Jackson County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Jackson County





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

County Courthouse
Jackson County CourthouseF 101 East Hull Avenue Gainesboro, TN 38562 Phone: 931-268-9212

Jackson County Clerk Marriage records only from 1881 to present 101 East Hull Street Gainesboro, TN 38562 Phone: 931-268-9212

Jackson County Clerk and Master Probate and court records 101 East Hull Avenua P.O. Box 342 Gainesboro, TN 38562 Phone: 931-268-9516

Jackson County Register of Deeds Land records P.O. Box 301 Gainesboro, TN 38562 Phone: 931-268-9012

The Courthouse suffered a fire in 1872 which destroyed many of the records.

Hours: Mon.-Tues. and Thurs.-Fri. 8 am - 4 pm Sat. 8 am - noon County Clerk Closed Wednesdays

History


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

Parent County
1801--Jackson County was created 6 November 1801 from Smith County. County seat: Gainesboro

Record Loss
1872, 1926--Fires damaged records


 * Lost censuses: 1810, 1890
 * Lost marriage records 1801 to 1871
 * Lost probate records: 1801 to 1871

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


 * Arlene Eakle, When the Records are Gone in Tennessee Genealogy Blog
 * Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle

Research Guides

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

African Americans

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

Cemeteries
Charles A. Reeves Jr. has created detailed map showing the locations of Jackson County cemeteries. They may be purchased for small fees through his website.


 * 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 Jackson County linking to the information about the people buried there,


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


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


 * Jackson County cemetery information with transcriptions on TNGenweb Project


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries for Jackson County. Some of the books or other books may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Jackson County cemeteries

Census
1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 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, 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


 * Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981.
 * 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.
 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free 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.

The following book is a useful aid for finding the original records. A free online index, provided by Lineages, 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.]

1840


 * Lee, Ramona H. Jackson County, Tennessee 1840 U.S Census.Mountain Home, Arkansas : R.H. Lee, 198-?.

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners


 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Middle District, Jackson County on page 156.]

1850


 * Lee, Ramona H. Jackson, County, Tennessee, 1850 United States Census.Mountain Home, Arkansas : R.H. Lee, 1984.

1860


 * McComb, Joyce B.Jackson County, Tennessee 1860 Federal Census, USA.Lexington, South Carolina : J.B. McComb, c1992.
 * McComb, Joyce B. et al. 1860 Federal Census, Jackson County, Tennessee.Lafayette, Tennessee : Ridge Runner, c2004

1870


 * Cason, Mildred C. Jackson County, Tennessee 1870 Census.Nashville, Tennessee : M.C. Cason, c1998

1880


 * Scanned census images [in the USGenWeb Archives]
 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, Jackson County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee : Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1991.

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. Item 3.

1910


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

1920


 * Young, Denise, ed.. Jackson County, Tennessee Census, 1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Available at Ancestry ($)

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


 * 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. Purchase at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers.

Bibliography


 * [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 BYU Family History Archives; 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 &amp; 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 BYU Family History Archives.
 * [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 BYU Family History Archives.

Land
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.

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.] 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 TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Maps

 * [1836] Reeves, Charles A. Jackson County, Tennessee Civil Districts. [As they were in 1836.] Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Military
Revolutionary War

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Select Jackson County, Tennessee Revolutionary War Pensioners as listed in the census of 1818, 1821 and 1840.

Additional resources include:


 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Middle District, Jackson County on page 156.]
 * Jones, Christine Spivey. Pension Claims from Jackson County, Tennessee. Cookeville: Tenn.: Technological University, 1994. FHL US/CAN book 976.851 M29j
 * 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, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.]
 * Works Projects Administration (Tennessee). Jackson County, Tennessee: WPA Records. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1991. FHL US/CAN book 976.851 N2 [Includes Revolutionary War records.]

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 Jackson County pensioners (p. 90).]
 * Jackson County, Tennessee War of 1812 Research Courtesy: TNGenWeb

Newspapers
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:


 * Gainesboro

Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2004. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Jackson County.]

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 Jackson 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.


 * Family Findings


 * Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Jackson County, Tennessee records have been published in Family Findings, the quarterly of the Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society (42+ vols.). The Family History Library has most issues of this quarterly FHL US/CAN 976.8 B2f.


 * Tables of contents for some volumes are available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb Project:


 * Volumes 1-10 (1969-1978)
 * Volumes 11-20 (1979-1988)
 * Volumes 21-24 (1989-1992)
 * Volumes 32-35 (2000-2003)


 * Many articles from this publication have been reproduced on the TNGenWeb Project website, try this specialized Google search.


 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History


 * Several genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Jackson County, Tennessee have been published in The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, the quarterly of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society (23+ Vols.). To view a list of these articles, visit their online Index to Articles (1988-2005). Surname indexes are also available online for Vols. 2-22. The website also offers back issues for sale in paper and on CD. The Family History Library has a complete collection of this quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.


 * The Trace


 * Available through the Jackson County Historical Society


 * The Upper Cumberland Researcher


 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Jackson County, Tennessee have been published in The Upper Cumberland Researcher, the journal of the Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc. To view a list of the first 17 years of these articles, visit their online Seventeen Year Index to The Upper Cumberland Researcher (Vols. 1-17, 1975-1992). The Index contains a "Counties" section beginning on page 19. The Family History Library has most issues through the present FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2u (1975-1993) and FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2u (1994-present).

Prisons
Learn if your Jackson County ancestors went to prison!


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

Taxation

 * [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 Periodicals.
 * [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. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1802] 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 1802 tax list.]
 * [1802-1803] "1802 &amp; 1803 Tax Lists," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 4, No. 1 :6-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * [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. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1803] Paessler, Jane "Jackson County 1803 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Fall 1995):113-115. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1804-1811] "Records, A List of Residents 1804-1811," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 5, No. 2 :5-. For access, see Periodicals. (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-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * [1811] "Unpaid Land Taxes, 1811," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 6, No. 3 :. For access, see Periodicals.
 * [1812] "1804-1811 Tax List is Really 1812 Voters List," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 6, No. 1 :29-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * [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 Jackson County.]
 * [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.
 * [1851] "Voters List, 1851," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 14, No. 3 :137-; Vol. 14, No. 4 :168-; Vol. 15, No. 1 :14-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * [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
Marriage

The original Jackson County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. Due to fire, all marriage records prior to 1870 are lost. 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..

The following Jackson County marriage records are microfilmed:


 * [1870-1992] Available at the TSLA.
 * [1870-1918] Available at the Family History Library. Some volumes are indexed.

The following Jackson County marriage records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * Shrum, Shelta R. McCarter and Betty C. Scott. Jackson County, Tennessee Marriage and Death Records. Lafayette, Tennessee : Ridge Runner, 1998.
 * RecordSearch at FamilySearch now includes indexed Tennessee marriages. This is a free pilot site and still under construction.  At this time, it is best to search from the home page, Discover Your Ancestors: indicate a surname, marriage "event", no date, and a county name (i.e. Jackson, Tennessee).  Browse through the results for that surname. You may need to supply any variant spellings of the surname in separate searches.
 * Many county marriage records are indexed with images at Ancestry's Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. ($) Be aware that this index is not complete for many counties.

Jackson County is not included in Sistler's Early Middle Tennessee Marriages.

Death

For deaths of Methodists in Jackson 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
The main genealogical society covering Jackson County is the regional:


 * Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc. P.O. Box 575 Cookeville, Tennessee 38503-0575 Blog

Additional societies with interests in the area are:


 * Jackson County Historical Society P.O. Box 874 Gainesboro, Tennessee 38562


 * Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Jackson County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, a quarterly containing articles of genealogical and historical interest. Little-known Tennessee records are published and indexed, along with family genealogies, Bible records and material submitted by members. There is an alphabetical Index to articles in the Journal 1988-summer 2005

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 Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 10:30 am - 5:30 pm Wednesday 10:30 am - 3 pm Saturday 10 am - 3 pm

Collection includes: complete set of the microfilms of the Jackson County Chancery Court Cases, newspapers, etc.

Web Sites

 * Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Jackson County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Jackson County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Jackson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-UPPER-CUMBERLAND-L (Upper Cumberland Tennessee Region Genealogy List)