Les Jones

East Tennessee > Inez Burns' "Blount County Early Timeline"

The other day the Knoxville News-Sentinel's Michael Silence wrote of a big retail development project coming nearby:

Huge project coming to Sevier County

Knoxville development group led by John Turley close purchase of 200-acre site at intersection of I-40 and Highway 66 in Sevierville were they will build Dumplin Creek – a mixed use project similar to the hugely successful Turkey Creek project in West Knoxville.

Change in this area isn't exactly anything new, of course. From Inez Burns' "Blount County Early Times":

1793 - Settlements extended as far as Big Island in French Broad River, 30 miles above Knoxville.

Pg. 13 - The Blount County considered in the settlement period is bounded on the South and West by the Little Tennessee River, Cherokees lived along the banks. Land was taken from them. Northwest was the Holston from its junction with Little River followed established lines of Knox and Sevier County to North Carolina Line and back to Little Tennessee River.

Pg. 14 - Parts of Blount Co. used in formation of Monroe and Loudon Counties. Later, large landowners preferred taxes to be paid in Monroe Co. so the line was shifted several times.
1785 - Blount was part of Greene Co.
1792 - Blount was also Part of Knox Co., until 1795 when Blount Co. was formed.
Pg. 15 - Spencer, now Hawkins Co., Caswell now Jefferson Co., and Sevier, included part of Blount.

1785 May 13 - Treaty with Cherokees at Henry’s Station, (State of Franklin related to Blount) at Dumplin Creek. All lands South side of French Broad and Holston Rivers dividing ridge between Little River and Great Tennessee.