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The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture © Tennessee Historical Society
Whites and blacks had visited the area, notably during the 1794 Nickajack expedition,
and speculators had claimed large tracts still in Native American hands, but
creation of the county opened the way for settlers, mostly from East Tennessee,
North Carolina, and Virginia. Among the first settlers were William Russell on
Boiling Fork near Cowan and Jesse Bean in the southwest part of the county. Russell's
house served as the courthouse until Winchester was laid out in 1810. Davy Crockett
made his home near Bean between 1813 and 1817. By the time of the War of 1812,
Franklin County had enough settlers to answer Andrew Jackson's call for volunteers
to oppose the Creek uprising in Alabama.
Franklin County was primarily a farming region. Cotton was floated down the Elk
River to New Orleans early in the county's history, but as in much of the mid-state
area, land was better for corn, wheat, and livestock. With the advent of improved
roads and turnpikes, wagon trains moved produce to Nashville and returned with
supplies; access to Huntsville in North Alabama was also easy.
In 1854 Vernon K. Stephenson transformed the county when he built his Nashville
and Chattanooga Railroad through Decherd, tunneling the Cumberland Plateau between
Cowan and Sherwood and dipping into Alabama to join the Western and Atlantic
into Georgia and the East Tennessee and Georgia to the northeast. Within four
years, the Sewanee Mining Company built a line up the mountain from Cowan, and
another was completed from Decherd to Fayetteville and later extended to Huntsville
and Lewisburg.
Franklin County was a Confederate seedbed. Franklin County native Isham G. Harris,
a secessionist, was elected governor in 1857, 1859, and 1861. Peter Turney, a
future governor, recruited a regiment that mustered into the Confederate service
before Tennessee held its plebiscite on secession. Turney circulated petitions
to have Franklin County secede from Tennessee if the state did not leave the
Union. In the statewide vote, Franklin County reported unanimous support for
secession despite pockets of resistance.
Federal troops arrived in Franklin County in 1862, although Confederates reestablished
control. After the Confederate defeat at Murfreesboro in January 1863, the Southern
army retreated to Tullahoma, filling Franklin County with sick and wounded until
July 1863, when it abandoned Middle Tennessee for Chattanooga, exiting along
local roads. Thereafter Franklin County remained under Federal control, with
the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad serving as the primary supply line for
operation against Chattanooga and Atlanta.
In the postwar years, newly freed African Americans created new communities and
institutions such as the First Baptist (Missionary Baptist) Church and the St.
John AME Church in Winchester. Most residents of Franklin County remained farmers,
but agriculture made a slow recovery. In addition to farming, the county profited
from extractive industries that exploited iron, coal, timber, and stone. The
Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad became the preferred passenger
route between midwestern cities and economic development in Florida, spawning
hotels and restaurants along its route. Resorts flourished at Winchester Springs
and along the Cumberland Plateau. Franklin County also became known for its educational
institutions, notably Mary Sharp College in Winchester, which had pioneered in
antebellum collegiate education for women, and the University of the South at
Sewanee. Other colleges included Winchester Normal and Terrill in Decherd.
In the 1870s Franklin County experienced a period of agrarian unrest which led
to the organization of granges, or units of the Patrons of Husbandry. The eastern
side of the county experienced labor unrest when state prisoners displaced local
miners. Winchester became embroiled in the temperance controversy and surrendered
its charter in order to close its saloons under the Four Mile Law, which forbade
alcohol sales outside incorporated towns.
Agriculture eventually recovered, especially on farms established by Swiss-German
immigrants around Belvidere; their round barns gave the area a European appearance.
Early in the twentieth century, farmers began planting large fields of crimson
clover for seed, giving a theme to a later celebration and ball. Nevertheless,
agriculture shaped the county's twentieth-century character less than the World
War II development of Camp Forrest as an army training facility along the county's
northern border. The installation brought thousands of military families to the
area. In 1952 the deserted camp became home to Arnold Engineering Development
Center (AEDC) for testing advanced aerospace technology for the Air Force.
AEDC's need for water led to the damming of Elk River to create Woods Reservoir.
The Tennessee Valley Authority built Tims Ford Dam, producing lakefront properties,
weekend boating, and a state park. Economically, the county moved from a dependence
on extractive industries through a period characterized by small textile and
garment mills to its present industrial base of automotive parts and assembly
plants. Although agricultural acreage has declined, many farms remain profitable,
and the expansion of nurseries east of Winchester has suggested new uses for
rich agricultural lands.
The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1887
FRANKLIN COUNTY is bounded on the north by Coffee County, northeast by Grundy, east by Marion, south by the State of Alabama, west by Lincoln, northwest by Moore, and contains about 500 square miles, one-fourth of which lies on the Cumberland Mountain and Its western escarpment.
The topography of the county is greatly diversified, a portion of it lying on the Cumberland Plateau, a portion in the valley of Elk River, a portion on the Highland Rim and a very small portion in the Central Basin. The rim is in the Devonian formation. the basin in the silurian, the Cumberland Table-land in the carboniferous. The carboniferous strata are the surface rocks of the Highland Rim and the table-land. The soils of the rim are the siliceous or flinty, found in the basin on the inner half of the rim, and calcareous, found on the outer half, which is a red clay. The soil of the basin is almost entirely al calcareous; that of the table- land is the sandstone soil. The limestone of the rim is the coral or St. Louis formation, while that of the basin is the Nashville group. The latter is a blue limestone; the former is gray, or grayish and blue. The rim is about 1,000 feet above the level of the sea; the table-land about 2,000; and the basin about 700.
The mean annual temperature of table land is 54 deg., of the rim 57 deg., of the basin 58 deg. The soil of the Cumberland Table-land is thin and sterile, but well adapted. on account of its climatic advantages, to the raising of all kinds of fruit. Along the western base of the mountain is a wide belt of land with a dark clay surface and red clay subsoil, furnishing a fine agricultural land. Then come the valley lands of the Elk River, which flows through the county from northeast to southwest. West of the river lie the barrens, so-called, which afford considerable pasture, but the soil is thin and not good for agriculture. In the western portion of the county, and running down the river, is found the black shale formation with its " rock houses," or alum and copperas caves, in which are often found native alum and copperas. There are several coves, among which Farmers' Cove, Lost Cove, Round Cove and Sinking Cove lie upon the table-lands, and are wholly shut in by the mountains, beneath which their waters find outlet. Buncombe Cove lies along the base of the mountain and is almost shut in by an outlier. It is watered by the head waters of Bean Creek. There are several other coves, among which is Roark's, one of the largest in the county. The most fertile lands are found in these coves and in the valleys of the Elk and its tributaries. The best timber is found on the mountain slopes, and consists principally of oak, ash, chestnut, beech, poplar, cherry and walnut. The barrens are covered mostly with a lightgrowth of scrubby oak. The Elk River and its tributaries furnish the principal drainage of the county. Mineral springs are abundant, the most noted of which are Hurricane Springs, Estill Springs and Winchester Springs. The former of these springs is a noted summer resort, where thousands of pleasure-seekers make their annual visits. There are also many noted cave springs which furnish pure free-stone water.
There is, an extensive marble bed upon Elk River, commencing about five miles below Winchester, and extending down the river ten miles and five miles on either side. The marble is of excellent quality anti consists of gray and red, clouded with green porphyry and various shades. This vast mine of wealth has only been slightly developed. Coal has found to exist in great quantities near University Place, and at Anderson, Keith's Spring, Maxwell and other points, but, as yet, it has not been mined to any considerable extent.
Many beautiful cascades and waterfalls end caves are found upon the mountains. Natural scenery in the county is extensive. Viewing the mountains from Winchester, their grandeur arises to sublimity. And standing upon the mountains and overlooking the grand valleys of the Elk and its tributaries, with Winchester and its church spires in the foreground, one is led to exclaim with the poet:"God hath a being true,
And that ye may see
The leaf of the tree;
In the wave of the ocean,
The furrow of land;
In the mountain of granite.
The atom of sand!
Ye may turn your face
From the sky to the sod.
And where can ye gaze
That ye see not a God? "The settlement of the territory now composing Franklin County began with the beginning of the present century, when all was a vast wilderness, inhabited only by Indians and wild animals. It was a hazardous undertaking to come here in that day and open up a new country west of the mountains where the light of civilization had never shone, and where neither schools, churches, mills, factories, nor any conveniences existed, such as the pioneers had been accustomed to. None but brave and courageous men and women could ever have accomplished such a dangerous and hazardous undertaking. The early settlers came mostly from Virginia and the Carolinas, and some from Kentucky and Georgia. It may be truthfully said that with the exception of those who have settled since the war the inhabitants of the county are nearly all descendants from the best families of " Old Virginia" and the Carolinas. It is claimed that Maj. William Russell, who settled on the Boiling Fork, near Cowan, and Jesse Bean, who settled on Bean Creek, both about the year 1800, were the first two settlers in the county. This is quite probable, as these two families are prominently mentioned elsewhere in the organization of the county, the first court being held at Maj. Russell's house, and Mr. Bean being one of the commissioners to locate the county seat. Bean Creek took its name from the Beans who settled thereon.
Samuel Miller and his wife, nee Elizabeth Montgomery, were both born in this county, the former in 1801 or 1802, and the latter, who is still living, in 1803. The parents of these persons were, of course, among the very early settlers. The families of Larkin and Hunt, settled on Bean Creek, about 1806. The Beans who had previously settled there, established, in 1812, a gunsmith shop and powder mills in two caves on Little Bean Creek, the remains of which can still be seen. David Larkin, hearing of the massacre of two children by the Indians, one night in 1812, mounted his horse and rode to the place: Finding no one about the house, he endeavored to arouse some one by calling; but the lady of the house, thinking him one of the Indians, would not come from her place of concealment. The next morning the bodies of the children were found and buried. James Russey, grandfather of James Russey, proprietor of the Ballard House, in Winchester, and William M. Cowan, Christopher Bullard, James Cunningham, George Taylor, Samuel Norwood, James Dougan, John Bell, John Cowan, George Davidson, John A. S. Anderson, William P. Anderson and James B. Drake, were all prominent early settlers, who came to the county about 1800 or soon thereafter.
The following were early settlers with date of settlement accompanying their names: Edward Finch, 1808, from South Carolina, settled on what is known as the Anna Finch farm, near Winchester. He brought with him Lewis Finch (colored), who was then four years old, and is now living. William Lucas, 1808; George Grey, on Crow Creek, 1809; Alexander Faris, Robert and Isaac T. Hines, 1812; Joseph Miller, from Georgia, 1815; John B. Hawkins and Isaac VanZant, 1817. The latter settled on the farm where his son Isaac now resides. Matthew R. Mann, 1819, afterward engaged in cotton spinning; Thomas Gore, Sr., 1822; William L. Sargent, 1829; Col. Davie Crockett was also one of the early settlers of the county, who came soon after the war of 1812, and settled in a "face camp," on Rattlesnake Spring Creek, near Salem. Here he married the Widow Patton.
It is said that he attracted much attention at the early camp-meetings, as all were anxious to see him. He remained in the county only a few years. George Grey settled on Crow Creek in 1809, and built a cabin and planted some corn.
An old lady by the name of Londey, and member of Grey's family, was ill and in bed on an occasion when a party of Indians approached with evil designs. The family seeing the " red skins " approaching fled into the mountains, leaving Mrs. Londey in the house. The Indians carried all the goods out of the house, placed the invalid lady on a bed a safe distance from the house, then burned the latter, cut down the corn, and fled without doing further damage. Mr. Grey then moved upon and improved the farm now owned by Isaac Grey, about three miles from Winchester. John A. S. Anderson and William P. Anderson, assisted by George Grey, made most of the early surveys of land, especially the Government survey, whereby the lands were surveyed into sections of 640 acres each. In May, 1809, while J. A. S. Anderson, assisted by George Grey and James B. Drake, was surveying a Government line, he discovered "a remarkable cave and a remarkable spring. " They had with them a dried beef tongue, which Mr. Anderson threw into the water, and it sank beyond all recovery. Thereupon they named the spring "Tongue Spring, " hence the name of Tongue Spring Creek. On May 25, 1809, they planted some corn and deadened some timber, and camped on Rattlesnake Point, and " bark was their food. " On May 30 they came upon an Indian camp, " and shouted around them and advanced, and the Indians absconded and left their meat and one horse, " which, as Mr. Anderson said, the party got, "the horse to ride and the meat to eat." There were nine Indians in the camp. Rattlesnakes were then abundant and " monstrous, " as related by Mr. Anderson. On one occasion, when he was obliged to undress his feet to enable him to walk over the slippery rocks, he stepped his heel on the head of a rattlesnake, discovering which he made his escape unharmed. The foregoing facts about the surveying party are taken from Mr. Anderson's field notes made at the time, and now in possession of Mr. Isaac Grey.
The greater portion of the best lands in Franklin County were entered by location of land warrants and other claims granted by North Carolina to individuals for military services while the territory belonged to that State. Henry M. Rutledge was executor of the last will and testament of Gov. Edward Rutledge, of South Carolina, who in his lifetime owned a large tract of land, mostly in this county. As executor, Mr. Rutledge sold this tract, consisting of 73,000 acres, to Col. Thomas Shubrick for $535 of English money. As an individual he then purchased the whole tract back from Col. Shubrick, and the deeds of these conveyances are the first that appear on the records of Franklin County. The Rutledge lands lie mostly in Districts 8 and 9. In May, 1808, Glen. Andrew Jackson and John Hutchins, assignees of John G. and Thomas Blount, received a patent from the State of Tennessee for 1,000 acres located on the Boiling Fork, just below Winchester.
The following is a condensed list of a few early grants, entries and purchases; July, 1796, State of North Carolina to Thomas Dillon, an assignee of the Blounts, 5,000 acres on Elk River, including Fendleton's Spring, and a large camp made by Major Ore & Co., on their way to Nickajack; March 5, 1805, Thomas Dillon to E. Thursby, for $4,500, 18,000 acres on Elk River; April, 1807, Henry M. Rutledge to Wm. P. Anderson and John Strother a large tract on Elk River and on both sides of Logan Creek; in 1808, State of Tennessee to John Maclin and John Overton 4,935 acres, and to Nicholas Tramel 840 acres, both on Elk River; and to Solomon Wagoner, Wm. Russell, Absalom Russell and John Cowan each 200 acres on the Boiling Fork, and to James Cunningham and Robert Bean each 200 acres on Bean Creek; to James Metcalf 200 acres on Metcalf Creek, and to Wm. Metcalf 200 acres on Elk River; in 1809, State to James Patton and Andrew Erwin 1,000 acres, to Andrew Jackson 640 acres, and to John Winford 640 acres, all on Elk River.
We have cited the foregoing grants, which are only a few among the many, to show how a few individuals originally came into possession of so much of the best land of the county. In 1824 the State of Tennessee began to sell the remaining lands at 12-1/2 cents per acre, purchasers were allowed to select and enter these lands in quantities to suit themselves. The first of these entries was made by Thomas Newland, April 5, 1824, for thirty acres, the whole tract costing only $3.75. During the years 1824 and 1825 there were 508 entries made in the county for tracts mostly under 100 acres each. Entry 508 was the last one made at that price. The entries have never been permanently closed for the mountain lands, but are still being made. It is believed that all of the lands have been entered once. In many instances the original purchasers have abandoned or neglected their lands, and in this way some tracts have been entered the second and perhaps the third time. The last entry, No. 3,868, was made May 22, 1886, by Peter H. Plumer for 150 acres.
The first grist-mill in the southern part of Franklin County, was built by George Stovall about the year 1810, and as early as 1815 Districts Nos. 2 and 3 had over a dozen cotton-gins. This county at that early day was one of the leading cotton-producing counties of the State. The cotton was shipped out of the Elk River on flat-boats, and thence by way of the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans, where it was sold for from 1-3\4 to 2-1\4 cents per pound. Peter Simmons, John R. Patrick and Dick Holder, early merchants of Salem, used to ship large quantities of cotton on "flats" from the mouth of Bean Creek to New Orleans, and then walk back through the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indian nations. In 1828 a Mr. Heiston, from Ohio, established a tan-yard on Bean Creek. He sold it to Mr. Smith, and he to Mr. Lipscomb. This was the first tanyard in that part of the county.
Among the early cotton-gins were those erected in the upper end of the county by Sims Kelly, John Oliver, Wm. Faris, Wm. O'Rear, Geo. McCutcheon and James Sharp, and one in the Cowan neighborhood by John Holder and one at Wm. Bledsoe's place, by Wm. Street, and one were Isaac Grey now lives, by George Grey. Isaac Gillespie had a cotton-gin, tan-yard and grist-mill in Owl Hollow. At the same time gins were owned and operated in the lower part of the county by James F. Green, James Woods, Mr. Trigg and others. The owners of the cotton-gins would receive all cotton brought to them and give the farmers receipts for the amounts. The latter would then sell the receipts to the merchants for goods. About the year 1836 Franklin County raised 4,500 bales of cotton all of which was shipped on " flats" to New Orleans. During the early settlement of the county the merchants went on horseback to Baltimore to buy their goods, which were then brought in wagons from that city to their destination, being about 700 miles. Enough goods were purchased at one time to last a year; and goods were hauled on the same route through this county from Baltimore to Nashville. It is claimed that as high as 800 wagons loaded with goods en route to Nashville and other points encamped at one time on the side of the road near Caldwell's Bridge. This method of obtaining goods continued until near the year 1840, when transportation was opened up by way of the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers to Nashville, after which time and until railroads were constructed, the merchants of Franklin County bought their goods in Nashville, and had them brought from thence in wagons to their places of business. The shipment of cotton on flats to New Orleans was discontinued about the same time. The Winchester Sulphur Springs were then a fashionable summer resort, and were visited annually by the wealthy planters of the South. For some years before the war a Mr. Butterworth had a cotton-mill in Owl Hollow, which was burned during the war and afterward rebuilt and again burned. Another cotton-mill was erected near Estill Springs, about the year 1851, and was destroyed by fire a few years thereafter.
The Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad was completed through the county in 1851. It has stations within the county, at Estill Springs, Decherd, Cowan, Sherwood and Anderson. It passes through the Cumberland Mountains in this country by deep cuts, and a tunnel 2,200 feet long. The Sewanee Mining Company has a railroad from Tracy City passing by University Place, and connecting with the Nashville & Chatanooga Railroad at the base of the mountain near Cowan. This road was completed in 1858. The Decherd, Fayetteville & Columbia Railroad was completed to Fayetteville about the same time me. It has stations in this county at Dechard, Winchester, Belvidere, Maxwell and Huntland.
The Falls Mill Manufacturing Company are operating a cotton-mill on Bean Creek near Salem. Whit Ransom now owns the Town Creek Mills, which were established by Anson Butterworth. These mills consist of a woolen-mill, with about twelve looms, a carding-mill and a large grist and flouring-mill, all run with water-power. They are located about five miles west of Winchester. R. C. Handley, Ben. A. Oehmig, A. J. Kinningham and Estill Bros. each own and operate grist and flouring-mills on Boiling Fork. Corn & Miller have a grist and flouring-mill on Elk River. There is also a grist and flouring-mill in Sinking Cove. Grist-mills and saw-mills are found on almost every stream. There are also a number of steam saw-mills and other manufacturing establishments throughout the county outside of the village. An agricultural and mechanical society existed for a few years before the war. And along in the " seventies " the Grange movements struck the county. A number of Granges were organized, and some stores were attempted to be run on the Grange plan, but all this has passed away.
When the county was new malarial fevers prevailed to some extent. In 1843 and 1844 typhoid fever made its first appearance in the county. At first it nonplussed the physicians, but they soon learned to treat it successfully. The first cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis made their appearance in the winters of 1848 and 1849. The temperature of the climate is mild and pleasant and never goes the extremes of heat and cold. The people of the county are remarkably healthy. No eases of cholera or yellow fever have ever been known in the county, except one or two, which were brought here from abroad.* The raising of cotton has been dispensed with, and the farmers are now turning their attention to the cultivation of cereals, grasses and live-stock. In 1855 there were raised in Franklin County 135,816 bushels of wheat, 475,293 bushels of Indian corn, 71,980 bushels of oats, 1,283 bushels of rye, and 1,110 bushels of barley. And the live-stock was enumerated as follows: 4,680 horses and mules, 7,906 cattle, 6,296 sheep, 25,379 hogs.
The county of Franklin was created by an act of the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, passed December 3, 1807. The act provided " that there be a new county established within the following bounds, to wit: Beginning on the southeast corner of Warren County; thence with the south boundary line of Warren County to the eastern line of Bedford County; thence with said line to the southern boundary line of the State; thence east with the State line to the southwest corner of Bledsoe County; thence northwardly to the beginning; which said bounds shall constitute a new and distinct county to be known by the name of Franklin."
The act also provided that the courts should be held at the home of Maj. William Russell, near Cowan, until otherwise provided by law; and that the general musters and courts-martial should be held at the same place, or place of holding courts. By a subsequent act, passed November 14, 1809, creating the county of Lincoln, all the territory east of Lincoln, south of Bedford and north of the State line, was attached to and made a part of Franklin County. And by later acts of the General Assembly creating Moore, Coffee, Grundy and Marion Counties, Franklin has been reduced to its present limits. Before the organization of Franklin County a portion of its territory lay in what was then called White County, and in many of the original conveyances the lands were described as being in White County. The early records of the county court, or court of quarter sessions, were lost or destroyed during the late civil war, and consequently no account of the first election of magistrates and county officers can now be given. It is certain, however, that such election was held in the year 1808, and the first county court organized at the home of Maj. William Russell, as provided by the act of creation.
An act of the General Assembly, passed November 22, 1809, provided for the holding of an election "at the place of holding courts on the first Thursday and Friday of February, 1810, for the purpose of electing seven fit and proper persons as commissioners to fix on and establish a permanent seat of justice in and for the said county of Franklin," with power to fix on a place for the seat of justice, and to purchase a tract of land "not less than forty acres;" to lay off into lots, streets and alleys, and to reserve in the most convenient place two acres for a public square, on which to erect the public buildings; to sell the lots at public sale, and make deeds of conveyance to purchasers; "to let out, the building of the court house, prison and stocks, and to appropriate the money arising from the sale of lots in payment for the same."
And the act further provided that the town so laid off should be called and known by the name of Winchester, and should be the place of holding courts for the county of Franklin, as soon as the improvements would authorize an adjournment thereto. This election was accordingly held, and George Taylor, Jesse Bean, Samuel Norwood, James Dougan, John Cowan, John Bell and George Davidson were duly elected as such commissioners. In compliance with the foregoing, it is evident that the commissioners selected the site for the seat of justice, and caused the town to be surveyed and platted, but owing to reasons already given, neither the original plat nor the record thereof, nor the record of the sales of lots can now be found.
The, register's office shows that on the 10th day of February, 1812, the said commissioners purchased of Christopher Bullard, for a consideration of $1 twenty-six acres of land, upon which the town was located; and that they afterward sold the town lots and made deeds of conveyance to the purchasers. And it is to be presumed that they performed all the duties incumbent upon them pertaining to the erection of the public buildings, etc., the details of which can not be given in full on account of the loss of early records. The first court house and jail were erected soon after the foregoing purchase. The former was a small brick structure on the site of the present court house. The latter was erected on a lot at the west end of College Street, and in 1813, very soon after its completion, it was consumed by fire. On the 8th of November, the General Assembly passed an act authorizing the drawing of a lottery for the purpose of rebuilding the public prison in county of Franklin, and for other purposes; and Wallis Estill, William Russell, Sr., Col. James Lewis, Christopher Bullard, James S. M. Wherter and Thomas Eastland were by said act appointed commissioners to superintend the lottery, and upon the receipt of the proceeds thereof, to proceed to rebuild the public prison in said town, erect stocks, and finish the work of the court house therein, by the appropriation of said moneys thereto. From the foregoing it is evident that the first court house was finished in about 1814. It was small and inconvenient, having no room sufficient for holding the sessions of the courts. However it was used until the year 1839, when it was torn down and the present court house erected in its stead. The contract for the brick work was let to Elisha Meridith, and that of the woodwork to Reeves & Oehmig. The building cost about $10,000. It is a substantial brick structure of medium size, with county offices on the first floor, and the court room on the second.
The prison was rebuilt as provided by said act, on the west end of College Street, and was used until 1855, when it was condemned on account of its being insecure.
A committee, consisting of W. W. Brazelton, L. W. Gonee, John T. Slatter and Thomas Finch was then appointed by the county court to erect a new jail. Accordingly at the July term, 1855, of the county court, this committee reported that they had sold the old jail for $300, and that the new one had been constructed on Main Street and was then completed and occupied by the jailor and his prisoners. The new jail was built under contract by John Steele, of Lincoln County.
In January, 1881, the county purchased of Luke Kelly and wife, for a consideration of $2,200, a farm consisting of 150 acres, with buildings thereon, as a home for the paupers of the county. This farm lies about seven miles northwest of Winchester. The authorities have employed a man to superintend the farm and oversee the paupers at a salary of $350 a year.
The average number of inmates in the poor-house thus far has been about fourteen. Prior to the purchase of this farm the paupers of the county were provided for by annual appropriations made by the county court, and a few outside of the poorhouse are still furnished relief in that way.
The county is divided into civil districts numbering from one to eighteen, respectively. The First District magistrates, and all the others have two each, making a total of thirty-eight.
We give herewith the vote of Franklin County at the presidential elections commencing with 1848:
- 1848--Lewis Cass, Democrat, 1,207; Zach. Taylor, Whig, 390.
- 1852--Franklin Pierce, Democrat, 1,136; Winfleld Scott, Whig, 330.
- 1856--James Buchanan, Democrat, 1,427; Millard Fillmore, American, 331.
- 1860--John C. Breckinridge, Democrat, 1,528; Stephen A. Douglas, Democrat, 26; John Bell, Union, 388; Millard Fillmore, American, 331.
- 1864--No election.
- 1868--Horatio Seymour had a majority of about 1,200 over Gen. Grant. The vote of some precincts were thrown out, and the exact figures are not now accessible
- 1872--Horace Greeley, Democrat, 1,740; U. S. Grant, Republican, 267.
- 1876--Samuel J. Tilden, Democrat, 2,275; R. B. Hayes, Republican, 276.
- 1880--Gen. Hancock, Democrat, 2,187; Gen. Garfleld, Republican, 357; Gen. Weaver, Independent, 16.
- 1884--Grover Cleveland, Democrat, 2,091; James G. Blaine, Republican, 645; St. John, 30.
It will be observed that Mr. Tilden received the largest Democratic vote ever cast in the county, and Mr. Blaine the largest Republican. Up to and including the year 1880 the voters of that part of Moore County which was cut off from Franklin County voted in the latter. The vote of 1884 is the true vote of the county as it now stands geographically.
In 1860 there were 10,249 white and 3,599 colored people in the county, making a total of 13;848; in 1870 there were 11,988 white and 2,972 colored, making a total of 14,970; and in 1880 there were 18,846 white and 3,530 colored, making a total of 17,176. The colored population in 1860 were nearly all slaves, who became free by virtue of the emancipation proclamation, after which it seems that a large number migrated from the county. as shown by the fact that in 1870 there were 627 less negroes than in 1860; during the same time the white population increased 1,748 in number. During the last decade the whites have increased 1,648 and the blacks 538.
The county court clerks were Absalom Russell. 1808-13; Edmund Russell, 1813-34; W. B. Wagoner, 1834-36; W. W. Brazelton, 1836-40; Isaac Estill, 1840-44; Sherwood Williams, 1844-48; Wm. E. Taylor, 1848-58; R. F. Sims, 1858-60; John G. Enochs, 1860-64; Thos. Short, 1864-68; John G. Enochs, 1866-71; Clem Arledge, 1871-82; Wm. E. Taylor, 1882-86. The registers were: John Keeton, 1808-26; Solomon Wagoner, 1826-36; Jesse T. Wallace, 1836-44: James L. Williams, 1844-48; Jesse T. Wallace, 1848-52; W. D. McNeil, 1852-56; Adam Hancock, 1856-60; M. G. Osborn, 1860-64 (war interval.) Wm. Stewart, 1865-66; D. R. Slatter, 1866-69; J. J. Martin, 1869-74; N. R. Martin, 1874-78; J. B. Ashley, 1878-86. The chancery court clerks and masters were: John Goodwin, 1834-38; Hu Francis, 1838-58 H. R. Estill, 1858-71; T. H. Finch, 1871-85; CIem Arledge, present incumbent, 1883 to--
Since the late civil war the office of county trustee has been held respectively by the following named gentlemen, to wit: Wm. Buchanan, Wm. R. Francis, Sanders Faris, R. J. Turner, R. G. Smith and the present incumbent, A. J. Skidmore. Circuit court cle |
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Tennessee 
