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Blount County, Tennessee (U.S.)

by Antonio Martins, 28 December 2000

See also:

State of Tennessee

The flag of Blount County, Tennessee, is of equal proportion to that of the United States of America (10:19). The image attached is from the official Blount County government web site, resized to the appropriate proportions.

A modified county seal is located in the center, with four emblems surrounding it at each corner: the upper left being a church, representing religion; the upper right is a cap and scroll, representing education; the lower left is a farm scene, including a farmer on tractor plowing a field with a house and barn in the background, which represents the county's agricultural history; finally, the lower right symbol is a stylized factory, representing the industrial history (and future?) of Blount County. The center seal is inscribed with "Blount County" at the top, following the curve of the seal, and "Tennessee" at the bottom, again following the curve of the seal. At the top of the seal, beneath "Blount County," are the numbers "1795," the date of the county's year of creation.

from Blount County Government Home Page:

Blount County is one of the oldest counties in Tennessee. The County was the tenth created in Tennessee when a part of Knox County was separated by the Territorial Legislature in 1795. It was named after William Blount, Governor of the Territory of the United States "South of the River Ohio." The County seat was authorized to be laid out in 1795 and was named Maryville in honor of Mary Blount, the wife of Governor William Blount. Settlement of the area began in 1785 mainly with Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. The early settlers were thrifty and energetic people who moved westward from Virginia and North Carolina. These settlers, for the most part, were not wealthy landowners, but instead were looking for fertile land to farm, ample water supply, and abundant resources of lumber. Lumbering was the first primary industrial trade in Blount County. Today, lumbering has been replaced with many varied occupational opportunities. Over 100 manufacturing plants can be found in Blount County. The principal employer for the residents of the County is the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa), which established its Tennessee Operations in 191.

The County contains 584 square miles and is bordered on the east by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and on the west by the great chain of lakes created by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Little River, flowing out of the Great Smokies, winds it way across the County and pours into the Tennessee Valley lakes. The Little Tennessee River parallels the southern border.

submitted by George C. "J.R." Shields II, 29 April 2001