Appointed Union County's First Sheriff in 1854
For more than a decade preceding the Civil War, the people of Tennessee had already taken sides. In 1850 the formation of Union County began from parts of Knox, Grainger, Anderson, Claiborne and Campbell Counties. Knox County, protesting the loss of that part of its county which was to be taken into the union, entered suit and secured an injunction against the formation of Union County.
Because of this injunction, the citizens of Union County were unable to legally elect their county officials, so representatives met and appointed their first county officers. Union County Records read, "February 6, 1864, E. West was appointed Sheriff until same office shall be filled by election." His bond was signed by Ezra Buckner and John Chesney, both of whom were neighbors.
Edward West was born May 19, 1816, probably in Greene County, the eldest son of Thomas West and Rachel Oliphant, who moved to Russellville in 1818 where Thomas West had a woodworking shop on Fall Creek. In 1824, Thomas moved his family to Grainger County in the Buffalo Springs Community, and it was there that Edward West spent his youth.
On May 9, 1839, Edward West married Arminda Roberts, daughter of Andrew Roberts and Jane Kelly. In 1850, they lived in what was then Knox County where Edward had a farm, tannery, mill and store. Recently, many of his old store accounts and private papers were found which show that he also loaned money to such a degree that he had personal notes printed, with three locations on the heading, Westville, Capps Ford and one was left blank. Accounts show that he owned the store at Westville as late as 1870, although he sold his tanyard to John A.W. Tucker in 1856. Westville was located near Corryton in the vicinity of Ailor Gap Road. The exact location of the store at Capps Ford is not know, but appears to have been on the Powell River, since some of his customers were in Claiborne County.
Before 1860, Edward West had moved to Mill Springs in Jefferson County where he had a brick house, a brick three-story mill and a woodworking shop where he manufactured furniture and window blinds. He also had a store at New Market and was Postmaster there. He was a prominent Mason and served as Master of the New Market Lodge at one time.
Edward West was a stanch Union man and assisted in the carrying of information to the Union Army. On one occasion he had his young son, Joseph, deliver a basket of eggs to a Union Lieutenant. One egg shell had been emptied of its contents and information inserted into the empty shell. In exchange for the eggs, the Lieutenant gave his sword to Joseph. One of Joseph's grandsons has this sword at the present time.
On another occasion, Thomas, another son of Edward West, who was a soldier in the Union Army, was in bed in a downstairs bedroom at Mill Springs, recuperating from a battle wound. Confederate soldiers came to search the house for him and Thomas was carried through a trap door, located under his bed, to the basement where he remained safely until the search was completed. After the war, Thomas became a doctor and located in Oliver Springs, Tennessee.
The Confederates burned out Edward West's woodworking shop twice. After the second time, he moved to Anderson County where he died in 1892.
