Okay, history lesson.. part of TN in the eastern Smokies area was called The State of Franklin..and had broken off from NC. Here is some info about it. Unless a family had relatives from there, not a whole lot of people actually knew about it. My husband's family were there during that time, and founded a community near what is today Greenville, TN. and we lived in the area.
http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/commentary/99/entry Donna