Putnam County is named in honor of Israel Putnam, who was a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War. The county was initially established on February 2, 1842, when the Twenty-fourth Tennessee General Assembly enacted a measure creating the county from portions of Jackson, Overton, Fentress, and White counties. The county has a total area of 403 square miles with a population count of 80,245 residents.
The Virginia General Assembly formed Putnam County on March 11, 1848, from parts of Cabell, Kanawha, and Mason counties. It was named after Israel Putnam, who was a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War. History states that former first president George Washington surveyed the area in 1770. The county seat, which is Winfield, was founded in 1818 however, it didn’t become incorporated until 1868. The county has a total area of 350 square miles and has a population count of 55,486 residents.
