When Goodspeed published its well-known history of Tennessee in 1887, it concluded that "No Tennessee county has a more honorable record or a more interesting history than Jefferson." The second of twenty-six American counties so named, its early settlers were men of intelligence, education, and patriotism, whose influence is still felt seven generations later.

Geography influenced the development of this East Tennessee Valley county. From 1784 to 1788, under the government of the State of Franklin, this area was part of Caswell County. Jefferson County, as created by Territorial Governor William Blount on June 11, 1792, encompassed approximately 1,200 square miles. The Holston River formed its northern boundary, and the French Broad River bisected it. These two water highways, the result of the area's heavy rainfall, support a large variety of plants, animals, and freshwater fish. Early settlers used these rivers as their primary means of transportation to the new frontier of Tennessee. North Carolinians came down the French Broad, and Virginians arrived by way of the Holston River.

The first permanent settlement at Dandridge dates to 1783; the village became the county seat in 1793. One immigrant, Dr. William Moore, set up practice as the first physician in Dandridge. Dr. Moore's wife, Cassie Paxton Moore, was a lady of culture and kept a large library. Her first cousin, Sam Houston, spent weeks with the Moores, immersed in the books that would prepare him for later public service in Tennessee and Texas.

Fertile soil and favorable treaties with the Indian tribes of the area attracted hundreds of settlers to Jefferson County. By 1795 Knox and Jefferson Counties each reported populations of approximately 7,500. Many of the early settlers were Revolutionary War soldiers of Scots-Irish background who migrated to the region to claim war land grants. The rivers that brought them to the area would also provide farm-to-market roads for the corn, wheat, and cattle these industrious pioneers produced. The rivers remained the primary transportation system in the county until the first railroad was constructed in 1858.

The Civil War touched Jefferson County in a variety of ways. Divided in their loyalties, members of a given family often fought on opposing sides. On Christmas Eve, 1863, at Dandridge, Federal cavalry engaged Confederate soldiers from the command of General James Longstreet, who was moving to the Morristown-Dandridge-Greeneville area for winter headquarters. Both Union and Confederate troops foraged the area in search of food. By winter's end the land was devastated; even the fence rails had been burned. The buildings of Carson-Newman College, established in 1851, had also been vandalized. Unlike many other institutions, however, Carson-Newman recovered and is now among the largest church-supported colleges in Tennessee. With over 2,200 students, 350 faculty and staff, and thirty buildings on ninety acres in the heart of Jefferson City, no other institution or industry contributes as much to the county's economy.

The fertile land and seasonal climate accounted for much of the agricultural recovery in the post-Civil War period. The success of the county's agricultural production encouraged the establishment of canning factories, such as Stokely and Bush Brothers in the early twentieth century. In the late 1990s, Bush's baked beans controlled over 50 percent of that product's market.

The outbreak of World War II gave final impetus to the building of Douglas Dam as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Construction of the dam threatened valuable farmland, and Tennessee Senator Kenneth McKellar fought on behalf of the interests of the canning industry against TVA plans for Douglas Dam. Indeed, Jefferson County lost 40.5 square miles of the most fertile farmland to the TVA. But war demands for hydroelectricity took precedence over other concerns. The Cherokee Dam blueprint was used to build Douglas Dam. More than six thousand laborers worked around the clock and completed construction in 382 days, a world record for a project of this size. The hydroelectricity from Douglas and Cherokee Dams furnished power for two critical war industries, aluminum production and the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge.

In 1914 valuable zinc ore deposits were discovered by Mark Newman, a geologist with American Zinc Company. In the 1930s Dr. Charles R. L. Oder, of Universal Zinc Company, and Jack Crawford and Howard Miller, two nationally recognized geologists, found additional deposits. By 1960 four major companies were mining zinc in Jefferson County. From 1950 to 1995 Jefferson County claimed the distinction of being the largest producer of zinc ore in the United States, although declining deposits have reduced the number of mining companies operating in the county today to two.

Currently Jefferson County encompasses 273.83 square miles, having contributed land to the formation of Sevier County (1795), Cocke County (1797), and Hamblen County (1870). The 2000 population of Jefferson County was 44,294. There are five incorporated cities: Baneberry, Dandridge, Jefferson City, New Market, and White Pine. Jefferson City is the largest with a population of 7,760.

Estle P. Muncy, Jefferson City

Text copyright© 1998 by the Tennessee Historical Society, Nashville, Tennesseee.
Online Edition copyright© 2002 The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. All Rights Reserved.

The area that we today call White Pine must have been a familiar site to the early Woodland Indians. Large burial grounds were located on the French Broad River, just four to five miles southeast of town and a war path came down the Nolichucky River, turned west up Long Creek, moved over to Dumplin Creek, and then made its way down to the French Broad. It is very probable that early pioneers used the same route. followed by our pioneer fathers, walking up the valley, excited by the possibilities that this area offered for new homes.

Today, we locate our homes near roads, but in the late 1700’s families had to be located near water. Long Creek on the north side of White Pine and the French Broad River on the south side were perfect farming sites. There was adequate, clean running water. The soil was fertile, and it rose quickly and gently from the creek and river beds, a condition which helped prevent flooding. The water flowed swiftly; and thus mills could be constructed. The site was ideal, and soon settlers made their way into the area in large numbers. Log cabins began to dot the countryside, and our history began.

History records show that we received our first settlers as early as 1780. Among those earliest settlers were Benjamin McFarland, William Carson, and William Mays. The first church of the area was Beth-Car. This Methodist Church was established in the late 1780’s to serve the people that had located in the Nolichucky-French Broad River region.

In 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War, White Pine was far from being a town. The war devastated the county, but it spared the White Pine area because there was little to be gained militarily from assaulting the scattered homes. The plantations on the French Broad, however were raided for agricultural commodities. In comparison to the rest of the county, these local incidents were minor, and it seems that most of the homes survived the devastations of war.

At the end of the war, White Pine was about to be born. Its birth was to be a direct result of the construction of a railroad. The right-of-way through White Pine, according to local accounts, was given by W.P. Nichols. The point where the stage road from Dandridge to Greeneville crossed the railroad, local residents decided, would be an ideal location for a community. In 1870, Esquire Leeper, of Oak Grove, was commissioned to lay out a town; and soon people spoke of “going to the crossing” as we say “going to town.” White Pine was granted a post office on March 19, 1872. The name for the post office was chosen by Esquire Richard White. According to tradition, White, sitting in his cabin (on what is now Main Street), looked across the street and saw an unusually tall white pine tree. The name White Pine was written down on the government post office form; thus the town was named.

In April, 1893, White Pine became an incorporated town. Then on April 2, 1905, a fire destroyed almost the entire downtown. The town was once again incorporated in 1915 and operates under this incorporation to this date.

- excerpts from The Crossing – A History of White Pine, Tennessee used with permission from David R. Noonkesser, Chairman of the White Pine Historical Committee 1986

Baneberry is a small resort community in Jefferson County. The city is nestled at the base of the Smokey Mountains and partially surrounded by Douglas Lake. Baneberry boasts a championship golf course and 600 miles of Douglas Lake shoreline.

Baneberry was incorporated in 1986.

                                by Robert Jarnagin,  Jefferson County Historian

           When the earliest pioneers breached the natural barrier of the Appalachian Mountain range and began exploration into the interior of our great country, news of fertile valleys rich with fresh water and game filtered back to the coastal settlements.  By the close of the American Revolution in 1783 permanent settlers had set up a western outpost along the banks for the French Broad River in the area that would later become Dandridge.  In 1792, there was sufficient settlement for William Blount, Governor of the Territory South of the Ohio River, to carve out a new county named Jefferson in honor of the Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson.  Frances Dean supplied 50 acres of land for the new county seat of Dandridge, named in honor of our country's first First Lady, Martha Dandridge Washington.  A courthouse was built and the town prospered with some of the earliest businesses being taverns or ordinaries catering to the travelers and businessmen requiring overnight lodging.

           Around 1856 when the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad constructed it's line connecting Knoxville to Virginia, the route chosen through Jefferson County was north of Dandridge and past the communities of New Market and Mossy Creek (modern day Jefferson City).  As commerce shifted to the railroad system, Dandridge's growth slowed but it's importance as the county seat kept the town active.

          Today, downtown Dandridge is a National Historic District showcased by the second courthouse completed in 1845 of Greek Revival architecture.  Four of the original taverns highlight the walking tour of the historic district  -  Roper Tavern, Hickman Tavern, Shepherd's Inn, and Thomas Tavern.  Federal and Greek Revival dominate the early building styles, all with an unusual backdrop of the Dandridge Dike constructed in 1942 to save the downtown area from the waters of Douglas Lake when the TVA constructed a dam across the French Broad River.

          Dandridge provides a delightful mixture of old and new.  The courthouse contains a free museum displaying historic artifacts from many area of Jefferson County.  Roper Tavern is occupied as a law office.  The old Hickman Tavern is now the Dandridge Town Hall, and the Coach House is our Visitors Center where one can find information on Historic Dandridge and a copy of the walking tour guide.  Shepherd's Inn is a private residence.  The Thomas Tavern is a gift and smoke shop.  The old Gass General Store building now houses a steak & barbecue restaurant, general store/cafe, and an art gallery.  Drop in at the drug store for a step back in time at the original soda fountain where you can pick up one of their famous milkshakes or maybe a homemade fried apple pie to enjoy under a shade tree out back in the old Revolutionary Graveyard.  Maybe one would prefer a carriage ride of the historic district based from a cafe where you can also utilize their high-speed wireless internet connection.  Just across the lake from the dike you will find a full service marina with restaurant and lodging.