Franklin was an unofficial state (1785-90) of the United States of America, comprising the eastern 
portion of what is now Tennessee and extending to "unclaimed" lands to the west. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

After declaring our independence from Britain, it was uncertain whether the Union had succeeded 
to the rights exercised by the British crown, the endeavors of the national legislature took the 
direction of bringing pressure to bear on States to cede their back lands to the general government.

Congress, on 6 September 1780, on a motion by Joseph Jones of Virginia, seconded by James 
Madison, resolved "that in case the recommendations to the States of Virginia, North Carolina 
and Georgia to cede to the United States a portion of their unappropriated western territory shall 
be complied with, the territory so ceded shall be laid out in separate States at such times and in 
such manner as Congress shall hereafter direct." (Journal Cont. Congress, XVII, 808)

This is the first action of Congress in reference to new States on the western waters, and the first 
hint that a State in the outback, such as the State of Franklin, might come into existence in the 
near future.

The first General Assembly of Franklin was held in Jonesborough in March 1785. John Sevier was 
elected governor.. Landon Carter was speaker of the senate, and Thomas Talbot its’ clerk; and 
William Cage was speaker and Thomas Chapman, clerk of the house of commons.

On 16 May 1785, William Cocke presented the president of Congress (assembled in New York) the 
Memorial of the Assembly of Franklin praying Congress to accept the cession of North Carolina and 
admit Franklin into the sisterhood of sovereign States.

The second session of the Assembly was convened on 1 August 1785 at Jonesborough. This 
session called for a Second Constitutional Convention to be held 14 November 1785 at Greeneville. 
Delegates to this convention were from Washington, Sullivan, Greene, Caswell, Sevier, Spencer, 
Wayne, and Blount. Representation was thought to be in accord with the existing population of the 
counties.

The State of Franklin continued to exercise the powers of sovereignty over her territory for the 
first half of 1786. An event that tended to crystallize the sentiment in favor of the new State was 
the negotiation of the Treaty of Hopewell, in South Carolina, by commissioners appointed under 
the authority of the Congress of the Confederation, with the Cherokees, 18-28 November 1785. In 
May of 1787 a convention was held at Greeneville to consider the final adoption of the Constitution 
promulgated on 19 November 1785. It was resolved that that instrument shold be the Constitution 
of the State, "until the people of said State are received into the Federal Union; or a majority 
of the freemen of the State of Franklin shall otherwise direct."

Personal rivalries and other factors led to the dissolution of the Franklin union, and, when the 
federal government in 1790 brought into being the Southwest Territory, it effectively reorganized 
the area, and the Franklin administration ended. In the February 1789 term of the Greene County 
Court, John Sevier, Joseph Hardin, Henry Conway and Hugh Wear, "came into court and took the 
oath of allegiance to Tennessee." 

The concept of Franklin as a State did not die, but survived to appear at later stages of the history 
of East Tennessee. The joinder of what was Franklin territory in government with the Cumberland 
County and West Tennessee never accorded with the dictate of nature.

Gordon G. Lane, PhD

GIBSON COUNTY

Bradford (Old Baker) Cemetery

080. Davidson Elsie Lelar 24-Jan-1880 04-Jan-1957 
        Davidson Bennie Lee 02-Aug-1873 29-Mar-1938 

248. Davidson N. C. 20-Nov-1844 09-Dec-1903 Wife of H.C. Davidson 
249. Davidson H. C. 25-Nov-1844 28-Feb-1914 
250. Davidson Nora 10-Oct-1904 22-Dec-1910 
251. Davidson Elbert 1879 1942 
252. Davidson James Glynn 13-Aug-1921 
        Davidson Mayble Hedgecock 17-May-1920 

431. Davidson Gentry B. 1900 1975 
        Davidson Pearlie G. 1899 1986 

432. Knott B.W. 23-Oct-1927 
        Knott Becky Davidson 26-Mar-1931 09-Aug-1996 

480. Davidson Abner Lee 1839 1917 Howell Ann 1845 1924 

481. Cooper Eula Ota Davidson 02-Mar-1884 10-Aug-1915 Wife of S.E. Cooper 

482. Davidson Carl Russell 09-Apr-1878 17-Aug-1958 
        Davidson Alta Crabtree 18-Jun-1886 17-Nov-1973 

HAMILTON COUNTY
Concord Cemetery  

Davidson, Dora - Jan 28, 1868 - Sept 7, 1900 
Davidson, Robert G - Sept 23, 1866 - Mar 8, 1904 
Davidson, Vickie - Oct 27, 1863 - Feb 2, 1936 
Davidson, Sarah - (Wife of J J Davidson) - Sept 16, 1833 - Aug 20, 1892 - [Sept 18, 1838] 
Davidson, Jasper J - Oct 31, 1838 - July 9, 1896 
Davidson, William - Aug 12, 1871 - July 7, 1876 - 
[William B - Aug 12, 1874 - June 17, 1876] 
Davidson, Sallie - Died July 17, 1876 - [Sallie T - Nov 14, 1876 - Sept 16, 1887] 
Davidson, Tommie - 1905 - 1906 

Boydston Cemetery

Davidson, John Wesley - Mar 27, 1862 - May 29, 1934 - 'Gone but not forgotten.' 

BLOUNT COUNTY

Clarks Grove Cemetery

George Alvin Davidson 1899 1984 CPL US ARMY WORLD WAR II 
Lucille P. Davidson Aug. 28, 1903 Jan. 9, 1979 
Guy Winslow Davidson Jr. Dec. 8, 1934 Jan. 4, 1938 
John Q. Davidson June 25, 1871 Sept. 22, 1952 
Mable King Davidson Feb. 15, 1881 Aug. 31, 1963 
Guy Winslow Davidson July 20, 1900 Apr. 22, 1973 
Grace Irene Davidson Feb. 23, 1908 May 30, 1994 

LINCOLN COUNTY

Prosperity Cemetary, Yukon, Tn
Davidson, Thomas T. 9/17/1850--2/6/1918 
Davidson, Margaret E. 5/16/1853--8/2/1917
 
Davidson, Hattie May 9/22/1885--10/30/1901 

Davidson, Ruth Graham 10/22/1910--4/13/1998 

Geographic Names Information System 

Davidson place names in Tennessee

Feature Name        St County         Type   Latitude Longitude 7.5' x 7.5' Map
------------------- -- -------------- ------ -------- --------- ---------------
Davidson            TN Fentress       pop pl 361639N  0850618W  Wilder             
Davidson            TN Pickett        pop pl 363405N  0850121W  Moodyville         
Davidson Academy    TN Coffee         school 352110N  0861215W  Tullahoma          
Davidson Branch     TN Coffee         stream 352804N  0861148W  Normandy Lake      
Davidson Branch     TN Davidson       stream 360806N  0865414W  Scottsboro         
Davidson Branch     TN Hickman        stream 355220N  0871347W  Primm Springs      
Davidson Cemetery   TN Bedford        cemetery 353039N  0861822W  Wartrace           
Davidson Cemetery   TN Fentress       cemetery 361629N  0850557W  Wilder             
Davidson Cemetery   TN Grainger       cemetery 362249N  0832315W  Howard Quarter     
Davidson Cemetery   TN Hamilton       cemetery 351203N  0850757W  Daisy              
Davidson Cemetery   TN Madison        cemetery 354515N  0884531W  Medina             
Davidson Cemetery   TN Maury          cemetery 353255N  0865604W  Glendale           
Davidson Cemetery   TN Montgomery     cemetery 362457N  0871609W  Excell             
Davidson Cemetery   TN Perry          cemetery 354739N  0875802W  Daniels Landing    
Davidson Cemetery   TN Pickett        cemetery 363403N  0850053W  Moodyville         
Davidson Chapel     TN Gibson         church 360043N  0885110W  Bradford           
Davidson Chapel     TN Jackson        church 361443N  0854215W  Baxter             
Davidson Chapel     TN Gibson         cemetery 360042N  0885108W  Bradford           
 Cemetery
Davidson Chapel     TN Gibson         school 360042N  0885106W  Bradford           
 School 
 (historical)
Davidson County     TN Davidson       civil  360900N  0864700W  Nashville West     
Davidson Cove       TN Putnam         stream 360448N  0851928W  Monterey Lake      
Davidson Cove       TN Putnam         stream 360449N  0851928W  Monterey Lake      
 Branch
Davidson Creek      TN Obion          stream 361635N  0890513W  Rives              
Davidson Creek      TN Roane          stream 355738N  0842405W  Elverton           
Davidson Hester     TN Perry          cemetery 354621N  0874555W  Lobelville         
 Cemetery
Davidson Hill       TN Marshall       summit 352220N  0863718W  Belleville         
Davidson Hill       TN Wayne          summit 351755N  0875810W  Eagle Creek        
Davidson Hollow     TN Anderson       valley 360530N  0840427W  Powell             
Davidson Hollow     TN Dickson        valley 360350N  0873132W  Tennessee City     
Davidson Hollow     TN Hickman        valley 354111N  0872355W  Sunrise            
Davidson Hollow     TN Humphreys      valley 361013N  0875447W  Harmon Creek       
Davidson Hollow     TN Lewis          valley 352938N  0873948W  Topsy              
Davidson            TN Blount         locale 354035N  0834445W  Wear Cove          
 Plantation 
 (historical)
Davidson Post       TN Fentress       post o UNKNOWN  UNKNOWN   Moodyville         
 Office 
 (historical)
Davidson School     TN Fentress       school 361642N  0850617W  Wilder             
 (historical)
Davidson School     TN Pickett        school 363400N  0850120W  Moodyville         
 (historical)
Davidsons Landing   TN Davidson       locale 360835N  0865328W  Scottsboro         
Davidsons Landing   TN Montgomery     locale 362502N  0871700W  Excell             
Davidsons Mill      TN Franklin       locale 351909N  0860015W  Capitol Hill       
 (historical)
Davidsons Mill      TN Jackson        locale UNKNOWN  UNKNOWN   Gainesboro         
 (historical)
Davison Spring Branch
      TN Anderson   stream 360532N 0840430W Powell