EMORY RIVER in Roane County, TN
From Roots of Roane County, TN by Snyder E. Roberts
The Emory River empties into the Clinch four miles above the confluence of the Clinch with the Tennessee River. The main tributary of the Emory in Roane County is Little Emory River which enters Roane at DeArmond’s Gap. The Emory River was an Indian boundary until 1805. The Indian name for Emory was "Babahatchie" which means "babbling waters." The gaps in Walden Ridge caused by Big and Little Emory Rivers were utilized for passage by early travelers.
Roane Deed Book D, pps. 7 and 8: The State of North Carolina granted William Blount 5000 acres on “WILLIAM EMERIES RIVER” in Green (now Roane) on the north side of CLINCH RIVER where Col. Evan Shelby burnt an Indian Town [the calls and bounds follow.]
On page 8, John Hackett, District Surveyor, says that based on a NC warrant No. 427 issued October 23, 1783, he surveyed in 1787 the above 5000 acres granted to William Blount on William Emeries River (same bounds and Indian town as above). The deed for the William Blount 5000 acres was recorded in Knox County Deed Book F, p 242 on May 28, 1799. It was registered in Roane County Deed Book D, pps. 7 and 8, on February 29, 1812. Since William Blount died in 1800, some further explanation is needed.
William Blount sold the 5000 acre tract and certain tracts on Clinch River to a HUGH WILLIAMSON of New York City. In 1799, Williamson in turn sold nine tracts of 16,890 acres including the 5000 acre tract to Willie Blount, a half brother of William. Willie Blount sold portions of the 5000 acres to:
Book D, p 219 to James Robinson 520 acres in 1812 for $2000
Book D, p 222 to Joseph Robinson 125 acres in 1812 for $150
Book D, p 424 to William Bowers 300 acres in 1815 for $700
Book D, p 429 to Michael Wilson 300 acres in 1815 for $200
Book E, p 436 to Daniel Dugger 173 acres in 1820
Evidently the spelling in Blount’s deed of “William Emeries River” is incorrect to the extent that the writer used the plural from “Emeries” when he should have used the possessive form, “Emery’s”. Who was WILLIAM EMERY?
For a possible answer to the last question, we turn to Capt. W. E. McElwee who wrote for the “Rockwood Times” in 1910. The Captain in writing about a Roane Rev. War soldier, WILLIAM EDGEMAN, brings in William Emery incidentally.
“His farm [Edgeman’s] included the Indian Town destroyed by Evan Shelby in 1779. It was in the expedition against the Indians that WILLIAM EMERY was drowned while swimming the river with his accoutrements on him. For this cause, the river was named EMERY RIVER.”