The Clendennings (various spellings) and Bledsoes were early settlers in Sumner at least by the late 1700s and early 1800s. Concerning Bledsoe's Lick in Sumner County as per www. mtsu. edu / ~soc/anthropology / Bledsoe/ index. html (take spaces out of link to follow): "The concentration of mineral springs was re-discovered by long-hunter Isaac Bledsoe in summer 1772. Following buffalo trails radiating outward from the main base camp of the long-hunting expedition from Virginia, Bledsoe found what was probably a herd of 150-200 buffalo in Lick Bottom. (Draper MSS, 6XX8, 114). Col. Bledsoe told me that when he came to Bledsoe's Creek, about two miles from the Lick, he had some difficulty in riding along the path, the Buffelowes were so crowded in the path and on each side, his horse could scarcely get through, and when he got to the bank of the creek at the Lick, the whole land surrounding the Lick of about one hundred acres was principally covered with Buffelowes in every direction - not only hundreds but thousands; the space containing the sulphur spring was about two hundred yards each way across, and the Buffelowes had licked the dirt away several feet deep in that spring. The Buffelow did not mind the sight of him and his horse, but when the wind blew from him to them and they got the scent of him they would brake and run. (Draper MSS, W, 6XX, 83-84). As a result, the springs and surrounding area were first generally known as Bledsoe's Lick." And from "Old Sumner, A History of Sumner County, TN, From 1805-1861" by Walter T. Durham: " Anthony Bledsoe Clendenning appears to have been named after the Captain of father's company of War of 1812, Captain Adam Bledsoe. Pay Roll of a company of Infantry commanded by Captain Abraham Bledsoe of the First Regiment of Tennessee Volunteers of the United States from the 10th December, to the 9th February, 1813. Abraham Bledsoe, Capt.; Francis Weathered, Lt.; Anthony Clendening, Lt.; Richard Johnson, Ensign.; Peter Haynes, Sgt.; Thomas Meador, Sgt,; David Stearns, Sgt.; Lewis Hunter, Sgt.; Nathan Holloway, Cpl.; William Donoho, Cpl.; Beverly Fleming, Cpl.; Thomas Hunt, Cpl.; Ezekiel Mathas, Drummer; and the following Privates . . . ." -----Original Message----- From: tnsumner-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:tnsumner-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of CBStark@aol.com Sent: Monday, May 07, 2007 3:45 PM To: TNSUMNER-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [TNSUMNER] first families of sumner co Settlement began in Middle Tennessee, including Sumner County, in the winter of 1779-1780 with the James Robertson-John Donelson party. Joyce Stark Blocker ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TNSUMNER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message