Court of Wilson County

The county court of Wilson County was organized at the house of John Harpole on Monday, December 23, 1799, the following commissioned magistrates being present:

 The exact place of holding this first session of the court, i. e., the location of Harpole's house, is a matter of much dispute at the present time; yet after diligent search and numerous inquiries from reliable persons the writer is of the opinion that the house stood on the north side of Spring Creek about five miles north of the present county seat.

The court was organized by the election of Charles Kavanaugh as chairman; Robert Foster, clerk; Samuel Rosborough, sheriff; John Allcorn, register; John W. Payton, trustee; William Gray, ranger; William Quesenbury, surveyor; and Benjamin Seawell, solicitor.

Among the first acts of the court were to admit John C. Hamilton to practice as an attorney, prove a deed of conveyance of 640 acres of land from Michael Coonrad to his brother Henry, and order a road laid off from the forks of Round Lick Creek to the "25-mile tree," nearly opposite the house of Edward Mitchell. The March term, 1800, was also held at Harpole's, as were the June, September and December terms, during which sessions John Hogg and George K. Wynn exhibited their ear marks; John Herrod was granted license to keep an ordinary, permissions were given to William Trigg, Joseph Hendrick aid Mathew Figures to erect water grist-mills; Lemuel Herrod, John Dickason, John B. Johnson, Jesse Wharton and Nicholas Perkins were admitted to the bar; $2 was ordered paid for the scalp of each wolf killed in the county; and a tax was levied for county purposes of 6¼ cents on each 100 acres of land, 6¼ cents on each white and 12½ cents on each black poll.

The court continued to meet at Harpole's throughout the year 1801, during which time John Herrod took out tavern license, Charles Smith was admitted to the bar, and rates for ferrying were fixed as follows: Man and horse, 6¼ cents; manor horse, 3½ cents; cattle and other stock, 3? cents per head; loaded wagon and team, $1; empty wagon and team, 75 cents; four-wheel carriages, $1; two-wheel, 50 cents.

From March until December, 1802, the court met at the house of Henry Turner on Barton Creek, three miles southwest from Lebanon, and from there adjourned to meet at the house of Edward Mitchell, in Lebanon, the new county seat having been laid out and the lots sold on August 16 of that year. Mitchell was allowed by the court 25 cents for each meal and lodging furnished the magistrates during the session of court. During 1803 the court fined Obediah Spradim $1.50 for profanity; James Anderson was granted ordinary license, and the rate of charges for ordinaries was regulated as follows: rum, wine, gin and French brandy, $8 per gallon; whisky or brandy 12½ cents per half pint; lodging 6¼ cents; corn or oats 4 cents per gallon; horse with hay or fodder, 25 cents; pasturage for twenty-four hours, 12½ cents.

In 1804 the March term of court was held at James Anderson's in Lebanon, the June term, at Edward Mitchell's and the September and December terms at Anderson's. Throughout 1805 and until June 1806 the court met at Mitchell's house, at which time the court adjourned to meet at the new and first court house, that building having been completed and placed in readiness for the court during the year. The first court house was a small cedar-log building, with a clapboard roof, and stood on the west side of the Public Square. It was large enough only for the holding of the court, the county officers having their quarters in various houses around the Square. Beyond this meager description nothing more can now be learned, as the memory of the present oldest inhabitant runneth not back that far. The jail was completed a short time previous to the court house. It was also a small cedar-log house, having two apartments, and entrance to the cells was through a trap door in the upper floor, the cells resting on the ground. The court appointed Jeremiah Brown, John Allcorn and John Wynn a committee in 1806 to award the contract for and superintend the building of a bridge across the creek, which flows through the town (now known as Town Branch), and John Doak, John Harpole and Mathew Figures were appointed a committee to have a stray pen erected. Benjamin Tower was granted ordinary license and Robert Goodloe, Seth P. Pool and Joseph Sharp were appointed cotton inspectors.

In 1807 the court licensed Daniel Tillman to keep an ordinary, appointed Peter Mosley and Edward Bondward cotton inspectors, fined William Talbott 1 cent for inciting a riot, allowed Seth P. Pool $200 for building an office for the accommodation of the county officials, and allowed David Marshall $12 for building a stray pen.

In 1808 the court granted ordinary license to William Mann, and John Cartwright was granted permission to erect and operate a cotton gin.

In 1809 the court ordered the removal of the stray pen. James Richmond was appointed cotton inspector, and Isham and Larkin Davis were granted permission to erect a water-power grist-mill.

In 1810 Thomas Swain was admitted to the bar. Joel Mann was granted ordinary license, and William Wilson granted permission to erect a grist-mill.

In 1811 the old jail was torn down, and a new one erected on the same site. The new building was of brick and cost $1,396. William Seawell was the contractor.

In 1812 Charles Swain, James Johnson, Ezekial Bass and Reuben Bullard were each fined by the court for committing assault and battery, and Thomas Bradly, the sheriff, was fined $10 for absenting himself during the sitting of the court.

In 1817 the court appropriated $500 for the building of a new court house. The building was completed in 1818. It was of brick and stood in the center of the Public Square. The house was square in shape, one story in height, and had a peaked roof, on the center of which was a square belfry and bell.

In 1829 the court levied a poorhouse tax of 6¼ cents on each 100 acres of land, 6½ cents on each white and black poll, and 6¼ cents on each town lot. The court also appointed Etheldred P. Harris, William McSwain and Thomas B. Reise a commission to select suitable ground upon which to locate said poor-house, and erect the necessary buildings. The following year a small tract of land, three miles southwest of Lebanon, was purchased, and a cedar-log house, containing three rooms, was erected as an asylum. A few years afterward a new asylum was erected on a tract of land about six miles southwest of Lebanon, which served as a poor-farm until 1866, when 219 acres of good farm land was purchased of James Davis for $30 per acre, upon which stood a substantial weather-boarded log house. Four log cabins were erected, and such is the poor asylum of the present. A new jail was erected in 1832, which was also of brick, which stood until 18-, when the present substantial brick jail, which stands about two squares from the Public Square on West Main Street, was erected.

In 1833 a new floor was laid in the court house.

In 1846 the court passed an order for the building of a new court house, which building was not to cost in excess of $8,000. In

1848 the court house was completed, when the old building was torn down. The new court house was of brick, two-stories in height, and stood on Lot No. 8 on the south side of the Public Square, one entrance being on South Cumberland Street. The upstairs was devoted to a circuit court room, while on the lower floor were the quarters of the county officers and the county court room. The building stood until 1881, when it was destroyed by fire, and in January, 1882, the court passed an order for the erection of a new court house, appointing H. G. Johns, G. W. Lewis, J. F. Orgain, L. Drifoos and J. A. Brent a building committee. Subsequently W. A. Lewis, W. H. Brown and John D. Owen were added to the committee. The plans and specifications of the building were prepared by Bruce & Morgan, of Atlanta, Georgia, and the contract was awarded to J. F. Bowers & Bros., of Nashville. When complete the building cost $18,306.30. It is a handsome brick structure, two stories in height above the ground, has stone cappings, tin mansard roof, and is supplied with fire-proof vaults and all modern conveniences. The front of the building is highly ornamented, and is set off with an imposing brick portico, with a flight of stone steps leading thereto. On the second floor are two large court rooms, one each for the circuit and county courts, while on the first floor are large, light and well ventilated offices. A handsome stairway leads from the main hall to the court rooms. There are three entrances to the building, which stands on the site of the old court house, one on the Cumberland Street side, one on the Public Square and one on the west side. During the building of the court house the courts were held in the Masonic Hall. 

 Wilson County | AHGP Tennessee

Source: History of Tennessee, Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1886