Jackson County, Tennessee Genealogy

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


County Facts
County seat: Gainesboro
Organized: November 6, 1801
Parent County(s): Smith[1]
Neighboring Counties
Clay  • Macon  • Overton  • Putnam  • Smith
See County Maps
Courthouse
Jackson County, Tennessee Courthouse 2.JPG
Location Map
Location of Jackson County, Tennessee.PNG
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County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

Jackson County was named for Andrew Jackson, who by 1801 had already served as a U.S. Congressman and Senator from Tennessee, a Tennessee Supreme Court justice, and a colonel in the Tennessee militia. He became more widely known as commander at the Battle of New Orleans and as the seventh President of the United States. The county is located in the central area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Jackson County Courthouse
101 East Hull Ave.
Gainesboro, TN 38562
Jackson County Courthouse Phone: 931-268-9212
Register of Deeds Phone: 931-268-9012
County Clerk Phone: 800-342-1003
Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 931-268-9314
Clerk and Master Phone: 931-268-9877

County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1870
Register of Deeds has land records[3]

Jackson 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 1870 1881 1839 1817 1870 1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1914. General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

1872 and 1926 Fires damaged courthouse records.[5]

  • Lost census: 1810
  • Lost marriage records: 1801 to 1871
  • Lost probate records: 1801 to 1871

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

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

  • 1801- Jackson County was created 6 November 1801 from Smith County.
  • County seat: Gainesboro[6]

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:[7]

Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Additional Information

President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845)

Middle Tennessee county established in 1801. The western part of the county belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.[8]

The county was named after Colonel Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), who became the Seventh President of the United States in 1829.[9]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

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

  • 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 Jackson County.

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Jackson 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.

 

Additional Cemetery Resources

Census Records[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1810 5,401 —
1820 7,593 40.6%
1830 9,698 27.7%
1840 12,872 32.7%
1850 15,673 21.8%
1860 11,725 −25.2%
1870 12,583 7.3%
1880 12,008 −4.6%
1890 13,325 11.0%
1900 15,039 12.9%
1910 15,036 −0.0%
1920 14,955 −0.5%
1930 13,589 −9.1%
1940 15,082 11.0%
1950 12,348 −18.1%
1960 9,233 −25.2%
1970 8,141 −11.8%
1980 9,398 15.4%
1990 9,297 −1.1%
2000 10,984 18.1%
2010 11,638 6.0%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Jackson 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 Jackson County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®

1810 Lost

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.

1810-1891

1820

  • Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. FHL 976.8 X22b 1820. Online at Ancestry ($).
  • Butler, Cass. C. The 1820 U.S. Census, Jackson County, Tennessee a Transcription of the Decennial Population Enumeration and Manufacturers Schedule for the Fourth Census of the United States Taken in Jackson County, Tennessee. Salt Lake City, Utah C. Butler, c2000. FHL 976.851 X2b 1820
  • Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," online at Free African Americans. Includes African Americans in this county.

1820 Manufactures

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

1840

  • Lee, Ramona H. Jackson County, Tennessee 1840 U.S Census. Mountain Home, Arkansas R.H. Lee, 198-?. FHL 976.851 X2L

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

1850

  • Lee, Ramona H. Jackson, County, Tennessee, 1850 United States Census. Mountain Home, Arkansas R.H. Lee, 1984. FHL 976.851 X2h 1850

1860

  • McComb, Joyce B.Jackson County, Tennessee 1860 Federal Census, USA. Lexington, South Carolina J.B. McComb, c1992. FHL 976.851 X2m 1860
  • McComb, Joyce B. et al. 1860 Federal Census, Jackson County, Tennessee. Lafayette, Tennessee Ridge Runner, c2004 FHL 976.851 X2mj 1860

1870

  • Cason, Mildred C. Jackson County, Tennessee 1870 Census. Nashville, Tennessee M.C. Cason, c1998 FHL 976.851 X2c 1870

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 US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 5 1891. Jackson County is included in Vol. 5.
  • 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.
  • __.Jackson Co., Tennessee 1890 Census Notes. Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee: Filmed by the TSLA, 1975. FHL 985310Item 3.

1891 Male Voters

1910

  • Ligon, Edward et al. The United States thirteenth Census of Jackson County, Tennessee, 1910. Livingston, Tennessee: R.K. Bilbrey, 2002. FHL 976.851 X29b 1910

1920

Church Records[edit | edit source]

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Baptist

  • Spring Creek. Minutes (1802-1868) available online.

Court Records[edit | edit source]

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. Online searchable index at TSLA.

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

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

African Americans

  • Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. Includes African Americans in this county.

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

  • Jackson County Historical Society. The Jackson County Family History Book: 200 Years of Memories. Gainesboro, Tenn.: Jackson County Historical Society, 1996. Free Lookups Available!
  • 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.


  • Darnell - Darnell, C.A. Darnell Family & Related Families & Papers, ca. 1750-1983: Connects to These Names, Glenn, Jefferies, Smith, Fleenor, Hensley. MSS. Microfilmed 1984: FHL Film 1035708 Item 27.
  • Denton - Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Some of the Descendants of Rev. Richard Denton. McMinnville, TN: Womack Print. Co., 1959. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D435; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library, and Heritage Quest Online ($).
  • Dyer - Preator, Richard E. The Descendants of James Dyer and Jane Finn of Jackson Co. Tennessee. Salem, Mass.: Higginson, 1998. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D988p.
  • Gist - Dorsey, Jean Muir. Christopher Gist of Maryland and Some of His Descendants, 1679-1957, Chicago, IL: J.S. Swift Co., 1958. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G447; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
  • Grissom - McKinney, Irene. Wm. Grissom & Dicy Arteberry, Wash. Co., Tn. to Jackson Co., Tn. to Monroe Co., Ky: and Some Dillards. Lompoc, Calif.: I. McKinney, 1986. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G889m.
  • Hawkins - Hawkins, Harold Allen and Elrod, Janice Hawkins Echoes of Spring Creek a genealogy of the Hawkins family and related families of Jackson County and the surrounding area [S.I.] H.A. Hawkins and J.H. Elrod, c2000 FHL book 929.273 H314. Digital version available at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Maxwell - Maxwell, Harry L. Descendants of Samuel Maxwell of Putnam County and Jackson County, TN. Cookeville, Tenn.: H.L. Maxwell, (199-?). FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M451mh.Digital version available at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Waddell - Madeira, Pauline and Kim Beauchamp. The Ancestors of Harvey Louis Hardin with Chapters on the Descendants of Samuel Sanford Hardin, James Pate, David McAlister, William Waddell, Samuel P. Griggs and John Selby. S.l.: Rex H. Madeira, Jr., 1999. FHL 929.273 Se48mp

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

  • Jackson County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1872 and is located at the county Courthouse, P.O. Box 346, 101 E Hull Ave, Gainesboro, Tenessee 38562; Telephone: (931) 268-9212. 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 deeds 1872-1902 with indexes 1872-1925; land entries 1873-1901; ranger books 1817-1860.

Land Grants

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Macon CountyClay CountyOverton CountyPutnam CountySmith CountyTN JACKSON.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

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

Additional resources include:

War of 1812

Civil War

Online Records

Regiments. Men in Jackson 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 Jackson County:

Confederate Soldiers

Union Soldiers

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Jackson County:

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

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 the archives for Jackson County click on the following town:

  • 1794-1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL 976.8 V2L.
  • 1847 - 1851 - 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. (Largely Methodist?)

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:

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

The Jackson County Court has responsibility for probate records.

Online Records and Indexes

School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

Book Abstracts and Indexes

  • 1789 Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990).
  • 1802 Hughes, Thomas P. and Jewel B. Standefer. "Jackson County, Tennessee-1802 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 19, No. 2 (April-June 1972):63-65.
  • 1802 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 1802 tax list.]
  • 1802-1803 "1802 & 1803 Tax Lists," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 4, No. 1 ():6-.
  • 1802 Tax List, 1802, Overton County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Fall 1999).
  • 1802 "Jackson County Land To Be Sold for Taxes in 1802, Sheriff Says" Ansearchin' News, Vol. 48, No. 4 (Winter 2001):45.
  • 1803 Paessler, Jane "Jackson County 1803 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Fall 1995):113-115.
  • 1804-1811 "Records, A List of Residents 1804-1811," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 5, No. 2 ():5-. (See follow-up article, Vol. 6, No. 1, p. 29.)
  • 1810 Lands for Tax Sale, 1810, The Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Winter 1993).
  • 1811 "Delinquent Taxes - 1811," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 3, No. 1 ():26-.
  • 1811 "Unpaid Land Taxes, 1811," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 6, No. 3 ():.
  • 1812 "1804-1811 Tax List is Really 1812 Voters List," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 6, No. 1 ():29-.
  • 1814 "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3(Fall 1996):115-120.
  • 1836 Tax List, 1836, The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Spring 1997).
  • 1836 Civil Districts and Tax List, 1836, Tennessee Genealogy and History, Vol. 6, No. 2 (2002).
  • 1836 Douthat, James L. 1836 Jackson County, Tennessee Civil Districts and Tax List. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2002. FHL US/CAN Book 976.851 R4d. Mountain Press provides online surname list.
  • 1851 "Voters List, 1851," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 14, No. 3 ():137-; Vol. 14, No. 4 ():168-; Vol. 15, No. 1 ():14-.
  • 1860s Civil War Tax List, Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Apr. 1978).
  • 1865-1871 Property Sold for Taxes in Chancery Court, 1865-1871, The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Fall 2004).

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Birth[edit | edit source]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Online indexes and Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

Death[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

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

Charles Ralph Holland Memorial Library
205 W. Hull Avenue
Gainesboro, TN 38562
Phone: 931-268-9190
Fax: 931-268-5706
Email: jacksontylibrary@yahoo.com
Facebook
Website
Collection includes a complete set of the microfilms of the Jackson County Chancery Court Cases, newspapers, and more.

Museums[edit | edit source]

Granville Museum
169 Clover Street
Granville, TN 38564
Phone: 931-653-4151
Website

Societies[edit | edit source]

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

Jackson County Tennessee Genealogy
P.O. Box 575
Cookeville, TN 38503-0575
Facebook

Jackson County Historical Society
105 West Montpelier Avenue
Gainesboro, TN 38562
Facebook

Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 575
Cookeville, TN 38503-0575
Email: info@ucga.info
Website

Websites[edit | edit source]

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Research Guides[edit | edit source]

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, "Jackson, Tennessee" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_County,_Tennessee accessed 24 Dec 2018
  3. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists : United States of America, 10th ed., (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002) Hickman County, Tennessee, p.641
  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. ↑ Lost Records: Courthouse Fires and Disasters in Tennessee in Tennessee State Library and Archives in Tennessee Secretary of State (accessed 13 March 2016).
  6. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Jackson County, Tennessee," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_County,_Tennessee, accessed 24 November 2019.
  8. ↑ Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804.
  9. ↑ "List of counties in Tennessee," Wikipedia.
  10. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/d/d3/Igitennesseef.pdf.
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