Notes |
- North Carolina Census, 1790-1890
about Joseph Smith
Name: Joseph Smith
State: NC
County: Duplin County
Township: Wards District
Year: 1786
Record Type: State or colonial census
Page: 002
Database: NC Early Census Index
Tennessee Census, 1810-91
about Joseph Smith
Name: Joseph Smith
State: TN
County: Stewart County
Township: 100010-44010
Year: 1810
Record Type: Tax List
Page: 125
Database: TN Early Census Index
1820 United States Federal Census
Name: Joseph Smith (Spencer's father)
County: Stewart
State: Tennessee
Enumeration Date: August 7, 1820
Free White Males - Under 10: 1 (2 males)
Free White Males - 26 thru 44: 1 (Joseph) (b. 1776 - 1794)
Free White Females - Under 10: 4
Free White Females - 10 thru 15: 4
Free White Females - 26 thru 44: 1 (wife)
Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture: 2
Slaves - Females - 14 thru 25: 1
Slaves - Females - 26 thru 44: 1
Free White Persons - Under 16: 9
Free White Persons - Over 25: 2
Total Free White Persons: 11
Total Slaves: 2
Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other: 13
U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
about Joseph Smith
Name: Joseph Smith
Gender: Male
Birth Place: NC
Birth Year: 1786
Spouse Name: Susan Boze
Birth Place: NC
Spouse Birth Year: 1810
Number Pages: 1
1830 United States Federal Census
Name: Joseph Smith (maybe great Uncle of Spencer)
Home in 1830: Stewart, Tennessee
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 2 (males 4)
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 50 thru 59: 1 (Joseph) (b. 1771 - 1780)
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19: 3
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 40 thru 49: 1 (1st wife)
Slaves - Males - Under 10: 1
Slaves - Males - 10 thru 23: 1
Slaves - Males - 24 thru 35: 1
Slaves - Females - Under 10: 1
Slaves - Females - 36 thru 54: 1
White Persons - Blind: 3
Free White Persons - Under 20: 7
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 10
Total Slaves: 5
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 15
1850 United States Federal Census
about Joseph Smith
Name: Joseph Smith
Age: 64
Estimated birth year: abt 1786
Birth Place: North Carolina
Gender: Male
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): South Division, Smith, Tennessee
Family Number: 276
Household Members:
Name Age
Joseph Smith 64 (Spencer's father?) b. NC 1786
Susan Smith 40 (b. 1810) (2nd wife) (see marriage record above)
Mary Smith 22 (b. 1828)
Margret Smith 21 (b. 1829)
Eliza Smith 20 (b. 1830)
William Smith 15 (b. 1835)
Joseph Smith 12 (b. 1838)
Same Census - not living next door:
Name: Josiah Smith (relative of Spencer?)
Age: 61
Estimated birth year: abt 1789
Birth Place: North Carolina
Gender: Male
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Stewart, Tennessee
Family Number: 531
Household Members:
Name Age
Josiah Smith 61
Micheal Smith 51
Angeline Smith 20
Susan Smith 18
Josiah Smith 13
Saml Smith 7
Nancy Shepherd 64
1860 Census Stewart Co., TN
Dist #2 Indian Mounds P.O. enumerated 6
Jun 1860:
Household #190:
Smith, Joseph age 73, m. Farm Laborer b. NC (1786-87), (Spencer's father)
Susan, 27, f. b. TN (1833), (granddaughter)
Suella, 3, f. b. TN. (1857)
(Joseph is now a widower)
Household #191:
Smith, Spencer age 32, m. Farm Laborer b. TN, (1828)
Elizabeth 30, f. b. TN, (1830)
Nathan 10, m. b. TN, (1850)
Mary 9, f. b. TN, (1851)
George 6, m. b. TN. (George Henry Smith b. 1854)
Household #192:
Smith, Henry age 28, m. b. TN, (b. 1832) (Spencer's brother)
Mary 25, f. b. TN, (b. 1835)
James 9, m. b. TN,
Joseph 8, m. b. TN,
Nancy 2, f. b. TN.
Household #193:
Smith, Richard age 23, m. Farm Laborer b. TN (1837) (Spencer's brother)
Ann 23, f. b. TN, (1837)
Charles 1, m. b. TN.
1850 United States Federal Census
about James N Smith
Name: James N Smith
Age: 57
Estimated birth year: abt 1793
Birth Place: North Carolina
Gender: Male
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Montgomery, Tennessee
Family Number: 1491
Household Members:
Name Age
James N Smith 57 (Joseph Smith's nephew?)
Nancy A Smith 50
Ann Smith 17
Francis Smith 20
Valentine M Smith 14
Elizabeth S Smith 12
Margaret Smith 10
Nathaniel H Smith 6
Susan Smith 4
The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture © Tennessee Historical Society:
The county's boundary lines have changed repeatedly. Today, the county encompasses 458 square miles; its population in 2000 was 12,370, representing a 30 percent increase since 1990. State and federal agencies control over 44 percent of the land in the county. Modern highways have replaced the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers as the primary transportation arteries. A Cumberland City ferry is the last remnant of a service rendered obsolete by the construction of bridges throughout the county. However, many place names indicate the county's geography and cultural history: Tobaccoport, Bumpus Mills, Big Rock, Bear Springs, Model, Bellwood, Leatherwood, Indian Mound, and Cumberland City.
Cumberland City, the second largest city, was established in 1814. Prior to 1860, it was known as Bowling Green, but changed the name to Cumberland to eliminate confusion with Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was also on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. The word "City" was added by citizens who anticipated a great future for their town. The town is perhaps best known for the Cumberland City Academy, which was founded in 1893 by W. T. Thomas. Before statehood, Methodist circuit-riding preachers conducted campground meetings at the site of the McKendree Church, the oldest church in the county. Today, Cumberland City looks much as it did at the turn of the twentieth century, except for the presence of one of the largest coal burning steam plants in the world, constructed by the TVA in 1968. Adjacent to the steam plant is Stewart-Houston Industrial Park, which houses several modern manufacturing operations.
Although Big Rock remains an important county community, the development of Fort Campbell in the 1940s greatly diminished the town's size and population. Indian Mound was named for the prehistoric burial mounds located in the community. Early settlers recognized the mounds and recorded their presence in early court records and deeds. The community developed with the establishment of two iron furnaces. When the furnaces closed, the population of the community declined.
As the era of the iron industry passed, the economy depended more heavily on the earlier established farming and timber industry. Cotton was among the first crops grown in the early 1800s, but it declined in production due to low yields caused by poor soil conservation practices. Both dark-fired and burley tobacco were introduced into the area in the early 1800s, but dark-fired tobacco dominated and continues as the county's primary cash crop. In fact, the region is known as the "Dark-Fired Capitol of the World." In addition to tobacco, Stewart County farmers produce corn, wheat, and soybeans.
The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1886
The Cumberland River enters the southeast corner of the county and runs approximately in a northwesterly direction until it reaches a point beyond Dover, when it turns and runs nearly due north and parallel with the Tennessee River, which bounds the western side of the county. The Tennessee Ridge forms the water shed between the two rivers. The creeks of the county are Elk, Saline, Hickman, Standing Rock, Lick, Long, South Cross, Bear, Barrett's, Nevill's, Prior's, North Cross, Bullpasture, Cub, Panther, Bird's and Rushing's.
Stewart County was settled principally by North Carolinians, the first of whom came some time about 1795, that State having issued military grants to survivors of the Continental war, which called for large tracts of land lying in this county. Among the persons to whom these grants were issued between the years 1795 and 1805 were James and Thomas Armstrong, Duncan Stewart, James Camper, Caleb Fisher, William Hendry, John McAuslin, J.C. Mountflounce, James Tabb, Abner Lamb, William B.. Blunt, Lewis Cannon, William Fawn, Henry Turner, Robert Hays, Robert Searcey, Daniel Wheaton, Simon Bright, Adriah Valch, Benjamin Shepherd, James Templeton, and James Martin , all of whom received from 1000 to 1500 acres each, while grants fro 174 and 640 acres each were received by Lewis Pipkin, Martin Armstrong, Charles Stewart, John Baker, John McNeese, Joseph Brach, Nathan Alexander, Arthur Tynor, Thomas Campbell, Charles Gerard, Charles Griggs, John McNairy, Robert Calf, James Mills, Anthony Hart, Solomon Kitt, James Rice, James Gillingham, Henry Johnston, Thomas Taunt, Thomas Sharp, Jesse Massie, Hayden Wells, William Curd, James Coglin, John McAdams, Joshua Doris, James Lack, Abner Lamb, Richard Fenner, John Collins, James Douge, Gryan Whitfield, and Jesse Burton.
Probably the first settlers of the county were George Petty, Samuel A. Smith, Brittain Sexton, James Andrews, Samuel Boyt, and Elisha Dawson, all of whom came from North Carolina about 1795. Petty settled on the Cumberland River, near where Dover now stands; Smith in the same neighborhood; Sexton on Standing rock Creek, in the Tenth District; Andrews on Lick Creek, in the Seventh District; Boyt on Panther creek, in the Ninth District, and Dawson about five miles southwest of where now stands Dover. In 1800 Duncan Stewart, Nimrod Croswell, Robert Nelson, Seth Outlaw, William Pew, John Stansel, Thomas Shaw, Thomas B. Perrill, Christopher Brandon, Littleberry Hamilton, John Kingins, Z.T. Shamwell, John Ferrell, Maricy McCollum,Etheldred Wallace, Samuel Ross, William Carr, M.G. Morris, Charles Polk, Abraham Phillips, John Bird, Walter Boslon, Thomas Buckingham, Jack Warford, John Gardner, and Jarris Taylor came from North Carolina and settled in different parts of the county. At about the same time Joseph Smith and Larry Satterfield came together from North Carolina and settled at the foot of the Cumberland River hills, on Lick Creek, near the present site of Dover; David Lewis , another North Carolinian came in about 1803, settling in the Fifth District. About that time quite a settlement of natives of the Carolinas was formed on Long Creek, six miles southeast of Dover, among whom were Travers Moore, Matthew Manning, Bryand and Zachariah O'Neal, Thomas and David Childers, Drewry Bird, Thomas, James and William Magee, Wilson Randall and George Cathey and Philip Hornbarger was at the head of a settlement on Byron Forge Creek at the same time. In about 1804 James Scarborough, Sr., James Scarborough Jr., David Andrews, Emanuel James, Evenezer Rumphelt, Benjamin Bogt, James Boyd and John Scarborough came from Virginia, and found farms on which to locate in different sections of the county. Among other early settlers were William Massey, James Elder, Sterling May, James, Tygart, Henry Samson, John Jones, William Haggard, William R. Bell, John Trousdale, Caleb Williams, Louis Elliott, Thomas White, Moses Ward, Amos Fletcher, Ebenezer Piatt, John Cooper, William Linsey, James Galing, Samuel French, John Kyzer, Elisha Simpson, John Graham, Benjamin Downs, Jacob McCartney, Thomas Almon, John Scott, Charles Wilcox, John Hobbs, James Simpson, David Hogan, Samuel Baker, W.R. Allison, Thomas C. Clinton, William Bitts, Louis bryant, John Churchwell, Robert Lancaster, Thomas Smith, Vernon Randolph, Thomas Craig, Thomas Cottingham, James Hurd, John Boyd, Jonathan May, Henry Gibson, David Yarborough, John Frazer, Guthridge, Lyon, James Moore, John Churchwell, John Carney, Warren Fortner, John Price, John Polk (cousin of James K. Polk), William Dunbar, Benjamin Bradford, Caleb Williams, Manton Wells, Zachariah Ratcliff, James wyatt, Simon Fletcher, Nathaniel Denson, John Sanders, Robert Armstrong, Enoch James, John Scales, Elijah Simpson, Louis Keeling, James Cook, George Crassner, Silas Vincent, Wiley wheatley, Stephen Gilbert, Thomas Mallory, William Pearce, Armstead Stubblefield, John Edmonson, James Warnock, Asa Atkins, Archabald Cook, Tapley Maddos, Anthony Lee, William Christmas and Nicholas Long.
The first settlers found the county infested with Indians, a majority of whom were hostile, and two block-house forts were erected for better protection from the savages. Those structures were of rough unhewn logs, calculated to withstand a furious and determined attack, and stood on Lick Creek and Tennessee River. Some time before 1795 a party of surveyors, composed of seven or eight men, who had come out from North Carolina to run the lines of tracts of land in the different military grants, were attacked one night while encamped on Spring creek (now known as Dyer's creek), in the Fifth District, and three or four were killed by the Indians. Thomas French , one of the few settlers of that early date, was one of the party, but made his escape. Depredations of all kinds were committed by the Indians, and as late as 1812 the Tennessee River had to be constantly patrolled by the militia to prevent them from making incursions and raids on the settlers.
Game of every description also abounded in the vast canebrakes and forests in the early days, and many a "bar" story has been handed down, one of which is as follows and is vouched for by Judge Scarborough , of Dover: some time in 1807 James Scarborough and sons left home to attend court in Dover, leaving the farm in charge of his wife, Mary . As they lived a long distance from the county seat, it was necessary to remain overnight. Along in the evening, after the men had taken their departure, a huge black bear was detected prowling around the place, and finally got in among the pigs. The dogs were set on it, and it took refuge in a large tree near the house. By this time it was dark, and Mrs. Scarborough could not distinguish the form of Bruin, so she made a large fire under the tree and sat up all night long to replenish it, in order to keep the animal in the tree, and when morning came the plucky woman got her husband's rifle and killed the bear, which was skinned, and the hide preserved as a trophy. During the first days of the settlement there were no mills or stores nearer than Palmyra, Montgomery County, and thither went the settlers to mill and trade. A large amount of the stores used in those days were brought from New Orleans. The time required to make one of the New Orleans trips was about six months. They would load their furs, skins, and whatever produce they had on keep-boats, and float down the river. Exchanging produce for groceries, etc., they would start on the return trip. If they sold their boats they would walk home making the trip in about four months, and if the boats were brought back, as was frequently the case, the full six months were required for the trip, as it was necessary to draw the boats all the way home by hand. Among the early merchants were Mason Bennett , who in 1904 was granted license to sell whisky at his dwelling house. Bennett also kept a small assortment of general merchandise. James Russell kept a similar store, in what was afterward Dover, about the same time. At that time George Petty kept tavern at his house on the Cumberland River and John Stewart also kept tavern at his house on Wells Creek. In 1806 George Petty opened a tavern in Dover, and Philip Hornbarger kept a similar establishment at his house on Byron Forge Creek, and Phillip Wells kept a small store on Well's Creek. Nathan Skinner kept store in 1812 on Shelby Creek, and in 1815 John Ross opened store at his dwelling house.
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