by Rodney L. Ferrell (Author)
Historic Hawkins County in northeast Tennessee is an area so rich and diverse in history that it is actually 10 years older than the state itself. Organized in 1786, it was named for Benjamin Hawkins, a member of the Continental Congress. Rogersville, the county seat, boasts the state's oldest courthouse. The town of Pressmen's Home served as the headquarters for the International Printing Pressmen's Union of America. During the Civil War, the Battle of Big Creek was fought on the banks of the Holston River a few miles south of Surgoinsville. Built in 1762, Long Meadow in Carters Valley is considered Tennessee's oldest wooden structure. The county's natural beauty once attracted Hollywood; in 1983, The River, starring Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek was filmed in Laurel Run Park in Churchill. Motown legend Diana Ross has ancestral ties to Rotherwood Plantation in Allendale. Today Hawkins County retains much of the illustrious history and charm that has captivated residents and visitors for over 200 years.