Russellville is the sixth oldest settlement in the state of Tennessee, United States. It is located astride US Highway 11E, approximately halfway between Whitesburg and Morristown.
History
The community was founded by Captain George Russell in 1785. He had been granted a large tract of land in the vicinity of North Carolina for his service in the American Revolution. Russel had fought in the Battle of King's Mountain. During the American Civil War, Lieutenant General James Longstreet established a headquarters in the Nenney home just after the Battle of Bean's Station. The house still stands. General McClaws was in quarters at Hayslope, a house that also still stands and was originally a tavern built by the early settlers. It was originally called the Tavern with the Red Door, and was owned by Colonel James Roddye. General Joseph B. Kershaw was at nearby Greenwood.
References
- Emma Dean Smith Trent (1987), East Tennessee's Lore of Yesteryear.
