Boundaries - Historical Notes

The following is a summary of acts which authorized boundary changes for Sullivan County.

1. Acts of 1794, Chapter 16, appointed Joseph M’Min of Hawkins County and George Rutledge of Sullivan County, to run and mark the line between the said counties.
2. Acts of 1797, Chapter 12, appointed Nathan Shipley of Sullivan County to run and mark the line between Sullivan and Washington County.
3. Acts of 1837-38, Chapter 192, attempted to create Powell County which would have been formed out of parts of Sullivan, Hawkins, Washington, and Greene counties had the majority of the people in the affected areas voted to leave their respective counties.
4. Acts of 1837-38, Chapter 200, Section 4, altered the boundary line between Sullivan and Powell County so as to exclude the long islands from Powell County and to leave them in Sullivan County.
5. Acts of 1839-40, Chapter 15, was yet another attempt to form Powell County out of Sullivan, Hawkins, Washington, and Greene counties, the formation of which was subject to approval by a majority of the voters in the affected area.
6. Acts of 1845-46, Chapter 97, altered the boundary line between Sullivan and Washington County so as to place the farms of James Heltern and James Meredith in Sullivan County.
7. Acts of 1849-50, Chapter 80, Section 2, appointed William Blevins, Esq., Dr. M. A. W. Willoughby, George Hannah, Roly P. Chase, James G. Eames, John Thomas, Jacob Crumly and William Jones as commissioners to select and designate by actual survey the county site of Sullivan County.
8. Acts of 1853-54, Chapter 89, attempted to create Powell County out of portions of Washington, Sullivan, Hawkins and Greene counties, subject to the approval by referendum of the people living in the affected areas.
9. Public Acts of 1865-66, Chapter 12, provided for the removal of the county seat of Sullivan County from Blountville to Bristol.
10. Public Acts of 1868-69, Chapter 20, Section 3, appointed John Anderson and John Welsh, of Sullivan County, and James G. Smith and William C. Emmett, of Carter County, to resurvey and establish the boundary line between Sullivan and Carter County.
11. Public Acts of 1869-70 (1st Sess.), Chapter 30, again sought to create Powell County out of portions of Sullivan, Washington, Hawkins and Greene counties, all subject to the approval by referendum of the people living in the affected areas.
12. Public Acts of 1869-70 (2nd Sess.), Chapter 1, altered the boundary line between Sullivan and Washington counties so as to place the farms of A. R. Moulton, T. H. Reeves, W. A. Keene, P. C. Morrison, Sarah Vincent, George Vincent, John Hunt, Vanzant Morgan, Eli Keene, Mr. Ballard, and J. H. Crouch in Washington County. This act was ratified and confirmed by Public Acts of 1871, Chapter 93.
13. Public Acts of 1870-71, Chapter 41, appointed John Wolf, R. P. Fickel of Sullivan County, the surveyor of Sullivan County, James G. Smith, William C. Emmert and Samuel A. Cunningham, of Carter County, and G. W. St. John of Washington County to resurvey and establish the boundary line between Sullivan and Carter County.
14. Public Acts of 1871, Chapter 61, appointed T. A. Faw, E. F. Akard and John Hardin of Washington County to ascertain the true and original corner of Sullivan and Carter County.
15. Public Acts of 1879, Chapter 159, appointed the county surveyors of Sullivan and Hawkins County, along with Daivd Sevier of Sullivan County, and J. E. Denney of Hawkins County, to re-run and re-mark the county line between the two counties from the top of Chimney Top Mountain to the mouth of the north fork of the Holston River. This act was repealed by Public Acts of 1883, Chapter 239.
16. Public Acts of 1887, Chapter 21, appointed William H. H. Gains of Sullivan County, J. O. Robertson of Washington County and Nat Hyder of Carter County to ascertain the true and original corner of Sullivan and Carter County.