Palmyra Early Settlers

As I have said, the earliest settlements in Montgomery County were along Red River, on the north side of Cumberland. It was ten or twelve years later before any permanent settlements were made on the south side of Cumberland. The earliest and most important of these was Palmyra, situated on the south side of Cumberland River at the mouth of Deason's Creek. It has the singular distinction of having been the first port of entry in the West. It was laid out by Dr. Morgan Brown, and established by legislative authority in 1796. About 1802, Dr. Brown built in this neighborhood the first iron works operated in Montgomery County. He also kept a general store, as well as a water mill. He removed to Kentucky in 1808. At that time his account books showed the name of many of the settlers in that part of the country. I take the list from an unpublished diary of Will L. Brown:

 Montgomery County| AHGP Tennessee

Source: American Historical Magazine, Editor A, V. Goodpasture, Volume VIII, 1903.