Established
on June 2, 1870, Loudon County was
created from portions of Blount, Monroe, Roane and McMinn Counties and was named for Fort Loudoun, erected 1756 by the British and named in honor of the Earl of Loudoun, commander-in-chief of British and American forces in the French and Indian War.
On September
5, the county court was organized,
and the Loudon (formerly Blair's
Ferry) town square was donated as
the site for the courthouse. The
county court selected the building
plan submitted by A. C. Bruce, and
brothers J. Wesley and Ira Napoleon
Clark built it for $14,200. By September
1872 the courthouse was ready for
occupancy and has served since as
the seat of government.
Newspapers were published in Lenoir City and Loudon. Scattered early issues are available from 1852, and a complete run begins in 1954. See Extended History for More information.
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Loudon County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1870 and Probate Records from 1870 and is located at Courthouse, 101
Mulberry St., Suite 200,
Loudon, TN 37774; Telephone:
(865) 458-2630. The County Clerk maintains Marriage & Divorce records. It also has jurisdiction over probate cases. Wills, administrations, and all other records pertaining to probate are recorded in the respective county clerk's office. If the will or administration was contested, the records of these actions may be filed in the circuit court or chancery court.
Loudon County Register of Deeds hasLand Records from 1870 and is located at Courthouse, 101
Mulberry St., Suite 200, Loudon, TN 37774; Telephone:
(865) 458-3314 . The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Loudon county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
Loudon County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1870 and is located at Courthouse, 101
Mulberry St., Suite 200, Loudon, TN 37774; Telephone:
(865) 458-2042. Circuit Court Clerks serve an important role in the operation of the court system in Tennessee. Chancery courts have jurisdiction over property disputes, and circuit courts oversee criminal cases, divorces, and adoptions. Early courts included courts of common pleas and quarter sessions.
[View
Criminal Records Instantly!] [View
Criminal Records] [Court
Record Searches]
Below is a list of online resources for Loudon County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Loudon County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Tennessee Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Tennessee Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Tennessee State Vital Records, is located at Central Services Building,
1st Floor,
421 5th Avenue North,
Nashville, Tennessee 37243;
Phone (615) 741-1763,
FAX (615) 741-9860. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records registers and maintains the original certificates of births, deaths, marriages and divorces that occur in Tennessee. They have the following records:
Birth Certificates: Records are available beginning with January 1914, for Nashville since June 1881, for Knoxville since July
1881, and for Chattanooga since January 1882. Records of some births that occurred in the major cities from 1881-1913 are also available. A certified photocopy of the original record may be obtained at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. For persons born from 1949 to the present, a certified copy produced by computer is also available at a fee of $7.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee
State Library and Archives Below.
Death Certificates: Death records are available for the past 50 years (1957). The fee is $7.00 per certified copy. The cause of death is not normally included on a certified copy unless specifically requested and then is available only to certain family members or legal representatives. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below.Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage and divorce records are available for the past 50 years at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificate. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee
State Library and Archives Below.
Make certified checks and money orders should be made payable to "Tennessee Vital Records". Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services Please do not send cash or checks. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to: Tennessee State Vital Records, Central Services Building,
1st Floor,
421 5th Avenue North,
Nashville, TN, 37243.
Tennessee
State Library and Archives have the following records:
Birth Records & "Delayed" Birth Certificates:
Tennessee began keeping birth records statewide in 1908. TSLA has statewide birth records for the years 1908-1912. To find a birth record, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known).
The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier birth records: Nashville (beginning in 1881); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1879); and Memphis (beginning in 1874). Only the early Nashville birth records are indexed. For birth records after 1912 or for "delayed" birth certificates filed for persons born after 1903, contact the Office of Vital Records above.
TSLA also has "delayed" birth certificates for persons born 1869 - 1903. These delayed certificates were filed at the request of the individual or that person's representative for legal reasons. To locate a delayed birth certificate, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known). E-mail TSLA and they can check thier index to the "delayed" birth records for a specified name. Please specify that you are requesting a "delayed" birth certificate.
There is a $20 fee to search for a birth record. If the record is found, they will mail a copy to you. If the record is not found, you will be notified by mail. The $20 fee is not refundable. Payment in advance by check, money order or credit card is required. Send your request to Tennessee State Library and Archives, Research Department, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville TN 37243-0312. [GO TO FORMS PAGE]
Death Records:
Tennessee began keeping death records statewide in 1908. TSLA has statewide death records for the years 1908-1912 and 1914-1955. To find a death record, we need the following information: name of individual, date of death (or three year range to search), county of death (if known) and name of spouse (if known). Please keep in mind that some deaths were not recorded, due to poor record-keeping by local officials.
For death records from 1956 to the present, contact theOffice of Vital Records above.
The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier death records: Nashville (beginning in 1874); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1872); and Memphis (beginning in 1848). Only the early Nashville and Memphis death records are indexed. TSLA can search the unindexed records for one year only; you must provide us with the name of individual, date of death, the city, and the name of the spouse (if known).
There is a $20 fee to search for a death record. If the record is found, they will mail a copy to you. If the record is not found, you will be notified by mail. The $20 fee is not refundable. Payment in advance by check, money order or credit card is required. Send your request to Tennessee State Library and Archives, Research Department, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville TN 37243-0312. [GO TO FORMS PAGE]
Below is a list of online resources for Loudon County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Loudon County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Loudon County, Tennessee are 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Loudon County, Tennessee are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1880.
Below is a list of online resources for Loudon County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Loudon County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Tennessee and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Loudon County Maps. Email us with websites containing Loudon County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Loudon County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Loudon County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Tennessee tax lists can be used to locate families, document historic properties and study community history. Early tax lists generally include all white males over 21 and indicate whether they owned land or slaves. They usually do not provide other personal information.
The tax lists enumerated for Loudon County for the years: 1870, 1873-1900 ; are available on microfilm at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. They are generally filed with each county's records, but some early lists are in a separate collection. To order a search of the records by mail, follow this link [EMAIL]
The 1796 Constitution levied taxes on “every freeman of
the age of twenty-one years and upward possessing a freehold
in the county wherein he may vote, and being an inhabitant of
this State, and every freeman being an inhabitant of any one
county in the State six months immediately preceding the day
of the election, shall be entitled to vote....”
Many early surviving tax records were published in an effort
to replace the missing federal censuses.
Original extant tax records are preserved in the respective
county courthouse as well as in the Tennessee
State Library and Archives, where a card index exists for tax records in its
collection pre-dating 1835, arranged by county, date, and district.
The 1891 tax lists of male inhabitant voters in each county
were recently found. Available on microfilm at the Tennessee
State Library and Archives, these nine reels are arranged alphabetically
within each district in each county. Tax records from trustees
office in counties are available on microfilm as well.
Below is a list of online resources for Loudon County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Loudon County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Loudon County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Loudon County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Tennessee Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Tennessee Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
Although
few histories for Tennessee churches have been published, there
are church records for almost every county in the state.
Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist were the principal religions
of early settlers in the state, and documents from these
groups make up the largest number of records available. Other
representative religions include Lutheran, Church of Christ,
Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and Jewish. Most early Tennessee
churches only kept minutes and membership records.
Church records could, however, include records of baptism, marriage,
burial, membership, or removal, but it is rare to find all or
several of these categories maintained by one church. .
As with cemetery records, the DAR has collected church records
for Tennessee, available at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C.,
and through the FHL.
Many compilations of church records have been compiled and/or
published for the state. The Tennessee
State Library and Archives has records of over one hundred churches that pre-date 1900.
There is a online Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records which contains over 25,000 records for the state of Tennessee for the years approximately 1720-1890. This includes marriages, births, deaths, and wills, etc., has been obtained from family bibles, church, court, and county records.
A large collection of transcripts of Tennessee cemetery records has been compiled by members of chapters of the DAR. Records collection available at the Tennessee
State Library and Archives and through the FHL. The state library and archives has notebooks containing listings of cemetery records.
County genealogical and historical societies and local citizens have collected, compiled, and published numerous volumes of cemetery records.
Below is a list of online resources for Loudon County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Loudon County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Loudon County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Loudon County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Tennessee Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Comprising 229 square miles, Loudon County lies on both sides of the Tennessee
River and extends north to the Clinch River. The territory south of the river
contains the fertile valleys of Sweetwater, Pond, Fork, and Town Creeks. To the
north are the broad bottoms of the Tennessee River. The Little Tennessee River
also passes through the county. The first occupants were Native Americans. The
part of the county lying south of the rivers formerly belonged to the Hiwassee
District and was not settled by white men until 1819-20, but settlements were
made on the north banks of the Tennessee and the Little Tennessee before 1800.
In 1790 white families settled on the north bank of the Tennessee River near
the present location of the Loudon bridge. The William Tunnell family was the
first to settle on the south side of the river. As other settlers, including
the Carmichaels and Blairs, came, a ferry was established, and the settlement
was called Blair's Ferry. In 1850 a formal plan for the town was established,
and the name was changed to Loudon in 1858. The East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad
was built to Blair's Ferry in 1852, and by 1855 a railroad bridge spanned the
river northward, and the flourishing river trade declined.
Lenoir City traces its origins from the extensive land holdings of General William
B. Lenoir, a prominent and wealthy North Carolinian who served at the battle
of Kings Mountain. For his service Lenoir received 5,000 acres of land, which
he deeded to his eldest son, Major William B. Lenoir, who moved his family to
the area in 1810. By 1821 Major Lenoir had developed a prosperous and well-managed
plantation widely known for cattle and hog production, as well as several small
industries, including a cotton mill and a flour mill. When Major Lenoir died
in 1852, four of his sons formed William Lenoir and Sons and controlled about
2,700 acres of the estate. Eventually, the land was sold to the Lenoir City Company,
which developed the town. Lenoir City was incorporated in 1907.
In October 1813 an act of the state legislature established the town of Morgantown,
located at the mouth of Baker's Creek, on land owned by Hugh and Charles Kelso.
Originally called Portville, the town changed its name to honor Gideon Morgan
Sr., a Revolutionary War soldier. The town did not survive the economic decline
it suffered in the late 1800s, when the Louisville and Nashville Railroad was
built through the area and ended the thriving river trade. When Tellico Dam was
built in the 1970s, the waters of Tellico Lake inundated the town site.
In the fall of 1821 William Knox and Jacob Pearson established the town of Philadelphia
six miles southwest of Blair's Ferry. The town's largest and most successful
industry was the Philadelphia Hosiery Mill, established by Edward Waller in 1921.
For more than forty years, the corporation expanded and grew, but in the early
1960s, the mill was sold and reopened as Bar Knit Hosiery, which closed in the
early 1970s.
During the 1800s, the town of Greenback was established as the result of railroad
construction. It occupied land once owned by Robert Thompson and J. B. Hall.
Greenback is primarily an agricultural community, but one with strong civic pride.
Loudon County did not escape the destruction and devastation of the Civil War.
No major battles were fought in Loudon County, but there were massive troop movements
through the area. As the only East Tennessee railroad bridge across the Tennessee
River, the bridge at Loudon provided a strategic link between Knoxville and Chattanooga.
The bridge remained under constant surveillance during the war and was partially
burned twice by retreating Confederate forces.
Following the battle of Chickamauga on September 19-20, 1863, General James Longstreet
moved north to capture Knoxville, and Union General Ambrose Burnside sent ten
thousand men to the Loudon area. During October and November, cavalry skirmishes
took place around Philadelphia and Loudon, as the armies moved north. After the
battle of Knoxville, Confederate troops burned the Loudon railroad bridge and
sank three locomotives and forty-eight cars to deny General William T. Sherman
access to the bridge. Loudon County and East Tennessee remained under Union control
for the rest of the war.
Industrialization developed slowly after the Civil War. The Lenoir family rebuilt
the depot and general store burned by Union troops and built a new burr and roller
flour mill to replace the one that burned in 1860. The Lenoir City Company, founded
in 1890, attracted new industries, including the Bass Foundry and Machine Shop,
which eventually built railroad cars for the Southern Railroad Company under
the name Lenoir Car Works. The Holston Manufacturing Company briefly operated
a hosiery mill. The Tennessee Valley Authority completed Fort Loudon Dam in 1943
and added Tellico Dam in the 1970s. The creation of Tellico Lake and Tellico
Village, a residential community, contributed significantly to the local economy.
Loudon's progress was slower and tied to agriculture. In 1906 Charles H. Bacon
established Loudon's first significant industry, a hosiery mill. Shortly thereafter,
the Lutz Mantel Company and Don P. Smith Chair Factory also were established;
only the chair factory remains. In recent years, several new industries have
located in Loudon: Viskase Corporation, Maremont, the Staley Corporation, Yale
Security, and Kimberly Clark. From 1990 to 2000, the county's population grew
by over 25 percent, reaching 39,086.
The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1887
Loudon County lies on both sides of the Tennessee River, and extends north to the Clinch. The Little Tennessee also passes through it. It embraces about 275 square miles, and has more tillable land, in proportion to its size, than any other county in East Tennessee. The territory south of the river contains the fertile valleys of Sweet Water, Pond, Fork, and Town Creeks, and to the north are the broad bottoms of the Tennessee River. Marble of the finest quality has recently been discovered in the vicinity of Loudon, and several quarries have been opened.
The part of the county lying south of the rivers, formerly belonged to the Hiwassee District, and was not settled until 1819-20, but settlements were made on the north bank of the Tennessee and Little Tennessee, within the present limits of the county, previous to the beginning of the century. Among the first settlers were James, William and Samuel Blair, Jesse and Simeon Eldridge, Henry Bogard, Jacob Gardenhill, John and Pomeroy Carmichael, John Browder, Benjamin Prater and William B. Lenoir. On October 25, 1813, the Legislature passed an act for the establishment of the town of Morganton, which had been laid off at the mouth of Baker’s Creek, on land owned by Hugh and Charles Kelso. The commissioners appointed were William Lowry, J. J. Greene, John Eakin, Richard Dearman, Matthew Wallace, James Wyley, John Lambert, Sr., and Joseph Duncan. It was at that time on the border of the Hiwassee District, and became an important trading post. It was subsequently included within the limits of Monroe County.
The first settler south of the river is said to have been William Tunnell, who entered the land now owned by T. J. Mason. Several others, however, located at about the same time. Among them were James Blair, Robert and Ebenezer Johnston, James Johnston, Robert Campbell, James Greene, Barnard Franklin, Robert Cannon and James Bacome, all of whom lived on the road leading to Philadelphia. The Johnstons -- Robert and Ebenezer -- were bachelors. They owned a cotton-gin and press, a hemp breaker and grist-mill. Robert Cannon kept a house of entertainment. James Johnson, a young man who married a daughter of James Johnston, opened a store where William E. Huff now lives. Thomas Johnston and John Hoston located on the river above the ferry. The latter operated a saw mill, and built large boats for the river trade. About a mile below the ferry were John and James Harrison. The ferry was kept by James Blair.
In the fall of 1821 or 1822, a town was laid off about six miles southwest of the ferry by William Knox and Jacob Pearson, who named it Philadelphia. It was then in Monroe County, but it is now near the line in Loudon County. Among the first settlers in that vicinity were Jacob Grimmett, Stephen Bond, William Reynolds, George Yokum, Daniel Prigmore, Hardy Jones and James Bacome, who removed from his first location in 1821. The first store in the town was opened by Robert Browder. About 1824 Morgan & Jacobs, of Knoxville, established a store with S. H. Crawley as manager. The first hotels were opened by Robert Carden and Capt. James Maddy. Carden was also the first blacksmith. Capt. James Dodd ran a still-house, and Lewis Patterson a tan-yard. The latter was succeeded by Robert Shugart, and he by J. D. Jones and Eli Cleveland. A gristmill was built about 1821 by Jacob Pearson. For ten or fifteen years succeeding 1840, the town was at the height of its prosperity, and a large amount of business was carried on there. Of the merchants of that period may be mentioned R. R. Cleveland, James Chestnut, E. E. Edwards, Hugh Smith and John Stanfield.
The first church was erected by the Presbyterians in 1822 or 1823. It was a small frame building, and stood where the graveyard now is. The first preacher was Dr. Isaac Anderson of Maryville. A few years later the Baptists built a house, which was used until the erection of the present one. Eli Cleveland and Richard Taliaferro were the first preachers. The Methodists did not erect a church until about 1850, but a congregation had been organized many years before.
Previous to the completion of the railroad to that point Loudon was known as Blair’s Ferry, and consisted only of a steamboat landing, a store and a few houses. The first steamboat to pass up the river was the “Atlas,” which in 1828 ran up as far as the junction of the French Broad and Holston. It was not until about 1835, however, that steamboats began plying regularly. In 1851, Wiley Blair laid off a town covering a portion of the present site of Loudon, and named it Blairsville. He failed to sell any lots and the next year S. M. Johnson & Co., having bought the land, had the town re-surveyed, and named it Loudon. For the next four years it was the terminus of the railroad, and its growth was rapid. Produce in large quantities was brought from various points on the river and transferred to the railroad, and it is said that steamboats were frequently compelled to lay several days waiting their turn to discharge their cargoes. Among the merchants of this period were Orme Wilson & Co., Johnston & Smith, S. H. Harvey & Co., Frank Goodman, W. C. Maclin & Co., J. M. Wheeler, Hugh Tinley and W. T. Lowe. Reynolds & Leuty opened a hotel; Jones & Harris established an extensive foundry and rolling mill; Mason, Wilson and other formed a stock company and erected a flouring-mill, and Harvey & King put a saw mill into operation. In 1854 a newspaper, called the Loudon Free Press, was established by Samuel and William O’Brien. It continued for several years. The Orion was also published for a short time previous to the war by J. A. Bannister. It was not a financial success, and he departed suddenly, leaving several creditors behind. In 1865 the Union Pilot, a radical Republican paper was started at Philadelphia by M. L. Blackburn, who soon after removed it to Loudon, and thence to Clinton. Other papers have since been published as follows: The Journal, by William Russell; the Times, by W. C. Nelson; the Republican Farmer, by Dr. Thomas Foster; the Sun by W. H. Mitchell, and the Record, established in March, 1886, with Dr. F. W. Goding as editor. He was soon after succeeded by W. H. Mitchell, the present editor and proprietor.
Soon after the town was laid out the Methodists, Presbyterians, Cumberland Presbyterians and Episcopalians each erected a house of worship. At the close of the war the Baptists formed an organization, and purchased a store house, which was fitted up for church purposes, and has since been occupied by them. The Methodist Episcopal Church also organized a congregation and erected a house. During the war the Presbyterian Church was torn down, and the building belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church South was badly damaged. The latter was afterward repaired and occupied for a time, but was finally sold to the county, and used as a school house. In 1882 the Cumberland Presbyterians erected a new church, and the old building has since been occupied by the Presbyterians and Methodist Episcopal Church South.
The population of Loudon is now rapidly increasing. Situated as it is on the Tennessee River, at the crossing of the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad, and in the center of a fine agricultural country, its location is one of the best in East Tennessee. The close proximity of inexhaustable beds of marble and large tracts of timber furnish still greater advantages for the investment of capital. The business interests of the town are represented at the present time by the following individuals and firms: Simpson & Bell, W. K. Sheddan, A. Howard, L. P. Campbell, Johnston Bros., F. M. Felts, W. Warner, W. W. Fuller, James Mahoney & Co., general merchandise; J. F. Horne & Bro., drugs; Greer, James & Co., hardware, and Horne Bros. & Greer, produce and grain.
The formation of Loudon County from fractions of Roane, Monroe and Blount Counties was authorized by an exception to Section 4 of Article X of the constitution of 1870. Several previous efforts to form such a county had failed, on account of the impossibility of complying with the general provisions of the old constitution. The act to establish the new county was passed Mary 27, 1870, and approved by Gov. D. W. C. Senter, on June 2, being the first act ever approved by a governor of Tennessee. By this act the proposed county was named Christiana, but by an act passed a few days later it was changed to Loudon. The commissioners appointed to hold the election for the ratification or rejection of the proposition were J. Matthews and F. R. Hackney, of Blount; John B. Tipton and J. D. Jones, of Monroe, and W. Y. Huff, J. D. Turner, Mitchell Rose, J. W. Robinson and W. B. Hope, of Roane. The election resulted in the necessary two-thirds majority for the new county. In August, following, county officers were chosen, and on September 5, 1870, the county court was organized at the Baptist Church in Loudon. Twenty-three justices of the peace were present, and qualified. W. Y. Huff, of the First Civil District, was elected chairman.
At the January term, 1871, S. A. Rodgers, Thomas J. Mason and R. R. Anderson were appointed commissioners to let the contracts and superintend the erection of county buildings. The town square was donated as a site for the courthouse, and a plan for that building submitted by A. C. Bruce, was selected by the county court. The contract was let to J. W. Clark & Bro. for $14,200, and in September, 1872, the building was ready for occupancy. In 1874 a house and lot was purchased from E. C. Johnston, and during that year a brick jail was erected at a cost of about $5,000. Subsequently steel cages were provided for the cells at an additional cost of over $4,000. In 1878 a farm for a poor asylum was purchased from N. P. Bacon and H. A. Crox for $5,300. It is situated about one and one-half miles below Loudon, and contains 275 acres. Notwithstanding these large expenditures, the county is without a debt, except outstanding warrants amounting to about $2,000.
The following is a list of the officers of the county since its organization: Sheriffs -- J. D. Turner, 1870-76; J. T. Carpenter, 1876-78; J. D. Foute, 1878- 81; S. P. Cook, 1881-.
Trustees -- S. Lane, 1870-74; G. W. Littleton, 1874-76, T. J. Mason, 1876-77; S. A. Humphreys, 1878; Joseph H. Williams, 1878-86; J. J. Duff, 1886.
Clerks of the circuit court -- John S. King, 1870-84; John W. Hayden, 1884; J. E. Cassady, 1884-.
Clerks of the county court -- M. H. Taliaferro, 1870-74; M. L. Mourfield, 1874- 86; E. S. Lineberry, 1886-87.
Registers -- Francis Beals, 1870-72; J. L. McLemore, 1872-78; R. N. Ragains, 1878-82; R. L. Loftis, 1882-86; J. B. Payne, 1886-.
Clerks and masters -- Mitchell Rose, 1870-73; Elbert Kerr, 1873-84; N. H. Greer, 1884-.
Other elective offices have been held by citizens of the county since its organization as follows: Judge of the third circuit, Samuel A. Rodgers; attorney-general, W. L. Welcker; State senator, Henry A. Chambers, 1876-77; D. F. Harrison, 1877; representative to the Legislature, William Cannon, 1876-78; J. T. Shipley, 1884-86.
The circuit court was organized by Judge E. T. Hall on September 26, 1870. The first grand jury was composed of the following men: Darius Hudgins, H. N. Dale, J. C. Pennington, E. S. Adkins, A. M. Cook, David Rogers, W. R. Best, H. H. Segal, J. C. Wyley, P. Whitlock, R. C. Alford, J. E. Crowder and W. J. Wells. The first indictment was found against Lafayette and Samuel Franklin for the murder of Hezekiah Hunt. The former was arrested, convicted of murder in the second degree, and sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary, Samuel Franklin escaped arrest.
Among the attorneys who have resided at Loudon may be mentioned Judge S. A. Rogers, W. L. Welcker, S. Lane, H. A. Chambers, D. R. Nelson and E. P. McQueen, the last of three of whom constitute the present bar.
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