The Naming of A County

      Hamblen County is the 20th largest county in Tennessee, and is nestled in the lush, fertile valley between the Great Smoky Mountains and the rugged Clinch Mountains. Like most of Tennessee Counties, the creation of Hamblen County was a necessity.  The creation of Hamblen County came as the answer to a the need of the people. In this day day and time,  both  transportation and communications were limited, and the geography of the county seats of Jefferson and Grainger Counties presented problems for those who had a need to attend court in their respective counties. Morristown, at this time, was divided by Main Street. Jefferson County was on the South side of Main Street and Grainger County laid to the North side of the road.
      The county was formed in 1870 from parts of Jefferson, Grainger, and later Hawkins Counties. The act creating a new county to be named Hamblen was passed May 31, 1870, with 1,057 local residence signing the petition. William Courtney, W. S. Reese, W. C. Witt, and James C. Davis, of Jefferson County, and John C. Tate, C. J. Burnett and Rufus E. Rice of Grainger County, were appointed to organize the county. After much controversy, the county was named in honor of Hezekiah Hamblen (1775 - 1854), an early settler, landowner, attorney, and member of the Hawkins County Court for many years. To secure the vote of Senator William Green of Hawkins County and, in turn the passage of the bill that would create the new county, he was given the privilege of naming the new county after his grandfather.