PETITION TO BUILD A PUBLIC TOLL BRIDGE OVER HIWASSEE RIVER

Year 1861, Petition Number 5_

[The cover sheet indicates that this bill was introduced by Millard in the House of Representatives, and was tabled on Dec. 9. The petitIon and signatures were faint and very hard to read.]

To the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee now in Session at Nashville

We the citizens of McMinn and Bradly Humbly present to your Honorable body the necessity of a Toll Bridge over the Hiwassee River at or near where the present Bridge crosses said [-?-] which has recently burned, and prays your honorable body to grant us a charter for a Toll Bridge and that you appoint such men as you in your wisdom may deem fit and proper [-?-] citizens of said counties will labor under great inconvenience for the want of a bridge and the Rail Road Companies have determined not to build such a bridge as will accommodate the traveling Public other than those that are transported by the Cars. We would suggest the names of B.F. Martin and Hugh McD[-?-], C.C. Carter and T.P. Baty are suited for appointment [two lines are crossed out] and as in duty bound we ever pray & etc.

W.M. Bradshaw

M.L. Grimes

R.L. Graves

Wm. S. Bryant

J.W. Bean

John Humphrey[?]

C. Sutten

Andrew Hooper

J.H. Ball

Samuel[?] Leomair[?]

H.M. Rose

T.B. Agee

Thomas Townsend[?]

Page 88

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PETITION REQUESTING FUNDS FOR A FEMALE COLLEGE

Year 1865, Petition Number 5_

[no cover sheet]

Senate & House of Representatives of the State of Tennessee

Your petitioners of Bradley County and East Tennessee generally respectfully represent to your Honorable bodies that on the 8th day of June 1865 that the Legislature of the state of Tennessee granted a Charter to the East Tennessee Female College to be located at Cleveland Tennessee and Trustees were therein appointed and for all the terms and stipulations of said Charter reference is made to the same in the Acts of 1865 Chapter 18 from Sections 1 to 17.

Your petitioners further represent and state that a better location for a Female College cannot be found any where than that of Cleveland in Bradley County Tennessee. It is immediately on the East Tennessee & Georgia Rail Road, and accessible from any part of the United States. The water is fine and healthy and society good. Besides the large majority of the people not only of Cleveland and Bradley County but of all East Tennessee is, and always has been loyal to the Goverment of the United States.

East Tennessee wants and deserves a Number One Female College, and Capt. A. E. Blount who is in every way qualified will take charge of it as principal.

We therefore humbly ask your honorable bodys to make an appropriation or loan of One Hundred Thousand Dollars for the purpose of purchasing the Ground upon which to locate said College, and for the purpose of building it and furnishing it and preparing it for the purposes intended to wit for a Number One Female College, and in doing so, we desire that the state have a lien on the land, buildings, and furniture of said College for the amount so app[ropri]ated or loaned until the same is refunded back.

And we desire the amount so appropriated or loaned to be placed in the hands of said Trustees or their President for the purpose of completing said College as is intended. We cannot too forcibly show the great importance of Education and especially of Female education. You are well apprised of its importance. A donation or loan cannot be granted for a more laudable and praisworthy purpose, and feeling so much confidence in our cause, and believing that our most earnest petition will be granted, we humbly ask that it be done.

Names of Petitioners