Belton vicinity, Bell County
Though pioneer settlement of this area may have begun as early as 1844, it was named when eight families from Tennessee arrived in 1851 in search of affordable fertile land. Sheltered between the Sparta Mountains and a curve in the Leon River, the fields yielded grains, cotton, nuts, and peaches. Tennessee Valley was a thriving community for almost 100 years, its beauty marred only by the violent floodwaters of the Leon River. The construction of the Belton dam and creation of Belton Lake in 1954 deluged Tennessee Valley and two other communities, which were sacrificed to protect the areas surrounding the Leon River. (1998) Incising: Polly Peaks-Elmore, Applicant