Attempt to establish a new county in Tennessee

One of the oldest counties in Tennessee, Blount County was named as a tribute to its Governor, William Blount. Preceding, white settlement this region was home to the Cherokee Indians. Blount County grew quickly and soon became a big attraction catering to its visitors with a series of resort hotels near springs neighboring the Chilhowee Mountain at Montvale. In 1844 lawmakers attempted to establish a new county combining the southern portion of Blount County and a small section of Monroe County. The new county was to be called Jones, as a tribute to Governor James C. Jones. The Capital would have been called Ashley, the name of a settlement near the previous Cherokee town of Chilhowee. The population, however, did not prove ample enough to necessitate the establishment of this new county