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 JONESBORO - (now) Jonesborough, TN Posted by:  vhasler
N 36° 17.655 W 082° 28.377
17S E 367737 N 4017592
Oldest incorporated town in Tennessee maintains its historical look.
Waymark Code: WM9X02
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 10/08/2010
Views: 7
A colorful description of Jonesborough and its early history:
JONESBORO (1,695 alt, 1,981 pop.) seat of Washington
County and the oldest town in Tennessee, was formally established on
Nov. 4, 1779. It was named for Willie Jones (1740-1801), a North Carolina politician who was a friend of the settlers beyond the mountains. Many of the houses, churches and stores have changed little since pioneer days. Local people take great pride in their picturesque town and discourage the remodeling of the stores on the main street.
Washington County, which included all the settlements in what is now Tennessee, was a political subdivision of North Carolina and the first in the United States named for George Washington. The constitutional convention and the first legislative sessions of the State of Franklin were held in Jonesboro until 1785, when the seat of government of the Lost State was moved to Greeneville. In May, 1779, James Carter began to build the courthouse, a somewhat makeshift log structure with a shingle roof.
From the beginning this was a planned community. No ramshackle cabins were permitted; the owner of each lot had to build "one brick, stone, or well-framed house, 20 feet long and 16 feet wide, at least 10 feet in the pitch, with a brick or stone chimney," Failure to comply with this provision brought forfeiture of the land title.
The middle 1780's were years of confusion here. Many people refused to acknowledge the State of Franklin, preferring to remain loyal to North Carolina; two sets of officials attempted to establish their authority.
The first Court of Magistrates of the State of Franklin dispensed high, middle, and low justice and in criminal cases some of its decisions were harsh. A horse thief was branded with an H on one cheek, a T on the other, and nailed to the pillory by his ears for one hour after which, they were cut off. In 1788, at the whipping post in the public square, a woman received 10 lashes for petty larceny. The penalty imposed upon a man guilty of this offense was 30 lashes.
Andrew Jackson, then 21 years old, rode into Jonesboro in May, 1788, and hung out his shingle; he practiced law here about two years and boarded at the home of Kit Taylor, two miles west of town. When, in 1815, a rumor reached Jonesboro that Andrew Jackson had killed the whole English army at New Orleans, and had set sail to take possession of England itself, the townspeople were thrown into a frenzy of pride. One old grandpap threw his hat in the air and yelled, "Whoopee! Hurrah for Andy Jackson! Heil-and-thunder, I knowed he could whip anybody the day I seed him ride that hoss-race at Greasy Cove!" "Andy Jackson, hell-and-thunder" are the words still used in this section to express high feelings.
Jonesboro was the home of William and Matthew Atkinson, who designed (1801-2) the Great Seal of the State of Tennessee.
----- TENNESSEE - A Guide to the State (third printing 1949)
The current population is estimated to be 5,500 people, mostly due to the expansion of the city limits. Besides being a county government seat, the National Storytelling Center brings in tourism. A very pretty historical downtown which keeps the modern commercial development to the north.
The above tales of severe punishment are from the early court records as I recently read a book by an early 20th century local judge/historian who described the same.
Book: Tennessee
Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 291-292
Year Originally Published: 1939
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