The Tennessee Hand-Book and Immigrant's Guide, etc

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THE <vv gsxsd •& ■ HANB-BOOIK AND I IVI MIGRANT'S GUIDE: GIVING A DESCRIPTION OF &|jf State of -Ctimcssee; ITS AGRICUT.'lfcRAL AND MINERALOGICAL CHARACTER ; IT9 WATER- POWER, TIMBER, SOIL, AND CLIMATE ; ITS VARIOUS RAILROAD LINES, COMPLETED, IN PUOGRE9S, AND PROJECTED ; ITS ADAPTATION FOR STOCK-RAISING, GRAPE CULTURE, ETC. WITH 5PECIAL REFERENCE TO THE SUBJECT Of IMMIGRATION. BY HERMANN BOKUM, Commissioner of Immigration for the Slate of Tennessee. PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., PUBLISHERS. 18 0 8. THE TENNESSEE HAND-BOOK AND IMMIGRANT'S GUIDE: GIVING A DESCRIPTION OP TELE STATE OF TENNESSEE; ITS AGRICULTURAL AND MINERALOGICAL CHARACTER; ITS WATER- POWER, TIMBER, SOIL, AND CLIMATE ; ITS VARIOUS RAILROAD LINES, COMPLETED. IN PROGRESS, AND PROJECTED; ITS ADAP- TATION FOR STOCK-RAISING, GRAPE CULTURE, ETC, ETC.

WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE SUBJECT OF IMMIGRATION. BY HEIQsAM BOKUM. Commissioner of Immigration. PHILADELPHIA : J. B. LIPPINCOTs & CO., PUBLISHERS, 71j aud 717 Market Street. 1868. PHILADELPHIA. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by ANNA E. S. BOKUM, In the Office of the Clerk of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. KINO Si BAIKD, PRINTERS AND STEKEOTYPERS, 607 SAMSOM STKEET, RECOMMENDATIONS. I have read a portion of the work of the Rev. Hermann Bokum, now in press, and I know if to be a correct delineation of the resources of this State. I wish Mr. Bokum success in his efforts, now continued for years, to draw into the State of Tennessee a good immigrant population. W. G. BROWNLOW, Governor of Tennessee. Mr. Bokum has been most active and zealous in his efforts to obtain information as to the resources of Tennessee, and in my opinion has been quite successful.

I have seen much of his pro posed book in manuscript, and feel sure it will be of great value in calling the attention of immigrants to our State. A. J. FLETCHER, Secretory of iiate. COXTENTS. PAdR The Situation and Conformation of Tennessee 5 Political Division of Tennessee into Ease, Middle and West. . 6 I. — East Tennessee 6 General Outline 6 1. The Counties of East Tennessee 15 2. Description of the Counties 15 3. Minerals 48 4. Forests and Game 49 5. Summary of Railroads 50 6. Fruit 51 7. Average Value of Land 51 8. Names of well-informed Men in each County 52 9. Concluding Remarks 54 II. — Middle Tennessee 55 General Outline 55 1. The Counties of Middle Tennessee 60 2. Remarks 80 Average Value of Land 80 Tabular Statement of the Weather 81 The Temperature of Middle Tennessee 82 III. — West Tennessee 83 General Outline 83 1.

Introduction

. During my residence in the North, from 1862 to 1807, I held for more than a year a position in the Bureau of Immigration in the State Department at Washington. The knowledge I obtained on the sub ject of Immigration, while holding that position, filled me with a strong wish to direct a portion of this Im migration to the State of Tennessee. Yet while other States published and circulated, in this country and in Europe, accounts of their resources in different languages, and obtained large accessions to their population, the political condition of Tennessee left no room for such efforts. Now, however, the time seems to have come for Tennessee to take her place among the other States in this respect, and I place the following pages before the public, in the confident hope that they will con tribute to prepare the way for such action as the importance of the subject calls for.

Instead of the almost exclusive attention to agriculture, which has prevailed in the South for so many years, there is now Introduction. 4 felt a general desire that there should be a harmonious development of its resources. In consequence of it, immigration, which in former times was regarded by many with indifference or dislike, is now greatly desired. I have dwelt especially on those portions of the State where a partial development of its resources holds out to the immigrant special advantages. In stating the latter I have endeavored to exercise great caution, in order to avoid disappointment. I am under great obligations to His Excellency the Governor, and to the Honorable Secretary of State, on account of their interceding in my behalf with the Presidents of the railroads of the State, and to these Presidents for the kindness they have shown me.

I also desire to acknowledge the very great benefit which I have derived from the publications of Pro fessor Safford, late Geologist of the State. HERMANN BOKUM. Nashville, February 1, 1S0S, THE SITUATION AND CONFORMATION OF TENNESSEE. The United States of America are embraced in that vast region of country which commences at the great lakes on the borders of Canada, and which slopes gently to the borders of the equator. Two long chains of mountains, the Alleghany and the Rocky, divide this region from one extreme to the other, and between them lies the valley of the Mississippi. Of this valley De Tocqueville has said, that it is, upon the whole, the most magnificent dwelling-place prepared by God for man's abode. Tennessee is situated in the southern region of the slope just mentioned, and as. with a very slight exception, her rivers finally flow into the Mississippi, it belongs in this respect to that valley.

Tennessee is one of the most central of the United States ; it is bounded on the east by North Carolina ; on the north by Kentucky and by a small portion of Virginia; on the west by Missouri and Arkansas; on the south by Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. It is four hundred and thirty miles in length, and one hundred and ten miles in breadth. Its southern line of latitude is 85°, its northern 36° 36'. It has 45,600 square miles, and 1,109,841 inhabitants. Tennessee is divided into East, Middle and "West Tennessee. The peculiarities of each of these divi sions are partly owing to their physical conformation. The State may be justly regarded as an inclined plane, on which the Unaka and Cumberland mountains are resting, and beneath which are the depressed sections of Middle Tennessee and the river beds.

The difference of elevation between the eastern and western portion amounts to one thousand feet. About two fifths of this fall is made in reaching Knoxville, and two-fifths at reaching Nashville, one fifth only being left for the remaining distance. It is owing to this peculiar conformation that East Tennessee and the adjoining counties of Middle Tennessee, with their mountains and rapidly flowing streams, form a great contrast with the central portion of Middle and with West Tennessee. The products of East Tennessee and of the adjoining counties of Middle Tennessee are principally those of the Northwest, while the central portion of Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee partake of the character of the Southern States. I. EAST TENNESSEE. East Tennessee but a few years ago was cut off from the world ; the goods which she needed had to be hauled over the mountains hundreds of miles, and while other parts of the country were making intel lectual progress, East Tennessee, in consequence of her seclusion, had to stay behind.

The railroads which, in the course of time, were constructed, opened access to East Tennessee, and there was a gradual change taking place. Other parts of the country obtained some knowledge of East Tennessee; they heard of its minerals, of its magnificent valleys, of its glori ous mountains, of its splendid water power, of its pure atmosphere; but the change was very gradual, and there were still many things which prevented capital and labor from fiuding its way to East Tennessee. Then came the war. The ruin which it produced in East Tennessee was terrible, yet, by the overruling power of God, it was not without its blessings. It swept away the institution of slavery, it afforded an oppor tunity to the people of the North to mingle with the people of East Tennessee, and to the latter to visit many parts of rtre North ; and it gradually placed the people of East Tennessee, in consequence of their un bending loyalty, in a position of great influence in the direction of the affairs of the State.

Thanks to the manner in which this influence has been used, the finances of the State are being re-established, life and property are everywhere secure, public schools are to be introduced in every part of the State, and many of those whose minds have been directed to the resources of East Tennessee, are now inquiring what these re sources are, and how they can aid in their develop ment. I propose very briefly to furnish an answer to these inquiries. East Tennessee embraces that portion of the Unaka chain of mountains which belongs to Tennessee, the valley situated between the Unaka chain and the Cum berland mountains, and a portion of the latter. I shall speak successively of these three divisions, so plainly marked out by nature. As Unika in the Cherokee means white, the Unaka mountains may owe their name to the fact that in winter they are frequently capped with snow, and in summer with white clouds.

This chain of mountains is from two to six thousand feet high. On account of these mountains, East Tennessee has been called the Switzerland of America. As in Switzerland, these mountains have an elevation where the pastures and the game are the principal wealth of the mountaineer, and, like Switzerland, the air of these mountains is pure and salubrious, but there, in a great measure, the comparison ceases to hold. While the summits of Switzerland present the spectacle of the majestic but desolate regions of eternal ice and snow, where the stirring scenes of life give place to the silence of death, the higher summits of the Unaka chain having a temperature corresponding to that of Montreal, in Canada, are covered with snow, on an average, only from two to three months of the year, and have a soil sufficiently good, at least, to produce not only ferns and wild grass, but also a variety of berries, the strawberry included.

A portion of the mountain sides is already covered with cultivated grasses. The facilities for fattening stock, which even now are great, could be increased in the same measure as the culture of the grasses is extended. To the lover of nature these mountains present great attractions. Many of these treeless sum mits are continuous, admitting at times of a walk for a mile or two, with North Carolina, far below, on one side, and Tennessee on the other, while a green ocean of mountains arises in tremendous billows immediately around. The clouds, in which these mountains arc often buried, supply with water the ice-cold springs which flow forth on the edge of their summits, and which aptly illustrate the passage: "He sendetli springs into the valleys which run among the hills." Below them the streams of these mountains add to the beauty of the scenery by their roaring rapids and wild cascades.

They abound in trout, as the forests of these mountains do in game. The difference in the vegetation of these mountains at different heights is owing to a difference of soil rather than climate. Leaving the heavy forests of the slopes below, the oak, the beech, the spruce and many other trees diminish in size, and low groves of stinted beeches, maples, birches and patches of balsam take their place ; at last these groves also disappear, and the treeless summit spreads out in full view ; a change of vegetation to which the ascent from the coast of Pamphilia to the central table-land of Asia Minor, which St. Paul made on his way from Perga to An tioch in Pisidia, bears a striking parallel ; in his case the forests of oak were succeeded by the scattered patches of the cedar juniper, until the treeless plains of the interior were reached.

On many of the mountain sides, and even on some of the less elevated summits, farms are found in a high state of cultivation. The area between the Unaka and the Cumberland chain of mountains, though abounding in ridges and in valleys, which more or less run parallel with these ridges, is still justly called The Valley of East Ten nessee, since these ridges are not so high as to take away the idea of depression which belongs to the whole of this area. Included in it is a class of valleys to which the name of "coves" has been applied. Encircled by mountains with but a narrow space of access, their name has been obviously suggested by the coves in the sea shore to which they bear some resemblance. The valley of East Tennessee is two hundred and forty two miles in length. In its northern part it has a width of about fifty five miles.

Towards its southern part the mountains converge and reduce its width to about thirty-four miles. The mean annual temperature of Knoxville, which is near the centre of the valley, is about 57°. It is at least two degrees less in the upper part of the valley, and near the Georgia line it is much greater. The summer mean at Knoxville has been placed at 73° 6', and is about that of Philadelphia. Protected by the high mountain chains in the east from the hot sultry winds of the south, and by the Cumberland mountains from the raw piercing prairie winds of the northwest, and elevated nine hundred feet above the ocean, the valley of East Tennessee is favored with a calm and habitually transparent atmosphere ; the winters are short, but sufficiently cold to invigorate the system ; the summers are remarkable for the cooling breezes which spring up often at the time of the greatest heat; the nights admit of refreshing sleep ; the autumns are magnificent, and often extend to the middle of December.

East Tennessee is highly favored on account of its rivers and streams, and the immense water-power which they afford. The Holston river runs through the centre of the valley of East Tennessee, assuming the name of " Tennessee " when about half through it. Auxiliary streams flowing down from the Blue Ridge, and breaking through the various chains which bound East Tennessee, in narrow and deep gorges hasten from the east to mingle their waters with the Holston or Tennessee, while others flow to the same river from the west. With such an accumulation of force the Tennessee encounters the Cumberland mountains near Chattanooga, breaks through one of the ridges, and turns into the State of Alabama. It is owing to the rapid descent of many of the auxiliaries of the Hol ston or Tennessee, that East Tennessee so greatly abounds in opportunities for mills and manufactures.

The abundant irrigation derived from these streams has given the valley of East Tennessee a high reputation for its breadstuff's and its live stock. Corn and wheat and the grains requiring a similar climate are most remunerative. Cotton is cultivated to some extent, but in general it is found more profitable to obtain it from Middle and West Tennessee. Sorghum is successfully cultivated, and furnishes in many a cottage an important item in the simple fare of its inmates, while the maple tree supplies them with sugar. By far too much grain is manufactured into whiskey. East Tennessee is highly favored in the growing of fruit, though the cultivation of the better kinds of apples, pears, peaches and cherries is yet limited. In 1866, the abundant fruitharvest opened the way for the breadstuffs, which the effect of the war had made it impossible to raise, and without, which there would have been wide-spread suffering.

The late frosts of April are fraught with danger, yet on the mountain sides of the Unaka chain and of the Cumberland mountains, as well as on the sloping banks of rivers, the peach seldom fails, and there also the grape may be most successfully culti vated. In the valley, the late apples are sure to succeed, and on that account deserve special attention. In the raising of mules, Tennessee surpasses the other States of the Union, and East Tennessee, before the war, raised more than Middle and West Tennessee. Together with Kentucky, she supplied South Carolina with the hogs that State stood in need of. Much attention is also paid to the raising of horses and of cattle. There are in East Tennessee hundreds of flocks of sheep, and wool-growing is much attended to. It is a fact worthy of note, that of whatever losses during the late war the contending armies might make light, they never made light of the loss of East Tennessee.

Its wealth in grain, in cattle, and in hogs, not less than its mineral resources, were highly appreciated on either side, and Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Lookout mountain, the assaults of Longstreet on Knoxville, and the sturdy defence of General Burnside, show how highly they were esteemed. In giving a brief description of the table-land of East Tennessee, which at some points is forty miles wide, and might furnish on its level summit a highway from Kentucky to Alabama, I shall, in part, anticipate my description of Middle Tennessee, as a great portion of it is within the limits of the latter. There is but little difference between the climate of the valley and the table-land of East Tennessee. On the whole, the ground of the table-land is inferior to that of the valley, but if it produces less of corn it is more highly adapted for grazing purposes.

There are thousands of acres found there of natural meadows where horses, cattle aud hogs need only the attention of the farmer during the few days while snow is on the ground. Cattle brought here in the spring are fat in the fall, and ready for the market. The vast mineral wealth of these mountains, like that of the Unaka chain, is almost entirely undeveloped. You may be told that in Johnson county, before the war, some fifteen forges were at work, and similar accounts may be given you with regard to other coun ties ; but in comparison with the vast treasures within, the sounds of these forges are but as a faint voice coming from these mountains, and inviting him who hears them to take possession. Chalybeate, sulphur, and other mineral springs are found in East Tennessee. Many of them have proved efficacious in curing diseases, and would, no doubt, attract very general attention if their merits were properly brought to the knowledge of the public.

It is now nearly two years since I published, a pamphlet on the subject of East Tennessee, in which I said that in the same measure as a knowledge of the resources of East Tennessee would be spread abroad, and as the railroad connection between the Middle States and East Tennessee would become more close, the time would come when, by the impulse which the introduction of free labor must give to this region, these vast mineral treasures would be brought to light ; when the streams which now flow down these mountains in idle beauty would be made to turn the wheels of numberless manufactories, while the generous fruit of the vine would cover these mountain sides; when cities, towns, and villages would be linked to each other by the common interests of commercial enterprise ; when schools, and churches, and the labors of a faithful ministry would be multiplied, and when the population of these mighty mountain fastnesses, which so nobly has guarded the interests of the nation, would be abundantly increased.

In examining the description I am about to give of the counties of East Tennessee, the reader will find that the prospects I have thus held out have, to some slight extent, been already realized. In now closing these remarks on East Tennessee, I cannot but refer to the fact that the beautiful and sublime scenery of East Tennessee has furnished ad mirable subjects to the pencil of Mr. James Cameron, while the poet also has sung its praises in touching and eloquent strains. Not only his countrymen, but many who but for a time have lived in East Tennessee, are ready to say with him : Who knows thee well is sure to love Where'er his wandering footsteps rove, And backward ever turns to thee With fond regretful memory ; Feeling his heart impatient burn Among thy mountains to return. The Counties of East Tennessee. 15 1.

THE COUNTIES OF EAST TENNESSEE. They are : 1. Sullivan ; 2. Carter ; 3. Johnson ; 4. Washington; 5. Greene ; 6. Hawkins; 7. Cocke; 8. Jefferson; 9. Grainger ; 10. Hancock; 11. Claiborne; 12. Union; 13. Knox; 14. Blount; 15. Sevier; 16. Roane; 17. Anderson; 18. Campbell; 19. Morgan; 20. Scott; 21. Monroe; 22. McMinn; 23. Meigs; 24. Rhea; 25. Bradley; 26. Polk; 27. Hamilton; 28. Marion ; 29. Sequachee ; 30. Bledsoe. I shall speak of these thirty counties in the same order in which I have here arranged them. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTIES. In presenting the reader with some particulars con cerning these counties, he may imagine that, map in hand, he is travelling with me on the railroad from Bristol to Chattanooga. When stating that in any particular county land is for sale, I have not mentioned the maximum and minimum, or the average price, because, from various reasons, such statements would have been altogether indefinite.

It must suffice to say that, in many cases, mountain lands, good for grazing and kindred purposes, can be bought for fifty cents per acre ; and that river bottoms, at no great distance from a good market,' can be bought at from twenty five to fifty dollars. In my statement concerning the productions of the counties of East Tennessee, I have depended upon the census of 1860, a copy of which is added to this volume, though not without a proper regard to the great change which has since taken place in the condition of the State. In entering the State of Tennessee by the Lynch burg and Bristol Railroad, the traveler finds himself in 1. Sullivan County. Its surface is hilly, and its hills often rise to the height of mountains. It is watered by the Holston and the Watauga, and by many creeks which, like those two rivers, afford fine opportunities for the establishment of manufactories.

There is a great deal of iron in the county. Mr. Bushong, near Bristol, is working a mine which is remarkably rich. The county is well adapted to the raising of stock, and celebrated on account of its fine horses. It also takes a high rank in the raising of sheep and in the pro duction of wool. There are several sulphur springs in this county. It is well .wooded and much of its land is offered for sale at reasonable prices. Blount ville, the county seat, seven miles from Union, a station on the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, has many educational advantages. East of Sullivan county is 2. Carter County. It is mountainous in some parts ; in others it is un dulating or hilly. The Watauga and the Doe rivers, the Stone, the Buffalo, and many other creeks, furnish in this county many fine sites for manufactories.

It produces the usual grains and roots very abundantly. Considering that the improved farms of the county occupy only about 33,000 acres, Carter county takes a high rank in the producing of Irish potatoes, and in that of buckwheat. It also deserves to be noted for its sheep-raising and the manufacture of wool. It ranks highest among the counties of East Tennessee in the value of its orchard products. It abounds in iron ore of a superior quality, equal indeed to the cranberry ore in North Carolina, at a short distance from the East Tennessee line. The county is well timbered. Quite a number of families from the North have immi grated to this county, and are partly engaged in the erection of manufactories. Elizabethton, the county seat, surrounded by beautiful mountain and river scenery, is situated seven miles from Carter Depot, on the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad.

It is likely that a branch railroad will soon be constructed to the North Carolina line, connecting with the East Ten nessee and Virginia Railroad at Carter or Johnson's Station. East of Carter county, and the most northeastern county of the State, is 3. Johnson County. In general this county is mountainous, but there are in it rich tracts of land. There are many creeks in this county adapted to the construction of mills and manufactories. Johnson county takes the highest rank of all the counties of East Tennessee in raising rye, buckwheat, and barley. In entering this county from Carter, the traveler, in descending a high mountain, finds himself in the valley, or, as it is there called, in the "Cove" of Shady. This valley is seven miles long and three miles wide. It is much higher than the valleys of Carter or the other valleys of Johnson county, high as they are.

It is entirely surrounded with mountains, and, partly on that account, is remark able for its coolness during nine months of the year. The snow-bird, the true home of which seems to be north, is altogether domesticated in this and in simi larly elevated localities. The beauty of the Cove of Shady well repays a long ride such as I took when I visited it. There are in it two forges. Being encom passed by mountains, and presenting a pleasant variety of fruitful fields and of woodland, you can hardly get rid of the impression that you are passing through some private domain ; yet there are living in it some twenty-five families. In Taylorsville, the county seat, numbering some 250 inhabitants, no whiskey is sold. It is contemplated to construct a railroad connecting Taylorsville with the Salt Works near Abington, Virginia.

Considering that Johnson county has only upwards of 25,000 acres of improved farms, it occupies in point of productiveness a very fair position. In the course of time, however, it is likely to owe a large portion of its prosperity to the development of its mineral wealth. There are now several forges in operation. West of Carter county, and on either side of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, is 4. Washington County. It is in different parts hilly, mountainous, and level. It is watered by the Watauga and the Nolachucky, and by many creeks. In a region of country where water-power so greatly abounds, the Nolachucky de serves to be specially noticed. For many miles it has a natural adaptation for the construction of mills and manufactories. With the exception of the Embreville iron works, some eight miles from Jonesboro', and a few milis, no benefit is derived from this water-power.

The working of the iron ore in this county, which is known to be of fine quality and very abundant, will, in the course of time, greatly add to its prosperity and wealth. There is some copper ore in the county which is now being tested. Rich bottom and fine mountain lands, within easy reach of the railroad, are offered for sale at very reasonable terms. Next to Carter county, Washington ranks highest among the counties of East Tennessee with regard to the value of its orchard products. Before the war it was much noted for the number of its milch cows, and the pro duction of butter. The beautiful views of the Bald mountain, situated partly in Washington county and partly in North Carolina, attract many visitors. The town of Jonesboro' will be much benefited by a turn pike road to North Carolina, the construction of which is now in contemplation.

Washington county is noted for the number of its flour mills, and the excellent flour it produces. West of Washington county is 5. Greene County. The surface of this county is hilly in part, and in part mountainous; in a portion of the county the soil is indifferent; there are, however, large tracts, and espe cially the bottom-lands of the Nolachucky, of the Little Chucky, and of Lick and other creeks, which are exceedingly fruitful. It has more acres of land improved in farms than any other county in East Ten nessee. It was noted before the war on account of the number of its horses, its milch cows, and for its butter and its cheese, and it ranked high in the production of hay, of cloverseed, of flaxseed, and of flax, as also in the production of the grains and of sweet potatoes. The county also numbered many herds of swine and of sheep, and stood high in the production of wool.

The great wealth of the county is likely to consist in its iron ore. The works of the New York and East Tennessee Iron Company, in charge of A. A. Talmage, Esq., are situated eleven miles from Greenville. The ore of the bank in which this company owns an in terest is exceedingly rich. It is a brown hematite containing a large portion of manganese, and on that account commanding a better price in the market than the ordinary iron. The Legislature has granted a charter and also ten thousand dollars per mile for building a railroad from Greenville to the Paint Rock, where it will connect with the North Carolina Railroad and form communication by that route with the sea board. This branch railroad will pass directly in front of the furnace of the Company. Another company is erecting a furnace two miles further east.

It will be in operation before next spring and will manu facture the same kind of iron. It is by such develop ments that inducements are held out to capitalists, and that immigration is attracted — a mining and manufacturing population guaranteeing to the farming popula tion, which it draws around it, the market which the latter needs. The county seat, Greenville, is situated on the East Tennessee and. Virginia Railroad, in the midst of beautiful mountain scenery. Near Greenville is Tusculum, a collegiate institution under the auspices of the 0. S. Presbyterian Church. North of Greene county, and bordering on Vir ginia, is 6. Hawkins County. The conformation of Hawkins county is peculiar. There are in this county several ridges of mountains, more or less elevated, but a large portion of the county consists of valleys, the one running parallel with the other.