Campbell County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Campbell County





East Tennessee county. Established 1806.

County Courthouse
Campbell County Courthouse 570 Main Street Jacksboro, Tennessee 37757 Phone: 423-562-4985

Campbell County Clerk Marriage and Probate Records 570 Main Street Suite 450 Jacksboro, TN 37757 Phone: 423-562-4985

Campbell County Register of Deeds Land Records from 1804 P.O. Box 13 Jacksboro, TN 37757 Phone: 423-562-4985

Campbell County Clerk of Circuit Court Court Records P.O. Box 13 Jacksboro, TN 37757 Phone: 423-562-4985

Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4:30 pm Saturday 8 am - 11:30 am

History
The county is named after Arthur Campbell (1743-1811), a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses who negotiated Indian treaties.

Parent County
1806--Campbell County was created 11 September 1806 from Anderson and Claiborne Counties. County seat: Jacksboro

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1810, 1820, 1890
 * Lack of marriage records: 1806 to 1837

Neighboring Counties

 * Anderson
 * Claiborne
 * McCreary County, Kentucky
 * Scott
 * Union
 * Whitley County, Kentucky

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Campbell County, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

Cemeteries

 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone. May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.


 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Campbell County linking to the information about the people buried there,


 * Campbell County, TN Cemetery Records, part of the TNGenWeb Cemetery Database, lists many cemeteries in the county, often with indexes and transcripts of the burials.


 * Campbell County, Tennessee, USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project lists many cemeteries in the county and has transcripts of the tombstones arranged by cemetery.


 * Campbell County cemetery information with transcriptions on TNGenweb Project


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries in Campbell county. Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Campbell County cemeteries

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

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

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.

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; digital version at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

These records have also been abstracted:


 * 1820 Census of Manufactures: Campbell County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 7, No. 4 :168. For availability, see Periodicals.

1830


 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2p 1830.
 * Gibson, Laura. "1830 Campbell County Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * S-K Publications. "Campbell County, TN 1830 Census Index," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

1840


 * S-K Publications. "Campbell County, TN 1840 Census Index," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

1850


 * Lemasters, Paul W. 1850 Census, Campbell County, Tennessee. Huntsville, Tenn.: Scott County Historical Society (Tennessee), 1987. FHL US/CAN Book 976.872 X2L 1850.
 * S-K Publications. "Campbell County, TN 1850 Census Index," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

1860


 * Freeman, Mitzi P. "1860 Campbell County Tennessee Census," [4 parts] available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives. [Source: NARA Microfilm M653 - R1240.]

1870


 * Anderson, Sandra and Rick Chambers. "1870 Campbell County Census," [14 Districts] available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives. [Source: NARA Microfilm M593 - R1516.]

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census - Tennessee: Transcription for Campbell County. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 198-?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.872 X2s 1880.

1890 - Lost, but substitutes are available:


 * Anderson, Sandra. "1890 Campbell County Veteran's Census," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 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. 6 1891. [Campbell County is included in Vol. 6.]
 * 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.

1910


 * Collins, Betty VanOver. 1910 Campbell Co., Tn. Federal Census. 2 vols. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.V. Collins, 2004?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.872 X2c 1910 v. 1 ff.

1920


 * Collins, Betty VanOver. 1920 Campbell Co., Tn. Federal Census. 2 vols. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.V. Collins, 2004?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.872 X2c 1920 v. 1 ff.

1930


 * Collins, Betty VanOver. Campbell Co., Tn. Federal Census, 1930. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.J.V. Collins, 2004?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.872 X2c 1930.

Family Histories
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


 * Peters, Genevieve E. Know Your Relatives. Arlington, VA: G.E. Peters], 1953. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sh23p; FHL US/CAN Film 875369; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($). [Discusses the Albright, Efland, Gibbs, Graves, Loy, Miller, Sharp, Snodderly, and Tillman.]
 * 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.


 * Thomas, Marlene C. Some extractions from the Scott County newspapers regarding Nicks Creek, Campbell County, TN Available at the BYU Family History Archives

Bibliography


 * [Ausmus] Ausmus, Harry Lee. Ausmus Family History, 1711-1962. Johnson City, TN: H.L. Ausmus, 1963. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Au72a; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Murray] Murray, J.L. Ancestry of James S. Murray of Campbell County, Tennessee and the Wasson Family of Rhea County, Tennessee. MSS., microfilmed in 1983. FHL US/CAN Film 1033940 Item 6.

Land
The original Campbell County Deed Books are held at the County Courthouse. The Tennessee State Library and Archives microfilmed Deed Books D to 30 (1820-1894), Land Entry Books A to F (1806-1834, 1837, 1868), Entry Taker Book A (1824-1902), and Trust Deed Books A to D (1852-1877, 1886-1894). Copies of their microfilms are also available at the Family History Library: FHL US/CAN Films 979222-979238.

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Campbell 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: 1806-1810
 * 2) Deed Book B: 1810-1816
 * 3) Deed Book E: 1826-1831
 * 4) Deed Book F: 1831-1834

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.] [[Tennessee State Library and Archives] 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 Tennessee State Library and Archives; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Maps

 * [1832] 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 1832 map of the county.]

Newspapers

 * Thomas, Marlene C. Some Extractions from the Scott County Newspapers Regarding Nicks Creek, Campbell County, Tennessee Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives


 * Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. 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 Campbell County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Jacksboro
 * Jellico
 * LaFollette

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 Campbell County.]
 * Tennesse Bureau of Agriculture, Statistics and Mines. Coal Mines and Mining--Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: A.B. Travel, 1883. Free digital copy.

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

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Campbell 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.

Campbell Countian

Available through the Campbell County Historical Society Indexed in the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI).

East Tennessee Roots

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Campbell 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

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Campbell 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.

Prisons
Learn if your Campbell County ancestors went to prison!


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Probate
Many of the original Campbell County Will Books were destroyed. In the 1970s, the Tennessee State Library and Archives microfilmed extant probate records covering the years 1806 to 1911. Their microfilms include administrator's bonds, guardians' settlements, inventories, a will book, estate book, and land records. Copies of these microfilms are also available at the Family History Library: FHL US/CAN Films 979201, 979213-979214, 979218-979221.

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


 * 1) Probate Records (County or Chancery Court) Estate Book: 1806-1841

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


 * [1806-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. [Includes an index to this county's probate records.]

Taxation
The following Campbell County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [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 Campbell County.]
 * [1818] Taxpayers, 1818, East Tennessee Historical Society Publications. Knoxville TN: 1964. Vol. - Iss. 36.
 * [1818] 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 1818 tax list.] A digital version of this source is available online for Campbell County, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
 * [1818, 1823] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. [Includes 1818 and 1823 tax lists.]
 * [1818, 1823] Curtis, Mary Barnett. Early East Tennessee Tax Lists. Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4c. [Includes 1818 and 1823 tax lists.]
 * [1818] Tax Return Lists, 1818, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter. Huntsville TN: Fall 1985. Vol. 3 Iss. 1.
 * [1820] Tax List, 1820, Campbell Countian. LaFollette TN: Winter 1992. Vol. 3 Iss. 2.
 * [1836] Douthat, James L. 1836 Campbell County, Tennessee, 1836 Tennessee Civil Districts and Tax Lists. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.872 P2d.
 * [1838] Tax List, 1838, Campbell Countian. LaFollette TN: Summer 1991. Vol. 2 Iss. 1; Winter 1992. Vol. 2 Iss. 2; Spring 1992. Vol. 2 Iss. 3.
 * [1838] Tax List Excerpt, 1838, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter. Huntsville TN: Summer 1993. Vol. 10 Iss. 4.
 * [1838] Anderson, Sandra. "1838 Campbell County Tax Records," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. Also available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives. [Source: Early Tennessee Tax Records, Campbell County 1838-1839 Microfilm.]
 * [1838-1839] Lemasters, Paul W. Campbell County, TN Tax Lists, 1838-9. Purchase at Campbell County Historical Society website.
 * [1839] Chambers, Rick and Sandra Anderson. "1839 Tax Records," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
 * [1849] Tax List, 1849, Campbell Countian. LaFollette TN: Winter 1995. Vol. 5 Iss. 1; Apr 1995. Vol. 6 Iss. 1; Jul 1995. Vol. 6 Iss. 2; Oct 1995. Vol. 6 Iss. 3; Jan 1996. Vol. 6 Iss. 4; Apr 1996. Vol. 7 Iss. 1; Jul 1996. Vol. 7 Iss. 2; Oct 1996. Vol. 7 Iss. 3; Jan 1997. Vol. 7 Iss. 4; Apr 1997. Vol. 8 Iss. 1; Jul 1997. Vol. 8 Iss. 2; Oct 1997. Vol. 8 Iss. 3; Jan 1998. Vol. 8 Iss. 4.
 * [1850] Tax List, 1850, Campbell Countian. LaFollette TN: Jan 2001. Vol. 11 Iss. 4; Apr 2001. Vol. 12 Iss. 1; Jul 2001. Vol. 12 Iss. 2; Oct 2001. Vol. 12 Iss. 3; Jan 2002. Vol. 12 Iss. 4; Apr 2002. Vol. 13 Iss. 1; Jul 2002. Vol. 13 Iss. 2; Oct 2002. Vol. 13 Iss. 3; Jan 2003. Vol. 13 Iss. 4; Apr 2003. Vol. 14 Iss. 1; Jul 2003. Vol. 14 Iss. 2.
 * [1860] Tax List, 1860, Campbell Countian. LaFollette TN: Jan 2006. Vol. 16 Iss. 4; Apr 2006. Vol. 17 Iss. 1; Jul 2006. Vol. 17 Iss. 2; Oct 2006. Vol. 17 Iss. 3; Jan 2007. Vol. 17 Iss. 4; Apr 2007. Vol. 18 Iss. 1.
 * [1890] Anderson, Sandra. "1890 Tax Records," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. Also available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives. [Source: Campbell Trustee Tax Duplicates, Volume Jan 1889 - Dec 1898, Roll #48.]
 * [1895] Chambers, Rick. "Campbell County, TN, 1895 Tax Records," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. Also available online (4 parts), courtesy: USGenWeb Archives. [Source: Campbell Trustee Tax Duplicates, Volume Jan 1889 - Dec 1898, Roll #48.]

Vital Records
Marriage

Marriages were not officially recorded in Campbell County until 1838, when a law was passed mandating the practice. The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:


 * 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 following Campbell County Courthouse marriage records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * [1838-1881] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; 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.]

Death

The death certificates for Campbell County for the years 1908-1912 have been transcribed and are online with the Campbell County TNGenWeb site.

For deaths of Methodists in Campbell 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.]

Societies and Libraries
Campbell County Historical Society 235 East Central Avenue LaFollette, TN 37766 Telephone: 423-566-3581

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

Jacksboro Public Library 585 Main Street, Suite 201 Jacksboro, TN 37757 Phone: 423-562-3675

LaFollette Public Library 201 South Tennessee Avenue LaFollette, TN 37766 Phone: 423-562-5154 Fax: 423-562-0013 Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm The Genealogy and Local History Collection is housed at the Campbell County Historical Museum and Library 160 East Central Avenue, LaFollette, TN 37766 Phone: 423-566-3581 Email: darcon1997@aol.com Hours: 9 am - 2 pm

Family History Centers
La Follette Tennessee 215 Wildwood Cir La Follette, Campbell, Tennessee, United States Hours: W 6pm-9pm; and by appointment This is not a mailing address. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

 * Campbell County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Campbell County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Campbell County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNCAMPBE-L (Campbell 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)