Frederick County, Virginiawas formed in 1743 from Orange County. Old Frederick County included all or part of four counties in present-day Virginia: Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, and Frederick, as well as five in present-day West Virginia: Hardy, Hampshire, Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan.
Johnson City, Tennessee is in Washington, Carter and Sullivan Counties. It was known as Brush Creek for the Creek than runs through it.
Passage Creek, Shenandoah County, Virginia is a tributary of the North Fork of the Shenandoah.
Caleb Odell, Sr. was born about 1725 in New York. He was the son of Samuel Odell.
He married Alice (possibly Newman, daughter of Samuel Newman).
Caleb and Alice's children included:
Nehemiah Odell (1743),
Simon Odell (1745)
Caleb Odell (1753, married Margaret Boring, daughter of William Boring and Abigail Plumly ),
William Odell (1753, married Peggy Hobach),
Alice Odell (1754),
Elizabeth Odell (1755)
Catherine Odell (1755, married Jonathan Morrell),
Tomkins/Thompkins Odell (1750, married Abigail Combs),
Isaac Odell (married Abigail Maxwell), and
Job Odell.
By 1755 Caleb and Alice moved to Shenandoah County, Virginia with Abraham Denton and Samuel Newman and settled on the North Branch of the Shenandoah River.
In 1755, Abraham Denton and Caleb Odell witnessed a land transaction in Frederick County.
Before 1760, Caleb bought land on Passage Creek.
In August, 1766 Caleb was granted 380 acres in Frederick County, Virginia.
On March 2, 1768, Caleb witnessed a deed from Matthew Plumly to his brother, James Odell, in Frederick County, Virginia
In 1775, Jonathan, Samuel, Benjamin, James, and Jermiah Odell were in Dunmore County, Virginia. In 1775, Caleb was one of the signers for 'The First Independent Company of Dunmore" and was on a committee to determine in war materials on hand.
In 1778, Caleb and his son, Isaac, sold their land on Passage Creek and moved to Brush Creek.
In 1782, he served on the first Grand Jury of Washington County which met in the log house of Charles Robertson.
In 1783, Simon and Nehemiah were killed by indigenous people.
In January, 1795 Caleb Odell sold William Boring 76-3/4 acres on Brush Creek, for 55£. The land bordered Charles Reno/Reneau. The deed was witnessed by Thomas Gourley and John Tipton.
Tennessee was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796. It was initially part of North Carolina.
Washington County, Tennessee was established in 1777 as Washington County, North Carolina. From 1784 to 1788, it was part of the State of Franklin.
from Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol 2, p. 172
Caleb Odle of Frederick Co. (Virginia), 380 A(cres) on Passage's Creek in Powell's Fort in said county.
Surv. Robert Rutherford.
Adj. Darby McCarty.
04 Aug 1766.
The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) was between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the 13 colonies which became the newly formed United States.
from Over the Misty Blue Hills by Ruth Webb O'Dell, pg. 121
Caleb O'Dell and wife Alice (A Newman-Thorne Connection) arrived in Shenandoah County with Abraham Denton and Samuel Newman by 1755 and located on the North Branch of Shenandoah River.
Before 1760, he had purchased land on Passage Creek.
He lived here until 1778, one of the fifteen originial justices of Shenandoah County, justice of the peace for Passage Creek Community and road overseer.
In 1775, Caleb O'Dell was one of the signers for "The First Independant Company of Dunmore" and was one of a committee of eighteen to determine in 1775 war materials on hand.
In 1778, Caleb O'Dell and his son, Isaac, sold their land on Passage Creek and he removed to Brush Creek in Washington, Greene Co., Tennessee, of which Cocke County was then a part.
In 1782, he served on the first Grand Jury of Washington County which met in the log house of Charles Robertson.
He purchased his land from Joseph Denton on Brush Creek and appears to have lived there until 1795, when his old friend, Colonel John Tipton witnessed for him in a sale of land.
Caleb and Alice had 14 children...
Settlers often built log cabins as their first homes.