Lewis County, Tennessee Genealogy
Guide to Lewis County, Tennessee ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Lewis County was named for explorer Meriwether Lewis, who died and was buried at Grinder's Stand near Hohenwald in 1809. The county is located in the south-central area of the state. [2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Lewis County Courthouse
110 N Park Street
Hohenwald, TN 38462
Lewis County Courthouse Phone: 931-796-3734
Lewis County Clerk Phone: 931-796-2200
Lewis County Clerk & Master Phone: 931-796-3734
Lewis Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 931-796-3724
County Clerk has marriage records from 1881, Probate and court records
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce records
Register of Deeds has land records. [3]
Lewis 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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1908 | 1847 | 1908 | 1844 | 1827 | 1846 | 1810 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free 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 | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Additional Information
Middle Tennessee county. Established 1843.
The county is named after Explorer Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809).[7]
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 Lewis County.
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information. | |
Additional Cemetery Resources
- Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 4,438 | — |
| 1860 | 2,241 | −49.5% |
| 1870 | 1,986 | −11.4% |
| 1880 | 2,181 | 9.8% |
| 1890 | 2,555 | 17.1% |
| 1900 | 4,455 | 74.4% |
| 1910 | 6,033 | 35.4% |
| 1920 | 5,707 | −5.4% |
| 1930 | 5,258 | −7.9% |
| 1940 | 5,849 | 11.2% |
| 1950 | 6,078 | 3.9% |
| 1960 | 6,269 | 3.1% |
| 1970 | 6,761 | 7.8% |
| 1980 | 9,700 | 43.5% |
| 1990 | 9,247 | −4.7% |
| 2000 | 11,367 | 22.9% |
| 2010 | 12,161 | 7.0% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Lewis 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 Lewis County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®
1810-1891
1850
- Lightfoot, Marise P. and Evelyn B. Shackelford. Maury County Neighbors Records of Giles, Lewis and Marshall Counties, Tennessee.Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee s.n., 1967. FHL 976.8 V22Ls
1880
- Sistler, Byron. 1880 Census Lewis County, Tennessee.Nashville, Tennessee Byron Sistler & Associates, 1998. FHL 976.8432 X2s 1880
1890 Lost
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. Lewis 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.
1891 Male Voters
- 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)
Church Records[edit | edit source]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Church of Christ
- 1871-1894 - Union Church of Christ Baptism Index 1871-1894. Batch C710801 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
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]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Lewis (County), Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 7,000 entries.
- Lewis County Historical Society. History and Families, Lewis County, Tennessee. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 1995. FHL Book 976.8432 H2L.
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
- Lewis County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1844 and is located at the county Courthouse, 110 N Park St., Hohenwald, TN 38462; Telephone: (931) 796-2200. 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 1844-1905 with indexes 1844-1926; land entries and surveys 1827-1883.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
- FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
War of 1812
- Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1960):90-93. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. Includes Lewis County pensioners (p. 93).
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
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
- 1891-1965 Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
Regiments. Men in Lewis 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 Lewis County:
Confederate Soldiers
- 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Clack's) - CSA - Company K.
- 19th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Biffle's) - CSA - Company H.
- 48th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Voorhies') - CSA - Company C.
Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Lewis County:
- Lewis County, Tennessee 1890 Civil War Veterans Census. All spelling is recorded as it was written, contributed by: Reita Jones Burress 2004.
- TNGenWeb, Lewis County The Civil War Page. Confederate Roll of Honor: Lewis County, Lewis County Confederate Pension Applications, Roster of Company C, Clack's 3rd Infantry Regiment.
- Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Lewis County. 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). Online at Internet Archive. Lewis County, page 357.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
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 Lewis County click on the following city:
- 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]
- 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[edit | edit source]
Genealogical periodicals can contain unique sources and can be local, regional, or statewide. The following periodicals cover this county:
- Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues on their website; FHL Book 976.8 B2a.
- 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.
- The River Counties Quarterly: (14 vols.) edited by Jill K. Garrett. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2rc.
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
The Lewis County Court has responsibility for the probate records.
Online Records and Indexes
- 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
- 1846-1936 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Images of Wills ($)
- 1846-1874 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Images of Inventories ($)
- 1846-1931 [ Lewis County] portion of Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.
- 1875-1926 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Images of Settlements & Guardians ($)
Book Abstracts and Indexes
- 1844-1900 Lightfoot, Marise P. and Evelyn B. Shackelford. Maury County Neighbors: Records of Giles, Lewis and Marshall Counties, Tennessee. Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee: [N.p.], 1967. Indexed. Includes these Lewis County records: cemeteries, marriages, historical sketch, abstracts of wills and settlements 1844-1900, and 1850 census. (FHL book 976.8 V22Ls.)
- 1842-1861 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's probate records.
- 1846-1936 Coleman, Brenda Willis. Tennessee, Lewis County Court Clerk Wills, Nov 1846-1936. Atoka, Tenn.: B.W. Coleman, 199-?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8432 P2c.
School Records[edit | edit source]
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Book Abstracts and Indexes[8]
- 1854 Tax List, 1854, River Counties, Vol. 12, Nos. 1-4 (1983).
- 1887 Tax List, 1887, River Counties, Vol. 9, Nos. 1-4 (1980).
- 1917 Tax List, 1917, River Counties, Vol. 10, Nos. 1-4 (1981); Vol. 12, Nos. 1-4 (1983).
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1828-1939 Tennessee Births and Christenings 1828-1939 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry ($)
- 1908-1912 Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Online indexes and Records
- 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
- 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry ($)
- 1780-2002 Tennessee State Marriage Index 1780-2002 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1790-1962 Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
- 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 ($)
- 1847-1895 - Lewis County Marriage Index 1847-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch[9]
- Maury County Neighbors: Records of Giles, Lewis and Marshall Counties, Tennessee. Digital copy FHL Book 976.8 V22Ls
- 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index
Book Abstracts and Indexes
- 1844-1880 - Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff. Indexes names of brides, grooms, and marriage dates for this county for specified years.
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1874-1955 Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1908-1933 - Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — 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[edit | edit source]
- 1796-1850 - Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
- 1980-2014 - Divorce Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Lewis 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
- Columbia Tennessee Family History Center
- Dickson Tennessee Family History Center
- Brentwood Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Tennessee State Library and Archives - an affiliate library.
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Lewis County. For state-wide library facilities, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.
Lewis County Public Library
15 Kyle Ave.
Hohenwald, TN 38462
Phone: 931-796-5365
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Lewis County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.
Hohenwald/Lewis County Heritage & History Group
Hohenwald, TN
Facebook
Lewis County Historical Society
P.O. Box 703
Hohenwald, TN 38462
Phone: 931-796-3505
Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Lewis County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
- Lewis County TN Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
- 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[edit | edit source]
- Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Lewis County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Lewis, Tennessee" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_County,_Tennessee accessed 24 Dec 2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Lewis County, Tennessee," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_County,_Tennessee, accessed 1 December 2019.
- ↑ "List of counties in Tennessee," Wikipedia.
- ↑ The Heritage Quest Online version of PERSI aided in the compilation of this list.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/8/88/Igitennesseel.pdf.
