Stan, Washington District was formed by the early Tennessee settlers in 1775. A year later they petitioned NC to be annexed and were admitted in November 1776. The area became Washington County, NC in November 1777. In 1779, Washington was divided and Sullivan created. Greene was cut from Washington in 1783 and included what is now Blount County. Within the next year three million acres of western land were sold through John Armstrong's entry office in Hillsborough, NC. Consequently, its possible that the first settlers arrived in Blount about this time. After the treaty with the Cherokees at Henry's Station on Dumplin Creek in May 1785, "settlers flocked down the Great War Path" into present day Blount County. (Burns, 15) However, the first record of a permanent settlement was in 1786 when ". . .a call for volunteers was promptly met, by the rendezvous of one hundred and sixty horsemen at Houston's Station on the waters of Little River." (Ramsey, 341) In 1785, the State of Franklin organized and seven counties were formed: Sullivan, Washington, Greene, Sevier, Wayne, Spencer, and Caswell. Caswell was formed from part of Greene Co., NC. It included all of what later became Jefferson County. According to Ramsey, it may have "extended down the French Broad and Holston to their confluence, and perhaps further west." (295) If this is the case, sections of Knox and Blount were part of Caswell. This same area was also governed by NC as Hawkins County. Sevier County, State of Franklin encompassed most of present day Sevier and all of Blount "east of the ridge dividing the waters of Little River from those of the Tennessee. (Ramsey, 295) At the same time, this area was governed by NC as Greene County. The State of Franklin ceased to exist March 1, 1788 and NC resumed full authority. In 1790, NC deeded all of the land west of Iron Mountain to the United States and the Territory South of the River Ohio was formed. Initially, the territory was divided into two districts, Washington and Mero. Washington District was in ETN and included Washington, Sullivan, Greene, and Hawkins. Mero District was in Middle TN and included Davidson, Sumner and Tennessee Counties. In 1792 when Knox and Jefferson were struck off from Greene and Hawkins, Hamilton District was created. At that time all of present day Blount was in Knox with the exception of a tiny area in the eastern section near Walland. It was included in Jefferson. When Blount County was formed in 1795, it was attached to Hamilton District. That same year, the inhabitants of the Territory voted on statehood. Records show 585 Free White Males above 16 years of age lived in Blount County, Territory South of the River Ohio in July 1795. Resources include Haywood's Civil and Political History, Ramsey's Annals of Tennesee, Williams' Lost State of Franklin, Burns' History of Blount Co., and the Blount Journal. Judy