Foundations of Macon County: Where did it all start?

When the earliest settlers came to what is now Macon County, they found a territory full of wilderness and wild animals, and was inhabited by early indian civilizations. There is very little documented history regarding these earliest years of the territory, but many remnants of native american villages, burial mounds, and artifacts have been found in Macon County over the years. The earliest indian tribes are thought to have been Chickasaw, Shawnee, Creek and Cherokee tribes.

The earliest settlement we know of in what is now Macon County by white settlers was Salt Lick Creek, now Red Boiling Springs, which was established in the mid to late 1700's. In the earliest years of Salt Lick, it is said that Daniel Boone traveled through the area hunting wild animals. Mr. Boone reportedly carved his name and the year 1775 into a beech tree in an area near Salt Lick Creek. We see land grants in the area being issued starting in the mid-1780's, the stream flowing through area was named Salt Lick and shortly after - settlers began moving into Salt Lick Creek to form a community. The town established the first post office at Salt Lick Creek in 1829 and appointed Samuel DeWitt as postmaster. There was a thriving community at Salt Lick Creek before Macon County ever began.

In these earliest years, beginning in 1777, the region was in the Washington District of North Carolina, which encased nearly the entirety of what is now the State of Tennessee. In 1783, the area became a part of the Davidson District as it was subdivided from the Washington District. Then, in 1787 the area was divided once again into what was then Sumner Territory. In 1790, North Carolina ceased control of the western regions (Davidson, Sumner and Tennessee Territories) and they were organized as the "Territory South of Ohio". The area remained as a territory until 1796, when Tennessee was officially admitted to the union as a state on June 1, 1796. In 1799, the area became what was then Smith County, Tennessee and would remain there until the move for a new county.

It was in 1832 when the citizens of the northern portion of Smith County, Tennessee would begin the discussion regarding the need for a new county. However, there were restrictions in the Tennessee Constitution on how new counties could be formed. To create a new county back then, there were requirements that had to be met. You can see those listed to the right. These restrictions protected communities, kept county seats accessible, and made sure no county got too small to function. If a new county were proposed in 1832, Smith County would be reduced to under 500 square miles. However, northern settlers of Smith County were inconvenienced by at least 35-45 miles to their courthouse to conduct business. This may not seem like much today, but that was much more than a days trip in a horse drawn wagon. While these rules created a roadmap for counties, they also created some roadblocks at the same time — so what happens next?

As early as 1820, Smith Countians began deliberating the need for a new county to better serve those who lived much farther from the county seat. However, they did not meet all of these requirements! In a move to incite change, in 1834, many early settlers of northern Smith County petitioned the Tennessee Constitutional Convention regarding the rules of forming a new county and how Smith County pushed the limits of proper governance due to its size.

The petition pleaded as follows:

“We, the undersigned, therefore humbly pray that the constitution may be amended so as to remove all restrictions from the legislative as to the formation of new counties; but permit the people from time to time as experience and their wants may demand by their representatives in the general assembly to change, alter or form new counties as to them may serve right and best calculated to promote the happiness and wants and prosperity of the citizens generally…”

There were a total of 155 men who signed on to the petition asking the Convention to modify the Tennessee Constitution to allow for citizens to petition for new counties and remove the restrictions. Many notable surnames were among the signatories: Meador, Howell, Driver, Patterson, Freeman and many, many more! The petition was successful and on August 9, 1834 - the Tennessee General Assembly voted to ratify the modification of the Tennessee Constitution and in turn paving the way for a new county to be formed. Settlers had won, and now the real work begins.

A few short years after the modification of the Tennessee Constitution, citizens made a plea for a new county. In 1837, determined settlers from northern Smith County and southeastern Sumner County, Tennessee, formally petitioned the state for permission to carve out a new county of their own. They argued that travel distances to existing county seats made government business and court appearances burdensome — a common struggle for rural communities of the time. But this petition fell short. The request was sent to the Committee on New Counties - where it was deemed unnecessary to split Sumner and Smith County and form a new county there. Citizens felt defeated, but their determination was stronger!

Though their first effort failed, the vision didn’t die. Just three years later, in 1840, local leaders rallied again — this time successfully. In 1841, the Committee supported the creation of a new county to be formed from Smith and Sumner. That decision went on to the Tennessee General Assembly - what decision will they make? Today, that 1837 petition reminds us how determined our founders were to build a community closer to home — one step, one signature, one compromise at a time.

It was in January of 1842 when the support of forming a new county from Smith and Sumner was put up in the Tennessee General Assembly. On January 18, 1842, the Tennessee General Assembly passed "Chapter 45" of the Private Acts of 1841-42. This bill led to the formation, creation and early government of Macon County, Tennessee. This bill had nineteen sections that fully laid out how the county would be formed, from what counties it would be formed, how the first elections were to be held, and every other aspect of creating a new county. You can read the full text of that bill here.

Now that you know about the early territory prior to Macon County, check out the next post in this series "Establishing Macon County" where we dive further into "Chapter 45" of the Private Acts of 1841-42 and detail how Macon County was carved out of Smith and Sumner based on the direction of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Written by: Caleb Fleming, Macon County History Preservation Project