Cannon County, Tennessee

The county is named after Tennessee Governor Newton Cannon (1781-1841).^[3]

Parent County

1836--Cannon County was created 31 January 1836 from Warren, Coffee, Wilson and Rutherford Counties.
County seat: Woodbury ^[4]

County Pronunciation

1. Hear it spoken^[5] (female)
2. Hear it spoken^[6] (male)

Boundary Changes

"Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the My Tennessee Genealogy website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

Record Loss

1934 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.

• Lost census: 1890
• Lack of marriage records: 1836 to 1837

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:

• Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
• Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle
• When the Records are Gone in Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Genealogy Blog

Cannon County Tennessee Places / Localities

Populated Places

Cities and Towns:

Neighboring Counties

• Coffee
• DeKalb
• Rutherford
• Warren
• Wilson

Cannon County Tennessee Genealogy Resources

Tncannon.png

Getting Started

Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Cannon County biography, court, marriage, and probate records. To determine which books are being searched, or to search each publication's index individually, click here. You are now equipped with a checklist of books to pull off the shelves at a genealogy library, or a wish list for your personal book collection.

Research Guides

• Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Cannon County at TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

African American

United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

Cemeteries

Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.

[1888-1906] W.P.A. Cannon County Bible, Family, and Tombstone Records. TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson through GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells three Cannon County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.

The Tennessee Cemeteries page provides explanations of the following online resources:

Published Cannon County cemetery records:

Census

1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Cannon County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Tennessee Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than nationwide online indexes.

See Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

See Cannon County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. [The USGenWeb Census Project^®]

1810 - Lost, except for those records coming from portions of parent county Rutherford. A substitute exists for lost portions:

• Sherrill, Charles A. The Reconstructed 1810 Census of Tennessee: 33,000 Long-lost Records from Tax Lists, Court Minutes, Church Records, Wills, Deeds and Other Sources. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.: C.A. Sherrill, 2001. FHL 976.8 X2s 1810.

1840

• Transcription of the 1840 Federal Census for Cannon County Tennessee Located at TNGenWeb.
• Spradley, Pat. "Cannon County, TN - 1840 Federal Census," available online through USGenWeb Archives. [Source: NARA Roll #519, Microcopy #704, Tennessee Vol. 2 (1-191).]

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Middle District, Cannon County on page 155.]

1850

• Porch, Deane. Cannon County Tennessee, 1850 Census. Franklin, Tennessee: C. Lynch, 1974. FHL 976.8535 X2p 1850
• S-K Publications. "Cannon County, TN - 1850 Census Index," available online through USGenWeb Archives.

1860

• Index and transcription of 1860 Federal Census for Cannon County Tennessee, available online through USGenWeb Census Project.

1880

• Sistler, Byron and Barabara Sistler. 1880 Census, Cannon County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: Byron Sistler and Assoc., 1974. FHL 976.8 A1 no. 119

1890- Lost but a substitute is available:

• Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Illinois: Byron Sistler and Assoc., 1978. FHL 976.8 X2s 1890

Church

Baptist

• Grime, John Harvey. History of Middle Tennessee Baptists: With Special Reference to Salem, New Salem, Enon and Wiseman Associations. Nashville, Tennessee: Baptist and Reflector, 1902.  Includes names changes for places in Middle Tennessee. Free digital copy.
• W.P.A. Minutes to Woodbury Baptist Church, 1888-1906. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1943. FHL US/CAN Film 24608 Item 2.
• [1888-1906] W.P.A. Cannon County Bible, Family, and Tombstone Records. TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson through GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells three Cannon County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.

Court

•  [1836-1897] W.P.A. Cannon County Deed Index, Volume 1. Typescript, TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson through GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells two Cannon County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.

• [1836-1895} W.P.A. Cannon, and County Record of Wills Book A. TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s.Free online index, created by Steve Carson through GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells three Cannon County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.

Family Histories

It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:

• Locate publications about direct ancestors
• Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
• Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Cannon, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 30,000 entries.

• Cannon County Historical Society. Cannon County, Tennessee: 1836 History and Families 1995. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 1995. FHL Book 976.8535 D2c; FHL Book 976.8535 H2c. Publisher's bookstore.

Bibliography

• [Alexander] Andrews, Vera B. Alexanders of Cannon Co., TN: A Family History and Genealogy, Covering 1848-1989, Plus Some Earlier. Elkhart, Ind.: V.B. Andrews, 1989. FHL Book 929.273 AL26av.
• [Dickson] Smith, Austin Wheeler. The Dickson-McEwen and Allied Families Genealogy. Cookeville, TN: Unknown, 1945. FHL Book 929.273 D561s. Digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• [Duggin] Butler, E. Dean. History of the Duggin and Related Families of Cannon County, Tennessee. Memphis, Tenn.: E.D. Butler, 1979. FHL Book 929.273 D879d.
• [George] See Gray.
• [Gray] Webb, Thomsa G. The Webb Families of Dekalb County, Tennessee, and 23 Related Families: Including Bethel, Cantrell, Colvert, Fuson, Gribble, Hicks, Jaco, Judkins, Magness, Mangum, Moser, Parker, Potter, Redmon, Snow, Turner, and Weedon Families, Along with the Farmer and Foushee Families of Virginia; the Gray, George, and Sageley Families of Cannon County, Tennessee, the Nathaniel Miller Family of Rutherford County, Tennessee, and Others. Smithville, Tenn.: Bradley Printing Co., 2002. FHL Book 929.273 W381wt.
• [McEwen] See Dickson.
• [Sageley] See Gray.

Land

• Cannon County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1836 and is located at Courthouse, Public Square, Woodbury, Tennessee 37190; (615) 563-4278. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
• The Family History Library has microfilm copies of deed books 1836-1892 with indexes 1836-1916; land entries 1836-1897; Surveyors' books 1836-1860; and oil and gas leases 1869-1881.

Law and Legislation

• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. January 25, 2005. [In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service.] The TSLA has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at the TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories

• The Goodspeed Histories of Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Warren and White Counties: With Biographical Sketches and Aboriginal Map of Tennessee. McMinnville, TN: B. Lomond Press, 1972. Reprint. Originally published: Nashville, TN: Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1887. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 924077 Item 2. Digital version available at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Quintin Publications.

Maps

Military

Revolutionary War

The following Cannon County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:

1. 1835 Pension Roll
2. 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions

Additional resources include:

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL Book 973 X2pc 1840; Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Middle District, Cannon County on page 155.]
• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War (TNGenWeb).

War of 1812

• Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan. 1960):13-16. FHL Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. [Includes Cannon County pensioners (pp. 15-16).]

Civil War

• Civl War Research Database $
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Civil War service men from Cannon County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in or came from Cannon County.

Confederate Soldiers

• 1st Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McNairy's) - CSA
• 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) - CSA - Companies E and G.
• 18th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A and H.
• 23rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Martin's) - CSA - Company H.
• 35th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (5th Infantry) (1st Mountain Rifle Regiment) - CSA - 2nd Company E.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Cannon County:

• Hancock, Richard R. Hancock's Diary: or, A History of the Second Tennessee Calvary. Nashville, Tennessee: Brandon Printing Co., 1887. Free digital copy.  Regiment organized in Auburn, Cannon county. Their movement with the Second Tennessee Calvary.
• USGennet, Cannon County and the American Civil War, (accessed 30 Jan 2012).  Rosters of Combatants & Regimental Histories from Cannon County and Civil War Confederate Pension Applications - Cannon County, Tennessee.  (This is a pdf file that includes Pensioner's Name, Soldier's Name, Unit, Pension # and Pension Type.)
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications : Cannon County, (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Includes soldier's name, county, pension #, unit or widow.
• United States Pension Bureau, List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883: Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for ... (Washington Printing Office; 1883), (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Online at Internet Archive. Cannon County, page 322.
  

Newspapers

Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the TSLA. Most of these newspapers may be accessed by interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee, although there are some newspapers which are not available in or outside of Tennessee. For further information regarding interlibrary loan policies and newspapers not available for interlibrary loan click here. For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Cannon County click on the following towns:

• Auburntown
• Woodbury

Occupations

• Miller, Alan N. Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2004. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Cannon County.]

Periodicals

Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers who are new to their area would not likely discover. This type of material may be found in local, regional, or statewide genealogical society journals. The following periodicals cover this county:

Ansearchin' News

Genealogical articles with abstracts of Cannon County, Tennessee records have been published in Ansearchin' News, the quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. To view a list of these articles, visit their county index. To read digitized versions of the first 36 years of articles (Vols. 1-36), browse their archive or conduct a surname search. The Family History Library has a complete collection of the Ansearchin' News quarterly FHL Book 976.8 B2a.

The Upper Cumberland Researcher

Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Cannon County, Tennessee have been published in The Upper Cumberland Researcher, the journal of the Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc. To view a list of the first 17 years of these articles, visit their online Seventeen Year Index to The Upper Cumberland Researcher (Vols. 1-17, 1975-1992). The Index contains a "Counties" section beginning on page 19. The Family History Library has most issues through the present FHL Book 976.8 B2u (1975-1993) and FHL Book 976.8 B2u (1994-present).

Prisons

Learn if your Cannon County, Tennessee ancestors went to prison!

• Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online through TSLA.
• Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online through TSLA.

Probate

The Cannon County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

FamilySearch has placed scans of the following records online in the Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 collection. These are browse-only collections. Handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes:

• Wills, 1836-1895 (Vol. A)
• Dockets, 1846-1890 (11 vols.)
• Minutes, 1836-1902 (24 vols.)

The following Cannon County probate records have been abstracted or indexed:

• [1836-1895] W.P.A. Cannon, and County Record of Wills Book A. TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s.Free online index, created by Steve Carson through GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells three Cannon County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records
• 1836-1895] Carlson, Gladys. Abstract of Cannon County, Tennessee Will Book. Signal Mountain, Tennessee: Mountain Press, [2001?]. Indexed. Contains Vol. A. (FHL book 976.8535 P28c.)
• [1836-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. [Includes an index to this county's probate records.]

Taxation

The following Cannon County tax records have been abstracted:^[7]

• [1847] "Cannon County, Tennessee Tax Sale, 1847," Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin, Vol. 14, No. 4 (Aug. 1990): 181-. For access, see Periodicals. 
• [1854] Spradley, Pat. "Cannon County, TN - Census - Insolvent Tax List, 1854," available online through USGenWeb Archives. [Source: Cannon County Clerk Minute Book C:400 (Jan Term 1855), TSLA Roll #21.]
• [1869] "Cannon County Land Sold for Unpaid Taxes in 1869," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Spring 1997):8. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

Vital Records

Marriage

The original Cannon County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. Marriages were not officially recorded in Cannon County until 1838, when a law was passed mandating the practice.^[8] The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:

• Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL Book 976.8 V2L.

The following Cannon County marriage records are microfilmed:

• [1838-1989] Available at the TSLA. Marriages 1838-1898 are available for interlibrary loan.  Marriages 1929-1934 are missing.
• [1838-1867, 1871-1929, 1934-1959] Available at the Family History Library. Indexes are at the front of each volume.FHL 898442

The following Cannon County Courthouse marriage records have been abstracted or indexed:

• [1850-1866] W.P.A. Cannon County Marriage  Records, Volume 6. TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson through GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells two Cannon County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.
• [1838-1873] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler & Associates, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]
• Lucas, Silas Emmett and Ella Lee Sheffield. 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1981. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2t v. 1 . [Abstracts include names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for weddings in this county. Marriage data taken from an index card file at the TSLA. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.]
• Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 - covers all counties in Tennessee.
• Many county marriage records are indexed with images at Ancestry's Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. $  Be aware that this index is not complete for all counties.
• Cannon County is not included in Marriage Records. ^[9] or in Marriage Records: Early–1850. ^[10]

Cannon County Tennessee Genealogy Libraries

Adams Memorial Library
212 College St.
Woodbury, TN 37190
Phone: 1-615-563-5861 (Main Library)
Contacts: cannonlib@dtccom.net
Hours: (Central Time):
Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tues. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Thurs. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun. CLOSED
Special Notes: A great library with a growing genealogy collection. The library has an online catalog.

Cannon County Historical Society
Meets quarterly at the Adams Memorial Library where information may be obtained regarding the society.  

Auburntown, Tennessee, Historical Society Blog A blogspot dedicated to focusing on the past, present and future of Auburntown, Tennessee.

Family History Centers

• Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Cannon County Tennessee Genealogy Societies

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society
PO Box 330948
Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507
The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Cannon County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy & History, a quarterly containing articles of genealogical and historical interest. Little-known Tennessee records are published and indexed, along with family genealogies, Bible records and material submitted by members. There is an alphabetical Index to articles in the Journal 1988-summer 2005

Cannon County Tennessee Genealogy Websites

Wikipedia has more about this subject: Cannon County, Tennessee

• Cannon County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
• Cannon County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Cannon County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
• The Cannon County, Tennessee Genealogy Project (The American Local History Network) Resources to help you place your ancestors within the context of their local history.
• Cannon County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Cannon County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (MyTennesseeGenealogy)
• Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
• Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free genealogy resources for the region
• Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List) (RootsWeb)
• Mailing List: TN-UPPER-CUMBERLAND-L (Upper Cumberland Tennessee Region Genealogy List) (RootsWeb)

Cannon County Tennessee Genealogy References

1. ↑ "Earliest County Records," Tennessee State Library and Archives.
2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Cannon County, Tennessee page 638, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
3. ↑ "List of counties in Tennessee," Wikipedia.
4. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), 638. (FHL Collection Ref Book 973 D27e 2002). WorldCat entry.
5. ↑ Voice of Lynnae Weller, Kingsport, Tenn. (2010).
6. ↑ Voice of Gene Black, FamilySearch employee, former resident of Bristol, Tenn. (2010).
7. ↑ The Heritage Quest Online version of PERSI aided in the compilation of this list.
8. ↑ Gale Williams Bamman, C.G., "Research in Tennessee," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 81, No. 2 (June 1993):105. FHL US/CAN Book 973 B2ng v. 81 (1993)
9. ↑ Orem, Utah: Automated Archives, 1994. (Family History Library compact disc number 9 part 2.)
10. ↑ Orem, Utah: Automated Archives, 1992. (Family History Library compact disc number 9 part 229.) These disks do not circulate to Family History Centers.

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