Unicoi County, Tennessee Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Cherokee word for "fog-draped" or "hazy". The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Unicoi County Courthouse 100 Main St. Erwin, TN 37650 County Website Phone: 423-743-9541 County Clerk Phone: 423-743-3381 County Register of Deeds Phone: 423-743-6104 Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 423-743-3541

County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1875. Clerk Circuit Court and Chancery Court has divorce and court records. Register of Deeds has land records from 1875.

County Pronunciation
 * 1) Hear it spoken (Voice of Unicoi County Mayor Greg Lynch, 2010)
 * 2) Hear it spoken (female)

History Timeline

 * 1784 - In August 1784 delegates from Washington County (including land that eventually became Unicoi County) and other western North Carolina counties which had split off from Washington County (all now in Tennessee), declared their Independence from North Carolina because of perceived neglect, and misuse by North Carolina’s legislature.
 * 1784-1788 - Originally part of the pioneer Watauga Settlements.
 * 1785 - By May 1785 they petitioned to be admitted to the United States as the new State of Franklin. The Franklin statehood request was denied.
 * 1789 - The hopes for a State of Franklin faded. North Carolina became a state and ceded her westernmost counties to the United States. The ceded counties, including most of Washington County (and eventually Unicoi), became the Southwest Territory.
 * 1796 - The Southwest Territory was admitted to the United States as the new State of Tennessee.
 * 1875 - Unicoi County was established 23 March 1875 from Washington and Carter Counties.

Additional Information

Unicoi is a Native American Cherokee term for the Appalachian Mountains. It is believed to mean "white or fog-draped."

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources
 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census Records
1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Unicoi 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.

1810-1891
 * Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry $

1880


 * Padgett, Hilda Britt. Unicoi County, Tennessee 1880 Census. Erwin, Tenn.: H.B. Padgett, 1995..
 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, Unicoi County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1996..

1890
 * Veterans Census. Southeastern Genealogy ($)

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. . Unicoi County is included in Vol. 7.
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978..

1891 Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry $

1900


 * Padgett, Hilda Britt. Unicoi County, Tennessee 1900 Census. Erwin, Tenn.: H.B. Padgett, 1995..

1910


 * Padgett, Hilda Britt. Unicoi County, Tennessee 1910 Census. Erwin, Tenn.: H.B. Padgett, 1995..

1920


 * Padgett, Hilda Britt. Unicoi County, Tennessee 1920 Census. Erwin, Tenn.: H. Padgett, 1996..

1930


 * Padgett, Hilda Britt. Unicoi County, Tennessee 1930 Census. (n.p.: n.p.), 2002..

Court Records
Many of your ancestors may be found in court records as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors. Court records can establish family relationships and places of residence, occupations, and other family history information.

Law and Legislation
 * Circuit Court: Court minutes of Unicoi County, 1876-1890, FHL film 972733.
 * County Court: Court minutes, 1875-1905, FHL films 972736 and 972737.
 * Chancery Court: Court minutes, v. 1-2, 1876-1908, FHL film 972732.
 * Tennessee Supreme Court Cases at TSLA
 * 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. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at  the TSLA; another version is available at  World Vital Records.

Genealogies
DNA
 * DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Unicoi County historic residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.


 * Vinson - Descendant of Vinson family, migrated from Russell Co., VA to Unicoi Co., TN at the turn of twentieth century. Y-DNA 12 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 23453). Genetic signature available online (labelled V-2 in Haplogroup J), courtesy: The Vinson DNA Project, World Families Network.

General


 * As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Unicoi, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 9,000 entries.


 * Hensley, Benny E. Beneath the Oaks at the Foot of Meadow Creek Mountain, Oak Hill, Parrottsville, TN..

Bibliography


 * Beckelhimer - Kerns, Gloria Lambert and Diane Sims. Beckelhimer: Family Records..
 * Moore - Fobes, Lawrence G. Moore. 1976?..
 * Tilson - Bicentennial Register of The Society of Mayflower Descendants in the District of Columbia, 1978. Washington, D.C., 1976.
 * Tilson - Alderman, Pat. Tilson Grist Mill, Mountain Folklore Genealogy. Johnson City, Tenn.: The Overmountain Press, 1981..

Land and Property Records
The original Unicoi County Deed Books are held at the County Courthouse. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed Deed Books 1-7 (1876-1903), Trust Deed Book 1 (1876-1899), and Index to Deeds and Mortgages (1876-1920). FHL copies:.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
 * TSLA Historical Map Collection

Military Records
War of 1812
 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Unicoi County pensioners (p. 97.)

Civil War

Online Records
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry  (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry  (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1891-1965 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Unicoi County:
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Unicoi 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. Unicoi County, page 379-380.

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 Unicoi County click on the following town:


 * Erwin


 * 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. 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
Obituaries may mention birth, marriage, spouse, parents, and living family members.Obituaries for residents may be found in:


 * - How to Use this Collection

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

 * Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues on their website;
 * East Tennessee Roots: Published by East Tennessee Roots The table of contents for some issues are available on their website;.
 * Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin: Published by Watauga Association of Genealogists. The table of contents for some issues are found on their website; ; Bulletin Subject Index: The First Thirty Years, 1972-2001 (Johnson City, Tenn.: Watauga Association of Genealogists, 2002).

Probate Records
The original Unicoi County wills are held at the County Courthouse. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed wills covering the date range 1876-1947. FHL copies:.

Online Records and Indexes
 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry $
 * Images of Wills 1878-1887; Minutes of the Court 1875-1886; 1886-1892; 1892-1898; 1898-1905. Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1837-1963  Unicoi County portion of  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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
The original Unicoi County Tax Books 1876-1899 are kept at the County Courthouse. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed these records. FHL copies:.

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1798-1798 - Tax List, Carter County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 9, No. 4. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. Includes digital images of the original source; covers area that later became Unicoi County.

Birth

 * 1828-1939 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry $
 * 1908-1912 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Delayed Births When the Social Security Administration was created in 1935, the agency asked for birth certificates as proof the applicant qualified for entry into the program. Most Tennesseans who wished to apply were born prior to the 1908 state law that first required the issuing of birth certificates. Beginning in 1935, Tennessee began to issue Delayed Birth Certificates thru an application process that required supporting documents.

Ancestry.com, in partnership with the Tennessee State Library and Archives, has added an index to and scanned images of the 1869-1909 delayed birth records of Tennessee. The indexes to these records at Ancestry.com's Tennessee State Library and Archives web page are free to search at TSLA on Ancestry - indexes are free, images require subscription.($)

Marriage
Online indexes and Records


 * 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
 * 1780-2002 Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry $
 * 1780-2002 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1790-1962 - - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
 * 1796-1950 - (Indexes only) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1876-1895 - Unicoi County Marriage Index 1876-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * 1884-1892; 1892 - 1898; 1898 - 1904 at Southeastern Genealogy ($)

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1876-1904 - Unicoi County, Tennessee Marriages, 1876-1904.

Death

 * 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 $
 * 1908-1936 - Nikazy, Eddie M. Unicoi County, Tennessee Death Record Abstracts 1908-1936. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1997..
 * 1914-1966 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

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

Libraries
Unicoi County Public Library 201 Nolichucky Avenue Erwin, TN 37650-1239 Phone: 423-743-6533 Fax: 423-743-0275 Website

Societies
The Unicoi County Historical Society 405 Ohio Ave. Erwin, TN 37650 Phone: 423-743-6307 Located at Unicoi County Public Library Facebook page

Watauga Association of Genealogists Upper East Tennessee P.O. Box 117 Johnson City, TN 37605-0117 Website
 * Publications: The Bulletin (May and October)

East Tennessee Historical Society 601 S. Gay St. P.O. Box 1629 Knoxville, TN 37901-1629 Phone: 865-215-8824 E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org Website

Websites

 * Unicoi County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Unicoi County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Unicoi County TN Genealogy  (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – 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: Unicoi County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)