Johnson City: a Brief Origin

Once part of the Cherokee Nation, the area that became Washington County (where Johnson City primarily resides) was first occupied by white settlers starting in the early 1770s. Brokering with the Cherokee for the purchase of a significant tract of land that included parts of what is now eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and southwestern Virginia in 1772, white settlers began to slowly trickle into the southern Appalachians. Forming the Watauga Association, these first settlers enacted a European-style autonomous government free from British colonial interests in the east. Posing a threat to the sovereignty of the Crown, these Appalachian's won a significant victory at the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780 during the American Revolution after receiving threats to vacate the mountains.

After the American Revolutionary War, the area became part of the Washington District of North Carolina. Recognizing that their remote distance from the centralized North Carolina government worked against their interests, settlers from the region petitioned Congress for their own statehood. This "State of Franklin" (named after Benjamin Franklin in an attempt to gain his support) lasted between 1784-1788, but failed to gain recognition beyond its borders. The movement came to a head in February of 1788 during the "Battle of Franklin" between Franklanites and North Carolina loyalists, a site now commemorated by the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site at the edge of Johnson City (more info can found by clicking here). Full ownership of the region was conceded back to North Carolina shortly thereafter in late 1788, before being sold to the federal government in 1790 to payoff previous war debts. Between 1790 and 1796, Washington County existed as part of the federal Territory South of the River Ohio (also known as the Southwest Territory) before official Tennessee statehood in 1796.

Recognizing the potential of the area in terms of commerce and industry, Henry Johnson purchased a tract of land alongside an old coach road in 1856 in what would become his eponymous city. Expanding his operations, he built a depot in preparation for the coming railroads. Quickly dubbed "Johnson's Depot", the conveniently located rail yard attracted further tertiary industrial and residential development. After a brief stint as "Haynesville" during the Civil War (named after Confederate Landon Carter Haynes), the city of Johnson City was formally incorporated in 1869, with Henry Johnson serving as its first mayor.