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Boundaries - Historical Notes

Tennessee Code Annotated
Tennessee Attorney General Opinions

The private act has often been used as a means for transferring parcels of land from one county to another, often because the boundary lines would bisect an individual landowner's property, placing the landowner under the jurisdiction of two counties. This type of boundary change was often very general in its description of the land transferred, without any metes and bounds description. The following is a summary of acts which authorized boundary changes for Benton County.

  1. Acts of 1843-44, Chapter 40, Section 2, provided that Thomas R. Jett and Burwell Beard of Benton County and John L. Houston and Jesse Taylor, of Perry County, be appointed commissioners to run and designate the dividing line between the two counties on the west side of the Tennessee River, and the said line, as it is run and marked, shall constitute the county line between the two.
  2. Acts of 1845-46, Chapter 62, Section 3, appointed John L. Houston and William H. Storm, of Decatur County, and William F. Daugherty and the present county surveyor of Benton County to run the line between the two counties and to mark the same. They shall commence on the Tennessee River at the northeast corner of Decatur County and run westerly. They shall make reports to their respective county courts who shall compensate them as they think best.
  3. Public Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 20, Section 4, changed the boundary lines between Benton and Carroll Counties as follows "beginning on the Big Sandy River where the said county line crosses the said river; thence running down the river, to the mouth of Bear Creek; thence up the said creek to the old county line, attaching all the territory within the thusly described area to Carroll County". This act was repealed by the one below.
  4. Public Acts of 1868-69, Chapter 39, Section 3, repealed Public Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 20, Section 4, which moved a portion of Benton County into Carroll County, thus restoring the described premises to Benton County.
  5. Public Acts of 1877, Chapter 58, changed the lines between Benton and Decatur Counties so as to include the lands and residence of Allen Styers in Decatur County.
  6. Public Acts of 1881, Chapter 161, changed the boundaries between Benton County and Henry County as follows "beginning at the McCampbell Ford on the Big Sandy River, thence run a direct line eastward until it strikes the Tennessee River at what is known as Wynn's Ferry, taking in the residence of Mrs. Josiah Askew at or near the last named ferry; thence with the said Tennessee River northward as it meanders to the corner of Henry County".
  7. Public Acts of 1883, Chapter 55, changed the lines between Benton County and Carroll County so as to include the dwelling house and lands of J. T. Dudley, which are generally described in the act, within the confines of Benton County.
  8. Public Acts of 1885, Chapter 152, repealed Public Acts of 1881, Chapter 161, above, in its entirety as it transferred land from Benton County to Henry County and restored all of the same to Benton County.
  9. Public Acts of 1891, Chapter 51, moved all the lands belonging to D. A. Gossett out of Decatur County and into Benton County.
  10. Public Acts of 1891, Chapter 200, provided that hereafter the Sandy River shall be the dividing line between Benton County and Henry County, from the south boundary line of the 23rd Civil District of Henry County up the said Sandy River to the point where the Carroll County line crosses the said river.
  11. Acts of 1905, Chapter 20, transferred the residence and outbuildings of S. C. Walker from Benton County into Carroll County.
  12. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 730, detached the lands of J. C. Porter and J. M. Porter which are now in Humphreys County, containing some 241 acres, from that county and attached the same to Benton County, the lands perhaps better known as White Oak Island in the Tennessee River.
  13. Private Acts of 1939, Chapter 600, changed the boundaries between Benton County and Decatur County so that the 4 acres and 52 poles of land belonging J. B. Odle be included wholly within Benton County.
  14. Private Acts of 1951, Chapter 605, takes out of the 14th Civil District of Carroll County and places in the Second Civil District of Benton County the lands belonging the heirs of W. T. Miller, and to Brinkley, being described as "beginning at the concrete marker, designated as State No. 192, running rods to another stake; thence south 200 rods to the beginning corner".