Cocke County, TN was once a part of North Carolina, called the State of Franklin. Then it became a part of Greene County, NC and Jefferson County.
The area in today's Cocke County was settled after the first treaty with the Cherokee Indians in 1721. Most Cherokees were removed to Oklahoma in 1838 along the "Trail of Tears." The Cherokees that stayed in the Great Smoky Mountains were given a Cherokee Reservation located in Cherokee, NC.
The Territory of Tennessee was annexed to NC as the Washington District in 1776. It became Washington County in 1777.
The early settlers were Scotch-Irish with a few Dutch and Germans.
In the fall of 1782 General Charles McDowell and General John Sevier skirmished with the Cherokee Indians in one of the Revolutionary War battles.
Greene County was established on April 18, 1783. The present Cocke County was part of Greene County and began to be settled in 1783 along the French Broad and Big Pigeon rivers. Later, the present Cocke County was part of Jefferson County, when it broke off from Greene County (1792).
The first permanent settler in the area was John Gilliland. He planted a crop of corn at the mouth of the Big Pigeon River in 1783. In 1797 he donated 50 acres to build Old Newport and erect a court house and a prison with stocks.
One of the earliest settlers was George McNutt. His daughter was the first white child born south of the French Broad river. Other families included: Rogers, McNabb, McGuinn, Doherty.
A settlement was made north of the French Broad by a colony of Pennsylvania Germans. These families included: Huff, Boyer, Ottinger. This area was called the Dutch Bottom.
Peter Fine settled on the river opposite of Newport. He had the first ferry in the county.
In 1783 Indians began to steal the cattle and horses from families who had settled along the French Broad and Nolachucky rivers. Major Peter Fine and William Lilland raised a company of 30 men and pursued them. In a battle, they killed one Indian. The Indians killed Vinet Fine. He was later put in the water of a stream, which is now known as Fine Creek.
In 1784 the first road in the present day Cocke county (still part of Greene County) was laid out. Also, forts were built to protect them from the Indians. They were McCoy's Fort, Whitson's Fort, and Wood's Fort.
In 1784 North Carolina ceded the land which is now Tennessee to the federal government. Cocke county was getting settled in a fertile section known as the "Irish Bottom."
In November, 1784 the area became the state of Franklin (Frankland), which existed until 1788. John Gilliland took an active part in organizing the State of Franklin.
Gilliland was elected to the convention in 1785 for the state of Franklin. William Lillard was the first county (Greene County) representative in the Legislature.
In 1787 the Swaggerty Blockhouse was built by James Swaggerty for protection from hostile Indians.
The first church was organized on Dec 6, 1787 at the home of James English. The church was the Big Pigeon Baptist Church at Upper War Ford. The Methodists and Lutherans came soon after the Baptists.
On June 11, 1792, the area became part of Jefferson County, TN. It remained part of Jefferson County until 1797.
The last Indian battles occurred in 1793.
Tennessee did not become a bona fide state until June 1, 1796 when it was admitted to the Union as the 16th state.
Cocke County came on its own on Oct 9, 1796 and was named after William Cocke (1747-1828), one of the two first US senators from TN. It is 434 square miles.
On Oct 9, 1797 the new county of Cocke County (cut off from Jefferson County) was formed. The county government was formally recognized in November, 1797. There was no official county seat until 1799 when James Gilliland donated 50 acres along the French Broad River. The county was named after Gen. William Cocke, an early pioneer of Tennessee.
The old town of Newport was laid out in 1799. Bt 1830 it was a village of 150 inhabitants.
In 1800 Beechwood Hall was built by William Garrett, first clerk of the county court.
In the 1800s John Stokely start a family business in farming and shipping his produce all over the country. This was to become the Stokley-Van Camp Company and is now Quaker Oats.
In 1808 the Methodists in East Tennessee had taken a stand against slavery. There was further influence of Quaker and Presbyterian belief.
In 1820 Anderson Academy was built.
In 1828 a brick courthouse was built.
The Wall clan came from Shelby, Rutherford County, NC to Parrottsville, Cocke County in 1833. They stayed until 1884, when they moved to Winlock, Washington.
Parrottsville is the 3rd oldest town in Tennessee. It was settled in the 1790s by Germans. The town is located along Highway 321 between Newport (6 miles north) and Greeneville. It was established about 1830, on the farm of Jacob Parrott.
The 2nd oldest city in Tennessee is Dandridge, organized in 1783. This is in Jefferson County.
In 1850 there were 1,295 families in Cocke County.
On Sep 4, 1857 William Wall died and was buried at the Faubion cemetery off of Good Hope Road in Parrottsville. He was 70 years old. His wife, Nancy Faubion (?), died on March 25, 1842 at the age of 50. She is also buried at the Faubion cemetery. They were married in 1812 in Shelby, Rutherford County, NC. Thier children were William Bryson, Oliver Perry, Jesse J, and several daughters.
During the Civil War, neighbors were fighting neighbors throughout the East Tennessee mountains. The 4th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry Regiment fought for the preservation of the Union during the Civil War. It was formed in the spring of 1863.
After the War, Carson Springs and Sulphur Springs in Cocke County became health resorts.
In 1867 the Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap, and Charleston Railroad was completed as far as Clifton.
The first newspaper in the county was the Excelsior Star in 1875. It was published by Joseph Bible.
In 1876 the newspaper moved to Parrottsville and was called the Reporter. It moved to Newport in 1877.
On Dec 31, 1876 the first courthouse in Clifton (now Newport) burned down. Then the county government returned to the original site on the French Broad River.
In 1884, the TN Supreme Court ruled that the county seat would be on the Big Pigeon Rover and would be known as Newport. A brick courthouse was built in 1885 and served until 1930.
Tobacco, corn, and apples are the top products of Cocke County. The county seat is in Newport. The county is 434 square miles. Population in Cocke County is 30,000. Newport has over 7,000. Parrottsville has 121.
