SEVIER COUNTY, TN 1860 FEDERAL CENSUS http://ftp.us-census.org/pub/usgenweb/census/xtn/sevier/1860/ TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: Prepared by Donald Robbins Transcription aid by Betty Hawley Checked by D. K. Robbins August 26, 2005 (revised November 17, 2005) Census Sheet's Format ------------------------------- Census Sheet Header Information ------------------------------- Each Census Sheet consists of 40 lines. The Header information contains a place for the Date of entry, Post Office, The County Name (Sevier) and the name of the recorder of the information. ------------------------------- Census Sheet Detail information ------------------------------- Column 1 - Dwelling - houses numbered in the order of visitation Column 2 - Families, numbered in the order of visitation Column 3 - The name of every person whose usual place of abode on the first day of June, 1860 was in this family Column 4 - Age Column 5 - Sex Column 6 - Color, White, Black or Mulatto or Indian Column 7 - Profession, Occupation or Trade of each person, male and female, over 15 years of age Column 8 - Value of Real Estate Column 9 - Value of Personal Estate Column 10 - Place of Birth, Naming the State, Territory, or Country Column 11 - Married within the year Column 12 - Attended School within the year Column 13 - Person over 20 who could not read or write Column 14 - Whether deaf & dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper or convict In the interest of getting the information transcribed to an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, some adjustments were made in the format of the transcription. A new line was created, which contains the Page Number and Line Number of the Microfilm reel (reel Series M653, Roll # 1270) that the information was transcribed from. The Surname is in Caps, along with the date of the census page, the census district, the Post Office, and the information from Column 1 and Column 2. ========================================================================================= The information from Columns 11, 12, 13 was encoded following the Column 10 information, Place of Birth. The encoding is: M, for married within the year, S, for attending school within the year, and I, for illiterate for a check in Column 13 for persons over 20 who could not read or write. The information from Column 14 is added, as is, to the person's line. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The information from the microfilm for the 1860 Census for Sevier County consists of 222 pages. COUNTS There were 1470 family units in Sevier county. There were 1460 dwelling units in Sevier county. Number of White Males 4463 Number of White Females 4518 Number of Black Males 15 Number of Black Females 7 Number of Mulatto Males 13 Number of Mulatto Females 17 Number of Students 1568 Number of Illiterates 1097 Number of Married 118 in the last year PLACES OF BIRTH Tennessee 7792 North Carolina 399 South Carolina 162 Virginia 147 Kentucky 14 Georgia 12 Pennsylvania 8 Alabama 6 Missouri 4 Mississippi 4 Ohio 2 Ireland 2 D. C. 2 Maine 1 Illinois 1 OCCUPATIONS Alphabetically appt Cabinent Maker 1 appt Cabinent 1 appt 2 blind 2 bound boy 1 bound 1 Bapt Min 15 Black Smith 23 Boatman 1 Brick Mason 1 clerk 8 C. S. 3 Cabinent Maker 3 Carpenter 36 Carriage Maker 1 Census Taker 1 Chair Maker 1 Chair Maker 2 Chancery Clrk 1 Ckt Ct Clrk 1 Constable 1 Cooper 2 County Clerk 1 County Surveyr 1 deaf & dumb 1 distiller 1 dumb 1 Day Laborer 69 Distiller 2 Doctor 1 Domestic Labor 1 Farm Agent 1 Farm Hand 285 Farm Laborer 120 Farm Renter 5 Farmer 1220 Geologist 1 Grocer 4 Gun Seller 1 Gun Smith 1 Hatter 2 Herdsman 1 Hired Hand 26 Hired Servant 8 Hotel Keeper 1 House Keeper 37 House Servant 1 idiot 1 insane 4 Kniter 1 Lady 2 Law Student 1 Lawyer 2 Machinist 1 Merchant 11 Meth Min 4 Mid Wife 1 Midwife 2 Miller 15 Minister 1 Musician 1 Painter 2 Physician 9 Plasterer 1 Poor House Pauper 8 Post Master 2 Sadler 2 Sawyer 1 Seamstress 13 Sheriff 1 Shoe Maker 4 Spinner & Weaver 1 Spinster 209 Stone Mason 1 Student 5 Tayloress 11 Teacher 8 widow 2 Wagon Maker 5 Wash Woman 21 Weaver 62 OCCUPATIONS by frequency Farmer 1220 Farm Hand 285 Spinster 209 Farm Laborer 120 Day Laborer 69 Weaver 62 House Keeper 37 Carpenter 36 Hired Hand 26 Black Smith 23 Wash Woman 21 Bapt Min 15 Miller 15 Seamstress 13 Tayloress 11 Merchant 11 Physician 9 clerk 8 Hired Servant 8 Poor House Pauper 8 Teacher 8 Farm Renter 5 Student 5 Wagon Maker 5 Grocer 4 Shoe Maker 4 Meth Min 4 C. S. 3 Cabinent Maker 3 appt 2 Chair Maker 2 Cooper 2 Distiller 2 Hatter 2 Lady 2 Lawyer 2 Midwife 2 Painter 2 Post Master 2 Sadler 2 appt Cabinent Maker 1 appt Cabinent 1 Boatman 1 Brick Mason 1 Carriage Maker 1 Census Taker 1 Chancery Clrk 1 Ckt Ct Clrk 1 Constable 1 County Clerk 1 County Surveyr 1 distiller 1 Doctor 1 Domestic Labor 1 Farm Agent 1 Geologist 1 Gun Seller 1 Gun Smith 1 Herdsman 1 Hotel Keeper 1 House Servant 1 Kniter 1 Law Student 1 Machinist 1 Mid Wife 1 Minister 1 Musician 1 Plasterer 1 Sawyer 1 Sheriff 1 Spinner & Weaver 1 Stone Mason 1 INFIRMITIES blind 2 dumb 1 deaf & dumb 1 idiot 1 insane 4 OTHER bound boy 1 bound 1 widow 2 Transcribers notes: Jas. W. Chambers at P108-34 was the enumerator for 1/2 of Sevier County. James McNelly at S101-20 was the enumerator for 1/2 of Sevier County. The present day Dollywood is in Sevier County. There are no Partons in the 1860 Census. We believe that Dolly Parton came from either the Partin (9 members listed) family, or the Partain (34 members listed) family. There were only 2 people listed as foreign born in Sevier county, from Ireland. SEVIER COUNTY HISTORY Sevier County was founded September 28, 1794 from Jefferson County. It is bordered on the west by Blount County, with Knox to the northwest, Jefferson on the north and Cocke County on the east. The public records of Sevier County were almost completely destroyed by fire on March 25, 1856. In tracing the early residents of the County it is advisable to search the records of the adjoining counties of Blount, Cocke, Jefferson, and Knox. As of the year 2000, Sevier County had a land area of 592 square miles and the population was estimated in 2002 at 74,456. History Of Sevier County Region Sevier County, one of the larger counties in the state of Tennessee, is bordered by Blount County on the west, Knox County on the northwest, Jefferson County on the northeast, and North Carolina on the south. The county was established in 1794 and covers about 600 square miles. There are three distinct regions in Sevier County, Appalachian Mountain region to the north, Foothills region in the central portion and the Great Valley of East Tennessee, which stretches some 9,200 square miles across Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia. Elevations in the county range from a height of 6,643 ft above sea level at Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, to a low of 850 ft above sea level in the French Broad River. The French Broad River joins with the Holston River in Knox County to form the Tennessee River. The Tennessee Valley Authority dammed the French Broad River in 1943, which created Douglas Lake. Sevier County Courthouse Sevierville, Tennessee The Sevier County Courthouse was completed on November 10, 1895 with Kenneth McDonald as the supervising architect. This is the fifth courthouse for Sevier County and was built for a little over $22,000. Limestone came from a nearby quarry and Isaac Dockery, a notable African American brick mason in Sevierville, manufactured the bricks. The centerpiece of the courthouse is the Seth Thomas clock which is located in the 130ft tall tower. This clock cost more than $1,300 and is still in flawless operation today. Several finishing touches were made over the next several months and the first court was held on October 5, 1896. Harrisburg Covered Bridge Harrisburg, Tennessee This grand example of a covered timber truss bridge is located in north central Sevier County just off of Old State Highway 35 near U.S. 411. The original bridge was destroyed on February 25, 1875 during a great flood in Sevier County. The Trotter Covered Bridge was also destroyed along with many houses, mills and other bridges. Elbert Stephenson Early who was a resident of Harrisburg rebuilt the Harrisburg Covered Bridge later in 1875. This is the only surviving covered bridge in Sevier County and is still being used for both foot traffic and vehicles. The bridge is 83 feet long and 14 feet wide on the outside with almost 11 1/2 feet clearance inside. In 1969, the bridge was in need of much repair and restoration. The Spencer Clark Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) stepped in and financed the restoration of the bridge in 1972. The Harrisburg Covered Bridge has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1975. The McMahan Indian Mound Sevierville, Tennessee The mound is located on the Forks of the River Parkway in Sevierville, across from the Sevier County Public Library. The mound is largely undisturbed, but small sections have been removed due to construction of adjacent businesses. This Mississippian substructure, 16 feet high and 240 feet in circumference, built during the Dallas phase (1200-1500), was first excavated in 1881, with artifacts being sent to the Smithsonian. Later excavations exposed nearby villages of the Woodland Indian dating from 200 A.D. to the Cherokee who roamed this valley when pioneers settled in the late 1700s. Today, weary joggers and walkers from the nearby nature trail, can stop and enjoy this beautiful setting. The Old Mill Pigeon Forge, Tennessee The Old Mill is a nationally recognized Historical Site and is located on the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River in the heart of Piegon Forge. In the old days, it was the heart of the community and served as a gathering spot for villagers. During the Civil War, looms were set up on the second floor to make woven articles for soldiers. The area around the Old Mill was first settled by pioneers near a river in the early 1800s. The river was named Little Pigeon because of its popularity with pigeons, and the name was given to the community as well. William Love dammed up the Little Pigeon River and began construction of the first building of the Old Mill. He utilized 40-foot-long, 14"-by-14" Yellow Poplar logs, which are clearly visible even today. Huge river rocks serve as pillars to support the structure. This is one the most photographed structures in Tennessee. The mill has been in continuous daily operation since its completion in 1830. Kodak Flour Mill Kodak, Tennessee The current Kodak Flourmill was built in 1916 and stands as a reminder of Sevier Counties agricultural history. The Kodak Milling Company was the first major flourmill in operation in Sevier County. Beginning in 1912, Harvey Underwood, a former employee of J. Allen Smith & Company at Knoxville, operated a flour mill in Kodak. Underwood purchased wheat from the surrounding farmers and after milling it into a flour form, he transported the product down the French Broad River to Knoxville. Harvey Underwood's son, Cecil P. Underwood, constructed a larger and more modern mill of rusticated concrete block, and sold his flour to area residents and, to the White Lily Foods Company at Koxville. The Kodak Mill closed its doors long ago, but this piece of history still stands tall today. Henry's Station and The Treaty of Dumplin Creek Kodak, Tennessee Adjacent to the Kodak Mill is a marker describing the Treaty of Dumplin Creek which was signed on June 10, 1785 at Henry's Station which was recently lost. This treaty made it possible for Sevier, Knox and Blount counties to be settled without resistance. An additional marker at the site reads: The only treaty made by the State of Franklin was signed here after some negotiation. Commissioners were John Sevier, Alexander Outlaw and Daniel Kennedy. Signatory Cherokee chiefs were the King of the Cherokee, Ancoo of Chota, Abraham of Chilhowee, The Sturgeon of Tallassee, The Bard of the Valley Towns and some thirty others. Middle Creek United Methodist Church Pigeon Forge, Tennessee This church is located on Middle Creek Roadbetween Sevierville and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and was was built by Cisco Williams, a carpenter from Sevierville, in 1902. Middle Creek United Methodist is Sevier County's best example of a Gothic Revival style church building. Sevier County has many churches representing a wide variety of denominations including, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic and others. There are many examples of small country churches in the County and several larger churches with close to 2000 members. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - THE STORY TELLERS We are the chosen. My feelings are, in each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know, and approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been called as it were, by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: Tell our story. So, we do. In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors you have a wonderful family you would be proud of us? How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say. It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I do? It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying I can't let this happen. The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a Nation. It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are them and they are us. So, as a scribe called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take their place in the long line of family storytellers. That, is why I do my family genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones. Author unknown - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The 1860 Census or Lots of Questions Answered The 1860 Census lists a dwelling number and family number and each sheet lists the county as well as town and post office name. Questions answered on the 1860 census include, name, age and sex of each individual; color, occupation, value of real and personal property; birthplace, whether married within the year (m.y.), whether attended school, can read or write and the date of the enumeration. Also included are boxes to indicate if an individual was a pauper or convict. Here is an article published in 1859 about the upcoming 1860 census: Friday September 23, 1859 Weekly Star THE NEXT CENSUS The year 1860 is the time appointed for taking the eighth census of the United States. From having been originally a simple enumeration's of persons, this Federal census has grown to be a decennial register of the number of inhabitants and their occupation, religious denominations & c, and also a statement of the commerce, manufacturers, arts and industry, and the wealth of the nation. The collection of these statistics has hitherto been attended with immense labor and difficulty. The inquiries of the census takers have not only been baffled by the stupidity and perverseness and ignorance of many to whom they were addressed; but it has been impossible to obtain accurate information upon important subjects because the parties; who alone are presumed capable of imparting it, have never taken the trouble to inform themselves. It often occurs that, in the absence of the head of a family no other member of it is able to give the information required; for instance as to the ages of the different members or it, or the amount of land in cultivation, the number of negroes and their ages, the quantity and value of horses, mules and oxen, etc., or of farming implements or farm products. In town and country similar difficulties are continually met with by the marshals appointed to collect these statistics, and the census is consequently returned incomplete. It is probably that while care will be observed to prevent any frauds or excess in the publication of the next census, it will be ordered by Congress to be taken so as to include all the most important items of information in regard to the progress of our population and our country. In view of this contingency the Nashville News very sensibly suggest that each farmer, this fall , as he gathers his crops, shall keep something like an accurate account of the quality and value of the same; and if he will take the trouble to make out a statement of the names and ages of his family; the number and ages of his servants, the number and value of his horses and mules; the number of bales of cotton, barrels of corn, bushels of wheat, oats, rye, barley, potatoes, etc., and leave it in some place where any member of thefamily, who may be at home when the deputy marshal shall call, can readily get hold of it, it will save time to all concerned, and very greatly assist to make the census return perfect, complete and satisfactory. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -