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Jesse Hughes, a scout, hunter, and explorer, is believed to be the first European to enter this area around 1770. He later settled in what is now Roane County with relatives like the Gandees, Tanners, Bonnets, and Alkire-Holswades. Many people in Roane County can trace their ancestry back to Hughes. The first settlers arrived in 1809, with families like John Kelly, Ware Long, and Francis Garner settling along Big Sandy Creek.
Spencer was settled in 1812 by Samuel Tanner and Jonathan Wolfe, and other families arrived in the 1810s and 1830s. These settlers lived in isolation until the 1830s when more families moved in. Spencer grew as the main town after roads were built in the 1850s, and it became the county seat. Reedy, another important town, was established at the crossroads of two major roads.
