Roane County, Tennessee

Roane County Education, Geography, and History

Roane County is a county of the state of Tennessee. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 54,181. Its county seat is Kingston.

Roane County is included in the Knoxville, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Roane County Name

Named in honor of Archibald Roane (1760-1819), 1796 Constitutional Convention delegate, Superior Court of Law and Equity judge, Supreme Court judge, governor of Tennessee.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

History of Roane County

Created 1801 from Knox County and Indian lands; named in honor of Archibald Roane (1760-1819), 1796 Constitutional Convention delegate, Superior Court of Law and Equity judge, Supreme Court judge, governor of Tennessee.

Roane County was formed in 1801 from Knox County and Indian lands
(Acts of Tennessee 1801, Chapter 45).

Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
Roane County is situated at the juncture of the Tennessee, Clinch, and Emory Rivers, a location of vital importance to both white settlers and Native Americans in the early years of Tennessee state history. Settlers gained control of the area through three treaties with the Cherokee Indians: the Treaty of 1794, the Third Tellico Treaty of 1805, and the Hiwassee Purchase made through the Calhoun Treaty of 1819. In 1792 John Sevier established Fort Southwest Point at the convergence of the Tennessee and Clinch Rivers to protect white settlers traveling west. Initially the fort was placed near a spring rather than at a higher point, since the defenders apparently valued access to water more than strategic advantage. In 1797, when the mission of the fort changed to one of offering protection to the Indians against the encroaching settlers, the fort was expanded and moved to a hill overlooking the two rivers. The boyhood dreams of Roane County Historian J. C. Parker were fulfilled posthumously in 1996 with the completion of the restoration of Fort Southwest Point and its dedication and opening to the public.

After several petitions to the state legislature, Roane County was established in 1801 and named in honor of the second governor of Tennessee, Archibald Roane. The town of Kingston, in the shadow of Fort Southwest Point, was chosen as the county seat. In 1807 Kingston became "Capital for a Day." The Tellico Treaty of 1805 stated that Kingston would become the state capital in return for thousands of acres of Indian land. It did, for a few hours on September 21, 1807. The terms of the treaty were thus fulfilled, the capital was returned to Knoxville, and the Indian land was forfeited. A monument commemorating this infamous event stands in the center of Kingston. Find more from the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture: ROANE COUNTY

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 395 square miles (1,023 km²), of which, 361 square miles (935 km²) of it is land and 34 square miles (88 km²) of it (8.61%) is water.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Morgan County (north)
• Anderson County (northeast)
• Loudon County (southeast)
• McMinn County (south)
• Meigs County and Rhea County (southwest)
• Cumberland County (west)

Education

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