Cheatham County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

Cheatham County

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

Tennessee Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Ashland City Organized: February 28, 1856 Parent County(s): Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery, Robertson Neighboring Counties Davidson  • Dickson  • Montgomery  • Robertson  • Williamson See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: TNGenWeb Project who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

County Information

Description

Cheatham County was named for Edward Saunders Cheatham, a state legislator. The county is located in the north-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Cheatham County Courthouse
100 Public Square, Suite 225
Ashland City, TN 37015
County Website Phone: 615-792-3272
Cheatham County Clerk 354 Frey Street, Phone: 615-792-5179
Register of Deeds 354 Frey Street, Phone: 615-792-4317

County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1865
Register of Deeds has land records.

Cheatham County, Tennessee Record Dates

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
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1881	1856	1881	1856	1856	1856	1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1914. General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

1856--Cheatham County was created 28 February 1856 from Davidson, Robertson, Dickson, and Montgomery Counties. From 1788 to 1796 people living in what is now part of Cheatham County were in extinct Tennessee. Their records for that period are now found in Robertson. County seat: Ashland City For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewedat the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places

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:

Cities
Pleasant View
Towns
Ashland City	Kingston Springs	Pegram
Unincorporated communities
Bell Town Chapmansboro	Craggie Hope Greenbrier	Joelton Shacklett

History Timeline

• 1837 - Cumberland (old) County, the ancestor of Cheatham County, started to get organized from parts of Davidson, Robertson, Montgomery, and Dickson counties, but failed.
• 1844 - Another attempt at a county was made, but failed.
• 1856 - Successful creation of Cumberland (old) County. But this act of creation was repealed. The northern part of what is now Cheatham County belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.
• 1857 - The boudaries were changed and the reconstituted entity was renamed Cheatham County because the Cumberland County name had been claimed later in 1856 by a new county on the Cumberland Plateau with its seat at Crossville.

Resources

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

• Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. 2004. By Alan N. Miller. Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Includes Cheatham County.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Cheatham County, Tennessee online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com TNGenWeb TNGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project TNGenWeb Cemeteries BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Gravestones FamilySearch Places
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	7,258	—
1870	6,678	−8.0%
1880	7,956	19.1%
1890	8,845	11.2%
1900	10,112	14.3%
1910	10,540	4.2%
1920	10,039	−4.8%
1930	9,025	−10.1%
1940	9,928	10.0%
1950	9,167	−7.7%
1960	9,428	2.8%
1970	13,199	40.0%
1980	21,616	63.8%
1990	27,140	25.6%
2000	35,912	32.3%
2010	39,105	8.9%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Cheatham 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 Cheatham County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®

Free lookups available for the 1860,1870, 1880 Cheatham County census. Also, available for lookups are the 1820, 1850 and 1880 Montgomery County census; the 1880 Davidson county census; and the 1850 and 1880 Robertson county census.

1810-1891

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

1860

• Dalton, Robert E. and Lynnette Hamilton Dalton 1860 Census, Cheatham County, Tennessee.Memphis, Tennessee: Dalton and Dalton, 1896. FHL 976.8462 X2d

1870

• Bishop, Brenda C.1870 Census Tennessee, Transcription for Cheatham County. Tallahassee, Florida: B.C. Bishop, 1883. FHL 976.8462 X2b

• Transcription of 1870 Federal Census Cheatham County hosted by Rootsweb

1880

• Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census-Tennessee: Transcription for Cheatham County. Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 198?. FHL 976.8462 X2s 1880
• Partial transcription of 1880 Federal Census Cheatham County hosted by Rootsweb

1890 Lost

• 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 US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 8 1891. Cheatham County is included in Vol. 8.
• Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890.

1920

• Bush, Marisa, ed.. Cheatham County, Tennessee Census, 1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Available at Ancestry ($)

Male Voters

• Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

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.

• If the records you need are not through the Family History Library, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived. Two sites that give information about churches in Cheatham County are:

- List of Cheatham County churches with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)

- List of Cheatham County churches (TN HomeTownLocator)

• In 1936, a helpful guide to early Cheatham County church records was published by the Works Project Administration. Use this guide to locate which church records exist and where they were housed in 1936. The Tennessee State Library and Archives has filmed some of these records. To locate which records are available at the TSLA, go to the appropriate "county fact sheet" on the TSLA Web site and scroll down to "selected manuscript material". All filmed church records at the TSLA for Cheatham county are listed.

Genealogies

General

• Masters, Jack and Bill Puryear. Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804: Showing Who Came, How They Came, and Where They Put Down Roots. Gallatin, Tenn.: Warioto Press, 2009. FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d. Supplements: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 E7d supp. 1 ff. Cumberland Pioneer Settlers provides an online name list.
• von Verdo, Mary Ann Harris. The Pioneers of 'Possum Trot, Tennessee: Family Genealogies and Land Histories from 1787. n.p.: M.A.H. von Verdo, 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8462 D2v.

Bibliography

• Anderson - Caldwell, Janice. The Lost Branch of the Anderson Family: Ancestors and Descendants of Thomas Allen Howard Anderson and His Wife Martha Ann Stanley Including Allied Families. Helotes, Texas: J. Caldwell, 1995. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 An23ca.
• Curfman, Kurfman, Corfman, Korffmann - Curfman, Robert Joseph. The Curfman-Kurfman-Corfman-Korffmann Genealogy. Denver: Priv. print., 1971. Digital versions available at Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online ($).
• Demonbreun - DeMunbrun, Weldon The Descendants of John Baptiste Demonbreun: 1788-1872 Weldon DeMunbrun, 1995. Free Lookups Available!
• Head - Dennison, Jean Nunley. Our Head/Holmes Family: Including Allied Families: Bradley, Harris, Williams, Winters and Loose Connections: Frey, Hyde, Justice, Morris, York. Nashville, Tenn.: J.N. Dennison, 1986. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H34d.
• Hooper - Anne Goodwin's Family Source Compass (online)
• Hunt - The Hunt Archives (online) Includes surnames: Hunt, Tucker, Barbera, Tompkins, Sheridan, Baker, Adams, Bradley, Brown, Freeman, Jenkins, Mack, Pace, Page, Wilson, Teasley, Thornton and more.
• Hunter - Descendants of Jacob, Dempsey, Allen, David and Thomas Hunter (online)
• Moore - Monroe, Ruby Moore. The Moore Family. Typescript, microfilmed 1996. FHL US/CAN Film 2055141 Item 3.
• Morton - Burt, Aline Morton. A Pioneer Portrait. Rancho Bernardo, Calif.: A.M. Burt, 1971. FHL US/CAN Film 962205 Item 6.
• Pack - Soyars, Crystine Yates. The Thomas M. Pack Clan, 1836-1977. Nashville, Tenn.: C.Y. Soyars, 1978. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 P12a.
• Shearin - Cantrell, Charles Thomas. The 20th Century Shearin Genealogy. C.T. Cantrell, 1996. The book contains references to hundreds of those from Cheatham county. Free Lookups Available!
• Stroud - Dennison, Jean Nunley. Our Dennison, Stroud Family: Including Allied Families Vanderville, McLaughlin, White, Allen, Williams, Hiland, McFerrin. Nashville, Tenn.: J.N. Dennison, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D424dj.
• Whitfield - Whitfield, Vallie Jo Fox. Whitfield History and Genealogy of Tennessee. [Walnut Creek, CA: Unknown,, 1964. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 879642 Item 1; digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).

Land and Property Records

Land Grants

• Free index to 1500+ Pioneer Cumberland Settlements Land Grants, available online, courtesy: Cumberland Pioneer Settlers. The Cumberland Settlements region covered what is now this county. To view the land grants platted on maps, purchase the books described on this site, or access those available at the Family History Library FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d.
• The Family History Library has mictofilm copies of deeds and mortgages 1856-1960 with indexes 1856-1876 and 1891-1969; land entries 1856-1915; Ranger books 1857-1877; and release books or undetermined years.

Local Histories

Deserted Sycamore Village by Lois Barnes focuses on the early families and history of Sycamore, Cheatham, Tennessee. Many historical photographs are included. Some readers caution that family genealogies are not all correct and need more research. Free lookups available.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
• FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. Includes Cheatham County pensioners (p. 40)

Civil War

Online Records

• 1861-1865 Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1891-1965 Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 Record Collection 1874474 Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• Civil War Research Database
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Men in Cheatham 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 Cheatham County:

Confederate Soldiers

• 18th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company E.
• 42nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies C and G.
• 49th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company K.
• 50th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A and G.
• 50th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A and G
  

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Cheatham County:

• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Cheatham 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. Cheatham County, page 324-325.

World War I

• Soldiers and Seamen from Cheatham County, Tennessee, during World Wars I and II. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1961. FHL US/CAN Film 227224.

World War II

• Soldiers and Seamen from Cheatham County, Tennessee, during World Wars I and II. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1961. FHL US/CAN Film 227224.

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 Cheatham County click on the following cities:

• Ashland City
• Pleasant View

• 1847-1914 - 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 nbsp;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.

Other Records

Prisons

• 1831-1850 - Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850 at Tennessee State Library and Archives
  
• 1851-1870 - Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870 at Tennessee State Library and Archives

Periodicals

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

• The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History: Quarterly magazine of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society. For surnames, use the volume-by-volume index, or do a keyword search of the Article Index. FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.

Probate Records

The Cheatham County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

Online Records

• 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
• 1856-1871 - Cheatham County portion of Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 at FamilySearch - images only; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.- How to Use this Collection

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1856-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN nbsp;976.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's probate records.
• 1856-1871 - Works Progress Administration. Cheatham County, Tennessee Wills & Inventories. 1936. Reprint, Signal Mountain, Tennessee: Mountain Press, 2001?. Indexed. Contains volume A. (FHL book 976.8462 P2c.)
  

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.

• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1789 Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Cheatham.
• 1856 Cheatham County Tax List with Land Descendants and Map, 1856, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Winter 1991); Vol. 4, No. 4 (Spring 1991); Vol. 5, No. 1 (Summer 1991). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Cheatham.
• 1856 County Tax List, 1856, CCHGA Bytes. Ashland City TN: Apr 2006; May 2006; Jun 2006; Jul 2006...
• 1858 Cheatham County Tax List, 1858 (annotated), CCHGA Bytes. Ashland City TN: Mar 2004; Apr 2004; Jan 2005; Feb 2005; Mar 2005; Apr 2005.
• 1868 Tax List Claims, 1868, CCHGA Bytes. Ashland City TN: Oct 2002.
• 1873 Tax Releases, 1873, CCHGA Bytes. Ashland City TN: Sep 2002.
• 1873 Delinquent Tax List, 1873, CCHGA Bytes. Ashland City TN: Oct 2002.
• 1881 Locations for Payment of Taxes, List, 1881, CCHGA Bytes. Ashland City TN: Oct 2006.
• 1892 Property Tax List, District 1, 1892, CCHGA Bytes. Ashland City TN: Jun 2005.

Vital Records

Birth

• 1828-1939 Tennessee Births and Christenings 1828-1939 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry ($)
• 1881-1885 - Cheatham County Birth Index 1881-1885. Batch C710191 at FamilySearch
• 1908-1912 Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

Marriage

Online Indexes and Records

• 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
• 1780-2002 Tennessee State Marriage Index 1780-2002 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry ($) Be aware that this index is not complete for all counties.
• 1790-1962 Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 - at FamilySearch. index and images. Covers all counties in Tennessee.- How to Use this Collection
• 1796-1950 Tennessee Marriages 1796-1950 (Indexes only) at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• 1838-1888 Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry ($)
• 1881-1897 - Cheatham County Marriage Index 1881-1897 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index
• Marriage Records, Cheatham County, Tennessee. Typescript. FHL book online 976.8462 V2h - images only, click on camera icon

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1838-1873 - Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff. Free Lookups Available!
• 1856-1881 - Cheatham County, Tennessee, Marriages 1856-1881. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8462 V22s.

Death

For deaths of Methodists in Cheatham County (or what later became Cheatham County) between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:

• 1874-1955 Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• 1908-1933 - Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• 1908-1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry ($)
• 1908-1912 - Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1914-1933 - Tennessee Death Records 1914-1933 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1914-1966 Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• 1949-2014 - Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Divorce

Online Records

• 1796-1850 - Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1800-1965 - Tennessee. Tennessee Divorce and Other Records, 1800-1965. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Available at Ancestry ($)
• 1980-2014 - Divorce Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Online Titles

• W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Books Online.

Research Facilities

Archives

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

Family History Centers

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

• Clarksville Tennessee Family History Center
• Dickson Tennessee Family History Center
• Brentwood Public Library - an affiliate library.
• Houston County Archives - an affiliate library.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives - an affiliate library.

Libraries

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

Cheatham County Public Library
188 County Services Drive, Suite 200
Ashland City, TN 37015
Phone: 615-792-4828
Website
The Ira T. Sanders Genealogy Room has microfilm and reference records.

Societies

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

Cheatham County Historical and Genealogical Association
P.O. Box 703
Ashland City, TN 37015
Phone: 615-792-3623
Email: cchga007@bellsouth.net
Website
Facebook

Websites

• Cheatham County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Cheatham County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
• Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free genealogy resources for the region
• FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

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

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.