SOURCE: History of Tennessee, The Goodspeed Publishing Company,
        dated 1887, pages B32-35
 
Sevier County lies east of Blount County, and adjoins North
Carolina on the south.  It is one of the largest counties in the
State, having an area of about 660 square miles.  A considerable
part of the land in broken and untillable, but along the streams,
and in the coves  and valleys int is exceedingly fertile.  The
French Broad River flows through the northern portion, and
receives the waters of Little Pigeon River, formed by the
junction of two forks which take their rise in the Great Smokey
Mountains.  Boyd's Creek flows through the eastern portion of the
county, and also empties its waters into the French Broad.
 
The settlement of the territory now embraced in Sevier County was
begun about 1788, although the several years previous it had been
traversed by traders and military bodies operating against the
Cherokees.
 
In 1775 two traders from Virginia, Boyd and Doggett, while
returning from a trip into the Indian nation, were killed by a
band of savages, who threw their bodies into the stream which has
since been known a Boyd's Creek.  In 1780 on of the best fought
of the early Indian battles took place on this creek, near what
is now known as Rocky Springs.
 
In 1783 a number of settlers, who had recently located in the
vicinity, assembled at Maj. [Major] Henry's, near the mouth of
Dumplin Creek, and there built a fort.  At about the same time a
friendly conference with the Indians was held at the house of a
Mr. Gist.  It was attended by Maj. James Hubbard, who had settled
on the north bank of the French Broad River just above Bryant's
Ferry, and who became notorious for his enmity toward the
Indians.  His father's family in Virginia had been cruelly
murdered by the Shawnees, and he had sworn vengeance against the
whole race.  He spared no pains to create Indian disturbances in
order to afford opportunity to gratify his revenge, and this
occasion was not exception.  He attempted to frighten the
Cherokees in attendance upon the conference into some hasty
action which might furnish a pretext for violating the truce, but
in this he was prevented by Capt. James White, and for a time
peace was secured.  After this the settlements south of the
French Broad increased quite rapidly.  In November, 1783, Thomas
Stockton began the erection of the first gristmill in the county.
It was located at Christian's Ford on the French Broad.  During
the following year the pioneers built their cabins and cleared
field along Little Pigeon River and Boyd's Creek.  On the later
stream two strong forts were erected:  One was at Samuel
Newell's, near the head of the creek, and the other at Samuel
McGaughey's lower down.
 
In 1784 the State of Franklin was organized, and in March of
1785, the first legislature of the new State met.  Among the acts
passed was one for the division of Greene County into three
separate counties, one of which was names Sevier.  It embraced
the greater part of the territory south of the French Broad
extending from the Big Pigeon River to the ridge dividing the
waters of Little River and Little Tennessee.  The courts were
held at Newell's Station, and Samuel Wear became clerk of the
county court.  At the next election Samuel Newell and John Clark
were chosen to represent the county in the Legislature.
 
In 1785 a treaty was concluded with the Cherokees at Henry's
Station, known as the treaty Dumplin [Treaty of Dumplin], by the
terms of which the Indians relinquished their right and title to
the land embraced within Sevier County.  After this treaty the
occupation of the county south of the French Broad when on
rapidly.  Prominent among the early settlers beside those already
mentioned where Isaac Thomas, who lived on the west bank of the
Pigeon opposite Sevierville, William Cannon located opposite
Catlettsburg, where his grandson later lived.  Jacob Huff lived
on the site of Catlettsburg, where he build a mill.  Samuel Blair
also located in the same neighborhood and Josiah Rogers still
further down the river.  North of the French Broad were Peter and
Allen Bryant, Joshua Gist, the Cates and Underwoods.  Eight miles
below Sevierville was the residence of Thomas Buckingham, who, it
is said, built the first brick house in the county.  The
Bradsons, Chandlers, Crewells and Capt. Nathaniel Evans located
on Boyd's Creek, and Thomas Sharp in the neighborhood of
Trundle's Cross Roads.  Randall Hill lived three miles east of
Catlettsburg and Thomas Evans about five miles from the same
place of the French Broad. Benjamin Atchley also located in the
same neighborhood.  The upper end of the county in the vicinity
of Bird's Cross Roads a colony of Germans from Virginia was
located: among them were Jacob Bird, Jacob Derrick, Adam Fox and
James Baker.  Frederick Emert and Martin Shultz settled in what
is now known as Emert's Cove.  Andrew Wells and John Baughman
lived in the area of Jones Cove.  George Bush settled the place
where Mrs. Hodsden lived in ____.  William Henderson, John
Jenkins and Robert Duggan also lived east of Sevierville.  Among
others of the early settles were Shields, Calverts, Richardsons,
Creswells and Keelers.
 
In 1788 the Franklin government came to an end, and the
government of North Carolina, ignoring the acts of the former,
among which was the treaty of Dumplin, still recognized the
French Broad, Houston and Big Pigeon Rivers, as a part of the
Indian boundary line, leaving the inhabitants to the south of
these steams in the position of trespassers upon the Cherokee
lands.  Realizing their exposed condition, these people adopted
articles of association by which they proposed to be governed.
The constitution and lows of North Carolina were adopted, and all
civil and military officers of Sevier County, elected under the
government of Franklin, were continued in office.  For the
General supervision of affairs a committee, composed if two
members from each militia company, was provided for.  Who
composed the committee is not known, but their place of meeting
is supposed to have been Newell's Station.  This remained
practically the condition of Sevier County until after the
conclusion of the treaty of Holston in 1791, and the organization
of Jefferson County in July of the following year [1792].  The
latter included the present Sevier County, and Samuel Wear was
one of the representatives in the first territorial assembly.
During the first session an act to divide Jefferson County into
two distinct counties was passed, and Joseph Wilson, Robert Polk,
Samuel McGaughey, Samuel Newell and Thomas Buckingham were
appointed to locate the seat of justice, the courts to be holden
for the time at the house of Isaac Thomas.  The first court met
on November 8, 1794.  Samuel Newell, Joseph, Joshua Gist, Peter
Bryant, Joseph Vance and Andrew Evans were the magistrates
presents, while Mordecai Lewis and Robert Polock were absent.
Samuel Newell was chosen chairman; Samuel Wear, clerk; Jesse
Byrd, register; Thomas Buckingham, sheriff; Mordecai Lewis,
coroner, and Alexander Montgomery, surveyor.
 
In October, 1795, Sevierville was laid off at the confluence of
the east and west forks of the Little Pigeon River.  Tradition
has it that the first courts, after the town was established,
were held in a building previously occupied as a stable, and that
owing to the great number of fleas infesting it, the lawyers
accomplished its destruction through as Irishman and a bottle of
whisky.  A courthouse and jail, both probably built of logs, were
then erected.
 
On July 4, 1796, the first court for Sevier County was held under
the State constitution, was begun.  The justices present were
Samuel Newell, Joshua Gist, Joseph Wilson, Andrew Cowan, Joseph
Vance, James Riggin, Alexander Montgomery, Jesse Griffin and Isom
Green.  The county officers, who had served under the territorial
government, with the exception of the register and coronor, were
retained.  James McMahan was elected register and James D.
Puckett, coroner.
 
At the time and for more than thirty years afterward, the people
south of the French Broad, and Holston, who had occupied their
lands under treaties make by the Franklin government, were
harrassed by law of both the United States and the States
attempting to compel them to purchase their land at the rate of
$1 per acre.  The settlers denied the right and justice of these
laws, and obstirately refused to comply with them.  An act was
finally passed in 1829, allowing occupants to enter a tract of
not more than 200 acres, including their improvements.
 
As has been stated Sevierville was laid out in 1795, but previous
to that time, September 29, 1789, a Baptist Church had been
organized in the vicinity.  Among the first settlers of the town
were Alexander Preston and M. C. Rogers, merchants; Benjamin
Catlett, tavern-keeper; Richard Catlett, hatter; John Catlett,
carpenter; Spencer Clack, who had a mill on the right bank of the
East Fork, just above town; James McMahan, the county register,
and Isaac Thomas, who lived on the left bank of Pigeon, and owned
and operated a mill there.  Hugh Blair was the first blacksmith,
but resided below town.
 
Sometime, about 1820 a new courthouse and jail were built.  The
former was a frame structure and stood just north of the present
building.  The jail was substantially built of logs.