We have been unable to determine the first settler in the Buffalo Valley area, but some of the first were William Skiles, James Vance and David Young. On 24 October 1803, James Vance of Smith County sold to Armstead Stubblefield of Sumner County 10 acres of land in Smith County on South fork of Indian Creek running into Caney Fork…including said Vances Grist Mill. Then on 11 November 1803 Robert King of Roane County, TN sold to David Young of Smith County 222 acres of land on South fork of Indian Creek that runs into Caney Fork and lying around James Vances Mill. Witnesses to this deed were James Vance and William Skiles. By 15 March 1805 David Wallis (Wallace) was in the area, as James Gealey of Smith County sold to David Wallis of Smith County 100 acres of land near the head of the east fork of Indian Creek on Caney Fork River.  Witnesses to this deed was Samuel Norwood and Jacob Fanning.

The land entries and surveys are very informative about the early settlers of the Buffalo Valley area. Not only do they tell who is entering or having the land surveyed, but also tells who is living on and has lived on the land. Also the surveys give the names of two other individuals who were in the area, and they were the survey chain carriers. It is interesting that in 1808, we start seeing land activity in Jackson County part of Buffalo Valley. On 20 April 1808 there were four entries for which James Vance was the locator. Prittyman (Prettyman) Jones had two of these entries. The first was for 70 acres and began about 5 poles below and improvement made by Zachariah Jones where Samuel Brady now lives. This land was surveyed on 19 may 1808 with George Skiles and Edward Reynolds as chain carriers. The second entry was for 50 acres in the Little Bear Valley (of Buffalo Valley) so to include his improvement where he now lives. This land was surveyed on 17 February 1809 with George Smith of (Wolf Creek) and Alex Reynolds as chain carriers. The third entry was by John Clemmons for 60 acres to include the improvement where Henry Karr (Kerr) now lives on which first was made by James Gealey. This land and the next entry was surveyed also on 19 May 1808 with George Skiles and Edward Reynolds as chain carriers. The fourth entry was by William Skiles for 100 acres whereon said Skiles now lives.

The period 1810-1814 saw further activity in acquiring of land. On 2 July 1810 Benjamin Blackburn had an entry for 30 acres in the Buffaloe Valley on Caney Fork including the place where Robert Wallace lives. On 16 December 1811 there were four entries. Jiles Lee entried 20 acres in the Buffalow Valley to include the improvement whereon the said Lee now lives. Three of four entries were by Prettyman Jones. He had a 30 acre entry in Jackson County in the Buffaloe Valley standing in the road running up said valley about 275 yards above James Vance’s 100 acre survey. He had another 30 acre in the Valley about 80 poles westwardly from John Caseys dwelling house. He also had a 5 acre entry in the Valley which included an improvement made by William Hitchcock and a spring.  Except for one on all of his entries Prettyman was the locator. One of the 30 acre entries was surveyed on 19 September 1812 by James Roulston with John Dowell and John McKinney as chain carriers. The other 30 acre entry was surveyed on 25 October 1814, and the 5 acre entry was surveyed on 24 October 1814. Both were surveyed by A. Harvey with Thomas McGarratt (?McGarrah) and Robert Wallace as chain carriers. On 10 January 1812 Robert Wallace made three entries in the Valley. One was for 40 acres and included part of improvement of Wm. Skiles. He also entered 18 acres to include the balance of Skiles improvement. His other entry was for 10 acres to include the house and spring whereon Wm. Cotton and Zachariah Kirkland now lives. The survey chain carriers for all three tracts of land were David Wallace and John Tombolin on 13 march 1812. On 8 August 1812 John Casey entered 20 acres of land in Buffalo Valley at the head of Casey’s Spring including the improvement whereon said Casey now lives. James Roulston surveyed this land on 1 June 1814 with James McKinney and Hezekiah Lizenben (?Hezekiah Lizenby) as chain carriers.  On 12 September 1812 Prettyman Jones made a 10 acre entry in the Buffalo Valley at Giles Lea’s (?Jiles Lee) North line to include the spring and cabin where John McKinney now lives. John McKenney on 5 October 1812 entered 10 acres in Buffaloe Valley beginning on East line of Prettyman Jones 50 acre survey on which he (Prettyman) now lives due East from said Jones Dwelling House to include all said Jones’s cleared land lying East of said 50 acre survey. This entry was made void on 13 October 1812. John Garvin on 13 October 1812 entered 10 acres on the ridge between John Casey’s and Prettyman Jones’ including a spring on the road leading from Prettyman Jones’ to John Caseys. 

Major land activity started on Indian Creek in 1807. On 31 August 1807 William Jared made a 45 acre entry and a 100 acre entry. Both of these tracts were surveyed on 11 May 1808, and grant issued on 10 and 11 December 1822. On 23 February 1809 William Jarred (Jared) made two entries of 17 ½ acres each on the North fork of Indian Creek. A. Harvey was the surveyor, and Moses Webb and Moses Jarret the chain carriers for both tracts on 10 November 1814.  William Young entered 100 acres on one of the south branches of Indian Creek.  This land was surveyed by James Roulston on 30 March 1810 with chain carriers Tyre Gentry and Samuel Young, but the survey was made void on 14 October 1810. David Young had an entry for 30 acres on the South Fork of Indian Creek on 15 October 1810, and this tract was surveyed on 24 July 1813 by James Roulston with Mark and John Young as chain carriers. On 22 October 1810 Thomas Green entered 15 acres on waters of Indian Creek beginning on a corner marked by Daniel Welboun for Hugh Stewart. This tract was surveyed by A. Harvey on 4 November 1814 with Jeremiah Bush and James Harvel as chain carriers.  On 10 January 1812 Reuben Harries assignee of Prettyman Jones made entries for two 15 acre tracts of the dry valley on the waters of Indian Creek. On 1 April 1812 James Vance made an interesting entry as it "begin on a hillside between his sawmill and the top of the hill in nearly a southwest course from said mill and on the upper line of a 640 acre tract of land that he the said Vance sold to John Lancaster running North and East in square so as to include said Vances house and mill." This entry was made void on 16 July 1813, and probably because the land was entered on that date under a different entry. As on 16 July 1813 he entered 72 ½ acres and 10 acres. The 72 ½ probably included his sawmill and house as it begin on North side of Indian Creek at the North East corner of the 640 acre survey of the said Vance. The 10 acre entry was also on North side of Indian Creek and included a spring and an old still house. Both tracts were surveyed on 5 April 1814, chain carriers were Jacob Cloer and Austin Coker.  On 2 June 1812 David Young made two entries on the South fork of Indian Creek. One was for 14 acres beginning 5 poles North of the mouth of a cave near the head of said Youngs mill pond, and had one corner on the East line of his 30 acre survey. It seems obvious that if David Young had a mill pond then he had to have some type of mill. The other entry made by David Young was for 31 acres near Jesse and John Wammacks spring branches including the place whereon Jesse Wammack now lives. The chain carrier on this tract were Mark and John Young and on prior tract the chain carriers were James and Mark Young. Both tracts were surveyed on 24 July 1813 by James Roulston.  Also on 2 June 1812 John Jones entered 15 acres of land. Johnathan Reno was the locator on 11 August 1812 when James Vance entered ½ acre on a drain the South Fork of Indian Creek, and included a salt petre cave about ¾ of a mile above David Youngs big spring. Duke Skelton entered two tracts of two acres each on 17 August 1812. One tract was on Indian Creek and included John Christians house and spring. The other tract was on the road from Waltons Ferry to Southwest Point, and the tract included part of a field he occupied. On 14 October 1812 Jonathan Reneau (Reno) entered 5 acres in the dry valley of Indian Creek above Reuben Harris’s. This land was never surveyed. James Vance had another 10 acres surveyed on 4 October 1814 with George Collom and John Wilds as chain carriers. This tract of 10 acres began on Vance’s South East corner of his 10 acres survey and ran South 34 poles on the North line on his 640 acre survey.

We are including information from the land records for Rock Springs area as we see some of the individuals mentioned previously with other individuals which may indicate family relationships. Samuel Roulston entered 1,000 acres on 25 February 1801 and was surveyed on 22 September 1814. The entry begins on the point of a ridge above the spring wherein Shadrick Bridges now lives. It crossed Rock Spring Creek and also included the Southside of the dividing ridge between Rock Spring and Indian Creek and the spring known by the name of rock spring. On 18 February 1808 Richard Reynolds had 137 ½ acres on Rock Springs Fork surveyed with John and Firney Reynolds as chain carriers. James Roulston had a 50 acre entry on Rock Springs in Jackson County on 22 February 1809 which began on North side of the Lancaster Road on a point of a ridge where David Parker now lives. 

There were several entries made by individuals in the Rock Springs area on 10 January 1812, who apparently purchased part of a land warrant from Prettyman Jones as they entered land as assignees of Prettyman Jones. Two of these entries were made by David Wallace for 30 acres each. One tract was on the Southside of Rock Spring Creek including the improvement made by Richard Reynolds. This 30 acres was surveyed on 13 march 1812 with Thomas McGarrah and Robert Wallace. The other 30 acre entry by David included the improvement and spring whereon the said Wallace now lives. Henry Carr had one entry for 30 acres which included a cabin built by Thomas Smith. Thomas McGarah had a entry for 20 acres to include the improvement where he now lives. On all of these entries Prettyman Jones was the locator. George Collum also as assignee of Prettyman Jones entered 70 acres of land in Smith County on Rock Spring Creek to include said Collum;s improvement. On 22 February 1812 John Boyd made two entries for 15 acres each at the head of Rock Spring Valley and one of the entries begin south of McCager Browns Spring in Jackson and begin SouthWest corner of his tract of 50 acres where he now lives.  George Skiles entered 25 acres in Jackson County on Rock Spring creek on 2 June 1812. Joseph Jared under entry number 8754 made a 5 acre entry on 24 August 1812 in Jackson County in Rock Spring Valley to begin on East line of his survey of 20 acres and including a small field cleared by Reuben Smith. Also, on 24 August 1812, Henry Carr made three entries on Rock Spring Creek. Entry $8755 for 15 acres included the "cabbin" built by Thomas Smith about ¼ mile below Jacob Fainnings. Henry’s Entry $8756 was for 10 acres joining the East line of David Wallace upper 30 acre survey up the creek so as to include the old school house place where Allen Harvey formerly kept school it being his upper school house. Henry’s third entry was #8757 for 5 acres beginning at David Wallaces Southeast corner of his upper 30 acre tract. Another interesting entry was made by Joseph Jared for 20 acres in Smith County on Eastside of the Caney Fork River, and it is reasonable to believe this was in Rock Spring area. It began on the River bank about 60 poles above Spryas Kirklands improvement.  The tract was surveyed on 11 May 1816 with Henry Carr and Moses Justice as chain carriers. A note on the survey says it was transferred to James Carr, and taken out on 25 August 1818 by Shadrack Bridges.