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The Early Home Of The Martin And Sexton Families

In 1836, Tennessee consisted of 70 counties. In that year Stewart County was divided into 12 civil districts by an act of the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee. In about 1795, according to tradition and our best available records, Brittain Sexton settled in what was to become the 9th Civil District in 1836. He settled on Standing Rock Creek probably near the Tennessee River. We do not have records showing where John W. Martin lived, but since four of his children married four of Brittain Sexton's grandchildren, he must have lived in the Standing Rock Creek area. An 1865 map shows several Martin families living along the Standing Rock Road. This area became the 10th Civil District in 1871. Some of Brittain's descendents still live along the Standing Rock Road. Because district lines shift from time to time it is difficult to locate their boundaries. I hope the following information helps to locate where our family lived when they first settled in Tennessee.

The following Court Order records the establishment of the county districts.

In conformity to an Act of the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee passed in Nashville on the Eleventh day of December Eighteen hundred and thirty five, Entitled An Act to provide for the laying off of the several Counties in this State into Districts of Convenient size, within which Justices of the Peace and Constables shall be elected and for other purposes together with a resolution appointing Commissioners for the several Counties. The undersigned towit, Joseph Pinner(?), Abcthal Wallace, Hugh McMillon, Henry L. Atkins, and Ephraim Gatlin, the commissioners appointed for the County of Stewart met at the Office of the Circuit Court Clerk in the town of Dover Monday the Eighth day of February Eighteen Hundred thirty Six and proceeded to lay off the County into twelve Districts for the purpose contemplated by said Law.1

This Court Order describes the twelve districts that were laid off by the Commissioners. The four districts where most of the Martin and Sexton families lived were the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Districts. According to this record the Standing Rock area was in the 9th Civil District. The Order reads:

District No. 9

Commencing at the mouth of Panther Creek on Tennessee River -- running thence up the River to the mouth of Short Creek -- thence up Short Creek to the Leatherwood Road on the Ridge between Leatherwood and Standing Rock Creeks, continuing said Ridge to the Tennessee Ridge -- thence with said Ridge to Panus Barrow's -- thence with the line of District No. 7 to William Burton's -- thence with the Road from Nolin's to Brightwell's ferry to Panther Creek -- thence down Panther Creek on the South side thereof, to the beginning.

I do not have the record of the change, but by 1860 Standing Rock was in the 10th Civil District. George Sexton, Elbert Sexton, Jerry [Jeremiah H.] Martin, Hardison Daniel, James Daniel, Green Moore, Henry and William Sykes, and the Wofford, Folks, Andrews, Milton, McCarty, Barnes, Fowler, Stavely, Taylor, and Dortch families lived in the 10th District with a Standing Rock Post Office address.2
Mary Martin, the widow of Andrew Martin (the brother of John W. Martin), was living next to Jerry Martin. This is more evidence that the Andrew Martin family was related to the John W. Martin family. Andrew and Mary's son, William Thomas and his wife, Amanda Stavely Martin, were also living in the same neighborhood.
In 1836, Civil District 10 included the area from Short Creek south to White Oak Creek (now in Houston County). The 1836 Court Order reads:

District No. 10

Commencing at the mouth of Short Creek -- running thence up Tennessee River to Crosswell's ferry -- thence with the dividing Ridge between White Oak and Cane Creek crossing Cane Creek at Stephen Mazler's. Continuing over to Hurricane Creek Meeting House, continuing to the Tennessee Ridge and from thence to the beginning at Mouth of Short Creek.

By 1871, when Houston County was formed, this area was in the 11th Civil District. Families living in this area in 1860 included the Wofford, Largent, Gansner, Taylor, Dortch, Cathey, Sikes, Vickers, Outlaws, Spurgeon, Kirksey, Tomlinson, Stavely, Boswell, and Fowler families.3
Civil District 11, in 1836, included the area to the South and Southeast of District 10 along the Tennessee River. In 1871 this area became part of Houston County. The Court Order reads:

District No. 11

Commencing at Crosswell's ferry -- running thence up the River to the County line -- thence with the County line to the Road leading from Dover to Reynoldsburgh -- thence with said Road to the Ridge Dividing Lewis Branch from Cane Creek -- thence with said Ridge to Tennessee Ridge at the head of the Middle West Fork of Wells's Creek -- thence with said Ridge to the line of District No. 10 -- thence with the line of No. 10 to the beginning.

In 1836, District 12 was located along the Humphrey's County line East of Civil District 11. This area became part of Houston County in 1871. The 1836 Court Order reads:

District No. 12

Commencing at the County line on the Road leading from Dover to Reynoldsburgh running thence East with said line to the Tennessee Ridge -- thence with the Tennessee Ridge to the head of the middle West Fork of Wells's Creek -- thence with the line of District No. 11 to the beginning.

According to the 1860 Federal Census, George Washington and Emaline Sexton Martin, Andrew Jackson and Polly Sexton Martin, Nancy Sexton (I have not been able to identify Nancy. She is also found on the 1850 census and could be Henry Sexton's daughter.), Rebecca Sexton Daniel (the widow of Simon Daniel), and Robert and Martha Daniel were living in this area. Their Post Office was listed as Magnolia.4

1. Original Documents, Tennessee State Archives, Nashville, Tennessee

2. 1860 Federal Census, Stewart County, Tennessee

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

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