties so as to include wholly within Jackson County all the lands upon which George Kinnaird now lives, but he shall continue to pay taxes on the Overton County portion for the next three years.
  16. Acts of 1873, Chapter 76, Section 3, moved the entire farms belonging to Elmore Carrington, William Sadle, Charles M. Sadler, M. M. Jaquess, and M.M. Owen out of Jackson County and into Putnam County.
  17. Acts of 1877, Chapter 148, provided that the lands of W. W. Pippin, Reuben Whitson, and W. C. Rector, which are now in Jackson County, are hereby attached to Putnam County and the boundaries between the two counties are changed accordingly. All taxes owing to Jackson County must still be paid.
  18. Acts of 1883, Chapter 42, moved all the lands belonging to Nathan Davidson out of Putnam County and into Jackson County.
  19. Acts of 1883, Chapter 47, changed the line between Jackson and Putnam Counties so as to include wholly within Putnam County the lands of Nancy Owen, J. M. Mabry, J. G. Smith, the heirs of John Smith, which were all formerly in the 10th Civil District, and the property of W. J. Lewis formerly in the 7th Civil District of Jackson County.
  20. Acts of 1883, Chapter 175, moved all the lands of W. P. Lewis out of Putnam County and into Jackson County.
  21. Acts of 1887, Chapter 102, provided that there would be included in Clay County a certain island, or so much thereof as might belong to B. K. Biggerstaff, lying in the Cumberland River, now situated partly in both counties, and known widely as Brimstone Island.
  22. Acts of 1889, Chapter 109, transferred all the properties belonging to T. L. Maddux from Putnam County into Jackson County; the lands of R. L. Maddux and T. J. Lee from Jackson County into Putnam County; and the lands of J. P. Whitefield from Putnam into Jackson County.
  23. Acts of1893, Chapter 102, moved all the lands of W. J. Bartlett out of Jackson County and into Putnam County, being bounded on the north by C. P. Lewis, on the south by J. E. Anderson, on the west by Nancy Owen, and on the east by J. M. Mabry.
  24. Acts of 1895, Chapter 116, detached the lands belonging to Sidney Sutton from Jackson County and attached them to Putnam County.
  25. Acts of 1901, Chapter 242, changed the lines between Jackson and Putnam so as to include all the lands of H. F. Sadler in the 12th Civil District of Putnam County, and to make Martin’s Creek the boundary line between the two counties along the entire length of the said H. F. Sadler’s northeast boundary line.
  26. Acts of 1901, Chapter 262, changed the lines between Jackson and Putnam and between Putnam and Overton Counties so as to include wholly within the 15th Civil District of Putnam County all the lands of Sampson Bartlett.
  27. Acts of 1903, Chapter 23, transferred all the lands of William C. Ashburn, on which he now lives into the First Civil District of Putnam County, from Jackson County.
  28. Acts of 1905, Chapter 9, took the lands belonging to F. P. Jared out of Jackson County and placed them in Putnam County.
  29. Acts of 1905, Chapter 197, changed the Putnam and Jackson County line as follows: “beginning in the Putnam and Jackson County line at Carrell Pippin’s northeast corner; thence with his north boundary line to Henry Netherton’s northeast corner; thence with his north boundary line to J. W. Atkins’ northeast corner; thence with his north boundary line to G. W. Brown’s southeast corner; thence west with the said line to the Putnam County line” so as to detach all that area from Jackson County and attach the same to Putnam County.
  30. Acts of 1905, Chapter 198, changed the lines between Jackson and Putnam counties, with a partial description, so as to detach all the lands belonging to J. L. Sadler, included within the description from Jackson County and attach the same to Putnam County.
  31. Acts of 1905, Chapter 199, moved the lands of Sam Henby out of Jackson County and into Putnam County as described in the Act.
  32. Acts of 1905, Chapter 238, transferred the lands of Norrell Chaffin out of the 12th Civil District of Putnam County and into the 5th Civil District of Jackson County.
  33. Act of 1905, Chapter 239, moved a portion of the land as described generally in the act, of M. J. Julian out of Jackson County and into Putnam County.
  34. Acts of 1905, Chapter 505, changed the boundary lines between Jackson and Smith Counties so as to include all the properties of Elisha Canter in Smith County.
  35. Acts of 1909, Chapter 167, detached the lands of Esibious Rich from Clay County and attached the same to Jackson County.
  36. Acts of 1909 Chapter 306, accomplishes the same purpose as Acts of 1909, Chapter 167, except the name is spelled Eribous Rich, instead of Esibious Rich.
  37. Private Acts of 1911, Chapter 530, detached from Clay County and attached to Jackson County all the lands belonging to C. B. Jenkins, Elizabeth Crabtree, William Kemp, R. W. Allen, and G. S. McCain, effective on March 1, 1909.
  38. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 711, removed the lands, as they were generally described therein, belonging to J. M. Lee from Putnam County and added them to Jackson County.
  39. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 712, altered the boundary lines between Jackson and Putnam Counties so as to include two tracts, measuring about 280 acres, which belonged to L. A. Fuqua wholly within Putnam County.
  40. Private Acts of 1939, Chapter 152, moved the farm of L. A. Fuqua into Jackson County from Putnam County.
  41. Private Acts of 1943, Chapter 449, changed the boundaries between Jackson and Clay Counties so that the land belonging to Frank Rogers, consisting of about 100 acres, more or less, and known as the Moore and Brown farm be included in Jackson County.
  42. Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 710, transferred all the lands of Hite Garrison, being a tract of 70 acres, more or less, known as part of the Sam Myers farm, out of the 1st Civil District of Putnam County, and into Jackson County.
  43. Private Acts of 1951, Chapter 522, provided that all the tract of land belonging to Herman Smith, containing 40 acres, more or less, would be taken out of Putnam County and