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HISTORY

CLEVELAND-BRADLEY COUNTY

Thousands of years before the pioneer became commonplace on the American scene, the lands of Bradley, McMinn, and Polk Counties were home to some of the nation’s first citizens. History records evidence of prehistoric Paleo Indians living in the Hiwassee Valley 10,000 years ago.

The most recent and best recorded Indian inhabitation of the Valley was that of the Cherokee in the 18th and 19th centuries. The modern highways that now pass north and south through the area, covers the rutted¹and foot worn trails of the Great Indian Warpath used by the tribal nations in their quest for basic survival.

In 1835 the first permanent white settlement had begun to form at the present location of Cleveland. Prior to this date a white man by the name of Andrew Taylor, who had married an Indian woman and had been allowed a reservation in the Indian country, had built a log house on the lot now occupied by the Cleveland Post Office and was living there when the removal treaty (1835) was made with the Cherokee Indians. This place was known to the early settlers as “Taylor’s Place!’~ The location soon became a favorite stopping place for travelers because of the many springs in the vicinity~ As a result, when the first county court of Bradley County met in 1836 to call an election to select the permanent county seat, “Taylor’s Place” was one of the two sites placed before the voters.~ The other location was three miles east on the reservation of a wealthy Indian named Deer—in--the—Water~

The legislature formally designated Cleveland as the county seat of Bradley County in January 20, 1838, in honor of Colonel Benjamin Cleveland of North Carolina, a Revolutionary War hero of King’s Mountain~ Cleveland reported a population of 400 and was rapidly becoming a popular trading center~ Cleveland was incorporated on February 4, l842.

Cleveland & Bradley County History

Page 2

At the opening of the land office on the first Monday in November 1838, Cleveland was a small lively village. The principal business houses consisted of four or five stores, several groceries or doggeries, and two blacksmith shops. Col. R. M. Edwards described the Cleveland of 1838 as follows: “The courtyard was full of large oak and hickory trees, and all east of that was a swampy glade, full of pine and sweet—gum trees and bushes. Lea Street (now Broad Street) was the main “big road”, as then called from the Agency at Charleston to Ross’s Landing (now Chattanooga).”

In 1837 the Methodist and Presbyterians organized congregations in Cleveland, and during the same year the Oak Grove Academy was granted a charter, the first bank established in Cleveland was the Ocoee Bank, chartered about 1855, and in 1866 the Cleveland National was established. The first newspaper of much importance was the Banner, a Democratic paper established in 1854 by Robert McNelley. The East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad reached Cleveland in 1851.. and by 1871 Cleveland boasted of two railroads. The railroad was responsible for Cleveland’s first major industrial venture——a rolling mill used to process copper from nearby Polk County. In 1855 a stock company built, a steam flouring mill.

Miss Rosine Parmentier of New York City visited Cleveland in 1852 and described the city as follows. “This village is well laid out; the streets are wide and straight, many of them planted with trees. The courthouse is a square brick building with a sort of steeple. The most polite Negro whom I have seen during my travels certainly is “Ned”, a servant belonging to Mrs. Inman, the lady who keeps the hotel. He was always hat in hand, bowing and smiling, ever ready to oblige.”

During the War Between the States, President Abraham Lincoln expressed the opinion that, “Cleveland, or the railroad near Cleveland₅was as important as Richmond.” Cleveland was occupied much of the time during the War Between the States and the people of the area suffered severely. Nearby Polk Co3lnty supplied 90% of the Copper for the Confederacy for a period of time.

Cleveland & Bradley County History

Page 3

By 1877 Cleveland was described as one of the most handsome towns in the State, and had a population of 3,000. By this date the principal manufacturing establishments were the Cleveland Woolen Mill, established in 1882; the Cleveland Stove Works, 1883; the Cleveland Chair Factory, 1884; along with extensive marble works which had been established in 1875; and a sash and blind factory. About this time deposits of magnesium and iron ore of high quality were found in the county.

Colonel R. M. Edwards reported that around 1890 in Cleveland, there were nine practicing physicians, twelve attorneys, eleven general mercantile establishments, fourteen grocery stores, two millinery establishments, two tin ware ships,. three drug stores, six butcher ships, one shoe store, seven licensed saloons, two hotels, three furniture stores and undertaking establishments, three hardware stores, and three livery stables.

BRADLEY COUNTY

The Ocoee District was the last area in Tennessee ceded by the Cherokee to the United States Government by a treaty of December 1835. From this territory were formed Bradley and Polk Counties, and all that part of Hamilton County east of the Tennessee River. In the state archives at Nashville may be seen the original 1egislative act authorizing the organization of Bradley County, written in old—fashioned long hand and bearing the date of its final passage, February 10, 1836. The county was named in honor of Colonel Edward Bradley, who had served with Andrew Jackson in both the War of 1812 and Creek Indian War.

First officers of Bradley County included William Carter, sheriff; Reverent reverend Henry Price, circuit court clerk; John H. Robertson, county court clerk; James Lauderdale; trustee; and Frank Kin cannon, register of deeds, During the early years agriculture was vital to Bradley County with its fertile farming land of Cantata and Walker Valleys. When the white people came to the county the virgin forest was almost unbroken, save a few small patches the Indians, had cleared in the richest spots.

Cleveland Bradley County History’

Page 4

In 1819, an agency known as the Cherokee Agency was established on the present site of the City of Charleston, with Return J. Meigs as the first agent. At the Red Clay Council Ground, located in Bradley County, it is believed that a full council was held in October 1835, a proposed treaty with the United States providing for removal of the Cherokees to the Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, was overwhelmingly rejected. John Howard Payne, author of “Home Sweet Home” and a champion of Indian rights, attended the council which was also attended by a number of prominent United States citizens and Cherokee officials.

One—half mile south of the Council Ground, near the town of Red Clay, Georgia, stands a U.S. marker erected in honor of Sleeping Rabbit, a famous Cherokee veteran of the War of 1812. Four miles northeast at Flint Springs was the last home in the East of John Ross, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation~ The site of the grave of Nancy Ward, high priestess of the Cherokee and loyal friend of the white settlers, is near Benton. In the same vicinity is Old Fort Marr, believed to have been constructed around 1814 to protect the white from the Cherokee.

Some of the Cherokees known to have lived in this area included:

Crowing Chicken, Waterbird, Dew—in—the—Water, Waterlooker, Trailup, Big—Path, Poor Bear, Bull—frog, Quart-whiskey, Young Pup, Pigeon, Crazy, Woman Killer, Young Duck, Sleeping—deer, Four Killer, Blackbird, Running Water, and Crying Wolf.

Source: Professor Roy G. Lillard

Cleveland State Community College