The following two petitions were published by the Tennessee Genealogical Society in its journals as noted below. The transcription you see here was compared to the TGS publication, but it was not compared to the original petition documents. If you can provide corrections or additions to this document, please contact the Webmistress.

This record is torn apart in several places and a few names on the fold of the paper have been lost. Occasionally several signatures are written in the same hand, but no X marks are given. Some names are very faded, some are blotted with ink, and some have been crossed out or removed by erasure. Spellings vary, and i and t are sometimes not dotted or crossed; and like many modern signatures, some are simply illegible. In most cases we have not tried to second-guess, but have copied here the most literal transcription possible for us. BFW

To the Honorable General Assembly of the State of Tennessee:

We the undersigned Citizens of Grainger and Claiborne counties humbly represent that the Turnpike road leading to Kentucky crossing Clinch Mountain at the three stone gap can be much amended by turning to the left at,or near the house of Dawson Cheek on the north side of said Mountain . . . coming . . . present (?) Road at the town of Tazwell [sic], the ground over which the road would pass is much leveller, an excellent and safe ford in Clinch River, clear of rocks, & only one-half mile the furthest, by total measurement.

(Your petitioners further?) represent that the present Road is very broken full of large rocks, a bad narrow ford in said river which compells most of the travellors to ferry the River when it can be forded at the other crossing with perfect safety, the hills are so steep and full of Rocks that it is almost impossible to make a road in many places sufficiently wide for waggons to pass each other should they meet in those narrow places, which are in pl(aces?) at least one (quarter of a mile . . . ?) . . . your honorable body to pass an act authorising the commissioners of said road or a majority of them to view the two roads & direct the road the best way for the public – And your petitioners as in Duty bound will ever pray . . .

House of Representatives, July 31st 1806. Read and refered etc. Edw Scott, Clk.

In Senate, July 31st 1806. Read and refered etc. Jno. N. Gamble, Clk

Source: “Ansearchin'” News, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Summer, 1981), pg. 80. No copyright infringement is intended by posting this article here.

19-1-1806 Petition of citizens of Grainger and Claiborne Counties to change the road to Kentucky. The wording of the petition is the same as one published in “Ansearchin'” News, Vol. 28, No.2, page 80, 1981. This is apparently a second copy of the same petition with different signatures attached. No date. 7 pages.

Source: “Ansearchin'” News, Vol. 32, No 3 (Fall, 1985), pg. 106. No copyright infringement is intended by posting this article here.