Johnson County

When Tennessee attained statehood in 1796 the region became part of Carter County. Unfortunately for the residents the county seat of Carter was in Elizabethton, which was across the county. In order to do any official business people had to travel over 30 miles and cross Doe Creek up to eight times. In light of this difficulty the residents of eastern Carter County petitioned to have the county seat moved to Butler, which was centrally located in the county. The initial petition was denied and after some farther disagreements the citizens of eastern carter petitioned the Tennessee government to allow them to form their own country.

In 1836 the state approved the measure, but there was some disagreement on what to call the new county. Some wanted it named Taylor after Colonel James P. Taylor, an attorney from a prominent Carter County family who had developed a reputation as a convincing Orator (Carter County 1887, p 907-908), others wanted it named after one of the early settlers in the region Thomas Johnson who had recently passed away (Johnson County 1887, p.922). A compromise was struck and the county was named after Johnson, but the new county seat was called Taylorsville in honor of Colonel Taylor.

About a decade later the name was changed again and the town finally became Mountain City. According to local sources this was done at the behest of Senator Roderick R. Butler, officially to honor the beauty of the land around the town. Others have suggested that he might have had political motivations for the change.

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