For most of the 19th century So. Eastern Tennessee was home for many of my Marr ancestors. Records have been found that show Marr relatives of that period left the semi civilized provinces of South Carolina and migrated to the Tenn territory around 1800 looking for a better life. They moved to what is called now the counties of Polk, Monroe and McMinn located in the most SE section of the state of Tennessee. They moved about the time TN became a state and was still home to many Cherokee Indians

    A brief review of the history of that early time taken from miscellaneous sources helps to appreciate struggles they must have faced. When the English colonists came to the East Coast in the 1600's, the Cherokee Indians lived in and controlled about 127,000 square miles of the land which includes parts of present states of West VA, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The total Indian population was estimated at 20,000. They were fairly well organized and had small villages throughout the region. The Cherokees of TN were of the pastoral type with small villages and simple farming. They even had a capital village in the Tenn area where the tribal chiefs met occasionally . At first the interaction between the Colonists and Cherokees was generally congenial, but by 1721 the first of many treaties was signed which forced the Indians to give up the coastal areas around Charleston SC. Each ensuing treaty took more territory from the Indians and gave it to the whites. Twenty one treaties later in 1835, the US Government purchased all the Cherokee land east of the Mississippi River and the Cherokees were forced to move to what is now Arkansas by 1837. When many wouldn't leave, the US Army rounded up as many as they could find and forcibly moved them by oxen train. This is the rather well known story of "Trail of Tears".

    By 1800 the final borders of NC and GA had been established but both states claimed portions of the Tn territory. Legally at that time much Tn was still considered Indian Territory. By 1770-1790 most of all the good farm land in the coastal states belonged to big plantations owners and the poor white farmers wanting land had to move further west where land was not claimed. There they staked out and began farming in the valleys of the foothills of the Appalachians even though many times they shared the land with the Indians. Records of the early settlers are difficult to find because they do not exist in present county books of  land deeds. Tennessee did not become a state until 1796 and the State of NC continued to claim all the open land in Tn that did not belong to the Indians. Finally land deed control was given to Tn in 1806. Another factor hindering research ancestors  is that Tn did not have a census in 1790, 1800 or 1810.

    The first white men to enter Tn were trappers and hunters. They were not suppose to own this Indian land, but many got around this restriction by marrying Indian women. Many Tn families are direct descendants of these white and Cherokees marriages. There is no evidence that any of the early Marr's took an Indian bride but one can't be sure because many of the Indians assumed anglicized names. At first the whites and the Indians tolerated each other and lived in relative peace. However, there were periods of unrest because in the late 1700s the settlers requested the US Army to provide protection from hostile Indians. The Army responded and built one of the first protective forts in the south eastern section of Tn which became known as "Fort Marr". It is pictured and described below in an extract taken from a local newspaper article.

    The Mars/Marr/Mare name can also be found on other geographical sites besides Fort. Marr. There is a "Granny Marr Mountain" shown on some maps as being about a 2600 ft peak on the Tn/Ga line near Polk Co. Tn. In McMinn Co. Tn there is " Mars Hill Presbyterian Church" that was originally built about 1823.

    When examining records of that period it is obvious that the exact spelling of families names was not considered important. The researcher must look for various spellings of a name depending on its sound to the original writer of the record. The different records encountered identified the Marr families as Mars/Marr/Mare/Mares and etc. There was no Social Security, driver's licenses or other Government requirements to enforce common spelling for each identity. Also, there were no typewriters or mechanized equipment to standardize the record keeping. Since only a minority of the population could read or write, all the records of the 1800's were hand scribed into a ledgers by the few men who could write. The census takers would visit farms and small towns and take hand scribed notes on tablets which were sent to the county offices, forwarded to the state capitals and hence to the Washington DC archives. These handwritten records were microfilmed in the 1900's and these original hand scripted records are always subject to interpretations errors. The records of land deed, marriage licenses were prepared in the local county court house and the information recorded by quill or pen into large ledgers in the English script practiced by the individual writer.

This image is used by the Polk Co. Historical Society as the emblem for the cover of their quarterly news bulletin.

    The original location of the blockhouse was at a point in the then Cherokee country where the. two prongs of the Old Federal Road met, only a few miles north of the Tennessee-Georgia line. The Old Federal Road was used by thousands of travelers missionaries, soldiers, settlers, drovers, and traders. Old Fort Marr was a feature of this area long before the first permanent settlers came to what is now Polk County. Many stories have been related concerning the construction of the fort and various dates have been given for its construction. The most commonly assigned date of the construction is around 1814, however, Mrs. Penelope Johnson Allen of Chattanooga suggests that it could have been built several years earlier. The obvious purpose was to provide protection against any Cherokees who might become belligerent. It has been suggested that the fort was built by the soldiers who were constructing the Old Federal Road or as winter quarters for the soldiers; others say it was constructed to protect General Andrew Jackson's supply line either while fighting the Creek War or while fighting in New Orleans. One document indicates that the Cherokees may have requested the construction of the fort"....The United States will place not less than a Subaltern's command at or near the point where the said road shall intercept the Georgia line." It appears that provisions of this article were carried into effect, from several entries in the Journal of Col. R. J. Meig, Indian Agent. No specific records are available as to who actually constructed Old Fort Marr. Previous writers have suggested the Tenn. Militia, the Virginia Militia, or the troops of the Federal government.

    The origin of the name Fort Marr has been lost to history, and it is now generally known simply as "The Old Fort." The fort could have been named for the officer in charge of construction, however, the name may have another origin.

    Old Fort Marr has survived the inroads of time remarkably well and even today is largely in its original condition. The structure is made of hewn oak logs, and the second floor is on twenty-four feet square and extends four feet out over the first floor. Seventy two portholes outbreak on the inside to allow a rifleman considerable lateral range, dot the walls of the building. The four foot projection has portholes cut in the floor so that occupants could shoot directly down on the heads of any attackers. The original door was made of extra thick plank and pegged to entra heavy battons with wooden pins. Huge home-made wrought iron hinges were fastened to the door shutter with long heavy hand-made spikes of iron driven through and cinched. It is said by experts in such matters that the building was made with the use of only three tools hand axe, sledge hammer and fro.

    Again during the Cherokees removal in 1838, when the Indians were finally taken from their native soil by the Federal Government, this blockhouse was used as one of the forts where the Cherokees were assembled before leaving for the West. It has also been suggested that perhaps the white settlers fearing an Indian uprising. Soldiers were sent to Fort Marr to build a larger stockade, and to erect three additional blockhouses at the corners away from the original blockhouse. Col Moses Cunningham, with his secretary Montrauille Reynolds, both of McMinn County, were in charge of the new construction. Among the men who helped build the larger stockade, as related by traditional were Sam Julian, James Lawson and Amos Ladd, one of Polk County's leading citizens. Following the Civil War, it is said one of these temporary blockhouses was moved and used as a barn, while the other two were used for wood.

    In 1858, Ananias Higgins moved Old Fort Marr from its original site to his backyard where it was used as a smokehouse. The Higgins Family-Mrs. Lavenia Wambright Higgins, Mr. Jake Higgins, and Miss Ellie (Aunt Deli) Higgins gave the Old Fort to the Polk County Board of Education in 1922, and the structure was moved to the campus of Polk County High School. Mr. J.D. Clemmer, at the time secretary of the Benton Historical Association was very influential in securing the fort for the Benton site. Professor John Robinson of Polk County High School assisted by his students and the Boy Scouts did a large portion of the moving of the structure. At the new location, the boards for the new roof were made by the late W.H. (Billy) Harrison.

    Fort Marr was moved to a site on Hwy. 411 near the Polk County Jail Benton in 1965.

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