Anderson County, Tennessee Genealogy

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Guide to Anderson County, Tennessee ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Clinton
Organized: November 6, 1801
Parent County(s): Knox, Grainger[1]
Neighboring Counties
Campbell  • Knox  • Loudon  • Morgan  • Roane  • Scott  • Union
See County Maps
Courthouse
Anderson County, Tennessee Courthouse.JPG
Location Map
Location of Anderson County, Tennessee.PNG
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County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The County was named for Joseph Anderson (1757-1847), who was at that time U.S. senator from Tennessee, and whose career also included judge of the Superior Court of the Territory South of the River Ohio and Comptroller of the U.S. Treasury. The County is located in the northeast area of the state. [2]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Anderson County Courthouse
100 N Main Street
Clinton, TN 37716
Anderson County Website Phone: 865-457-5400
Circuit Court Phone: 865-463-6821

County Clerk has marriage and probate records. [3]

Anderson County, Tennessee Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1881 1838 1881 1801 1802 1827 1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1914. General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

  • Lost censuses: 1810, 1820
  • Lack of marriage records: 1801 to 1837

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

  • 1801- Anderson County was created 6 November 1801 from Knox and Grainger Counties.
  • County seat: Clinton[5]

For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places

Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]

Campbell  • Knox • Loudon  • Morgan • Roane  • Scott  • Union

History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Sen. Joseph Anderson (1757-1837)
  • Anderson County Chamber of Commerce has a county history review article titled, Anderson County: Proud History, Bright Future website.

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

  • 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. Includes Anderson County. Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Purchase at Genealogical.com.

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Anderson County, Tennessee online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

 

Census Records[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1810 3,959 —
1820 4,668 17.9%
1830 5,310 13.8%
1840 5,658 6.6%
1850 6,938 22.6%
1860 7,068 1.9%
1870 8,704 23.1%
1880 10,820 24.3%
1890 15,128 39.8%
1900 17,634 16.6%
1910 17,717 0.5%
1920 18,298 3.3%
1930 19,722 7.8%
1940 26,504 34.4%
1950 59,407 124.1%
1960 60,032 1.1%
1970 60,300 0.4%
1980 67,346 11.7%
1990 68,250 1.3%
2000 71,330 4.5%
2010 75,129 5.3%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Anderson 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 Anderson County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files The USGenWeb Census Project®

Census and Census Substitutes Index

Lost

Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index 1810-1891; Ancestry ($)

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

1810 Lost, but a substitute is available:

  • 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[8]

1820 Manufactures

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

Published abstracts:

  • National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2m 1820.
  • 1820 Census of Manufactures: Anderson County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 5, No. 3 ():112. For availability, see Periodicals.

1830

1840 Pensioners

1850

  • Chambers, Richard L. "1850 Federal Census - Anderson County," [5 parts] available online at USGenWeb Archives.

1860

1870

  • Hutton, Edith Wilson. Transcription, Federal Census Schedule, Anderson County, Tennessee, 1870, Indexed. Knoxville, Tenn.: E.W. Hutton, 1984. FHL US/CAN Book 976.873 X2h 1870.

1880

  • Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census - Tennessee: Transcription for Anderson County. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 198-?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.873 X2s 1880.

1890

Lost, but substitutes are available:

  • Reed, Sue S. Enumeration of Male Inhabitants of Twenty-one Years of Age and Upward, Citizens of Tennessee, January 1, 1891, as Provided for by an Act of General Assembly of Tennessee, Passed January 15, 1891, and Approved January 22, 1891. 8 vols. Houston, Texas: S.S. Reed, 1989. FHL 976.8 X2r v. 1 1891. [Anderson County is included in Vol. 1.]
  • Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. FHL 976.8 X2s 1890. https://drive.google.com/#shared-with-me

1910

1920

  • Kelley, Wanda. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1920 for Anderson County, Tennessee. [Harriman, Tenn.]: W. Kelley, [199-?]. FHL US/CAN Book 976.873 X2k.

1930

Church Records[edit | edit source]

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Church records include baptisms, marriages and burials, as well as information about family members and clues about family migration. For additional information about church records, religions, and religious archives in Tennessee, see Tennessee Church Records.

  • Anderson County Church Records (also check by town)
- FamilySearch Catalog - Anderson County Church Records
  • Church histories tell when a church started in the area, who the early members were, give data about church leaders, etc.
- FamilySearch Catalog - Anderson County Church History
  • If the records you need are not available through the Family History Library, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived. Two sites that give information about churches in Anderson County are:
    - List of Anderson County churches with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)
    - List of Anderson County churches (TN HomeTownLocator)

The churches with the largest membership in Anderson County are the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church. For more information about religions in the county, see the charts showing membership by faith created by the Association of Religion Data Archives.

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Court records began in 1801.

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.

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

During the War of 1812, American officials report living in Anderson County. This publication, British Aliens in the United States During the War of 1812. is a record of thousands of British immigrants who arrived in the United States mainly between 1790 and 1812 and who had not yet been naturalized, and concerning whom few other records can be found. Ancestry ($) [9]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

African American
African American marriages in Anderson County for the years 1866 to 1879 are abstracted in the following book:

  • Gammell, Paula. Anderson County, Tennessee, Marriages, January, 1859 - August, 1882. Knoxville, Tenn.: P. Gammell, 1984. Marriages. [Covers Marriage Books 3, 4, and "Colored" (1866-1879). Abstracts include names of grooms, brides, and officiators, as well as license and marriage dates.]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

More than 31 genealogies have been published about Anderson County, Tennessee families. For more information visit Anderson County, Tennessee Compiled Genealogies.

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

Land records began in 1802. The original Anderson County Deed Books are held at the Anderson County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A to LZ (1802-1893) and Trust Deed Books 1 to 2 (1882-1892) in the 1970s. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 979338-979355.

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

  1. Deed Book K: 1827-1842

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Campbell CountyUnion CountyKnox CountyLoudon CountyRoane CountyMorgan CountyScott CountyTN ANDERSON.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

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

The 1840 Census of Pensioners has been abstracted multiple times:

Additional resources include:

  • 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 at TNGenWeb. Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.
  • Revolutionary War Veterans Who Lived in the County, List, Pellissippian, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Jul. 2004); Vol. 25, No. 4 (Oct. 2004); Vol. 26, No. 1 (Jan. 2005); Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr. 2005); Vol. 26, No. 3 (Jul. 2005); Vol. 27, No. 1 (Jan. 2006). For access, see Anderson.

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 US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. Includes Anderson County pensioners (p. 13).
  • War of 1812 Survivors and Widows Pensioners, Pellissippian, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Apr. 1990). For access, see Anderson.

Civil War

Online Records


Regiments. Men in Anderson County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Anderson County:

Union Soldiers

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Anderson County

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

  • Hutton, Edith Wilson. Anderson County, Tennessee: Divorces and Naturalizations, 1844 through 1920. Knoxville, Tenn.: E.W. Hutton, 1992. FHL US/CAN Book 976.873 V2hewi.

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

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 TSLA for Anderson County click on the following cities:

The following publication, based on early newspapers, can help researchers find earlier records:

  • Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2L.The original Anderson County marriage books are kept at the Anderson. Many of them have been microfilmed:

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

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Prisons[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Genealogical periodicals can contain unique sources and can be local, regional, or statewide. The following periodicals cover this county:

  • The Pellissippian: Published by the Anderson County Historical Society (formerly called, Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society). The table of contents for some issues are available on their website. FHL Book 976.8 D25p.

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Anderson County probate records dated before 1827 have been lost.

Online Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

  • 1830-1913 - Pellisippi Genealogical and Historical Society. Anderson County Wills - Volume 1. Clinton, TN: PGHS, 2010.
  • 1830-1861 - 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!

School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

The original Anderson County Tax Books 1838-1842, 1855-1865 and the Railroad Tax Book 1859-1865 are held at the Anderson County Courthouse. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed these records Rolls 48, A-4195; FHL US/CAN Film 979356 Items 1-3.

Book Abstracts and Indexes

  • 1801 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 1801 tax list.
  • 1802 1802 Tax List of Anderson Co., Tn. 198-?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A1 no. 92.
  • 1802 - Petracek, Ruth. "Early Records of Anderson Co., Tennessee: 1802 Tax Record," The Mountain Empire Genealogical Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Fall 1983):158-160. FHL US/CAN Book 975 D25m v. 2 (1983).
  • 1802, 1805 Curtis, Mary Barnett. Early East Tennessee Tax Lists. Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4c. Includes 1802 and 1805 tax lists.
  • 1805 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 1805 tax list.
  • 1806 Tax List, 1806, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin. Johnson City TN: 1976. Vol. 5 Iss. 1-2.
  • 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 Anderson. Includes Anderson County.
  • 1836 Douthat, James L. Anderson County, 1836, Tennessee Civil Districts and Tax Lists. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.873 R4d; online: surname index and purchase details.
  • 1837 Tax List Excerpt, 1837, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter. Huntsville TN: Summer 1993. Vol. 10 Iss. 4.
  • 1893 Notice to Delinquent Taxpayers, 1893, Pellissippian. Clinton TN: Jan 2007. Vol. 28 Iss. 1.

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Birth[edit | edit source]

Birth records begin in 1869

Online Records

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Online Records and Indexes

Book Abstracts and Indexes

Death[edit | edit source]

Death records begin in 1881

Online Records

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Online Records

Book Indexes and Abstracts

  • Hutton, Edith Wilson. Anderson County, Tennessee: Divorces and Naturalizations, 1844 through 1920. Knoxville, Tenn.: E.W. Hutton, 1992. FHL US/CAN Book 976.873 V2hewi.
  • W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Digital Library.

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Listed below are archives in Anderson County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Listed below are libraries in Anderson County. For state-wide library facilities, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

Briceville Public Library
921 Andy's Ridge Road
Briceville, TN 37710
Phone: 865-426-6220
Email: bricevillepubliclibrary@comcast.net
Facebook
Genealogy Resources: Family Histories, Marriage Records, Divorce Records, Naturalizations, Census Records, Cemetery Records, Death Records, Probate Records, etc. The Library also holds Marriage Records for Rutherford, Carter, Washington, and Hawkins in Tennessee and Orange (NC) in North Carolina.

Clinton Public Library
118 South Hicks St.
Clinton, TN 37716
Phone: 865-457-0519
Website
Genealogy Resources: Probate Records, Deeds, Court Records, Census Records, Tax Lists, Vital Records, and Local newspapers. A volunteer researcher is available for limited research.

Lake City Public Library
226 N Main St.
Lake City, TN 37769
Phone: 865-426-6762
Email: lakecitylibrary@comcast.net

The Betty Anne Jolly Norris Community Library
1 Norris Square
P.O. Box 1110
Norris, TN 37828
Phone: 865-494-6800
Email: norrispl@comcast.net
Facebook
Website

Oak Ridge Public Library
1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Phone: 865-425-3457
Facebook
Website

Rocky Top Public Library
226 North Main Street
Rocky Top, TN 37769
Phone: 865-426-6762
Email: info@rockytoppubliclibrary.com
Website

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

Listed below are societies in Anderson County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.

Anderson County Historical Society
118 Hicks St.
P.O. Box 148
Clinton, TN 37717
Email: pghs@att.net
Website
Facebook

Websites[edit | edit source]

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

Research Guides

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Anderson, Tennessee" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_County,_Tennessee accessed 6 Dec 2018
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Anderson County, Tennessee," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_County,_Tennessee, accessed 5 November 2019.
  7. ↑ "List of counties in Tennessee," Wikipedia.
  8. ↑ Mary Barnett Curtis, Early East Tennessee Tax Lists (Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964), [FHL 976.8 R4c].
  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. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/a/a8/Igitennesseedeath.pdf.


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