Moses Renfroe
Encyclopedia
Moses Renfroe was one of a group of settlers who arrived in middle Tennessee
in 1780 along with James Robertson, the founder of Nashville
, with the goal of starting a settlement. They departed from Robertson’s main group on the Cumberland River
, moving up the Red River
towards Robertson County, Tennessee, in the area of Port Royal State Park
.
The party consisted of Moses, Isaac, Joseph and James Renfroe; Nathan and Solomon Turpin; Isaac Mayfield; James Hollis; James Johns; and a widow named Jones, with their respective families.
Renfroe and his party were the first known European settlers to form a permanent homestead in Montgomery County, Tennessee
. During the summer of 1780, the party were massacred by Indians, thus ending the settlement temporarily. However, in 1782 the Legislature of North Carolina authorized rights of pre-emption upon settlers on the Cumberland. This action meant that settlers were authorized to take actions to defend themselves more aggressively, and resulted in a significant increase of immigration into the area.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in 1780 along with James Robertson, the founder of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, with the goal of starting a settlement. They departed from Robertson’s main group on the Cumberland River
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
, moving up the Red River
Red River (Tennessee-Kentucky)
The Red River, long, is a major stream of north-central Tennessee and south-central Kentucky and a major tributary of the Cumberland River....
towards Robertson County, Tennessee, in the area of Port Royal State Park
Port Royal State Park
Port Royal State Historic Park is a 26 acre Historic area on the border of Montgomery and Robertson counties in Tennessee. The historic community of Port Royal is its namesake. The Red River runs through the center of the park, and the covered bridge at Port Royal once crossed it...
.
The party consisted of Moses, Isaac, Joseph and James Renfroe; Nathan and Solomon Turpin; Isaac Mayfield; James Hollis; James Johns; and a widow named Jones, with their respective families.
Renfroe and his party were the first known European settlers to form a permanent homestead in Montgomery County, Tennessee
Montgomery County, Tennessee
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The county seat is Clarksville. The population was 172,331 at the 2010 census. It is one of the four counties included in the Clarksville, TN–KY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. During the summer of 1780, the party were massacred by Indians, thus ending the settlement temporarily. However, in 1782 the Legislature of North Carolina authorized rights of pre-emption upon settlers on the Cumberland. This action meant that settlers were authorized to take actions to defend themselves more aggressively, and resulted in a significant increase of immigration into the area.
Sources
- http://www.tngenweb.org/montgomery/earlysettlers.html