At the close of the civil war, and after he had decided that East Tennessee and not Georgia was the promised land of his dreams, Elijah Knott, grandson of Gad, returned to Knoxville. he recruited a small bunch of men and came out to where the Southern Railroad now crosses Chestnut Ridge, between Knoxville and Clinton, and hired on with a construction contractor who was building the new Southern Railway between Knoxville and Harriman Junction.

As soon as he settled he bought a small plot of ground, built a log cabin on it and sent to Loudon, for the girl of his dreams to meet him in Knoxville. This she did, they were married there that day and he took her to their new home, where they were very happy.

He worked on the railroad, she cared for the garden and tended her cow and chickens. Indeed, it seemed the goodly land was theirs to enjoy.

The first year a baby was born, but the next year the child took sick and died, the first of the Gadsons to be buried in the Herrell graveyard. A few months later a second child was born, but the young mother, sick from worry and care of the first child, became very ill and died. In less than a year, the second child died. The three were buried side by side, where many years later Elijah and his second wife, Sibby, were laid to rest.

Elijah was in great sorrow following the death of his fist wife and two children. He felt that if the prophesy of Gad was to be fulfilled something would have to be done. He longed for his mother; he could see the advantage of collective living. He felt that if only his mother had been there those things would not have happened. He resolved to do something about it. He saved his money until he had a sufficient amount to carry out his plans. After securing some cabins for them to live in until they could adjust themselves, he returned to Georgia to bring his kindred away. He succeeded in bringing his mother, father, brothers James, Bridges and Lawrence, sisters Nannie, Affie, Harriett, Sally and Lucy, three uncles, their wives and children, two sons-in-law and Richard Jones.

Thus, Gadson Town sprang into being and the prophecy of Daddy Gad was fulfilled, for truly it was a goodly land for many years to come.

In order to get money to finish paying for their land, some of the boys went to Alabama to work. Elijah, James and a cousin Johanna Gadson married and brought their wives back and reared large families. Johanna's wife had two children and died. He later went to Kentucky, married again, and reared a large family.

Family records show that out of the Gadson family came those in all walks of life -- preachers, teachers, doctors, politicians, mechanics, engineers, businessmen, cooks, soldiers, etc. But to all, Gadson Town was sacred.

Some of the old folks of the then fourth civil district were Susan Cox and daughter; Nanny Calaway; Isaac Gadson and second wife; Johanna; Abraham Gadson, first wife Agnes and second wife Easter; Sam Duncan and wife Teppy and daughter Minerva; Richard Lee and wife Jan; Granny Fanny Lee, a widow; General Davis and wife.

All have disappeared from the scene, but still live in the memories of their devoted descendants.

The new era had brought a flood of prosperity there and in nearby communities. Clinton was then booming, and bidding to become a commercial center. Her chief exports were lumber and zinc.

The sawmills and zinc factories were operating day and night. There also was a railroad junction to carry the coal from the Cumberland Mountains to the south and east.

This, too, was a building era for Clinton. The Southern Railway at that time had a wooden covered bridge near the depot and they built the new iron bridge, which was rare in this part of the country. A new county courthouse was built and the first gigantic clock to be had in the county was installed. It's gong could be heard for miles around, which was used as a time signal by many people. A new improved jail was built.

What is now U.S. Highway 25-W was only a plain road or trail between Clinton and Knoxville. Anderson County built a bridge over the Clinch River; also a bridge over Bull Run Creek and macadamized the road to Knox County.

Harriman also boomed then -- hoe and tool factories, steel mills, and the Harriman railroad yards were a clearing place for the neighboring coal mines and coke oven products.

Several families moved from Gadson Town to Harriman during that period. Among them were Jack and Mollie Carmichael, their five children, Abraham, Cora, Alex, Frank and Ollie; Jacob and Lucy Haun and their two children, Clara and also the Thomas Hord family.

Continued..

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