Jerial, son of Josiah Dodge and his wife Zerviah Willes, was born 1788, at the family homestead on Nolin Creek in Hardin County (near present-day Hodgenville, Larue County), Kentucky.
Like this father before him, Jerial became a Baptist minister, one of the earliest proponents of New Testament Christianity in East Tennessee. At age 16, Jerial was minister of the tiny South Fork of the No-Linn Baptist Church. In 1804, he attended the Russell's Creek Association meeting as a delegate from his church. He reported that they had ten members. By 1815, they had grown to a membership of forty-five. The No-Linn Church was associated with the Separate Baptists.
In 1815, Jerial married Elizabeth "Eliza" Washington Spotswood. The young couple moved to Washington County, in Southwestern Virginia. Marriage records from that county, dated July 4, 1816 and October 24, 1819, carry the signature of Jerial Dodge.
From there, Jerial and Elizabeth moved to Blountville, Sullivan County, Tennessee, in 1820. Jerial brought his faith with him and began teaching his new neighbors. He helped to organize a congregation at Concord (later Weaver's) Church in Sullivan County, in the early 1820's. Here too Jerial bought property, and Jerial and Elizabeth began their family, eventually totaling a large family of ten children. In 1826, Jerial and Elizabeth moved their family to Washington County, Tennessee, where Jerial purchased seventy-eight and one-half acres of land, on Little Sinking Creek, west of the Old Stage Road. Later, in 1841, Jerial purchased four-hundred-twenty acres lying in both Washington and Sullivan counties, paying $2,671.36. His home occupied an historic site in the state near the famous beech tree on which Daniel Boone carved his immortal line: "D. Boon cilled a Bar on tree in the year 1760." Jerial built a swing on one of the tree's great branches, and all the neighborhood children enjoyed playing there. During this period of time, Jerial supported himself by farming and his special trade of bell making (it was reported that Jerial could imitate the tone of any bell with his voice). "The Joneboro Whig", dated November 17, 1841, advertised a stock of bells at Jerial Dodge's Shop, 8 miles N. E. of Jonesborough near the Stage Road leading to Blountville. The molds for his bells were dug into the ground near a stream on his farm. In addition to his farm and bell shop, Jerial operated a ferry on the Holston River, and he continued to preached at every opportunity.
Jerial died 1843, at age fifty-five, in Missouri, where he had gone on a prospecting trip. His death was attributed to smallpox. His remains were buried in an unmarked grave unknown to his family. The Washington County Tennessee inventory of his estate in 1847 listed 900 unfinished bells, shop tools and valuable books.
Like this father before him, Jerial became a Baptist minister, one of the earliest proponents of New Testament Christianity in East Tennessee. At age 16, Jerial was minister of the tiny South Fork of the No-Linn Baptist Church. In 1804, he attended the Russell's Creek Association meeting as a delegate from his church. He reported that they had ten members. By 1815, they had grown to a membership of forty-five. The No-Linn Church was associated with the Separate Baptists.
In 1815, Jerial married Elizabeth "Eliza" Washington Spotswood. The young couple moved to Washington County, in Southwestern Virginia. Marriage records from that county, dated July 4, 1816 and October 24, 1819, carry the signature of Jerial Dodge.
From there, Jerial and Elizabeth moved to Blountville, Sullivan County, Tennessee, in 1820. Jerial brought his faith with him and began teaching his new neighbors. He helped to organize a congregation at Concord (later Weaver's) Church in Sullivan County, in the early 1820's. Here too Jerial bought property, and Jerial and Elizabeth began their family, eventually totaling a large family of ten children. In 1826, Jerial and Elizabeth moved their family to Washington County, Tennessee, where Jerial purchased seventy-eight and one-half acres of land, on Little Sinking Creek, west of the Old Stage Road. Later, in 1841, Jerial purchased four-hundred-twenty acres lying in both Washington and Sullivan counties, paying $2,671.36. His home occupied an historic site in the state near the famous beech tree on which Daniel Boone carved his immortal line: "D. Boon cilled a Bar on tree in the year 1760." Jerial built a swing on one of the tree's great branches, and all the neighborhood children enjoyed playing there. During this period of time, Jerial supported himself by farming and his special trade of bell making (it was reported that Jerial could imitate the tone of any bell with his voice). "The Joneboro Whig", dated November 17, 1841, advertised a stock of bells at Jerial Dodge's Shop, 8 miles N. E. of Jonesborough near the Stage Road leading to Blountville. The molds for his bells were dug into the ground near a stream on his farm. In addition to his farm and bell shop, Jerial operated a ferry on the Holston River, and he continued to preached at every opportunity.
Jerial died 1843, at age fifty-five, in Missouri, where he had gone on a prospecting trip. His death was attributed to smallpox. His remains were buried in an unmarked grave unknown to his family. The Washington County Tennessee inventory of his estate in 1847 listed 900 unfinished bells, shop tools and valuable books.
Jerial, son of Josiah Dodge and his wife Zerviah Willes, was born 1788, at the family homestead on Nolin Creek in Hardin County (near present-day Hodgenville, Larue County), Kentucky.
Like this father before him, Jerial became a Baptist minister, one of the earliest proponents of New Testament Christianity in East Tennessee. At age 16, Jerial was minister of the tiny South Fork of the No-Linn Baptist Church. In 1804, he attended the Russell's Creek Association meeting as a delegate from his church. He reported that they had ten members. By 1815, they had grown to a membership of forty-five. The No-Linn Church was associated with the Separate Baptists.
In 1815, Jerial married Elizabeth "Eliza" Washington Spotswood. The young couple moved to Washington County, in Southwestern Virginia. Marriage records from that county, dated July 4, 1816 and October 24, 1819, carry the signature of Jerial Dodge.
From there, Jerial and Elizabeth moved to Blountville, Sullivan County, Tennessee, in 1820. Jerial brought his faith with him and began teaching his new neighbors. He helped to organize a congregation at Concord (later Weaver's) Church in Sullivan County, in the early 1820's. Here too Jerial bought property, and Jerial and Elizabeth began their family, eventually totaling a large family of ten children. In 1826, Jerial and Elizabeth moved their family to Washington County, Tennessee, where Jerial purchased seventy-eight and one-half acres of land, on Little Sinking Creek, west of the Old Stage Road. Later, in 1841, Jerial purchased four-hundred-twenty acres lying in both Washington and Sullivan counties, paying $2,671.36. His home occupied an historic site in the state near the famous beech tree on which Daniel Boone carved his immortal line: "D. Boon cilled a Bar on tree in the year 1760." Jerial built a swing on one of the tree's great branches, and all the neighborhood children enjoyed playing there. During this period of time, Jerial supported himself by farming and his special trade of bell making (it was reported that Jerial could imitate the tone of any bell with his voice). "The Joneboro Whig", dated November 17, 1841, advertised a stock of bells at Jerial Dodge's Shop, 8 miles N. E. of Jonesborough near the Stage Road leading to Blountville. The molds for his bells were dug into the ground near a stream on his farm. In addition to his farm and bell shop, Jerial operated a ferry on the Holston River, and he continued to preached at every opportunity.
Jerial died 1843, at age fifty-five, in Missouri, where he had gone on a prospecting trip. His death was attributed to smallpox. His remains were buried in an unmarked grave unknown to his family. The Washington County Tennessee inventory of his estate in 1847 listed 900 unfinished bells, shop tools and valuable books.
Like this father before him, Jerial became a Baptist minister, one of the earliest proponents of New Testament Christianity in East Tennessee. At age 16, Jerial was minister of the tiny South Fork of the No-Linn Baptist Church. In 1804, he attended the Russell's Creek Association meeting as a delegate from his church. He reported that they had ten members. By 1815, they had grown to a membership of forty-five. The No-Linn Church was associated with the Separate Baptists.
In 1815, Jerial married Elizabeth "Eliza" Washington Spotswood. The young couple moved to Washington County, in Southwestern Virginia. Marriage records from that county, dated July 4, 1816 and October 24, 1819, carry the signature of Jerial Dodge.
From there, Jerial and Elizabeth moved to Blountville, Sullivan County, Tennessee, in 1820. Jerial brought his faith with him and began teaching his new neighbors. He helped to organize a congregation at Concord (later Weaver's) Church in Sullivan County, in the early 1820's. Here too Jerial bought property, and Jerial and Elizabeth began their family, eventually totaling a large family of ten children. In 1826, Jerial and Elizabeth moved their family to Washington County, Tennessee, where Jerial purchased seventy-eight and one-half acres of land, on Little Sinking Creek, west of the Old Stage Road. Later, in 1841, Jerial purchased four-hundred-twenty acres lying in both Washington and Sullivan counties, paying $2,671.36. His home occupied an historic site in the state near the famous beech tree on which Daniel Boone carved his immortal line: "D. Boon cilled a Bar on tree in the year 1760." Jerial built a swing on one of the tree's great branches, and all the neighborhood children enjoyed playing there. During this period of time, Jerial supported himself by farming and his special trade of bell making (it was reported that Jerial could imitate the tone of any bell with his voice). "The Joneboro Whig", dated November 17, 1841, advertised a stock of bells at Jerial Dodge's Shop, 8 miles N. E. of Jonesborough near the Stage Road leading to Blountville. The molds for his bells were dug into the ground near a stream on his farm. In addition to his farm and bell shop, Jerial operated a ferry on the Holston River, and he continued to preached at every opportunity.
Jerial died 1843, at age fifty-five, in Missouri, where he had gone on a prospecting trip. His death was attributed to smallpox. His remains were buried in an unmarked grave unknown to his family. The Washington County Tennessee inventory of his estate in 1847 listed 900 unfinished bells, shop tools and valuable books.
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The remains of Jerial Dodge were buried in an unmarked grave unknown to his family.
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