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Article Index

The following private or local acts constitute part of the administrative and political history of Sevier County but are today no longer operative because they have either been superseded, repealed, or failed to receive local approval. Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

1. Acts of 1795, Chapter 7, Page 21, recited that the act to appoint commissioners to erect a court house, prison, and stocks in Sevier County had proved ineffectual. This act appointed Peter Bryan, Joshua Gist, Mordecai Lewis, and John Clark as Commissioners to act in conjunction with the Commissioners heretofore provided for, to agree and contract for 25 acres of land in Sevier County, as near the center as possible, and to agree and contract with workmen to build a court house, prison, and stocks thereon. They would lay off the plat into one-half acre lots, lay out the streets and alleys in the 25 acres for a county seat which would be called Sevierville. The lots would be sold at public auction to the highest bidder and the proceeds used to build the public buildings. The purchaser must build on the lot within 2 years from purchase or land would revest into the Commissioner's hands.

2. Acts of 1798, Chapter 15, Page 40, appointed Josiah Rodgers, William Henderson, Samuel Blair, and Isaac Thomas, as Commissioners for Sevierville, all to serve in addition to all the Commissioners heretofore appointed.

3. Acts of 1803, Chapter 1, Page 1, was a statewide militia law organizing the state armed forces into their respective units and setting up the regulations under which they would operate. Sevier County's militia was assigned to the Eleventh Regiment and would be divided into Battalions, Companies, and Platoons. They were required to hold at least one semi-annual muster.

4. Acts of 1805, Chapter 10, Page 10, named William Porter, Isaac Love, John Brabson, Floyd Nichol, Robert Wear, Benjamin Ominet, and William Mitchell as additional Commissioners for Sevierville and charged them with the same responsibilities given to the original Commissioners about laying out the town, selling the lots, and causing the buildings to be erected. They must give a strict accounting of all monies received to the Treasurer.

5. Acts of 1805, Chapter 26, Page 25, is indicated in some works as applying to Sevier County but this act which concerns the sale of some lots in Greenville does not apply. The jail lot in Greenville was sold by an agent named Valentine Sevier.

6. Acts of 1809, Chapter 26, Page 59, appointed David Ownes, Alexander Preston, and William Frazier as additional Commissioners for Sevierville.

7. Acts of 1809, Chapter 23, Page 32, corrected the name of David Owens in the above act to Stewart Owens.

8. Acts of 1815, Chapter 199, Page 263, provided for a town to be established on the land of Ferrill Hester, in Sevier County, consisting of 30 one-half acre lots to be laid out in proper streets and alleys under Hester's direction. The town would be called Hesterville, and when the lots were sold, they would be subject to taxation as other lots were.

9. Acts of 1819, Chapter 20, Page 26, Section 10, gave the County Court of Sevier County full power and authority to appropriate any money now in the hands of the Trustee, or that may hereafter come into his hands, for the purpose of building a prison in Sevierville on such part of the public square as the Commissioners of the town may think proper. The commissioners were given the authority to sell the old prison as the county court may direct.

10. Acts of 1820 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 21, Page 25, made it appear that the language in a grant was insufficient to give the title to 25 acres to the commissioners in order for them to pass it on to purchasers of the same in Sevierville. This act requires the Register to permit an amendment to the conveyance by removing the phrase "and heirs" from the grant by adding the phrase "and successors" in its place, thus curing the alleged defect in title.

11. Acts of 1822 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 207, Page 164, permitted John Brabson, of Sevier County, to build a dam across the south sluice of the French Broad River at the place where he is how building a set of mills, provided that the County Court of Jefferson County agrees that it is in the best interest of the community to do so.

12. Acts of 1823, Chapter 148, Page 144, provided that Catherine Hardin, of Sevier County, was empowered to acquire and dispose of property to contract, to sue and be sued, and to do all things belonging by law to an adult single woman, except that she cannot intermarry with another man. Nothing in this act shall be construed as prohibiting her from resorting to the divorce courts, if she should so desire.

13. Acts of 1825, Chapter 69, Page 78, provided that Sevier County shall compose the 11th Regiment and hold a regimental muster on the second Saturday in October of each year. They were assigned to the First Brigade. The remainder of this lengthy Act was confined to the enactment of regulations for the organization, maintenance, and operations of the State Militia.

14. Acts of 1826 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 12, Page 17, provided that all marriages celebrated under licenses obtained from the Clerk's office in Jefferson or Knox County which authorized marriages in those counties for citizens supposed to be residing therein but were in reality residing in Sevier County were hereby validated and legalized. Further, all entries of land heretofore made by citizens of Sevier County residing between Bays Mountain and the Holston River in the Entry Takers office in either Knox or Jefferson Counties describing land supposedly in Knox or Jefferson County but actually located in Sevier County are also made legal, valid, and binding.

15. Acts of 1829, Chapter 108, Page 87, provided that Elijah Robertson, of Sevier County, be released and discharged from the payment of a $100 fine assessed by a jury for an assault and battery on the body of one Jeremiah Blalock at the June Session of the County Court. He is not released from the payment of costs in the cause, however.

16. Acts of 1831, Chapter 162, Page 131, stated that all deeds, or other written instruments heretofore registered in Greene, Sevier, Cocke, Washington, Hawkins, Carter, Grainger, Claiborne, Campbell, Jefferson, Blount, Monroe, and Sullivan Counties, although the certificates may not specify that the instruments were acknowledged by the grantor, or bargainor, yet the same shall be as good and valid, in law and equity as if they had been certified in a most formal and legal manner.

17. Acts of 1831, Chapter 257, Page 216, stated that Knobb Creek in Sevier County, a branch of Boyd's Creek, is hereby declared to be navigable from the mouth of the said Creek up to the place where the public road leading from Sevierville to Maysville crosses the same.

18. Acts of 1835-36, Chapter 21, Page 97, was the next statewide Militia Law which assigned the two companies in Sevier County to the 19th Regiment of the 5th Brigade.

19. Acts of 1837-38, Chapter 157, Page 223, Section 3, amended the State Militia Law by requiring a county drill in every county at sometime in September of each year which would take place in the county seat. Sevier County would attend to this requirement on the second Friday and Saturday in September. The Regimental musters would be held in every county in October of each year.

20. Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 64, Page 128, incorporated Matthew Tarwater, B. C. Andes, W. F. Nichols, J. M. Thomas, James P. Catlett, Isaac Trother, Jesse Stafford, R. W. Crowson, William Burns, M. P. Thomas, West J. Ernest, J. C. Murphy, Henry Butler, John Snapp, Harvey Keenerand, and S. O. Dickey, as the "The Sevier County Farmer's Club" which was authorized, among other things, to promote fairs, exhibitions, expositions, and like events for which they might purchase land, build buildings, and maintain and operate them.

21. Acts of 1899, Chapter 419, Page 982, authorized Sevier County, at such place or places where ferrys run, or may hereafter run, to purchase such boats and equipment, and employ such personnel as may be needed to operate the said ferrys without any charge therefor if the County Court should consider the same to be in the best interests of the county. Additional costs, if any, may be appropriated out of any funds belonging to the county.

22. Acts of 1909, Chapter 245, Page 825, permitted the practice in Lauerdale, Gibson, and Sevier Counties for any person, firm, or corporation, partnerships, or combinations to operate under one and the same management and to take out corporate charters to acquire both real and personal property for putting into operation a system of waterworks, electric lighting, and ice making plants under the same corporation. All powers, privileges, and obligations conferred upon his type of outfit shall also be conferred upon others of similar nature which are formed in the same way.

23. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 296, authorized the Quarterly Court upon a majority vote to subscribe for and purchase capital stock in any bank within the county. Article 2, Section 29 of the State Constitution declares that no county may invest in stock of a corporation until authorized to do so by a three-fourths vote of the people.

24. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 156, Page 806, removed all the disabilities of minority from Mrs. Flora Seaton, of Sevier County, giving her the right to conduct herself in all things as an adult.

25. Private Acts of 1937, Chapter 356, Page 1103, also removed the minority from Frances Leatherwood, of Sevier County, to the same extent and degree as the one above.

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