Acts of 1801 Chapter 45

COMPILER’S NOTE: Sections 1 through 4 are the only sections of this act which affected Knox County. The remaining portion of Acts of 1801, Chapter 45, concerned the creation of Anderson and Roane counties.

SECTION 1. That from and after the passing of this act, Knox county shall be bounded by the following lines, (viz.) Beginning on the south bank of Holston, at the mouth of Little river, and running with the lines as described by an act, entitled, "an act describing and extending the bounds of Knox county," passed at Knoxville, January the fifth, one thousand seven hundred & ninety nine, to the upper end of the first bluff above Boyle's old place, thence along the lines as described by "An act to annex part of Grainger county to the county of Knox," thence along the former line of Knox county, to a ridge between Clinch mountain and Clinch river known by the name of the Chesnut ridge, thence along said ridge to the lower line of Henderson and company's survey; thence along said line to the top of the Copper ridge, thence along the extreme height of said ridge opposite the first bluff below the mouth of Bull Run, thence to the north bank of Clinch river opposite said bluff, thence along the said north bank to a point, from which south, forty five degrees east, will strike the south bank of Holston river, so as to leave Knox a constitutional county, thence up the several meanders of said river on the south side to the beginning.

SECTION 2. That all that tract of country lying within the following described bounds, shall be, and is hereby made and constituted a new and distinct county by the names of Anderson, (viz.) Beginning on the Chesnut ridge where the Knox and Grainger line crosses it, thence north, forty five degrees west, to the northern boundary of this state, thence south forty five degrees west, to a point from whence, south, forty five degrees east, will strike Wallen's ridge one quarter of a mile above the gap of the Indian fork of Poplar creek, thence to the double springs on the east fork of said creek, thence a direct course to Clinch river opposite the mouth of Hickory creek, thence up the lines of Knox county to the beginning.

SECTION 3. That all that tract of country lying within the following described bounds, shall be, and is hereby made and constituted a new and distinct county by the name of Roane, (viz.) Beginning at the corner of Knox county, on the south bank of Holston river, running along said line to Clinch river on the north bank, thence up or down said north bank, as the case may be, to the corner of Anderson county, thence along said line, north forty five degrees west, to the north west corner thereof, thence south, forty five degrees west, to the southern boundary of this state, thence east, along said southern boundary to the river Tennessee, on the south side, thence up the several meanders of said river on the south side, to a point opposite the south bank of Holston river, thence to the said south bank, thence up the several meanders on the south side to the beginning.

SECTION 4. That Knox county shall not extend further down, than to a direct line from the salt petre cave, below the Chota ford on Holston, to the mouth of Hickory creek, on Clinch river, until the constitutional limits of Knox county shall be ascertained by actual survey, which shall be done by disinterested commissioners appointed by the county court of Knox: Provided also, That if on accurate survey it shall be found, that there are not constitutional bounds for Knox county above the line described in this section, that then and in that case, the deficiency shall be made up, by taking one half thereof from the county of Anderson on the south side, between the Grainger line, and the lower line of Henderson and company's survey; the other half thereof from Roane county, between the rivers Clinch and Holston, which lines when run, shall be the bounds of Knox county, any thing in this act to the contrary notwithstanding.

Passed: November 6, 1801.