Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-06-11
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
Inform alton About Land, etc, in
BlOunt County.
No. OK.

The following article, prepared for the
CHRONICLE by a citizen of Blount county,
We give as q fair description of that fine
county:
In presenting the advantages of East
Tennessee, or rather of the State of Ten
nessee, through the columns of your pa
per, the claims of various localities have
been presented, intended, no doubt, to be
fair representation of the whole. But in
section reaching the length and breadth
of East Tennessee, there must be locali-
ties having special advantages, each of its
order, commencing itself to person seek
ing some special avocation. TO a person
desiring to engage either in agriculture,
the manufacture or delivery of iron from
the earth, the county of Blount, immedi-
ateiy south of Knoxville, almost part of
Knox county, presents advantages rarely
eQuaed and as we commence to write
aud think of them, they startle us with
their number and the indifference with
which they have been treated. Feeling
that we must be brief, we will call the at
tention of the reader to some of our ad
vantages in the fewest words possible.
To person desiring to engage in farm
ing,w offer a rich variety of lands. Start
ing into the county from Knoxville, we
strike the line only marked by the river
hills of the Holston which are metby those
of Little River, a stream that, followed by its
meandering, washes and enriches at least
seventy-five miles along either side
of its banks. Passing on through
what we may term the center of the coun-
ty, we observe that which might be term
ed dividing ridge between the Holston
on the north and the Smoky mountains
on the south for distance of thirty-five
miles. By this route we have some of as
rich scenery and as fertile soil as are belt
ed in by our own East Tennessee ranges,
watered in every direction by creeks, upon
which q Upnipnt distances lOpnt-
ed grist and saw mills, affording power to
run almost any kind of machinery.
Bounded thus-on the east by the Little
River; on the north by the Holston on
the west by the Little Tennessee; on the
south by the Smoky mountains; with
creeks leading in from never failing
springs, it will be readily observed that
we are well supplied with water and wa
power nor may the agriculturalist too
highly prize these streams, as the farms
along their shores do not suffer from
drought as the uplands, and then the fire.
quent overflow serves to fertilize the soil
with q rich sediment.
Within twelve miles ofthe Knoxville and
Charleston Railroad we have an abundance
of iron ore, rich in metal. The few at
tempts made to open this great source of
wealth were made before the war, and at a
time when all enterprise was frozen out by
the curse of slavery. In the western end
of the county is found as fine marble as
can be found anywhere in the country.
This is being developed; workmen are
now engaged opening the quarry, but there
is room for many more. No more health
full region exists for the invalid than the
climate we have, TO which we add healing
waters that flow out from the side of our
mountain and need only to be used to re-
inVigOrate those whose health may be inn
paired. For reaching the markets of the
world we have the Holston river, draining
w M hn
tloated to the best markets of our section
and through them to the world all the sur
plus we may possess. These are some of
our natural advantages, to which may be
added many desirable improvements and
room for many more. Churches of the
primitive kind we have upon every hand
at Maryville. We have Maryville College,
which has been filling its sphere for up
wards of half century, and now, with
new buildings and efficient teachers, bids
fair to equal any institution Of like char
acter in the country. The Knoxville and
Charleston Railroad having its terminus at
Maryville, will undoubtedly ere long, be
finished through the county, which,
when done, will be q length of over forty
miles in n straight line of rail from the
point where IL enters the county to
the North Carolina line, where it
leaves, opening up to an easy mar
ket some Of our finest lands and forests,
now a dreg upon the hands of the own
ers nor can there be any doubt of it's ear
ly completion. From Cincinnati by this
route to Charleston, it is over one hundred
miles nearer than any other line ever sug-
gested, and there needs only the building
of about one hundred and fifty miles of
road south of Knoxville 10 enable the cars
TO run through to Charleston from Knox
vile. Large sums have already been eX-
pended by South Carolina TO build this
road and but for her poverty she would
put it through at every hazard the same
reason also applies To Tennessee. In
spite OF this and the opposition of the Geor-
gia people, who have from the first thrown
every obstacle in the way, the road will
eventually be completed, perhaps as a
National necessity, and then standing be
tween the frost Of the west and heat Of the
South, with all the advantages Of either,
we may rejoice that our lands are ia so
delightful q country, and thank Cod for SO
~ Oh g'f, aa tie country We inhabit.
Il