Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-02-07
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
The soil, Minerals. Timber and
society Of McMinn County.
no. I.NI.

our Northern readers reliable facts about
the various counties in East Tennessee.
We have been furnished several such ar
ticles and will publish them in the order
received.
The following admirable article about
McMinn county we are sure will receive
the attention it deserves. Athens, the
county seat of McNTinn, lies on the rail
road connecting Knoxville and Chat
tanooga fifty-siX miles west of this city,
EDITORS CHRONICLE Not remember
ing to have noticed any special mention of
McMinn county in the interesting series
of articles descriptive of East Tennessee,
written with view to encourage immi-
grafton in this direction, / ask permission
to write, through the columns of your
widely circulated paper, the attention of
immigrants to the fertile lands and pleas
ant pathways of McMinn, one of the best
counties in the State whatever be the
standpoint from which it is regarded.
There is probably no other county in the
State of Tennessee that possesses q greater
diversity of soil, q more salubrious climate,
or q more abundant variety of valuable
timber. We have the mountain, the val
ley and the undulating plain. Our hills
are well adapted to sheep raising, to which
branch of husbandry but little attention
has, as yet, been given by our people. Our
creek bottoms will, with proper cultiva-
ton, yield from fifty to sixty bushels of
corn per acre. Our best uplands produce
from twelve to thirty bushels of wheat.
Tobacco has been recently cultivalated
with success. Cotton has also been grown
to some extent, but is probably not so re-
numerative crop as the cereals. There
are some excellent meadow lands in this
county. All the grapes do well in some
parts of NIcMinn. There is q fine speci-
men of bluegrass at the county seat, in
the court house square which has continued
green through the winter. Timothy
herds-grass and orchard grass are chiefly
sown for hay. Glover of late years has
received attention and seems to be well
adapted to our soil and climate-producing
luXurant crops upon the Oldest fields and
greatly improving the produstiveness of
the land if not grazed too early or close
Our water-power, of which but little use
has been made is, perhaps, unsurpassed by
that of any county in the State. There is
now some talk regarding the erection of a
factory for the fabrication ofwoolen goods,
such asflannels, blankets, jeans, &c. which
if engaged in, will, no doubt, amply re-
compense those who establish the business
and greatly benefit the community, if on a
scale commensurate with the minds of this
section of the country.
There are already two cotton manufac-
tories in the county for spinning thread.
power sufficient to drive the machinery of
Lowell. Our mineral resources are yet
but partially developed; but sufficiently
tested to satisfyus that our hills abound in
a variety of ore. Plumbago is known to
exist in quantities sufficient to glut the
markets of the world. 1t is of excellent
quality. Porcelain clay of unriValed white
ness has been discovered and to some ex-
tent worked. AS a general thing, the sub
soil is of penuginOus clay with n surface
layer of vegetable mould and animal de-
bris, from one to three feet in depth
where the land has not been worn by bad
tillage. The timber consists chiefly of the
different varieties of oak hickory, walnut
poplar, chestnut, wild cherry, pine, both
white and yellow, of which there are gi.
gantic specimens. There is in our forests
sufficient building material to supply the
wants of Chicago during the.ensuing sum
mer, if available.
Athens, the county seat, situated neal
the center of the county, on the line OF
the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georges
Railroad, contains population of about
one thousand inhabitants, noted for theil
culture. As you are aware the East Ten
nessee Wesleyan University is here lOcat-
ed. over which the erudite DIR. Y. f. Cob
leigh presides, assisted by competent
corps of professors. This institution
though recently established, has already
an enviable reputation, and for the facili-
ties afforded the students, Is without q III
val in the middle tier of States.
THE Young Ladies' Female Seminary
under the management of the accomplish
ed Mrs. Sullins, is also located i'm Athens
There are in the town other, primary
schools. Tie large brick edifice, situated
on the summit of one of the seven hills o
Athens, is occupied by the classical schOo
of Professor VIM. White. The prepare
tory school of Miss l.. \. Bridges is de
serving of special notice for the thorough
ness of instruction and the home-like in
fuences surrounding her pupils. There
are three church editces in Athens. Pres
byterian, Methodist and Episcopalian
The Baptists and Cumberland Presby
terians occasionally "hold meetingn il
town, and these sects each include in thei
church membership several of our promi
nent citizens.
Athens has at the ,esent time but on
newspaper, the Post, edited by the genia
and talented S. p. Twins, who, barrinl
his politics, hasn't a peer in the State
Through courtesy, excepting the CHRoNI
Gle, the Post is universally conceded TO b
the best paper this side of Boston co Ii
addition TO the town of Athens, McMinI
county contains the new and flourishinj
villages of Riceville and Mouse Creek
both, like Athens, situated on the line q
railroad which traverses the county from
east to west. Indeed, the railroad passe
through Riceville and Mouse Creek, Will,
Athens maintains q digRifed position 4
the south, almost out of sight and hearing