County Organization

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

      

     

    Hamilton County was erected out of Rhea County by an act of the Legislature

    passed on October 25, 1819. which provided that the territory southwest of

    Rhea and south and east of Bledsoe and Marion counties, should constitute

    a county by the name of Hamilton, in honor and to perpetuate the memory of

    Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.

     

    Sequatchie County was erected in 1857, out of Hamilton County, and was named

    for Sequatchie Valley and the Sequatchie River. It is traversed by the Sequatchie

    Valley which is very fertile. This county is rich in deposits of coal and iron. The

    county seat is Dunlap.

     

    James County was carved out of portions of Hamilton and Bradley counties in

    January 27, 1871. 

     

     In April 14, 1919, however, an act was passed abolishing James County and

    transferring to Hamilton the territory formerly embraced in James. 

     

    About half of the County of Hamilton, when first formed, and all of the county on the left bank of the Tennessee River

    lay within the territory of the Cherokee nation.

     

    The Indian title was extinguished by a treaty concluded between the United States and the Cherokees on December

    29, 1835.

     

     The county seat was first established at Dallas, but by an election in 1840, the seat was transferred to Harrison,

    named after General William H. Harrison, subsequently elected President.

     

    By an election in November 1870, the county seat was transferred from Harrison to Chattanooga.

     

    It is believed to be true that the first settlers of this county were Scotchmen, who came here immediately after the

    close of the Revolutionary war. Many of them married Indian wives and were incorporated into the Cherokee Nation.

     

    The name of Daniel Ross is one of the very first  associated with the history of Hamilton County.

     

    Others are Robert Patterson, Patrick Martin, William Lauderdale, and Charles Gamble, who became the

    first sheriff.

     

    Others who belonged to a later period are:

     

         Haston Poe

        Asahel Rawlings

        James Cozby

        John Russell

        Joseph Rogers

        David Beck

        John Brown

        John Taylor

        Nimrod Moore

        Jackson Jenkins

        Jonathan Springer

        D. R. Rawlings,

        William Walker

        Crispian Shelton

     

       

       

       

       

       

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Source:  Volunteer State, 1769-1923, Vol. 1