Organized
as Tennessee's thirty-ninth county
by legislative act in 1817, Morgan
County came primarily from territory
removed from Roane and Anderson Counties. The new
county ran diagonally across the
Cumberland Plateau from the eastern
escarpment to the Kentucky line to
the north. The county and the county
seat, Montgomery, were named in honor
of Revolutionary War hero General
Daniel Morgan and Major Lemuel P.
Montgomery, a Knoxville resident
who was killed in the battle of Horseshoe
Bend during the Creek Indian Wars
of 1814.
Newspapers were published in Oakdale, Rugby, Sunbright and Wartburg. Scattered early issues are available from 1895, and a complete run begins in 1960. See Extended History for More information. There were fires at the Morgan County courthouse
in 1826, 1870 and 1904 destroying sone early records.
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.
Morgan County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1862 and Probate Records from 1866 and is located at Courthouse, P.O.
Box 301,
Wartburg, TN 37887; Telephone:
(423) 346-3503. 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.
Morgan County Register of Deeds hasLand Records from 1818 and is located at 415 N Kingston
St,
Wartburg, TN 37887;
(423) 346-3105. The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Morgan county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
Morgan County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1824 and is located at Courthouse, P.O.
Box 301, Wartburg, TN 37887; Telephone: (423) 346-3503. 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Morgan County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Morgan 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 Morgan County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Morgan 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 Morgan County, Tennessee are 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Morgan County, Tennessee are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.
Below is a list of online resources for Morgan County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Morgan 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 Morgan County Maps. Email us with websites containing Morgan 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 Morgan County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Morgan 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 Morgan County for the years: 1836, 1881-1900 ; 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 Morgan County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Morgan 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 Morgan County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Morgan County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Historic Rugby, Inc.,
5517 Rugby Highway, PO Box 8, Rugby, TN 37733 423-628-2441 Wartburg Public Library,
(Morgan County Genealogical & Historical Society),
514 Spring Street, PO Box 684, Wartburg, TN 37887 423-346-2479
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 Morgan County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Morgan 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 Morgan County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Morgan 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.
The first permanent settlers, Samuel and Martin Hall, arrived soon after the
Third Tellico Treaty opened the area to settlement in 1805. Many of the early
settlers, like Samuel Hall, were Revolutionary War veterans who claimed land
grants from North Carolina for military service. Early settlers made their homes
in isolated mountain valleys where the soil was relatively fertile and game abundant.
The soil and the topography of the county reduced the land suitable for agriculture
to less than half of the 345,000 acres within the county's boundaries. Although
two rivers, the Obed and the Emory, flow through the county, neither was suitable
for transportation of goods. As a result, settlers engaged in subsistence farming,
and settlement and development were extremely slow. The lack of significant agricultural
production limited slavery in Morgan County. The 1820 census registered 46 slaves;
by 1860 the number of slaves had grown to 120, distributed among 25 owners.
The abundance of coal, hidden beneath the surface, provided the potential for
the county's economic advancement. First extracted in 1819, coal quickly achieved
prominence in the local economy. By 1860 two mines were in operation in the county,
employing nine men, and producing fifteen thousand dollars in coal annually.
In 1844 George F. Gerding, a New York businessman, organized the East Tennessee
Colonization Company in partnership with Theodore de Cock of Antwerp and purchased
170,000 acres of land in Morgan, Cumberland, White, Fentress, and Scott Counties
in an effort to attract German and Swiss settlers to the area. The first fifty
settlers arrived from Mainz in 1845, followed by two more contingents in 1846.
By 1855 the German and Swiss migration to Morgan County had ended. Most immigrants
settled on small farms of less than 100 acres and combined farming with the use
of their skills as craftsmen. The Wartburg Piano Company, which prospered briefly,
was joined by furniture makers and cabinetmakers. Tobacco production in the county
was utilized by a local cigar maker. The Germans planted vineyards and orchards
for the production of wine and brandy. A surprising number of professional people
arrived in Wartburg, including an architect, a university-trained musician, eight
physicians, and a German nobleman. Most remained only briefly before moving to
cities or towns where they could better utilize their skills. Conflicts over
the price of land and the lack of development combined with religious disputes
between the Reformed Church and the Lutheran Church and the effects of the Civil
War to produce the decline of the community. By 1870 only fifty-seven German-
and forty-one Swiss-born residents remained in the county.
Like other East Tennessee counties, Morgan County voted against secession, although
residents were divided in their support of the Confederate and Union armies.
No significant clashes occurred between the two armies in the county, but foraging
and looting were almost daily occurrences. County government broke down under
the pressures of war, leaving the isolated farm families vulnerable to the attacks
of guerrilla forces operating on the plateau. Many Union sympathizers left the
county during the early years of the war, when the area came under Confederate
control, and a number of them did not return.
The opening of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad in 1880 brought significant changes
in the lives of the people of Morgan County. The railroad ran south to north
through the county, with shorter lines extending out to the logging areas. As
a result of the railroad, the extractive industries flourished, and a number
of towns, including Sunbright, Lancing, and Oakdale, profited from their position
along the rail line. The railroad also made Morgan County accessible for the
development of health resorts and spas. Deer Lodge and Franklin became the summer
destination of families from as far away as Wisconsin and Louisiana.
In 1880 Thomas Hughes, the British social philosopher and reformer, bought 75,000
acres in Morgan County to create a utopian community drawn from the younger sons
of the English aristocracy. Like other such endeavors, the dream proved stronger
than the reality. Without the skills to create an economically viable settlement
in the harsh environment, the experiment failed. By the turn of the century,
the Rugby settlers, like the Germans of Wartburg, had scattered and taken up
new lives.
In April 1893 the Tennessee General Assembly authorized funding for the construction
of a new prison at Brushy Mountain in Morgan County. Prison reform, and particularly
the question of the leasing of convicts, had occupied political debate for several
years. The establishment of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary ended the practice
of leasing convicts, but not their work in the coal mines. The state purchased
9,000 acres from East Tennessee Land Company for the construction of the prison.
Coal deposits on the land were mined by prisoners under the supervision of the
state for state use.
In the twentieth century Morgan County benefited from a number of federally funded
programs, including the establishment of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp during
the New Deal. Frozen Head State Park, Catoosa Wildlife Management Area, Obed
National Scenic River, and Big South Fork National Recreation Area have opened
new opportunities in tourism and development for county residents. As part of
the East Tennessee Development District, Morgan County used state and federal
developmental funds and loans to construct water, gas and sewer systems and develop
an industrial park. Although most Morgan County residents continue to commute
to jobs outside the county, a number of industrial firms have opened plants,
including VF Workwear (300 employees) and Advance Transformer (185 employees)
in Wartburg and Tennier Industries (60 employees) in Sunbright. Traditional extractive
industries also continue as an important influence in the economy. The county's
2000 population was 19,757.
The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1887 MORGAN COUNTY is situated on the Cumberland Plateau, which has an elevation of about 1,500 feet above the sea. It is surrounded by the counties of Scott, Anderson, Roane, Cumberland and Fentress. The greater portion of the surface is very broken, especially in the southern part. The principal mountains are the Crab Orchard, Lone and Brushy, the general trend of which is about the same as that of the Cumberland Range. The largest streams in the county are the Emory and the Obed Rivers, with their respective tributaries, Crooked Fork and Clear Creek, and the Clear Fork of the Cumberland River and White Oak Creek.
The mineral resources consist in extensive deposits of coal and iron. The soil, except in the bottoms, is not naturally rich, but is susceptible of a high degree of cultivation. Experiments have been made, extending over a period of several years and it is found that nearly all valuable grasses can be successfully raised. It is believed, however, that the growing of fruit is destined to become the most remunerative industry of not only Morgan County, but the entire Cumberland Plateau. All fruits known to this latitude are grown here to perfection. Especially is this true of grapes for wine making and this crop rarely if ever fails.
The settlement of Morgan County began soon after the Indian title to the lands was extinguished. One of the first settlers, if not the first, was SAMUEL HALL, who located about seven miles northeast of Wartburg in 1807. He had a large family of children, among whom were DAVID, ELIJAH, ELISHA, LUKE AND GARRETT HALL. His brother, MARTIN HALL, located in the same vicinity. At about the same time DAVID STONECIPHER entered land and made a settlement on Crooked Fork. JOSEPH and BENJAMIN STONECIPHER entered land adjoining him, while EZRA STONECIPHER located on Beach Fork. In 1814 MICHAEL STONECIPHER made an entry on Big Emory. During the same year, JOHN M. STAPLES settled on the south side of Big Emory, near the crossing of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad. He had six sons: JOHN M., ABNER F., DAVID, WILLIAM, THOMAS AND BENJAMIN T. The first two removed to other States. The last named located near Sunbright, the site of which he owned. The first settlers on Flat Fork were Elijah REESE and Titus ENGLAND, both of whom located in 1808. The first to locate on White Oak Creek was John FREELS, who came in 1811. The next year Royal PRICE settled on Clear Creek, at its junction with Obed River, on land which, prior to that time, had been occupied by William SHOEMAKER. Among the other pioneers who came to the county prior to 1815 may be mentioned the following: Mathias WILLIAMS, Ephriam DAVIS and Nicholas SUMMERS, Who located on Crooked Fork. Squire and Morgan HENDRICKS, who located on Emory River above the HALLS; John WEBB, who lived below, on the same stream; Charles WILLIAMS, Lewis RECTOR, Littleburg BRIENT, John CRAIG, Charles and Andrew PREWITT, who lived on Little Emory, or its waters; Jesse CASEY, Zachariah EMBREE, Hartsell HURT, who located on Crab Orchard Creek; Jeremiah HATFIELD and Basil HUMAN, who settled on Bone Camp, and John BRASEL, Jacob and John LAYMANCE, Andrew SHANNON and Robert McCCARTT, whose locations could not be definitely determined. The house known as the "Indian Tavern" is said to have been built by William DAVIDSON, who came to the county about 1810. He had served in the Revolutionary war as captain of a company of North Carolina militia, and was one of the early settlers of Buncombe County. He was a friend of the Cherokees, could speak their language, and his house became a sort of resort for them, hence its name. As he did not own the land upon which the house was built, he soon removed to land which he entered about one mile south of Kesmet.
In 1817, the Legislature passed an act providing for the organization of a county to be named in honor of Gen. Daniel MORGAN. It's boundaries as then fixed, included a considerable part of what is now Scott, Fentress and Cumberland Counties. The first term of the county court was held in January, 1818, but as the records have been destroyed little is known of its transactions. Soon, however, a town was laid off, on land donated to the county by Daniel S. LAVENDER, and a jail erected. It was situated thirteen miles west of Wartburg, on the Nashville Road and was known as Montgomery. In 1832 Fentress County was erected and it became necessary to remove the county seat to a more central location. Accordingly, on July 18, 1826, a new town of Montgomery was laid off on ten acres of land purchased from William WALL and lying on the east side of Emory River, about one mile and a half west of Wartburg. The commissioners to locate the site and erect the county buildings were Jacob LAYMANCE, Chairman; John TRIPLETT, Benjamin HAGLER, John ENGLAND, Sharrach STEPHENS, Samuel SCOTT, and Sterling WILLIAMS. The first lot sold was purchased by Robert BUSH, a colored blacksmith. Among the merchants who were engaged in business then before the war were--Cox, John II, BRIENT, William STAPLES, James JOHNSON, and Constantine BRAUSE. Thomas S. LEA, a physician, and Levi TREWHITT, a lawyer, were also residents of the place. Hotels were kept by Julian SCOTT and John H. BRIENT. The land around the town, which had previously belonged to William WALL, was purchased by Samuel SCOTT in 1824. He also entered a large tract of land on Emory River, above the town. He was the father of Thomas, John, Samuel, Russell and Julian F.
In 1851 the first jail erected was replaced by a new one, and in 1852 the county court appointed commissioners to superintend the erection of a new courthouse which, however, was never entirely completed.
These buildings were used until 1870, when on March 26 of that year, an election was held to decide upon the removal of the seat of justice to Wartburg. This resulted in a vote of 195 to 149 in favor of the removal, and C.G. JOYNER, R.A. DAVIS, L.B. SNOW, E.H. McKATHAN, W.L.E. DAVIDSON, Amos TAYLOR and J.W. DAVIDSON were appointed commissioners to sell the property in Montgomery with the exception of the jail, and to contract for the building of a courthouse. This building was completed in the following fall at a cost of $3,132.36.
The town of Wartburg had its origin in a colonization company formed in New York in 1845. The leading members were George F. GERDING, Augustus GUENTHER and Otto KINBUSCH. A large amount of land lying in the vicinity of where Wartburg now is, was purchased and sold to colonists who came principally from Switzerland, though some from Germany were among them. Of those who came first, in 1845, may be mentioned, Joseph GSCHWEND, Jacob WESPE, Christian BREI, Simon SCHMIDT, Christian WALT, Andrew FISCHER, Z. FISCHER, Peter BARDILL, Anthony VOLMAR, Bernhardt ZOBRIST and five others. The next year about twenty-five families were added to this number. With the advent of these colonists, a town was laid out and names Wartburg, which in April, 1851, was incorporated with Charles KRAMER, John WHITE, Thomas, JONES, Charles HAAG, and William JONES as commissioners. The first settler on the site of the town is said to have been Walter DAVIS, who was succeeded by Martin HALL.DAVIS kept a public house which stood near the middle of the street nearly in front of the Central House. The first store was opened by F. HEYDELMAN on the lot where Mr. SCOTT now lives. Another store was kept by Mr. GERDING in the building opposite the lot now occupied by John HALL. Back of this building stood what was known as the Emigration House, a log structure erected for the accommodation of colonists until they could build houses of their own. Among the first emigrants were a number of Catholics, and at one time the building of a monastery was begun, but the war coming on, the work stopped and never resumed. About 1846 a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized and the building still standing east of the Central Hotel was erected as a house of worship. This was occupied until 1854, when it was converted into a schoolhouse and the present church erected. In 1876 a new schoolhouse was built and the old church has since been used as a dwelling. The pastors of the church have been as follows: Revs. George WILKEN, Theodore HIRSCHMAN, B.C. BRIGMAN and the present pastor. About 1879 a small Catholic Church was erected by Amelius LETOREY, who donated it to the bishop of the diocese. A few years ago a Presbyterian Church was organized with about twenty members, with John L. MASON, Jacob BONAFACIUS and G. SCHLICHER as ruling elders. The pulpit was supplied by Rev. Thomas ROBERTS until 1886 when he was succeeded by John SILSBY. A church building to cost $1,500 is now under process of erection.
Since the opening of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad several thriving villages have sprung up along its line. The two most important are Sunbright and Kismet. In the northwest part of the county, at the junction of Clear Fork and White Oak Creek, is the famous Rugby Colony. This colony originated with a company organized in 1877 in Boston, Mass., uner the name of "The Board of Aid to Land Ownership" with which Thomas HUGHES, Q. C. and John BOYLE, barrister at law, and other English capitalists afterward became associated. Large tracts of land in Morgan, Scott and Fentress Counties were purchased, and October 5, 1880, the colony was formally opened by Mr. HUGHES in the presence of a large number of English and American settlers. The board at once began and carried out a large amount of useful work. Among the improvements were the Tabord Hotel, the Newbury House, Vine and Pioneer Cottages and a turnpike road to the railroad. In 1881 Christ Church, with a schoolroom below it, was completed at a cost of nearly $5,000 and on June 5, 1882, the corner-stone for the HUGHES Public Library was laid by Mrs. HUGHES, the mother of Thomas HUGHES. The library consisting of 6,000 volumes, was donated by the publishers of Boston, New York and Philadelphia. In 1884 the old Tabord Hotel was burned, but in July 1887, a new building, one of the finest of the kind in the South, was opened under the name of the Tabord Inn.
The village of Rugby now contains a population of from 200 to 300 and is fast becoming known as one of the great health and pleasure resorts in America.
The following persons have been the officers of the county since its organization, so far as their names could be obtained: Sheriffs: Garrett Hall, 1818-1820; James McClintock, Thomas England, Albert Hurt, 1836-1840; Garrett Hall, 1840-1842, Julian F. Scott, 1842-1843; James Wilson, 1843-1848; Jessee Triplett, 1848-1851; Hausley Human, 1851-1856; James M. Melton, 1856-1858; Meshack Stephens, 1858-1860; E. Lavender, 1860-1861;
James R. Stanfield, 1861-1864: Julian F. Scott, 1864-1866; J.H. Byrd, 1866-1868; J.F. Scott, 1868-1870; John Williams, 1870-1872; G.D. Joyner, 1872-1874; John Williams, 1874-1876; J.F. Scott, 1876-1877; J.M. Staples, 1877, (January to September); John Williams, 1877-1878; John B. Williams, 1878-1880; G. W. Green, 1880-1885; H. Davidson, 1885-1886; Benjamin Brasel, 1886.
Clerks of the County Court: William Wall, 1818-1825; Elijah Lavender, 1825-1836; E. G. Kingston, 1836-1839; Samuel P. Vaughn, 1839-1848; G. W. Keith, 1848, 1856: H. Human, 1856-1857; Simon Hurst, 1857-1858; James M. Melton, 1858-1861; John H. Brient, 1861-1864; John L. Scott, 1864-1874;
John Hall, 1874-1877; H. C. Wilson, 1877-1878; M. F. Redman, 1878-1885; J. A. Morris, 1885.
Clerks of the Circuit Court: Robert A. Dabney, A. F. Cromwell; H.G. Bennett, 1836-1840; Thomas S. Lea, 1840-1844; John H. Brient, 1844-1846; W.H. Williams, 1846-1852; John H. Brient, 1852-1856; William J. Scott, 1856-1860; M. Stephens, 1860----; William J. Scott, 1804--1866; M.F. Redman, 1866-1870; S.H. Staples, 1870-1882; J. W. Scott, 1882---.
Clerks and Masters: B. T. Staples, 1858-1860; H. H. Lansdon, 1860---; John H. Brient, 1865-1870;
G. W. Keith, 1870-1882; S. H. Staples, 1882.
Registers: Benjamin C. White, 1818-1824; Daniel S. Lavender, 1824-1836; Herndon Lea, 1836-1845; Albert Hurt, 1845-1846; J.D. Bennett, 1846-1855; M.M. Brown, 1855-1856; John Williams, Sr., 1856-1860; L.H. Mosier, 1860-1864; Garrett Hall, 1864-1870; W. B. Crenshaw, 1870-1878; John L. Scott, 1878-1886; H. Davidson, 1886.
Trustees: William D. Fields, 1842-1848; J.C. Martin, 1848-1850; Constantine Brause, 1850-1853; Julian F. Scott, 1853-1854; Albert Hurt, 1854-1860; Jesse Stonecipher, 1860-1866; John McCartt, 1866-1868; M. Lyons, 1868-1872; John Shannon, 1872-1874; William Howard, 1874-1880; John D. Kreis, 1880-1886; M.B. McCartt, 1886.
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