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Washington County Courthouse, Jonesborough,
Tennessee
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Washington County
History
The Watauga Association and Washington
District
Washington County, TN, originally came under the
jurisdiction of North Carolina. In 1772 settlers living south of the
Holston River, on the Watauga and Nolichucky Rivers, within the
boundaries of the North Carolina colony, organized the Watauga
Association, giving America its first written constitution. In 1775
the Wataugans changed their name to "Washington District." The main
settlements in the Washington District were Watauga, Carter's Valley,
and Nolichucky.
The settlers petitioned for annexation with North Carolina. In
1777 the North Carolina legislature changed the name of Washington
District to Washington County, NC. Included within the boundaries of
the county was most of present-day Tennessee.
The State of Franklin
In 1784, North Carolina ceded its western
(overmountain) lands to the United States to pay its part of the
Revolutionary War debts with the provision that a new state would be
formed from these new lands. The same men who formed the Watauga
Association did not wait for the formation of the new state. They
formed the State of Frankland (Franklin) and chose John Sevier as
governor.
Both the State of Franklin and North Carolina's Washington County
claimed the overmountain country and both had functional governments
that issued marriage licenses, probate wills and deeds. North
Carolina appointed Col. John Tipton as senator. The Battle of the
Lost State of Franklin in 1788 at Tipton's farm was the death knell
for the State of Franklin.
Southwest Territory
North Carolina ceded the state's western lands to the
federal government in 1790, forming the "Territory of the Unites
States, South of the River Ohio" (Southwest Territory). The area
included all of that which became the state of Tennessee. President
George Washington appointed William Blount as governor. Blount lived
with the William Cobb family at Rocky Mount (in Sullivan County near
the Washington County line) for a short time before moving to
Knoxville. Census taken in 1795 indicated a population of 77,262. A
vote for statehood was taken and the State of Tennessee was admitted
into the Union by the U.S. Legislature on June 1, 1796.
Washington County Topography and Migration
Patterns
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- Washington County, located in northeast Tennessee, is about 15
miles south of Virginia and 10 miles north of North Carolina. The
Nolichucky River courses through the southern end of the county,
and the Watauga River forms the northeast boundary of the
county.
As Washington County, NC and the mother county of Tennessee,
Washington County gave rise to Sullivan County, 1779; Greene
County, 1783. After statehood, Washington County gave rise to
Carter County, 1796. Southern portions of Washington and Carter
counties formed Unicoi County in 1875. Because of boundary
changes, the researcher needs to be mindful of these and other
neighboring counties when looking for ancestors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Washington
County
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- Question: Is
Washington County, NC the same as Washington County, TN?
Answer: Washington County was first organized as
Washington County, NC before Tennessee became a state in 1796.
Washington County, NC of the 1700's should not be confused with
Washington County, NC of today which is located in eastern North
Carolina near Greenville NC.
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- Question: Jonesboro or Jonesborough?
- Answer: When the town was established in 1779,
the spelling was "Jonesborough". In the 1870's the spelling
"Jonesboro" was adopted and used for more than 100 years. In 1983
citizens of the town voted to put the -UGH spelling back into
"Jonesborough".
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- Question: Is there more than one Asbury Community
in Washington County?
- Answer: Two Asbury Communities are in Washington
County. One is inside the city limits and the other is in the
lower end of Washington County near the Nolichuckey River.
Question: Who in Washington County designed the
Tennessee state flag?
- Answer: LeRoy Reeves, Third Regiment of the
Tennessee Infantry, designed the Tennessee state flag. The three
white stars represent the three grand divisions of Tennesse. They
are bound together by the endless circle of the blue field, the
symbol being three bound together in one -- an indissouble
trinity. The flag was adopted in 1905. LeRoy Reeves in buried in
Oak Hill Cemetery, Johnson City, TN.
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- Question: Where
are the papers for the Lost State of Franklin?
- Answer: THE JOURNAL OF EAST TENNESSEE
HISTORY, Number Sixty-Nine, 1967 p.84 has an article by Ned
Irwin, Archivist, Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State
University entitled, "The Lost Papers of the 'Lost State of
Franklin'" that gives useful information about the papers.
Genealogical and Historical
Societies
- Watauga Association of Genealogists -
Upper East Tennessee
- P.O. Box 117
Johnson City, TN 37605-0117
The Association meets the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30
p.m., in the Conference Room of the Johnson City Public Library,
100 Millard Street, Johnson City, TN.
- In April and October the Association publishes the
Bulletin, which focuses on copies and abstracts of
original source materials relating to Tennessee and adjacent
areas.
Membership: Annually $15/yr. payable to WAGS
not later than January 1 of each calendar year.
- Each member is entitled to one query each issue. No query
space for non-members.
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- Visit their site at:
Watauga Association of
Genealogists.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnwag/membership.htm
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- The Jonesborough Genealogical Society (JGS) and the Washington
County Historical Association meet at the Washington County
Courthouse in Jonesborough on the 3rd Saturday of each month.
Genealogical Society at 9:30 a.m.; Historical Association at 10:00
a.m.
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- Membership: $5.00 per year payable to JGS
- The Jonesborough Genealogical Society publishes a column,
"Digging For Your Roots," in the weekly newspaper, Herald and
Tribune, that serves as its publication. Contributions of
family data are welcome. Queries and surname research lists will
be printed for JGS members.
- Subscription to the Herald and Tribune is $10.00. P.O.
Box 277 Jonesborough, TN 37659
-
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- Mildred Kozxuch
- 546 Matson Rd.
- Jonesborough, TN 37659
- (423) 928-3829
- County Historical
Commission
- Mildred Kozsuch
- 546 Matson Rd.
- Jonesborough, TN 37659
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Family
Associations, Newsletters, and Web
Pages
- Newsletters
Broyles Family Newsletter
(Briles, Broiles, Fleshman, Wayland, Wilhite, Wilhoit, Wilhoite,
Blankenbaker, Blankenbeckler, Kindle, Fox, Bird, and many other
family names associated with the Broyles Family)
John K. Broyles, Sr.
302 Woodland Hills Rd.
Clinton, TN 37716-5934
Phone: (423) 457-5866
Special Notes: The Newsletter is published every other
month, (six times a year). $12.00 a year or two years for $20.00.
It is mailed by first class mail. All back issues are available.
Dr. Arthur Leslie Keiths' Typescript is available in 3
volumes, spiral bound. It is 8 1/2 x 11 in. and is approx. 675
pages for $54.00. The index is separate, 225 pages for $17.50 ppd.
Crouch Family Heritage Association
- Assisting Crouch genealogy and restoring Jessee Crouch
1790s log ancestral home.
- 2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 550
- Arlington, VA 22201-3057
- (703) 528-6700
- http://patriot.net/~crouch/cfha/ or
http://adams.patriot.net/~crouch/cfhalcenet.htm/
- Crouch
Family Tree on the Web
- John Crouch
- Richard E. Crouch
-
- Usrey, Usry, Ussery Bulletin. V.1-170, December
1968-January 1983
- John M. Usary
2910 Homan Ave.
Waco, TX 76707
Special Notes: No longer being published. Available for
use in the Tennessee Room of the Johnson City Public Library.
Family Web Pages
Couch Family Tree
Web
Pages (or http://patriot.net/~crouch/cfha/ )
Germanna Colonies Family History
Web
page
- (http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~george/index.html)
Leonard Family
Web
Page ( http://members.aol.com/btcmfox/Leonardwebpage.html)
Maintained by Barry Fox,
Greenville, SC
Ussery/Usary Family
Web Page
(www.netunlimited.net/~ccasey/)
Family web pages with ties to Washington County, Tennessee. If you
would like to submit your family web site, contact
Margaret Hougland,
mhougland@poboxes.com
