wonder if they'd put that armory in roane county
...Walter T. Pulliam's book, Harriman, The Town That Temperance Built, was the first place I had ever read that the national government had once considered building a national armory in Roane County. When I was re-reading the section in Pulliam's book the other day, I decided to do a little of my own research about the course of events.
Sure enough, the proposed armory for Roane County is right there in the Senate Journal as Pulliam said. The government was looking at sites to build other armories similar to the one already existing at Harper's Ferry. As I read, I thought about the impact Oak Ridge's construction had on the region in the 1940s. I couldn't help but speculate about the way Roane County's character and history might have been substantially altered had a federal military presence — stronger and longer-lived than that of the early Fort Southwest Point been established. And if the economic boost Harper's Ferry got from its armory and arsenal are any indication of what might have been, Roane County might have shifted rapidly from rural hamlet to industrial manufacturing center before the charter members of the East Tennessee Land Company were out of knickers. Clinton B. Fisk, first president of the company, wasn't even born until 1828.
Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 1789-1873 TUESDAY, December 19, 1826.
The following motion, submitted by Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, was considered.
Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the Secretary of War to appoint one or more Engineers, to examine the Horse Shoe Bend, on Licking River, in the State of Kentucky, and the lands adjacent to the canal which the Louisville and Portland Canal Company are now cutting, around the Falls of the Ohio River, in that State, and report the practicability of establishing an Armory of the United States, similar to the one at Harper's Ferry, at each of those places, and report the fitness of those places, respectively, and their respective advantages and facilities for such establishment.
On motion, by Mr. Hendricks, to amend the said motion, by adding thereto the following:
And, also, that the Board, aforesaid, be instructed to examine, in reference to the same object, a site on Blue River, and a site at or near Lawrenceburgh, in the State of Indiana:
A motion was made by Mr. White, to amend the said proposed amendment, by adding thereto the following:
Also, the site at Gordon's Iron Works, on White's Creek, in the counties of Roane and Rhea, and District of East Tennessee, as well us the site at the Falls, on Emmery's River, in the county of Roane, and District aforesaid.
And, on motion, by Mr. Ruggles,
Ordered, That the original motion, and the proposed amendments, lie on the table.
Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 1789-1873 WEDNESDAY, January 3, 1827.
Page 74
Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the Secretary of War, to appoint one or more Engineers, to examine the Horse Shoe Bend, on Licking river, in the State of Kentucky, and the lands adjacent to the canal, which the Louisville and Portland Canal Company are now cutting around the Falls of the Ohio river, in that State; and, also, the site at Zanesville, in Ohio, on the Muskingum river; and report the
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practicability of establishing an armory of the United States, similar to the one at Harper's Ferry, at each of those places, and report the fitness of those places, respectively, and their respective advantages and facilities for such establishment. And, also, that the Board aforesaid, be instructed to examine, in reference to the same object, a site on Blue river, and a site at or near Lawrenceburgh, in the State of Indiana. Also, the site at Gordon's iron works, on White's creek, in the counties of Roane and Rhea, and District of East Tennessee, as well as the site at the Falls on Emmery's river, in the county of Roane, and district aforesaid. Also, Shoal creek, in the county of Lauderdale, State of Alabama. Also, the site on Harpeth river, in Davidson county, Tennessee, commonly called the Narrows of Harpeth. Also, the Falls of the Chatachouchie, in the State of Georgia.
Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 1789-1873 TUESDAY, December 18, 1827.
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The following motion, Submitted by Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, was considered and agreed to:
Resolved, That the Secretary of War, under the control of the President of the United States, be authorized and requested to appoint
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one or more officers of the Corps of Engineers to examine the following places, viz. The Horse Shoe Bend, on Licking river, in the State of Kentucky; the lands adjacent to the canal which the Louisville and Portland Canal Company are now cutting around the falls of the Ohio river, in said State; the site at Zanesville, in Ohio, on the Muskingum river; a site on Blue river; a site on the Wabash, at, or near the mouth of Eel river; and a site at, or near Lawrenceburg, in the State of Indiana; a site at Gordon's iron works, on White's creek, in the counties of Roane and Rhea, district of East Tennessee; a site at the falls on Emory's river, in the county of Roane, and district aforesaid; a site on Cypress and Shoal Creeks, in the county of Lauderdale, State of Alabama; a site on Harpeth river, in Davidson county, Tennessee, commonly called the Narrows of Harpeth, at Emery's iron works in the county of Sullivan, and at Alfred Carter's works, in the county of Carter, and district of East Tennessee, and the falls of the Chatahouchie, in the State of Georgia; at the falls of Big Beaver river, and at Pittsburgh, in the State of Pennsylvania; and report the practicability of establishing an Armory of the United States at each place, similar to the one at Harper's Ferry and Springfield; and report the fitness of those places respectively, and their respective and peculiar advantages and disadvantages for such establishment; and that the said report be communicated to Congress at as early a period as practicable.
The bill explanatory of an act entitled "An act to reduce and fix the Military Peace Establishment of the United States," passed March 2d, 1821, having been reported by the committee correctly engrossed, was read the third time; and
Resolved, That it pass, and that the title thereof be as aforesaid.
Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives in said bill.
Maybe more on this later...
