1834 Petition to the Tennessee Constitutional Convention

Information from an excerpt of "History of Macon County, Tennessee" by Harold G. Blankenship

In 1834, early settlers of the Northern portion of Smith County petitioned the 1834 Tennessee Constitutional Convention regarding the formation of new counties. The present laws made it fairly difficult to form new counties. The Convention delegates must have felt some sypathy for these citizens of Smith County as in 1834, they passed legislation to make the formation of new counties easier, setting up the future for a new Macon County. The petition to the 1834 Convention reads as follows and was signed by 155 men who lived in Northern Smith County, what is now Macon County:

The First Petition to Form a New County

After the success of the petition to the 1834 Constitutional Convention to change the laws around creating new counties, the people of norther Smith County filed a formal petition with the state of Tennessee for a new county to be formed from Smith and Sumner Counties. This earliest petition read as follows:

"Petition for a new county to be taken from Smith and Sumner counties.

Trammel Creek, Sumner County - We your humble constituents of the 15th district from the great privation we undersigned because of the distance from the seat of justice to Gallatin do petition your attention to our case and grant us a county from Smith and this county, would trust you will think of us.

Signed; Annias Epperson, Isam Fagg, B.P. Wilson, Elizah Sutter, Daniel Marcum, Jerimiah Able, Josiah Dalton, George Ramsey, Robert Holmes, Zachariah Fagg, Albert G. Holmes, John Doss, William Doss, Edward Duffer, James Butler, Samuel Butler, William Colewell, Bartlett Y. Turner, Hanoy Turner, Martin Turner, Lincoln Laundrey, Rylie Teel, Leaton Duffer, Jerimiah Alsop, John Gilliam, James Gilliam, Lane Davis, Isaiah Davis, John W. Davis, Glepsie Gilliam, George Morris, Harris Carter, Asa Duffers, Tilman Duffer, Harley Colewell, David Colwell, Charles Simmons, Alford Simmons, and David Alsop."

The same petition, with signatures from Smith County citizens. Signatures were as follows: Hezekiah Blankenship, Lewis Bandy, Joel Blankenship, Bennet Meador, Isham Blankenship, John Blankenship, ACalvin Cook, John Woodcock, Edward Glover, Nedom Holland, Joel Woodcock, Samuel R. Tucker, Mark Woodcock, Wiley Woodcock, William C. Simpson, Smith Woodcock, Andrew Simmons, John Glovers, John Butler, King Silomon, Lewis Law, William Madox, Samuel Martin, Patrick Raney, Thomas Hanes, Francis Cooper, John martin, John Howell, Joseph Meador, Samuel Woodcock, Alfred Simmons, Joel Toler, Joseph Woodcock, John Woodcock, Nathan Woodcock, Chesley Woodcock, William Ferguson, John Meador, John O. Crosby, Robert Bratton, William Railand, William Dunn, Christopher Meador, William Robinson, Stephen Holland, J.B. Parker, William C. Chamberlain, Henry Snider, George Lamb, Joel Rice, Daniel Cliburn, Cyrus Hanes, Smith Epperson, Banister Meador, David F. Gulbreath, Anderson Meador, Joel Simmons, Joel Meador, Joel Meador, Jobe Meador, Lewis Hire, John Cliburn, Peter Epperson, Eli Hire, Henry Woodcock, James M. Chamberlain, Wesley Meador, Edward Bradley, James Jenkins, Austin L. Hanes, Issac Hatchett, Ira Meador, Lewis Cooker, Aca Epperson, Benjamin Talley, John C. Gammon, Pride Snider, J.H. Snider, and Jonah Wildman.

The petition was referred to the committee on new counties. The committee reportedly did not think this new county was feasible, as they denied this petition saying that it was an unreasonable request. As for now, the petitioners would remain citizens of the respective counties.

A hand drawn map, depicting the portions of Sumner and Smith County from which Macon County would be formed. Approx, 1841.

The honorable delegates of the convention now in session in Nashville; [to] amend, revise, or form a new constitution for the state of Tennessee. We the undersigned citizens of Smith County in said state humbly and respectfully beg leave to represent to your honorable body the guidances under which we labor as respects the form of our county, and as your honorable body is the highest and only tribunal which can remedy our grievances and believing that in a representative government, a government of the people, they have a right of redress for all and every grievance under which we now labor or which in the course of time they fall; assuming this theory as being the only true and republican doctrine; we beg leave to represent your honorable by the situation in Smith County as respects its boundaries, as it will appear from reference to the state of Tennessee is adjoining the state of Kentucky. It is upwards of seventy miles from South East to North West and the average width is a fraction over seventeen miles; the soil is generally fertile but remarkably broken and in fact most of the county is mountainous. The county has been twice surveyed and contains but a small fraction over her constitutional limits say from fifteen to eighteen square miles, from the statement of facts it will at once be seen that a large portion of its citizens in said county live from ten to thirty five miles from the seat of justice and that if no amendment to the constitution as it is at present to exist in relation to the size of the counties should be adopted by your honorable body we never can expect redress.

We, the undersigned, therefore humbly pray that the constitution may be amended so as to remove all restrictions from the legislative as to the formation of new counties; but permit the people from time to time as experience and their wants may demand by their representatives in the general assembly to change, alter or form new counties as to them may serve right and best calculated to promote the happiness and wants and prosperity of the citizens generally, but should it be objected to losing it entirely to the legislature to form new counties let there be such grants, limitations or restrictions as may be necessary, say that new counties may from time to time be formed as provided that in no instance shall the seat of justice as present established be removed and if it be thought advisable let the citizens living within the bounds of such new counties as many be found at the expense of the public buildings, however, should the convention deem it expedient to make any general provision in relation to the formation of new counties we the citizens of Smith County who here unto subscribe our names humbly pray that a special provision allowing the legislature to divide this county to form of it two or more counties or of this and the adjoining counties as to them may seem right and proper unless such rules, regulations and restrictions as the legislature may prescribe.

We think that we can in confidence say that two thirds of the qualified voters of Smith County are in favor of a division of the county and would be willing to be at the expense of the public buildings without any tax on them who may reside without the limits of the new counties this petition granted and the undersigned, as in duty bound will ever pray:

Reconsideration of the Petition

The Tennessee Legislature reconsidered the petition to form the new county in 1841, but once again deemed it not feasible and denied the request once again. The legislature once again considered the petition in January of 1842, and ultimately passed the bill to form Macon County on January 18, 1842. This bill would create a new county from Smith and Sumner Counties to be named Macon County in honor of Nathaniel Macon.