Grainger County, Tennessee

East Tennessee county.

The county is named after "Mary Grainger Blount, wife of William Blount and 'first lady' of the Southwest Territory, which later became Tennessee."^[3]

Parent County

1796--Grainger County was created 22 April 1796 from Knox and Hawkins Counties.
County seat: Rutledge^[4]

County Pronunciation

1. Hear it spoken (Voice of Grainger County Mayor Mark Hipsher, 2010)
2. Hear it spoken^[5] (female)

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

1946 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.

• Lost censuses: 1800, 1810, 1820, 1890 -- partial 1810 was compiled by Pollyanna Creekmore and available at the McClung Historical Collection in Knoxville.
  • Lost probate: 1796 to 1832

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

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

Grainger County Tennessee Places/Localities

Populated Places

Neighboring Counties

Grainger County Tennessee Genealogy Resources

Tngrainger.png

Getting Started

Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Grainger County apprenticeship, biography, cemetery, court, guardianship, land, occupation, orphan, probate, school, tax, and voter's 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.

African American

United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

Research Guides

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

Cemeteries

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

 

Robert McGinnis's books are the best place to start Grainger County cemetery searches. He has published 3 of 4 planned volumes of cemetery transcriptions for Grainger County.  He did extensive research and included such things as wills and obituaries in the books.  In addition, he perused Grainger County death certificates on microfilm to identify unmarked burials.  Copies of each volume are available from Mr. McGinnis. FHL has Vols. 1 to 3: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932V3mr v. 1 ff.

Charles A. Reeves Jr. has drawn a detailed map showing the locations of Grainger County cemeteries. It may be purchased for a small fee through his website.

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

Census

1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Grainger 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 Grainger County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. [The USGenWeb Census Project^®]

1800 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1810

• Creekmore, Pollyanna. Grainger County, Tennessee, Federal Census of 1810, Population Schedule (Third Census) and County Tax Lists for 1810. Knoxville, Tenn.: Lawson McGhee Library, 1956. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 X2g; digital version, by Pat Spurlock Elder, at Free African Americans website. [Also indexed in Sherrill, see next entry.]
• 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 US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810.

1820 - Lost^[6]

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at the National Archives, Washington, D.C. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 1024517-1024518.

The following book is a useful aid for finding the original records. A free online index, provided by Lineages, which cites the original document numbers, will help researchers determine if this resource can be of assistance: 

• National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2m 1820; indexed at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

1830

• Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2p 1830.

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, Eastern District, Grainger County on page 152.]

1850

• Minton, Vestina Laws. Grainger County Census 1850, Tennessee. Harrogate, Tenn.: T. and V. Minton, 1990. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 X2m 1850.

1860

• Collins, Betty VanOver. 1860 Grainger County, Tn. Census & Slave Schedule Indexed. Burnside, Ky.: B.J. Collins, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 X2c 1860.

1870

• Collins, Betty VanOver. 1870 Grainger Co. Tenn. Burnside, Ky.: B.J. Collins, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 X2c 1870.

1880

• Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Grainger County, Tennessee Census. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler, 1994. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 X2s 1880.
• Collins, Betty VanOver. 1880 Grainger Co., Tennessee. Burnside, Ky.: B.J. Collins, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 X2c 1880.

1900

• Collins, Betty VanOver. 1900 Grainger Co. Tenn. [Knoxville, Tenn.]: B.J. Collins, 2001. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 X2c 1900.

1910

• Collins, Betty VanOver. 1910 Grainger Co. Tenn. [Knoxville, Tenn.]: B.J. Collins, 2001. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 X2c 1910.

1920

• Collins, Betty VanOver. 1920 Grainger Co., Tn. Federal Census. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.J. Collins, 2001?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 X29c 1920.

1930

• Collins, Betty VanOver. 1930 Grainger Co., Tn. Federal Census. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.J. Collins, 2000?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 X29c 1930.

Church

Baptist

• DeBord, George Mitchell, Linda DeBord Bishop and Hallie Garner. Personal Records of a Minister: Rev. George Mitchell DeBoard, Grainger County, Tennessee; Includes Many People from Hancock, Hawkins and Hamblen Counties, Tennessee. Dallas, Texas: H. P. Garner, [2001?]. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 K2d.
• [1843-1998] Locust Grove Baptist Church Records, Washburn, 1843-1998. 5 vols. TSLA Microfilm Only Collection. Mf. 1570.
  
• [1865-1898] Mulberry Gap Association of Missionary Baptists Records, 1865-1898 and 1951-1975. 25 vols. TSLA Microfilm Only Collection. Mf. 701. Mulberry Gap Association included Claiborne, Grainger, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, and Jefferson counties.^[7]
  

Court

DNA

• [Doss] Multiple descendants of Thomas Doss, b. abt 1794 Virginia, resident of Grainger County, Tennessee and Lincoln County, Kentucky. Y-DNA 37 Marker Tests, FTDNA (Kits 42138, 68698). Genetic signatures available online (labeled T-1, T-2), genealogical description available online, courtesy: The Doss DNA Project, World Families. Matches have been found.

Genealogy

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

Gordon Aronhime (1911-1983) collected information on hundreds of Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee pioneers. His note cards, which reference more than 4,000 early settlers of the Holston-Clinch River area and East Tennessee (1770s-1790s), are held at the Library of Virginia. The cards have been digitized and made available online.^[8]

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Grainger, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 58,000 entries.

• East Tennessee Historical Society. First Families of Tennessee: A Register of Early Settlers and Their Present-day Descendants. Knoxville, Tenn.: East Tennessee Historical Society, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 H2ff. [Identifies families that had settled in Tennessee before it achieved statehood in 1796.]
• Wilson, Marshall A. Families of Norris Reservoir Area. Clinton, Tennessee: Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society, 1986. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8935 D2w.

Norris Dam on the Clinch River in Eastern Tennessee was a project of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1930s. Nearly 3,000 families, totalling almost 14,000 persons, were required to vacate land that was to be inundated by the resulting reservoir. In connection with the removal of families and gravesites, Mr. Wilson, a TVA official, collected historical and genealogical information about Norris Valley residents; he presents information about 75 of those families, along with a brief chronology of the area. Each family record begins with the name of a father and the name of that man's father, con- tinuing through other ancestors of the direct male line back to the earliest one known. Families represented by ten or more male heads of household include Agee, Carden, Hatmaker, Irwin, Longmire, Miller, Rice, and Sharp.

Bibliography

• [Baker] Nelson, Elmer R. The History and Descendants of (William) Martin Baker and His Wife Sarah M. Cook. Chatsworth, California: E.R. Nelson, 1999. FamilySearch Books Online; FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B171ne.
• [Bowen] Grady, Jamie Ault. Bowens of Virginia and Tennessee: Descendants of John Bowen and Lily McIlhaney. Knoxville, TN: Unknown, 1976. 2 volumes. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B675g; FHL US/CAN Film 896875; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• [Cabbage] Leach, Frances B. Cabage--Cabbage File. Collection, Willard Library, Evansville, Ind.; FHL US/CAN Film
  1502923 Item 14.
• [Capps] Capps, Joyce. William Ransom Capps and Eliza Jane Jones. 2 vols. Fredonia, Texas: J. Capps, 1988?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C174c ff.
• [Chesney] Orcutt, Joel Thomas. Our Tennessee Chesneys: A Genealogy of the Families of John Chesney 1794-1876 Early Settler of Grainger County, Tennessee & Nathaniel Richard Chesney 1796-1885 Early Settler of Knox County, Tennessee. Terlton, Oklahoma: J.T. Orcutt, 2006. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C425o.
• [Clay] Smith, Zachary F. and Mary Rogers Clay. The Clay Family. Louisville, Ky.: John P. Morton and Company, 1899. Digital version at Internet Archive - free.
• [Cook] Andreasen, Marget E. Descendants of Wiley Cook. Renton, Washington: Marget E. Andreasen, 1998. FamilySearch Books Online; FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 AL 15am.
• [Davidson] Ford, Donald L. History of the Davidson Family. Hiawatha, Kansas: D.L. Ford, 1993. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D281f.
• [Dyer] Dyer, Maurice L. and Phyllis A. Dyer. The Dyer Family - Ever Westward: A Family History. 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D988dm.
• [Evans] Freitas, Thomas Melvin. Evans, Gudtner, Gardner, Wilson, Burns, Sargent, Proctor. Omaha, Nebraska: T.M. Freitas, [1985]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Ev16f.
• [Hubbs] Hubbs, Ferol Frost. Hubbs - Frost and Allied Families. 1958. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H862hf.
• [Hubbs] Hubbs, Joan. The Hubbs Grapevine. Newsletter. 1984-1991. FHL 929.27305 H862hj.
• [Hume] Hume, Alvis Hall. Hume: From East Tennessee to Southern Kentucky. Utica, Ky.: McDowell Publications, 1990. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H882ha.
• [Jackson] Jackson, Mary Ruth. David and Anney (Bowen) Jackson [and] Their Westward Journey: Some Ancestors and Descendants. Harrison, Ark.: Jackson, 1976. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 J133a.
• [James] James, George N. and James A. Turbett. Newberry James and Descendants. [Virginia?]: G.N. James, 1989. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 J235j.
• [Lowe] Lawson, Fred Raulston. The Lawsons of East Tennessee. Decatur, Ga.: Looking Glass Books, 1999. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 L444Lf.
• [McClain] McClain, Charles R. Clan MacLaine of Lochbuie. Ocean Shores, Washington: C.R. McClain, 1997. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M221cm.
• [Mallicoat] Mallicoat, Wilma Faulkenberry. A Mallicoat Family Tree: Descendants of Dedmond and Levenia Thacker Mallicoat. Lee's Summit, Missouri: W.F. Mallicoat, [1998?]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M296ma.
• [Means] Burk, Marie Walker. Ferril-Means Genealogy. Liberty, Missouri: M.W. Burk, 1964. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 F416b.
• [Ogle] Reagan, Donald B. Smoky Mountain Clans. 3 vols. Knoxville, Tenn.: D.B. Reagan, 1978-1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273R22b 1978. [The Ogle family is discussed in Vol. 1.]
• [Proctor] "Notes on a Proctor Family of Northeastern Rutherford Co., N.C.," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 38, No. 3 (August 2010):102-110. FHL Book 975.7 B2sc v. 38
• [Reece] Reece, Thomas R. Reece Genealogical Data [ca. 1709-1974]. FHL US/CAN Film 1697649 Item 13.
• [Roach] Roach, Thomas Edward. Gleanings from a Scrapbook. Rutledge, Tenn.: T.E. Roach, 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.89 H2r.
• [Routh] Routh, Ross H. Stephen Routh (1797-1871) and Some Descendants: A Genealogy. El Paso, Texas: R.H. Routh, 1980. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R765sr.
• [Routh] Ruth, Charles William. The Ruth Family. Bakersfield, Calif.: C.W. Ruth Sr., 1984. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 4945.
• [Ruth] See Routh.
• [Taylor] Blomquist, Ann K. Taylors and Tates of the South. Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, 1993. FamilySearch Books Online; FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T212ba.
• [Thompson] Thode, Virginia Biddle. John Thompson (Born 1772, Married Valentine's Day, 1800, in Grainger Co., Tennessee), Early Settler in Vermilion County, Illinois in 1820s: His Wife, Anna Golden and Their Descendants. Tuscola, Illinois: V.B. Thode, 1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T374t.
• [Wilson] Wilson, S. Janelle, Rosie Wilson and Naomi Wilson. Genealogical Record of John Wilson Descendants, 1784-1983. Charlotte, North Carolina: S.J. Wilson, 1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W694w.
• [Yaden] Yaden, Dorothy M. The Yaden Family of America. Keowa, Colorado: D.M. Yaden, [198-]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Y1y.
• [Yadon] Windel, Betty Jo Weaver. Yadon - Pennybaker Family History. Vinita, Oklahoma: B.J.W. Windel, 1990. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Y1w.

Historic Residences

• Roach, Thomas Edward. "Langley", Rutledge, Tennessee: A History of a Southern Mansion and Its Families. Rutledge, Tenn.: T.E. Roach, 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932/R1 H2r.

Immigration

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 9 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Grainger County.^[9]

Land

Deeds

The original Grainger County Deed Books are held at the County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A through 23 (1796-1890) and Indexes (1796-1912) in 1974. They also microfilmed Trust Deed Books 1 through 6 (1868-1905). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 968596-968610.

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Grainger County land records. They offer a research service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:

1. Deed Book A: 1796-1805
2. Deed Books A1-B: 1805-1811

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina

The original Grainger County land entries issued by North Carolina are kept at the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh. On their website, users can bring up a list of land entries issued in Grainger County, both before and after it became a part of the state of Tennessee. Years covered: 1783-1807.

Instructions:

1. Follow this link to conduct a "Call Number Search" using the MARS Catalog on their site.
2. Using the pull down window, change "Call Numbers starting" to "A MarsID matching."
3. Type 12.14.7 (Windows Vista users may need to include a period after the last digit, for example 12.14.7.) and click Search. This is the specific MarsID for Grainger County.
4. Click on the entry that is returned: "Tennessee, Grainger County."
5. In the window that pops up, click Show List of Child Records and a list of Davidson County land entries will be produced. Browse to find abstracts of the original records.^[10]

N.B. You can also search by name through the Basic Search, but it lacks soundex capabilities.

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.] 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 TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories

Maps

Military

Revolutionary War

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

• 1835 Pension Roll
• 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions

The 1840 Census of Pensioners has been abstracted multiple times:

• 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, Eastern District, Grainger County on page 152.]
• Census of Pensioners, 1840, Hamblen Heritage, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Winter 1995).

Additional resources include:

• Grainger County Revolutionary War Soldiers Revolutionary War Soldiers believed to be buried in Grainger County, Tennessee. Courtesy: TNGenWeb
• 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, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.]

War of 1812

• Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1960):40-45; Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul. 1960):65-68. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. [Includes Grainger County pensioners 7(2):45, 7(3):65.]

Civil War

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

Civil War service men from Grainger County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Grainger County.

Confederate Soldiers

• 12th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Day's) - CSA - Companies D and G.
• 26th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (3rd East Tennessee Volunteers) - CSA - Company D and 2nd Company H.
• 37th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (7th Infantry) (1st East Tennessee Rifles) - CSA - Companies C and K.
• 59th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Cooke's) (Eakin's 1st Battalion) - CSA - Company I.
• 60th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Crawford's) (79th Infantry) - CSA - Company H.
• 61st Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Pitts') (81st Infantry) - CSA - Company G.

Union Soldiers

• 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company G.
• 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company L.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Grainger County:

• Carter, William Randolph. History of the First regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry in the Great war of the Rebellion, with the Armies of the Ohio and Cumberland, under Generals Morgan, Rosecrans, Thomas, Stanley and Wilson. Knoxville, Tennessee: Gaut-Ogden Co. Printers, 1902. Free digital copy. Union.
• USGenWeb Archives, Grainger County Tennessee Archives, (accessed 30 Jan 2012).  Civil War Records.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications : Grainger 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. Grainger County, page 336.
• CWSAC Battle Summaries, Bean's Station, (accessed 30 Jan 2012).  Located in Grainger County.

The following Civil War battle was fought in Grainger County.

• December 14, 1863 = Bean's Station[11]

Map showing Civil War battles in Tennessee.

Newspapers

Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at 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 Grainger County click on the following town:

• Rutledge

Occupations

• Miller, Alan N. East Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1778 to 1911. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2000. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2m. Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Grainger County.]
• Miller, Allen N. Grainger County, Tennessee Apprenticeship Records, 1797-1873. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1997. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 U2m.

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 records of Grainger County, Tennessee 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 US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.

East Tennessee Roots

Genealogical articles with abstracts of Grainger County, Tennessee records have been published in East Tennessee Roots (10 vols.). A subject index to these articles is available online. Surname indexes to Volumes 9 and 10 are also available online. The Family History Library has collected most issues of East Tennessee Roots FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 D25e.

The Pellissippian

Genealogical articles with abstracts of Grainger County, Tennessee records were published in the The Pellissippian (25 vols., 1980-2004), the quarterly of the Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society. The society has posted tables of contents for all 25 volumes on their website. They also have back issues available for purchase. The Family History Library has acquired the first 20 volumes FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 D25p.

Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin

Genealogical articles with abstracts of Grainger County, Tennessee records have been published in the Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin (39+ vols., 1972-present), the journal of the Watauga Association of Genealogists. The organization has posted tables of contents for most volumes on their website. Back issues are available for purchase.The Family History Library has a complete collection FHL US/CAN Books 976.897 B2w, including Margaret W. Hougland and Betty Jane Hylton's Bulletin Subject Index: The First Thirty Years, 1972-2001 (Johnson City, Tenn.: Watauga Association of Genealogists, 2002) FHL US/CAN Book 976.897 B2w index 1972-2001.

Prisons

Learn if your Grainger 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.

Private Papers

• DeBord, George Mitchell, Linda DeBord Bishop and Hallie Garner. Personal Records of a Minister: Rev. George Mitchell DeBoard, Grainger County, Tennessee; Includes Many People from Hancock, Hawkins and Hamblen Counties, Tennessee. Dallas, Texas: H. P. Garner, [2001?]. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 K2d.

Probate

In the 1960s, TSLA microfilmed the original Grainger County Wills and Settlements (1839-1852). FHL copies: FHL Films 464102-464103.

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:

• Inventories, Wills, 1833-1892 (3 vols.)
• Settlements, Wills, 1833-1852 (3 vols.)
• Wills, 1856-1917
• Bonds, Letters, 1831-1972 (4 vols.)
• Insolvent estate records, 1885-1921 (2 vols.)
• Inventories, 1860-1901 (2 vols.)
• Settlements, 1796-1914 (3 vols.)
• Letters, 1842-1854

The following Grainger County probate records have been abstracted and/or indexed:

• [1796-1861] 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.] Free Lookups Available!

Taxation

The original Grainger County Tax Lists 1797-1837 are held at the County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed them in the 1960s. FHL copy: FHL US/CAN Film 464105 Item 1.

The original Grainger County Tax Duplicates Books (cover 1851-1859, 1875-1876, 1879-1882) are held at the County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed them in 1974. FHL copy: FHL US/CAN Film 968613.

The following Grainger County tax records have been abstracted:^[12]

• [1797] County Inhabitants in Indian Boundary, 1797, East Tennessee Roots. Oak Ridge TN: Fall 2003. Vol. 9 Iss. 3. Or see List of Insolvents Living Within the Indian Boundary for the Year 1797, Which the County Court of Grainger Released the Sheriff from Collecting TNGenWeb Project
  
• [1799] Creekmore, Pollyanna. Early East Tennessee Taxpayers. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1980. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp and Silas Emmett Lucas's Revised Index FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp index. [Includes 1799 tax list.]
• [1799] Moore, Betty Givens and Betsy Foster West. "Grainger County 1799 Tax List for Gen'l Assembly," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Summer 1981):77-78. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
• [1799, 1803-1805, 1810, 1821] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. & B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. [Includes 1799, 1803-1805, 1810, 1821 tax list.]
• [1799, 1803, 1805, 1821] Curtis, Mary Barnett. Early East Tennessee Tax Lists. Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4c. [Includes 1799, 1805, and 1821 tax lists and 1803 petition.]
• [1799] Tax List, 1799, Hamblen Heritage. Morristown TN: Winter 2001. Vol. 16 Iss. 2.
• [1804] "Tennessee: Grainger County - 1804 Tax List," The Mountain Empire Genealogical Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Spring 1984):12-15. FHL US/CAN Book 975 D25m v. 3 (1984). [Taken from a 1935 W.P.A. Project Book found in the McClung Historical Collection of the Lawson McGhee Library, Knoxville, Tenn. W.P.A. cites the original manuscript as its source.]
• [1805] West, Betsy. "List of Free Taxables, Grainger County, Tennessee 1805," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 19, No. 1 (January - March 1972):16-20. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
• [1805] Tax List, 1805, Warren County Genealogical Association Bulletin. McMinnville TN: Winter 1992. Vol. 1 Iss. 4.
• [1809] Tax List, 1809, Tennessee Ancestors. Knoxville TN: Dec 1988. Vol. 4 Iss. 3.
• [1809] Elder, Pat Spurlock. "1809 Grainger County, Tennessee Tax List," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website.
• [1810] Creekmore, Pollyanna. Grainger County, Tennessee, Federal Census of 1810, Population Schedule (Third Census) and County Tax Lists for 1810. Knoxville, Tenn.: Lawson McGhee Library, 1956. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 X2g.
• [1810] 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 US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810. [Cites WPA's Grainger County Tax List 1810 and Grainger County 1810 Tax List [fragment], Early Tax Lists microfilm reel #3; TSLA, Nashville.]
• [1810-1812] Moore, Betty Givens and Betsy Foster West. "Grainger County Tax List - 1810, 1811, 1812," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Summer 1981):78. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
• [1810] Tax List, 1810, Hamblen Heritage. Morristown TN: Summer 1986. Vol. 1 Iss. 3; Fall 1986. Vol. 1 Iss. 4; Winter 1987. Vol. 2 Iss. 1; Spring 1987. Vol. 2 Iss. 2; Summer 1987. Vol. 2 Iss. 3; Fall 1987. Vol. 2 Iss. 4; Winter 1988. Vol. 3 Iss. 1; Spring 1988. Vol. 3 Iss. 2; Summer 1988. Vol. 3 Iss. 3.
• [1810] Tax List, 1810, Tennessee Ancestors. Knoxville TN: Aug 1990. Vol. 6 Iss. 2.
• [1814] "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3(Fall 1996):115-120. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes Grainger County.]
• [1814-1815] Historical Records Project (Tennessee) [W.P.A.]. Tax List, 1814-1815, Grainger County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA, Nashville, Tenn. FHL US/CAN Film 24657 Item 4; online: free surname index to James Douthat's reprint and purchase details.
• [1815] Wayland, Ina Fields. Tax List of Grainger County, Tenn. in the Year 1815. James Taylor Adams Collection, Box 65, Cooke-Wyllie Library, Clinch Valley College, Wise, Va.; FHL US/CAN Film 1689778.
• [1817] "U.S. Holds 1817 Public Sale of Federal Tax-Delinquent Properties in Tennessee," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Summer 1996):63-68. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes Grainger County.]
• [1822] Tax List, 1822, Tennessee Ancestors. Knoxville TN: Apr 1985. Vol. 1 Iss. 1; Aug 1985. Vol. 1 Iss. 2.
• [1822] Addendum to Tax List, 1822, Tennessee Ancestors. Knoxville TN: Aug 1985. Vol. 1 Iss. 2.
• [1836] Douthat, James L. Grainger County, Tennessee, 1836 Tennessee Civil District and Tax Lists. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 R4d; online: free surname index and purchase details.

Vital Records

Marriage

The original Grainger County marriage records are kept at the County Archive. According to Edythe Rucker Whitley, writing in 1982, "In the time that has elapsed since the register was first compiled [by WPA] many original [loose] bonds and licenses have been lost. The WPA register is therefore the most complete record of Grainger County marriages we are ever likely to have." The surviving original records have been microfimed by two organizations:

1. Marriage Records 1858-1938, 1940-1955. Microfilmed in 1970s and 1980s by TSLA; FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 968583-968586, 1928682-1928684.
2. Marriage Bonds 1810-1889. Microfilmed in 2003 by GSU: FHL US/CAN Films 2369499-2369500.
3. Marriage Licenses ca. 1837-1950. Microfilmed in 2003 by GSU: FHL US/CAN Films 2369382 ff.
4. Marriage Bonds and Licenses (Loose Records) and Index 1796-1950. Microfilmed in 2006 by GSU: FHL US/CAN Films 1465135 ff. Some (and probably all) of the images on this film are also found on Ancestry.com's Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 database.

These records have been abstracted several times. Each editor was selective in the amount of detail he or she published. Whitley states her publication, based on the WPA register (1930s), contains more records than are currently found in the County Archive. She was unfamiliar with the work of Billie Wyrick Kennerly C.G., whose two volumes published in 1964 should not be overlooked. The following is a list of these publications:

• [1796-1857] Historical Records Survey (W.P.A.). Marriage Records, 1796-1857, Grainger County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA, Nashville, Tenn. Microfilmed in 1930s and 1940s: FHL US/CAN Films 24658 item 1, 24657 Item 3.
• [1796-1866] Kennerly, Billie Wyrick, C.G. Tennessee, Grainger County, Marriage Bonds and Licenses, 1796-1866. 2 vols. Houston, Texas: [Herb Fisher Co., 1964.] FHL US/CAN Book 976.893 V25k. [Abstracts names of grooms, brides, bondsmen, and officiators (where applicable), as well as dates of bond, liense, and or marriage. Source: original courthouse loose marriage bonds, licenses, and returns.]
• [1796-1870] 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 ff. [Abstracts include names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for weddings in this county for the roughly specified years. Marriage data taken from an index card file at TSLA. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.]
• [1796-1837] Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Marriages of Grainger County, Tennessee, 1796-1837. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1982. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 V2w. [Indexes names of brides, grooms, and bondsmen, as well as dates of bond and/or marriage. Source: WPA register.]
• [1796-1866] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1987. FHL US/CAN 976.8 V2s v. 1. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.] Free Lookups Available!
• [1858-1926] Collins, Betty VanOver. Grainger Co., Tennessee: Marriages & Bonds. 2 vols. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.J. Collins, [2001?]. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8932 V29c v. 1 ff. [Abstracts names of brides and grooms, ages, birthplaces, and marriage dates for the years 1881 to 1888; names of brides, grooms, and officiators, some ages, as well as dates of license, bond, and/or marriage for the years 1858 to 1879, and 1888 to 1926. Source: TSLA Roll #20G.]

Death

For deaths of Methodists in Grainger County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:

• Smith, Jonathan K.T. Genealogical Abstracts from Reported Deaths, the Nashville Christian Advocate. [1847-1914] 10 vols. [Jackson, Tenn.]: J.K.T. Smith, 1997-2003. FHL US/CAN Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851 ff; digital versions at David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository. [Website expands upon the publications and includes deaths from the 1830s, 1840s, 1910s and 1920s.]

Grainger County Tennessee Genealogy Societies and Libraries

Grainger County Historical Society
PO Box 215
Rutledge, TN, 37861
Phone: 1-865-828-8345
E-mail: graingerhist@cs.com

East Tennessee Historical Society
601 S. Gay Street
P.O. Box 1629
Knoxville, TN 37901-1629
Phone: 1-865-215-8824
E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org

Rutledge Public Library
8030 Rutledge Pike
Rutledge, TN 37861
Phone: 1-865-828-4784

Family History Centers

• Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Grainger County Tennessee Genealogy Websites

Wikipedia has more about this subject: Grainger County, Tennessee

• Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
• Grainger County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
• Grainger County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
• Grainger County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• RootsWeb Mailing List: TNGRAING-L (Grainger County, Tennessee List)
• RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-L (East Tennessee List)
• RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-OZ-L (East Tennessee Migrants to Ozarks Region List)
• RootsWeb Mailing List: UPPEREASTTN-L (Upper East Tennessee List)

Grainger 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), Grainger County, Tennessee page 640, At various libr40ries (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), 640. (FHL Collection Ref Book 973 D27e 2002). WorldCat entry.
5. ↑ Voice of Lynnae Weller, Kingsport, Tenn. (2010).
6. ↑ Mary Barnett Curtis, Early East Tennessee Tax Lists: a compiled list of residents of the area covered in 22 east Tennessee counties for which there is (sic) no census records prior to 1830 (Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing, 1964) [FHL 976.8 R4c].
7. ↑ Guide to Church Records in the Holdings of the Tennessee State Library and Archives, http://state.tn.us/tsla/history/misc/church.htm.
8. ↑ "Original Virginia Records Imaged and Indexed Online," Arlene Eakle's Virginia Genealogy Blog, 12 October 2008.
9. ↑ Kenneth Scott. British Aliens in the United States During the War of 1812. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979, 372-378 (see East Tennessee). FHL US/CAN 973 W4s; digital version at Ancestry ($).
10. ↑ J. Mark Lowe, "The Land Grant Processes of North Carolina and Tennessee," Lecture, Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, Knoxville, Tenn., August 21, 2010.
11. ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 7 August 2012)
12. ↑ The Heritage Quest Online version of PERSI aided in the compilation of this list.

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