Native American Treaties and Early Land Grants

Early on, prior to the early 1700s, the area was controlled by the Shawnee, which led some explorers to call the river that is now called the Cumberland, the Shawnee River (Williams, 1928).

By some time in the early to mid 1700s, the Cherokee took control of the area.

With the 1785 Treaty of Hopewell, the Cherokee gave control of the nearby land to the United States.
White County, TN, property was not technically part of the Hopewell Treaty, as the line seemed to follow near or just west of the Falling Water. However, settlers and surveyors pushed the boundaries, and the United States broke the treaty by not enforcing the promised protection of Cherokee land. Later, on 25 October 1805, the Cherokee gave control, via one of the Treaties of Tellico, of the remaining area of what is now White County to the United States.

Meanwhile, the land had been situated in North Carolina until 1789, when North Carolina ceded the western lands, what is now Tennessee, to the United States. In this process, North Carolina reserved the right to make grants to its Revolutionary War soliders within the Tennessee area, so one often finds North Carolina land grants in Tennessee. By 1 June 1796, Tennessee had become a state.

Another point to consider is Tennessee county formation. The area that is now White County, TN, was in Davidson County, which had been formed by North Carolina, until Sumner County formed on 17 November 1786. On 26 October 1799, the area that is now White County became Smith County, TN, and on 6 November 1801, much of what is now White County became Jackson County, TN, although the Falling Water area remained in what was then Smith County, TN. On 11 September 1806, the area became White County, TN, and finally, on 11 February 1854, some of the area, that was previously White County, around the Falling Water became Putnam County, TN, as it is today.

Grants in Tennessee

• TN/NC Land Records, Book C-3, page 327 - North Carolina to James Easton, 640 acres, 27 March 1796, Sumner County, TN [White County had not yet been formed], Easton was the assignee of the heirs of Watson Reed and may have paid the family of Reed some amount of money, bordered on the east by James Easton's land granted as an assignee of James McAdoe. [There are two versions of this grant, both pictured below. Interestingly, the patent is signed by Glasgow, who was involved land fraud around this time.] The warrant/plat was entered 11 March 1795 as entry 3966. [Below, after the first three images, two deeds, there are papers, available from nclandgrants.com, that relate to Watson Reed and James Easton, as well as the original survey. This grant was the first time that an individual of European origin could say that they owned this 640 acres, equivalent to one square mile.]

• Tennessee General Grants, Book X, Page 68, Tennessee to Levi Perkins, 50 acres, 27 October 1812, to Levi Perkins as assignee of Caleb Berry, 1st district of White County on Town Creek, begins at a white oak and black oak, NW corner of Ute Perkins occupant survey, south 100 poles, crossing a branch of Town Creek at 91 poles to two spanish oaks, east, crossing said branch at 11 poles and Town Creek at 49 poles, in all 80 poles to a white oak and two post oak pointers, north 100 poles to a black walnut in the south boundary line of John Fass [could be Farris] west crossing the east fork of Town Creek at 15 poles, crossing the west fork at 33 poles, in all 80 poles to the beginning, including Levi Perkins' improvement. Signed by Governor Joseph McMinn at Murfreesboro 7 April 1819, Caleb Berry received NC grant #4479 for 294 acres for military service, grant dated 22 December 1796, entered on 12 December 1811, #7261.


• Mountain District Land Grants, Book 10, Page 111 - Tennessee to Wm. Hitchcock as assignee of Thos. Dillon, 6 acres, 16 November 1815, District 1, Falling Water, begins on a post, the SW corner of John Hitchcock's 50 acre survey, on the east boundary line of Wm. Hitchcock's survey, south with Wm. Hitchcock 24 poles to two post oaks, east 40 poles to a post oak, north 24 poles to a post on the south boundary line of John Hitchcock, west with his line 40 poles to the beginning. Signed by Jas. McMinn, governor, on 9 November, 1819 at Murfreesboro. Originally part of the land of Thos. Dillon, certificate #1214, 17 September 1813, 640 acres entered on 9 November 1815, #15985.


• Mountain District Land Grants, Book 10, Page 112 - Tennessee to Wm. Hitchcock as assignee of Jn. Waddle and Jn. McMillen, 67 acres, 22 September 1814, White County, District 1, Falling Water, begins at a hickory and black oak 36 poles south of the three mile tree, 1012 poles from two red oaks, the eastern boundary of the section, west 104 poles to a chestnut, north 102 poles to a white oak, east 104 poles to a black oak and hicory, south, crossing the Falling Water River at 8 poles, crossing the said river again at 67.5 poles, in all 102 poles to the beginning, including his improvement in the center of a square. Signed by Jas. McMinn, governor, on 9 November, 1819 at Murfreesboro. Originally part of the land of Jn. Waddle and Jn. McMillen that was part of certificate #109, 25 July 1807, 3840 acres, entered on 29 August 1807 by #189.


• Mountain District Land Grants, Book 10, Page 113 - Tennessee to Wm. Hitchcock as assignee of Jn. Waddle and Jn. McMillen, 110 acres, 23 September 1814, White County, District 1, Falling Water, section 7, range 1, begins at a chestnut, his SW corner of his occupant claim, east 104 poles to a hickory and black oak, his SE corner, north 10 poles to a chestnut, east crossing the Falling Water at 14 poles, in all 71 poles to a post oak and black oak south 106.5 poles to a post oak and two post oak pointers, west 175 poles to a post oak, north 96.5 poles, crossing the Falling Water, to the beginning. Signed by Jas. McMinn, governor, on 9 November, 1819 at Murfreesboro. Originally part of the land of Jn. Waddle and Jn. McMillen that was part of certificate that was part of certificate #109, 25 July 1807, 3840 acres, entered on 29 August 1807 by #429. [This is part of the top half of current parcel 20.00 and part of current parcel 19.00.]


• Mountain District Land Grants, Book 10, Page 114 - Tennessee to Wm. Hitchcock as assignee of Thos. Dillon, 7 acres, 22 September 1814, District 1, Falling Water, begins on the SW corner of Hitchcock's 67 acres, a chestnut, north 47 1/3 poles to a double white oak, west 23 2/3 poles to a post on Falling Water, south 47 1/3 poles to a post in the River. East 23 2/3 poles to the beginning. Signed by Jas. McMinn, governor, on 9 November, 1819 at Murfreesboro. Originally part of the land of Thos. Dillon, certificate #1214, 17 September 1813, 640 acres entered on 9 November 1812, #9473.


• Mountain District Grants, Book A, Page 62, Tennessee to Levi Perkins, 87.5 acres, 5 March 1828, by virtue of entry #1291, 19 February 1827, surveyed 31 January 1828, Town Creek of Falling Water, begins at a post oak near the SE corner of his 50 acre survey, north 103 poles to a stake in John Lollar's line, east with Lollar, passing the corner, in all 136 poles to a small black oak and sassafrass, south 103 poles to two small hickories and poplar pointer, west 136 poles to the beginning. Signed by Governor Samuel Houston in Nashville, 5 March 1828.