Early photo of the post office
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Jefferson City was originally named
for a creek...Mossy Creek. The first explorers to the area chose the name because of
the vivid green moss growing in the creek bed. Apparently Mossy Creek was a supply
point for these early explorers. When Adam and Elizabeth Sharkey Peck and family
arrived from Virginia in 1788, they found a small abandoned fort or blockhouse beside a
spring of fresh water flowing into a nearby creek. Tradition goes that the Pecks set
up their dwelling in this structure until their own log cabin, slightly northwest of the
present city, was ready for occupation. Despite the danger from the Indians, Mossy
Creek proved to be so desirable that by 1797 seventy-five to one hundred families had
settled within a four-mile radius of it. |
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| EARLY COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ALONG
THE CREEK BANKS
Thanks to water power available on Mossy
Creek, most of the earliest commercial development was along the creek banks, beyond the
original Peck dwelling where Adam Peck built the first grist mill about 1795. About the
same time, Thomas Hume opened the first store. Thereafter, about 1798, Christopher
Haynes established an iron works which operated for about ten years. According to the U.S.
Post Office Department, Washington, D.C., the first post office was set November 21, 1816
at the old “Mossey” Creek Iron Works with Willie Zount Peck as postmaster,
salary $2.17 a month. Before 1818, settlers had to get mail from Greeneville. |
Employees and Mail Carriers
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Old Mossy Creek Mill
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Several grist mills operated in the
area for years, the last of which was the Branner-Jarnigan Mill on the west bank of Mossy
Creek, east of the city. It was built by George Branner soon after he moved to Mossy
Creek from Dandridge, about 1835. Before 1838 George Branner lived in what the
family called Manor House on a rise on the south side of the old road near the mill.
He built three cabins east of the mill. The cabin farthest east was a tavern.
Branner also built an imposing brick dwelling on the northwest slope below Glenmore.
When Glenmore was built (1867-69), Branner’s house was removed, and the handsome
bricks were used in the Timmon’s House and in the walks around Glenmore. |
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| Other early businesses were Patton
Howell’s ax-handle factory, Henry W. Peck’s wool-carding machine, and Knight,
Humes, & Gill’s cotton spinning factory, later owned by Col. S.W. Fain, who
supplied thread for jeans, other weaving, and for mending at home by women of the
area. Thread and packing were shipped to other states and abroad. Adam Peck
& Co., Brazelton and Massingale, and W.A. Branner were also merchants by 1836.
For the first forty or fifty years lumbering was the principle non-farming occupation.
Trees were removed primarily for local use and to make way for land cultivation. The
valleys were mostly grass covered with buffalo grass growing extensively, but the hills
were timbered. Two or three sawmills were then on Mossy Creek. A large one
owned by a Mr. Hayworth was located at the mouth of the stream on the Holston River. |
Jefferson City Outfitting Company
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Photo showing orange colored fence where people
watched trains come through
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POPULATION SHIFTS
SOUTHEAST BY 1840’s By
the middle 1840’s three factors helped cause the gradual southeastward shifting of
the center of population and business: The beginning of Mossy Creek Baptist
Missionary Seminary in 1851, the intermittent mining of zinc ore some years after its
discovery east of town by Willis Hammond and George Wright in the 1830’s, and the
completion of the East Tennessee Railroad between Bristol and Knoxville in 1858. |
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| This line was later
incorporated with the East Tennessee Railroad and Georgia Railroad under the name of East
Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia Railroad. The story goes that the original survey
through Mossy Creek was made to run the track along Mountcastle Street, but John R.
Branner succeeded in having it changed to its present course. At that time he gave
the right-of-way through his property in addition to three acres of land upon which to
build the railroad station. This arrangement stipulated that every passenger train
stop at Mossy Creek. Branner later became the president of the line, which is now a
part of the Southern Railway System. |
Photo showing old Yoe Hotel (Mossy Creek's first)
with steps leading to second floor
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Southern Depot showing city well
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The old east-west highway
ran through the town along the railroad, which was eventually double-tracked. A
bright orange-colored fence was erected, and the name Depot Street, now Main, was given to
it. Children often climbed the fence to watch their favorite trains come in and see
the engines take in water for their boilers from the old water tank high on its heavy,
derrick-like foundation located back of Godwin Brothers Store. |
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| POST CIVALWAR
DEVELOPMENT LED BY J.R.BRANNER Mossy Creek did not escape the Civil War. On December
29, 1863, a battle was fought, with the Union forces on one side of the creek and the
Confederate forces on the other side. This encounter resulted in a defeat for the
latter. During the tragic days after the war many southern civic, government, and
military leaders had to sign a Certificate of Allegiance to the Constitution of the United
States. |
Old Mossy Creek Bank
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J.R. Moser and son in front of his livery stable
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John Roper Branner, often
leading the way in the early development of the city, built the imposing Branner-Jarnigan
mansion, (Glenmore Mansion 1867-69) on the eastern edge of their city. He did not
live to see it completed. His heirs sold it to Milton P. Jarnigan who moved there in
1882. However, before this transaction took place, Glenmore was for several years
home of the Branner Institute for Young Ladies. Its first session was in
1876-77. A copy of the initial catalogue shows an ambitious program in music, art,
literature, languages, science, and mathematics. |
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| Nicholas
& Trotter built the first hardware store. In the same period Jarnigan &
Tittsworth opened the first drug store or apothecary shop on the southeast corner of Main
and Branner. The Yoe Hotel, Mossy Creek’s first hotel, was three stories
high. The Depot Street level held the Ingram Brothers Barber Shop and a
confectionary stand which sold tobacco, sweets, and on Saturday, ice cream. Behind
these was a room where “drummers” could display their wares which they had for
sale. |
Early photo of Woolen Mills
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Photo of first public school, later to be used as
city hall building and fire station
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A
much-looked-forward-to even during part of the Yoe’s life-span was the arrival of
huge baskets of bread brought in by Jim Tate, once or twice a week, via train from Kerns
Bakery, Knoxville, and sold on the street near the front of the hotel about 5:30 in the
afternoon. While Mrs. Ada Northern managed the Yoe, Carson-Newman College owned it,
and J.D. Bible, treasurer, collected the rent. About 1915 it was torn down after
being sold to D.L. Butler. |
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| Other later
hotels included the Jefferson, on the south side of Main Street, managed by Mrs. Ashmore,
and then by Mrs. Ethel Manley, who had a photo studio with window displays. Two
tearooms were the Evans, where Holt Fieldhouse now stands, and the Burnette, on present
Walnut Street. An early jail stood beyond the upper bridge on the west side of Mossy
Creek. It was about eight-by-eight feet with one very small window and door. |
Another early photo of school building
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Ingram and Tate Barber Shop
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Several livery stables,
the taxi service of the day, catered to the citizens and the “drummers.”
On special occasions two black men, Clark and Crum Taylor, bedecked in high-topped hats
and long-tailed coats and perched high on the front seat of a carriage, wheeled along fast
to answer the needs of customers. Under the name Frame’s News Bureau, S.M.
Frame published the following newspapers: Mossy Creek Lancet, 1873; Weekly Register, 1897;
and the Watchman. Asquith Job Printing Shop was later located on the west side of
Branner. |
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| MOSSY CREEK BECOMES JEFFERSON CITY
IN 1901 Before 1900 two communities, Carsonville on the south
and Frame Addition on the west, were in existence. Although these communities were
separated from Mossy Creek by farmland, they incorporated in 1901 under the name Jefferson
City with a charter voted on February 7, 1901. The first meeting of the city fathers was
held in an old print shop located north of the railroad tracks. According to
history, a few of the business and professional men were called “mossbacks” when
they traveled to other areas. Consequently, they supported the name change to
Jefferson City. |
"Glenmore" built by John R. Branner,
1868-69
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Early photo of First Methodist Church
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The first mayor of the newly named
city was W.T. Russell, a prominent member of the faculty and administrative staff of the
college. In 1903 he was followed by R.M. (Bob) Bales, a leading businessman, who
served two terms. The first telephone service was cooperatively owned by the
People’s Telephone Co. J.V. Cline was the manager for many years. The
first light and power system was privately owned. One of these owners was a Mr.
Goofenhour who sold to a Cleveland concern, which in turn sold to TVA, and Appalachian
Electric Cooperative followed. The light and power plant was located on Mechanic
Street across from Johnson Spring Factory. Its smokestack can be seen today.
Lights were turned on at twilight and off at 10:00 p.m. |
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| Clarence Bales and John
Lawrence were involved in the first attempt to construct a water system in the early
1920’s. The water was brought in wooden pipes from the spring to the old
reservoir built on two levels behind the Sarah Swan Dormitory. The wooden pipes
leaked so badly that metal ones were installed in them. |
Dr. McCowan's Bible Class-First Methodist Church
1936-37
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Early photo of First Presbyterian Church
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Since this system was
impractical, in 1923-24 when J.W. Ellis was mayor, the city bought Bird Spring and an acre
of land from Dr. John Fain for $7,500.00 and pumped water to the old reservoir on top of
what is now North Hills. Pipes were laid both north and south to the Southern
Railway tracks where there was a problem getting underground. This was finally
solved, and the system was used until TVA had to purchase another source of water supply
for the city because Bird Spring was inundated by Cherokee Lake. The new water
source was found on Lamar Rankin farm at the head of Mossy Creek and is still used today. |
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| For many years a red bus,
driven by a Mr. Presley, ran between Jefferson City and Dandridge. The road was so
dusty that all aboard had to wear dusters. In addition, the women wore large hats
with veils that passed over the top and down the sides of the face to tie under the
chin. Baskett Brothers of Morristown provided the first east-west service in 1923,
and Tennessee Coach Company bought them out in 1930. |
Early photo of First Baptist Church
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Post Office after its dedication in 1940
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THE NEW POST OFFICE AND CHEROKEE DAM
ARE SIGNIFICANT IN 1940 On August 10, 1940, the present Post Office was dedicated with a
gala occasion featuring a large parade from City Hall to the new Post Office.
Morristown High School Band, the local American Legion Boy Scout Troops and men from CCC
Camp No. 1447 stepped proudly along to halt at the speaker’s stand where W.B. Wooten,
a representative of the Post Office Department, Chattanooga, gave the history of the local
office from its beginning to that day. Congressman B. Carroll Reece spoke at
Henderson Hall. This was followed by an old-fashioned basket lunch spread on
Carson-Newman campus. At 1:30 p.m. a Colonial Fashion Show at Henderson Hall was a
big hit. Field Day at Carson-Newman Johnson Athletic Field closed what was called
“the biggest celebration in the history of the city.” Ben Catlett was then
mayor. |
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| August 1,
1940, brought Jefferson City into national news. On that date work started toward
the building of Cherokee Dam, a short distance northwest of the corporate limits.
The gates to the dam were closed December 5, 1941. Impoundment of the water,
supposed to take place in twenty months, began considerably earlier. Thus, current
was made available to Oak Ridge during part of World War 2, and the entire project was
completed in 1942. Of the original five to six meandering miles of historic
Mossy Creek, only one and a half miles remain when the lake is full. |
Early photo of Cherokee Dam
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Miss Hazel Stepp's second grade class, 1921
Second public school, with both grammar and high
school students
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Despite the passing of
many years, the change of the city’s name and other changes, two conditions from the
old days are much the same. From here and surrounding locations, according to a
newspaper article of 1853, “The views are not excelled anywhere for picturesque
beauty. Landscapes of wooded hills and cultivated valleys stretch out til the eye
rests against the blue dimness of the distant mountains to behold wondrous
loveliness…The courageous, dignified and refined people make Mossy Creek a most
delightful place to visit. Hospitality is second nature with people here, and a
visitor never fails to come again.” Historical
sketch excerpted from Diamond Jubilee-Bicentennial (Mossy Creek-Jefferson City), 1976. |
More Photos of
Historic Jefferson City |
Mossy Creek Hospital
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Old Jefferson City Hospital
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First separate high school
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Bernice Bible (Mrs. Bernice Shipley) and her
basketball team
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First Carson Newman Administration Building burning
in 1916
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Second Carson Newman Administration Building, which
burned in 1974
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Boiler being moved to second Carson Newman
Administration Building
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Early photo of Davis Hall, better remembered as
"The Barn"
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Early photo of Nelson Merry and Thompson Hall
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Starting foundation to rebuild Administration
Building at Carson Newman
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Old Engine 1, Jefferson City's first fire truck
1937-38
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