Smith County

Starting at the westernmost Byway terminus in Carthage—where Walton himself lived and is now buried—the route makes a loop. Visitors choosing to travel south on Main Street in Carthage will cross the National Register Listed Cordell Hull Bridge on Old State Highway 25—leading them into South Carthage. Immediately after crossing the bridge, the Byway continues to the left onto TN 24/US 70N/Cookeville Hwy through South Carthage, intersecting with the South Carthage Rail Trail at S Main Street/Old State Highway 53 and continuing on US 70N to the Smith/Putnam County line. Alternatively, visitors in Carthage may choose to follow Upper Ferry Road from Main Street in Carthage, as this will take them to the Walton Cemetery and Walton

The Tennessee General Assembly chartered Smith County on October 26, 1799, taking land from Sumner County. The county takes its name from General Daniel Smith, a Revolutionary War veteran and land surveyor. Pioneers to Smith County were of Scots-Irish, English, and German heritage. Early settlers here included Revolutionary War veterans Tilman Dixon and William Walton. A contest for locating the county seat occurred in 1804, with the “polecats” supporting a site near Dixon Springs, while the “moccasin gang” supported a site on William Walton’s land. Ultimately, Walton’s favored site was chosen, making Carthage the seat of Smith County. The town became an important river port during the steamboat era.

The topography of Smith County varies from the relatively even surface of the central basin to the ascent of the Highland Rim to the north and east. Settlers found the soil was fertile, and early crops included tobacco, cotton, and bluegrass pasture for livestock. Smith County’s population in 1860 was 16,457, of who more than a quarter were slaves. Disruption from the Civil War and the taking of some Smith County land for the creation of Trousdale County did not deter the growth of Smith County’s population. By 1880, 17,893 people lived in the county.

By the late 1880s, Carthage had approximately 400 citizens. This number had declined from as high as 700 in 1830, as other towns were established along the river. The river was the primary means of transporting Smith County produce prior to the war.