Hancock & Hawkins Counties, Tennessee

New 48 Page Booklet

Early days in Hancock County and Hawkins County in East Tennessee are recalled in this spiral bound booklet compiled from excerpts from the 1886 book: History of Tennessee, originally published by Goodspeed Publishing Co., and other sources. The 48-page booklet is printed one-sided on 60# paper with the print enlarged for easier reading. A vinyl sheet has been added to protect the front cover.

The county seats are: Sneedville in Hancock County and Rogersville in Hawkins County.

The first part of the booklet concerns the history of: Hancock County --Geography and geology; Early Settlers --Jonas Loughmiller, William McGee, Enos Matthias and others; First structures in the county; Greasy Rock Academy; Organization of the county and early county buildings; Sheriffs, Court clerks, Registers and Trustees; Greasy Rock Academy; etc.; and Hawkins County -- Geography; Surnames of Early Pioneers -- Long, Love, Kincaid, Mulkey, Carter, Parker, and others; Organization of the county; Indian activities; Circuit court and first grand jury; Story of a boy who lost his shirt, but saved his scalp; Criminal cases and Executions; Pleasant M. Miller and Judge Samuel Powell; Early attorneys; Joseph Rogers and Robersville; the Rogers and Hogan store; the Rogersville Tennessee Bank and other businesses; the Knoxville Gazette's first home; Schools, churches and lodges; Sheriffs, Court clerks, Registers and Trustees, and so forth.

Besides the names mentioned in the first part of the booklet, there are biographies of many county residents of yesteryear. Most are fairly lengthy, and often include ancestors, previous residences, children, in-laws, affiliations, war records, and business activities. In the course of this they often shed light on the early businesses, professions and institutions in the county. The biographies include: Hancock County -- JosephW. Baker, Jonathan Bales, Isaac W. Campbell, Dr. Robert S. Campbell, Rev. George W. Coleman, Alexander and Mary (Gouger) Davis, Rev. George W. Davis, Elbert T. Day, Berton J. Drinnon, Robert D. Greene, Hiram Herd, Lewis M. Jarvis, Ewell and Elizabeth (McCoy) Jordan, A.B. Kesterson, William J. K. Lawson, Wyles L. McCoy, Jesse P. Nichols, Isaac Parkey, Exra M. Quillen, W.G. Seal, Capt. William P. Testerman, Sampson Williams, W.T. Wolfe, and Capt. Gideon Wolfe; Hawkins County -- Capt. William L. Armstrong, Henry C. Armstrong, William M. Arnott, Ellis Cocke, William M. Francisco, Dr. Samuel H. Gault, William P. Gillenwaters, John M. Gray, Lewis W. Guthrie, Philip S. Hale, Jacob Hamilton, Rufus Hunter, Robert M. Kyle, Thomas Lee, William W. Legg, William F. Lyons, Capt. Clinton G. Lyons, Luther B. Lyons, Dr. Richard P. Mitchell, John R. Moore, Thomas J. Parrott, P.L. Pearson, William S. Phipps, J.M. Phipps, William H. Price, William T. Robertson, Andrew D. Simpson, Alexander Smith, Christopher C. Spears, John E. Starnes, David C. Tunnell, Edward Watterson, William H. Watterson, James White, and James Wright.

Brief excerpts from Counties of Tennessee by Austin P. Foster, and Tennessee, a Guide to the State, compiled and written by the Federal Writer's Project of the WPA in 1939, are included. Tour stops include Rotherwood, the Home for Superannuated Printing Pressmen, and Rogersville. There's also a 6-page section on Kingsport, part of which in in Hawkins County.