Holston Road in Smith County

About Our Books 

In late 2005 this project started as our effort to locate Pioneer Stations in the immediate area of Castalian Springs, TN.  In the process we discovered remnants of old road systems and traces but found it impossible to understand how they connected or their relationship to each other.  Local residents were able to offer valuable information and we been given unobstructed access to about any areas we requested.  We soon learned of the existence of microfilm records of early North Carolina Land Grants in the Central Valley of the Cumberland Settlements.  After our initial review, indications there revealed not only details on land grants but precise information on early roads and traces which we don't believe had previously been considered.  Over the next two years our ever increasing focus grew to include land grants, notable pioneer sites and history, as well as the road systems in Davidson, Jackson, Sumner and Trousdale Counties.

As we began seriously to consider publication the mass of materials collected led us to consider two volumes, with the first being an Atlas scheduled in 2008 and another follow-up book to be published about one year later. Now, having transcribed and placed the land grants roads loom as a subject which needs more attention. That said, how could we possibly address important local roads without investigating the strategic network of roads to Kentucky thru Robertson, Montgomery, Upper Sumner and Macon Counties?  Important pioneer stations and sites in Montgomery and Robertson counties supported our decision to, once again, increase the scope of our work.

The solution has been determined to issue the Atlas in two volumes - Volume I as previously planned with publication this year and Volume II with the additional counties as outlined below to be published in 2009.  Volume III will remain the last of our series and contain the materials originally proposed in Volume II.