Hancock County, Tennessee
Created from Claiborne & Hawkins Counties in 1848, Hancock County is one of the least populated areas in the state of Tennessee. The Black presence there is almost completely unknown to most people familiar with the small mountain communities that dot the landscape.
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Even here, there were & have always been Black & mixed families in Hancock County. Communities such as Martin's Creek, Sulphur Hollow, as well as a several small settlements on Newman's Ridge; one Black (Simpson school) & one Melungeon.
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Just like other places in the US South, enslaved labor played a part in the development of the County & it's economy. You can view our transcribed & compiled 1860 Census, 1860 Slave Schedule & 1870 People of Color data here:
From those formerly enslaved Hancock Countians, there were several that left the area to join the US Colored Troops in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Teacher, Agnes Herrell, Martins Creek, 1941
Teacher, T.R. Delaney & Students,
Martins Creek, 1939
USGS Topographic Map, 1950
Hancock County News, April 18, 1947
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A significant amount of research is still needed in regards to the Black families that were much more present in Hancock County than presently. Black in Appalachia will continue to help identify Black historic sites, materials & talk with descendants of these now, mostly vacant communities.