A Pitition To Move The County Seat in 1813
Campbell County, Tennessee

While the census records of East Tennessee were destroyed, yet there is a track recorded left behind on many of the early settlers who came to Tennessee from neighboring states. Research of Campbell County, Tennessee has uncovered a petition made by the settlers of Powell Valley containing 249 names.

Shortly after Campbell County was established a petition was submitted to the state House of Representatives in a effort to relocate the County Seat that was at Jacksborough. This was in 1813. It was the desire of those who signed the petition to locate the county seat closer to the Claiborne County line. The complaint was that the distant to the county seat was too far. They wanted to locate it closer to their community.

It was reported that the petition was referred to committee and went no where. However, the very fact that 249 people signed the petition, leaves a record of those who lived in the valley in Campbell County, Tennessee in 1813.

Among those who signed the petition was Thomas Shewmake, William Shewmake, and James Shewmake. One could conclude that these three men were brothers; father and sons; or at least related.

While the spelling of the name is different, yet the pronunciation remains the same. When searching the census records, over the different time periods, even the census takers would write the names different.