The first nineteen chapters deal with early activities in the Holston Valley, starting with the Cherokee settlements. Taylor records the history of the area with a sympathetic account of the Cherokee's plight. At the same time he tells of the brave frontier men and women and their constant battles with the Indians, recording the hardship of early citizens such as John Donelson and those who made the perilous river voyage with him. He tells of Isaac Shelby and the Wataugans, as they tried to subdue the Holston Valley wilderness, and the unconquerable spirit of those who attempted to start the State of Franklin. His admiration for East Tennessee's early pioneers is evident, and he has scattered biographies of the Sullivan County "Makers of History" throughout the book.

Included in the latter half of this volume are chapters devoted to early industries, the church, agriculture, methods of travel and message transmission (including early post offices), the newspaper and politics, and some interesting "Odds and Ends".