Anderson County, Tennessee Genealogy

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

Description
Anderson County was named for Joseph Anderson (1757-1847), who was at that time U.S. senator from Tennessee; in his career he also served as judge of the Superior Court of the Territory South of the River Ohio and Comptroller of the U.S. Treasury. The county is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Anderson County Courthouse 100 N Main Street Clinton, TN 37716 Anderson County Website Phone: 865-457-5400 Circuit Court Phone: 865-463-6821 County Clerk has marriage and probate records.

Populated Places
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:

Neighboring Counties
Campbell •  Knox •  Loudon  •  Morgan •  Roane  •  Scott  •  Union

History Timeline

 * The county is named after Tennessee Senator Joseph Anderson (1757-1837).


 * Anderson County Chamber of Commerce has a county history review article titled, Anderson County: Proud History, Bright Future website.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * East Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1778 to 1911. 2000. By Alan N. Miller. Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company. . Online at MyHeritage ($). Includes Anderson County.

Cemeteries

 * McGinnis, Robert A. Gone to Rest: The Cemeteries of Anderson County, Tennessee. n.p.: R.A. McGinnis, 2008.

Census Records
1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Anderson 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 Anderson County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files The USGenWeb Census Project®

Census and Census Substitutes Index


 * 1810-1891 Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry index ($)
 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry index ($)

Lost

Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index 1810-1891; Ancestry ($)

1800 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

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..

1820 -Lost

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at NARA, Washington, D.C. FS Library copies:.

Published abstracts:


 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977..
 * 1820 Census of Manufactures: Anderson County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 5, No. 3 :112. For availability, see Periodicals.

1830


 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969..

1840 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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. [See Tennessee, Eastern District, Anderson County on page 152.]

1850


 * Chambers, Richard L. "1850 Federal Census - Anderson County," [5 parts] available online at USGenWeb Archives.

1860


 * Harris, Mary S. United States Census, Anderson County, 1860. [Tenn.]: M.S. Harris, 1989..

1870


 * Hutton, Edith Wilson. Transcription, Federal Census Schedule, Anderson County, Tennessee, 1870, Indexed. Knoxville, Tenn.: E.W. Hutton, 1984..

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census - Tennessee: Transcription for Anderson County. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 198-?..

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. . [Anderson County is included in Vol. 1.]
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. . https://drive.google.com/#shared-with-me

1910


 * Phillips, Betty J.S. 1910 Anderson County Tn. Census. Clinton, Tenn.: B.J.S. Phillips, 1999..

1920


 * Kelley, Wanda. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1920 for Anderson County, Tennessee. [Harriman, Tenn.]: W. Kelley, [199-?]..

1930


 * Collins, Betty VanOver. 1930 Anderson Co., Tn. Federal Census. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.J.V. Collins, [2004?]..

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Church records include baptisms, marriages and burials, as well as information about family members and clues about family migration. For additional information about church records, religions, and religious archives in Tennessee, see Tennessee Church Records.


 * Anderson County Church Records (also check by town)


 * - FamilySearch Catalog -


 * Church histories tell when a church started in the area, who the early members were, give data about church leaders, etc.


 * - FamilySearch Catalog -


 * If the records you need are not available through the FamilySearch Library, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived. Two sites that give information about churches in Anderson County are:
 * - List of Anderson County churches with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)
 * - List of Anderson County churches (TN HomeTownLocator)

The churches with the largest membership in Anderson County are the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church. For more information about religions in the county, see the charts showing membership by faith   created by the Association of Religion Data Archives.

Court Records
Court records began in 1801.
 * Court Information at TNGenWeb Project

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.

Emigration and Immigration
During the War of 1812, American officials report living in Anderson County. This publication, British Aliens in the United States During the War of 1812. is a record of thousands of British immigrants who arrived in the United States mainly between 1790 and 1812 and who had not yet been naturalized, and concerning whom few other records can be found. Ancestry ($)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American African American marriages in Anderson County for the years 1866 to 1879 are abstracted in the following book:


 * Gammell, Paula. Anderson County, Tennessee, Marriages, January, 1859 - August, 1882. Knoxville, Tenn.: P. Gammell, 1984. Marriages. [Covers Marriage Books 3, 4, and "Colored" (1866-1879). Abstracts include names of grooms, brides, and officiators, as well as license and marriage dates.]

Genealogies
More than 31 genealogies have been published about Anderson County, Tennessee families. For more information visit Anderson County, Tennessee Compiled Genealogies.

Land and Property Records
Land records began in 1802. The original Anderson County Deed Books are held at the Anderson County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A to LZ (1802-1893) and Trust Deed Books 1 to 2 (1882-1892) in the 1970s. FS Library copies:.

The organization Strictly By Name provides online indexes to early Anderson County land records. They offer a research service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Here are the indexes:


 * 1) Deed Book K: 1827-1842

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War The following Anderson County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions

The 1840 Census of Pensioners has been abstracted multiple times:


 * 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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. See Tennessee, Eastern District, Anderson County on page 152.
 * Revolutionary and Military Pensioners, 1840, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 34, No. 2 (Summer 1987). Available online, for access, see Anderson.

Additional resources include:


 * 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 at TNGenWeb. Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.
 * Revolutionary War Veterans Who Lived in the County, List, Pellissippian, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Jul. 2004); Vol. 25, No. 4 (Oct. 2004); Vol. 26, No. 1 (Jan. 2005); Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr. 2005); Vol. 26, No. 3 (Jul. 2005); Vol. 27, No. 1 (Jan. 2006). For access, see Anderson.

War of 1812
 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan. 1960):13-16. ; digital version at journal website. Includes Anderson County pensioners (p. 13).
 * War of 1812 Survivors and Widows Pensioners, Pellissippian, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Apr. 1990). For access, see Anderson.

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
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1891-1965 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * Civl War Research Database
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Union Soldiers
 * 1st Battalion, Tennessee Light Artillery, Battery D
 * 1st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - Companies H and K.
 * 7th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Companies F, G and I.
 * 8th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - Company E.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Anderson County


 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Anderson County. Soldier's Name, County, Pension #, Unit or Widow listed.
 * USGenWeb Archives, Anderson County, Tennessee Archives. Civil War Records, Civil War Pensions.
 * 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 book at Internet Archive. Anderson County, page 315.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Hutton, Edith Wilson. Anderson County, Tennessee: Divorces and Naturalizations, 1844 through 1920. Knoxville, Tenn.: E.W. Hutton, 1992..

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 TSLA for Anderson County click on the following cities:


 * Clinton
 * Oak Ridge

The following publication, based on early newspapers, can help researchers find earlier records:

For deaths of Methodists in Anderson County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:
 * Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. .The original Anderson County marriage books are kept at the Anderson. Many of them have been microfilmed:


 * 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 includes additional records covering the 1830's, 1840's, 1910's and 1920's.

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;.


 * The Pellissippian: Published by the Anderson County Historical Society (formerly called, Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society). 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
Anderson County probate records dated before 1827 have been lost.

Online Records


 * 1779-2008 Anderson County portion of at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection images only; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.
 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry $
 * 1830-1842; 1847-1852; 1853-1859; 1859-18189 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Images of Wills, Estates, etc. ($)
 * 1830-1912 Anderson County Tennessee list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills.

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * 1830-1913 - Pellisippi Genealogical and Historical Society. Anderson County Wills - Volume 1. Clinton, TN: PGHS, 2010.
 * 1830-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler Associates, Inc., 1990. . Includes an index to this county's probate records. Free Lookups Available!

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 Anderson County Tax Books 1838-1842, 1855-1865 and the Railroad Tax Book 1859-1865 are held at the Anderson County Courthouse. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed these records Rolls 48, A-4195;.

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * 1801 Creekmore, Pollyanna. Early East Tennessee Taxpayers. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1980. and Silas Emmett Lucas's Revised Index . Includes 1801 tax list.
 * 1802 1802 Tax List of Anderson Co., Tn. 198-?..
 * 1802 - Petracek, Ruth. "Early Records of Anderson Co., Tennessee: 1802 Tax Record," The Mountain Empire Genealogical Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Fall 1983):158-160..
 * 1802, 1805 Curtis, Mary Barnett. Early East Tennessee Tax Lists. Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964. . Includes 1802 and 1805 tax lists.
 * 1805 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. Includes 1805 tax list.
 * 1806 Tax List, 1806, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin. Johnson City TN: 1976. Vol. 5 Iss. 1-2.
 * 1814- "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3(Fall 1996):115-120. For possible FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Anderson. Includes Anderson County.
 * 1836 Douthat, James L. Anderson County, 1836, Tennessee Civil Districts and Tax Lists. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. ; online: surname index and purchase details.
 * 1837 Tax List Excerpt, 1837, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter. Huntsville TN: Summer 1993. Vol. 10 Iss. 4.
 * 1893 Notice to Delinquent Taxpayers, 1893, Pellissippian. Clinton TN: Jan 2007. Vol. 28 Iss. 1.

Birth
Birth records begin in 1869 Online Records
 * 1869-1909 Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry $
 * 1881-1882 - Anderson County Birth Index 1881-1882. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 1908-1912 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

Marriage
Online Records and Indexes
 * 1625-1966 Tennessee, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
 * 1780-2002 Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry $
 * 1790-1962 - at FamilySearch. - How to Use this CollectionIndex and images. 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
 * 1838-1916 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1838-1916 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1851-1900 Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1980-2014 Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * 1838-1858 - Marriages of Anderson County, Tennessee 1838-1858..
 * 1838-1870 - 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols.  ff.
 * 1838-1882 - Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. . Free Lookups Available!
 * 1859-1882 - Anderson County, Tennessee, Marriages, January, 1859 - August, 1882..
 * 1881-1900 - Anderson County, Tennessee, Marriage Records. (1881-1900) 3 vols. ff.
 * 1926-1960 - Anderson Co., Tn. Marriages. [1926-1960] 2 vols. ff.

Death
Death records begin in 1881 Online Records
 * 1908-1958 Tennessee Death Records 1908-1958 at Ancestry $
 * 1908-1933 Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 1908-1912 Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
 * 1914-1966 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1914-1933 Tennessee Death Records 1914-1933 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
 * 1949-2014 Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Divorce
Online Records Book Indexes and Abstracts
 * 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
 * Hutton, Edith Wilson. Anderson County, Tennessee: Divorces and Naturalizations, 1844 through 1920. Knoxville, Tenn.: E.W. Hutton, 1992..
 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Digital Library.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Grove Park Tennessee Family History Center
 * Knoxville Tennessee Family History Center
 * Oak Ridge Tennessee Family History Center
 * Knox County Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Oak Ridge Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Briceville Public Library 921 Andy's Ridge Road Briceville, TN 37710 Phone: 865-426-6220 Email: [mailto:bricevillepubliclibrary@comcast.net bricevillepubliclibrary@comcast.net] Facebook Genealogy Resources: Family Histories, Marriage Records, Divorce Records, Naturalizations, Census Records, Cemetery Records, Death Records, Probate Records, etc. The Library also holds Marriage Records for Rutherford, Carter, Washington, and Hawkins in Tennessee and Orange (NC) in North Carolina. Clinton Public Library 118 South Hicks St. Clinton, TN 37716 Phone: 865-457-0519 Website Genealogy Resources: Probate Records, Deeds, Court Records, Census Records, Tax Lists, Vital Records, and Local newspapers. A volunteer researcher is available for limited research. Lake City Public Library 226 N Main St. Lake City, TN 37769 Phone: 865-426-6762 Email: [mailto:lakecitylibrary@comcast.net lakecitylibrary@comcast.net] The Betty Anne Jolly Norris Community Library 1 Norris Square P.O. Box 1110 Norris, TN 37828 Phone: 865-494-6800 Email: [mailto:norrispl@comcast.net norrispl@comcast.net] Facebook Website Oak Ridge Public Library 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike Oak Ridge, TN 37830 Phone: 865-425-3457 Facebook Website Rocky Top Public Library 226 North Main Street Rocky Top, TN 37769 Phone: 865-426-6762 Email: [mailto:info@rockytoppubliclibrary.com info@rockytoppubliclibrary.com] Website

Societies
Anderson County Historical Society 118 Hicks St. P.O. Box 148 Clinton, TN 37717 Email: [mailto:pghs@att.net pghs@att.net] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Anderson County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * – 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
Research Guides
 * "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Anderson County at TSLA (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)