| Anderson County - John Rice Irwin Chapter Tennessee Society Sons of the Revolution |
| PURPOSE The Sons of the Revolution is a hereditary patriotic society instituted to perpetuate the memory of the men who, in the military, naval and civil service of the colonies and of the Continental Congress, by their acts or counsel, achieved the Independence of the country. We seek to promote the proper celebration of the anniversaries of the birthday of Washington, and of prominent events connected with the War of the Revolution; to collect and secure for preservation the rolls, records and other documents relating to that period; to inspire the members of the Society with the patriotic spirit of their forefathers; and to promote the feeling of friendship among them. |
| The John Rice Irwin-Anderson County Chapter was formed in October of 2001 to commemorate the Revolutionary War Veterans who lived in Anderson County, and to further document the contributions of those veterans to the modern society. The Chapter is named for John Rice Irwin, a prominent resident of the county, and the founder of the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tennessee. The Chapter meets the 4th Tuesday of each month (except December). The Chapter's October meeting is the Annual Meeting with wives and guests invited to participate. A Keynote Speaker is invited, and Officers for the coming year are elected. The Revolutionary War in the South is the title of an exhibit of artifacts from the Revolutionary period that have been collected by members of the Chapter and placed on display in the Hall of Fame building of the Museum of Appalachia. The Chapter hosts the "Let Freedom Ring" ceremony at the Museum of Appalachia each year on the 4th of July. |
| Anderson County was formed in 1801 from Knox County, and enlarged in 1803 to include lands that are now in Campbell, Scott, Morgan and Union Counties, extending as far North as Kentucky. The county was named for Joseph Anderson, a Major in Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, a justice of Southwest Territory supreme court, and a U.S. Senator from Tennessee. The county seat was laid out on the north bank of the Clinch River and named Burrville, after Aaron Burr. When he fell from favor, the town was renamed Clinton. Other population centers include Lake City, renamed from Coal Creek (originally Cole Creek) when Norris Lake was constructed; Norris, originally built to house construction workers who built the Tennessee Valley Authority's Norris Dam; Oliver Springs, once a spa; and Oak Ridge, the city built during World War II by the Manhattan Project that built the Atomic Bomb. |
| Patriots of the Past is a project the Chapter has undertaken to mount a plaque on the veterans monument on the Anderson County Courthouse lawn in Clinton, Tennessee, honoring the Revolutionary War Veterans who lived in Anderson County. In addition to the monument, we plan to publish a book of the biographies of all the veterans listed on the plaque, plus certain people who were not listed, explaining why they were excluded. Some of those not listed will be on a supplemental plaque to be added later. |
| The David Hall Cabin is a privately owned log cabin that was built by Revolutionary War Veteran David Hall. |
| © 2005 by SR of Tennessee |