History of Karns High School
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This history of Karns High School is from a book, School Days 1931 -1991. The book was written about 1991 when the old Karns Elementary School (built in 1931) was torn down to make way for the new Karns Primary School.
Long ago, when our country was new, pioneers began the tide of movement west. In 1786 James White established White's Fort. It was in an excellent location on a hill about a navigable river. Soon others came and settled in the same area. It became a thriving community which would become known as Knoxville.
In 1791 it became the capital of the Southwest Territory. That same year Governor William Blount met with the Cherokee Indians near White's Fort to sign the Treaty of Holston, which set the boundary of Indian Territory following the Clinch River to the mouth and from there to run east to the North Carolina boundary.
Living at the very border of the Indian Territory was a man named Nicholas Ball. He was a hunter and trapper who lived at the end of a road which became known as Ball Camp Pike. There was an Indian uprising in 1792. Life became very dangerous for settlers near the Territory boundary. He had been ambushed twice but escaped uninjured with only bullet holes in his hat. Nicholas Ball, being a very brave and caring man, attempted to help some stranded settlers at Well's Station. On his way to take a load of corn to the hungry refugees he was ambushed for a third time and killed.
In 1796 Tennessee became the sixteenth state. Hordes of settlers were still searching for the "promised land" where they could build homes and farm the land. About 1800 as some of these pioneers traveled the road (known as Emory Road) from Southwestern Virginia to the western settlements ending at Nashville, they found a fertile wilderness with an abundance of water and wildlife. A wide creek flowing through the fertile valley was inhabited by industrious beavers, and it became known as Beaver Creek. The settlement became known as Beaver Ridge.
The strong perseverant, God-fearing families conquered the wilderness they found. When cabins had been built, land cleared and crude comforts obtained, they began to concentrate their efforts on providing a place for the souls and minds - a church and a school.
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