COUNTY NAMED IN HONOR OF JUDGE
July 31, 1923

Nashville, Tenn -
Anderson County Tennessee was named in honor of Judge Joseph Anderson, one of the three judges of the Southwest Territory and successor to William Blount as United States senator when the latter was expelled from the Senate, according to a history of Tennessee Compiled by the state department of history. The county, created by act of the General Assembly on November 6, 1801, was formed from parts of Knox and Grainger counties. It lies partly in the valley of East Tennessee and partly on the East Cumberland Plateau, containing about 450 square miles. Settlements began in the county about the year 1800, principally by David Hall, William Tunnell, Isaac Coward, William Hogshead, John Chiles, Joseph Collins Roberts, John Garner, Aaron Slover, John Gibbs, Robert Ross and John Wilson.
The Court of Pleas and Common Sessions was organized on December 15, 1851, at the house of Joseph Denham, Sr. The justices of this court were,: Hugh Montgomery, William Underwood, Frederick Miller, James Grant, John Kirby, William Standifer, and Solomon Massingale, William Hogshead, who began practice about 1802, was the first lawyer of the county. The county seat was first named Burrville, in honor of Aaron Burr, by act of the legislature in 1809 the name was changed to Clinton in honor of DeWitt Clinton. The site of Clinton was first owned by John
Lieb and the lands surroundirtg it were settled by a colony of Germans, among whom were John Clodfelter, George Bumgartener and John Leinart. Besides the Germans there were John Mcwhirter, John Sutherland, Stephen Bradley, Richard Luallen, James Kirkpatrick and those mentioned above. The greater part of the wealth of Anderson County is in its coal and timber lands. Many large mines are in operation, The 1920 census shows that the county has a population of 1,409. It is located about 22 miles northwest of Knoxville. Scholastic .population of the county is 6,512, with seven high schools and 55 elementary.

Source: Kingsport Times, Kingsport, Tenn., July 31, 1923
Submitted By Angela Meadows