Decatur County, Tennessee Genealogy

Guide to Decatur 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 Stephen Decatur, Jr., who gained national recognition in the First Barbary War, the Second Barbary War, and the War of 1812 by his leadership and achievements at sea. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Decatur County Courthouse PO Box 488 Decaturville, TN 38329-0488 Decatur County Website Phone: 731-852-3417 County Clerk Phone: 731-852-3417 Clerk Master Phone: 731-852-3422 Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 731-852-3125 Register of Deeds Phone: 731-852-3712 Court records Marriage records from 1869 Register of Deeds has land 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:

History Timeline
Additional Information

The county is named after U.S. naval officer Stephen Decatur (1779-1820).

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. West Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1821 to 1889. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2006. . Purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes Decatur County.

Census Records
1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Decatur 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 Decatur County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®

Church Records
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.


 * Decatur County Church Records


 * - FamilySearch Catalog -


 * Church histories tell when a church started in the area, who the early members were, give data about church leaders, etc.
 * If the records you need are not found in the Family History Library collection, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived.Two sites that give information about churches in Bedford County are:


 * - List of Decatur County churches with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)
 * - List of Decatur County churches (TN HomeTownLocator)


 * In 1936, a helpful guide to early Decatur County church records (Guide to Church Vital Statistics in Tennessee, also ) was published by the Works Project Administration. Use this guide to locate which church records exist and where they were housed in 1936. The Tennessee State Library and Archives has filmed some of these records. To locate which records are available at the TSLA, go to the appropriate "county fact sheet" on the TSLA Web site and scroll down to "selected manuscript material". All filmed church records at the TSLA for Decatur County are listed. Many of these filmed records are also available at the Family History Library.

Court Records
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. 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
More than a dozen genealogies have been published about Decatur County, Tennessee families. For more information visit Decatur County, Tennessee Compiled Genealogies.

Land and Property Records
Decatur County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1846 and is located at 22 West Main Street, Decaturville, Tennessee 38329, or P.O. Box 488, Decaturville, TN 38329-0488; Telephone: 731-852-3712. Land and property records may include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries. The Family History Library has microfilmed deed records 1846-1896 with indexes to 1926 and survey books 1891-1918.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)

Military Records
War of 1812
 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1960):40-45. ; digital version at journal website. Includes Decatur County pensioners (p. 43).

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
 * Civil War Research Database
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Confederate Soldiers 


 * 10th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (DeMoss') - CSA - Company C.
 * 27th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company E.
 * 31st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (A. H. Bradford's) - CSA - Company H.
 * 51st Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry, Companies A and E.
 * 52nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company A, D, and I.
 * Cox's Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry, Company C

Union Soldiers


 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Companies C, D, and E.
 * 6th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Companies G and H.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Decatur County:


 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Decatur County. Index 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. Decatur County, page 331.

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 Decatur County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Decaturville
 * Parsons


 * 1794-1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..

For deaths of Methodists in Decatur County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:


 * 1847-1914 - 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.

Obituaries

 * USGenWeb Archives

Prisons

 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850
 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870

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;
 * Family Findings: Quarterly of the Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society. For tables of contents and online access to issues, see TNGenWeb Project. Also try this specialized Google search..
 * West Tennessee Historical Society Papers: Occasional publication of the West Tennessee Historical Society. . To view Table of Contents and complete articles from 1947 - 2005 see Shelby County Register of Deeds

Probate Records
The County Court has responsibility for the probate records of Decatur County.

Online Records


 * 1779-2008 - Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1869-1975 -Decatur County portion of at FamilySearch - images only; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.- How to Use this Collection

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 Decatur County Tax Books 1888-1889, 1896-1898 are kept at the County Courthouse. In the 1970s, the TSLA microfilmed these records. FHL copies:.

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1848 "1849 Land Sales Held in 3 West Tennessee Counties for Unpaid Taxes," [1848 taxpayers in Decatur, Carroll, and Henderson counties], Ansearchin' News, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Winter 1997):12. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Decatur.
 * 1852-1882 - Hill, Phyllis. "Decatur County, TN - Misc - Tax Receipts of W.G. Riggs," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives. Abstracts of receipts Riggs received for paying his taxes, various years between 1852 and 1882.
 * 1888 Hill, Phyllis. "Decatur County, TN - Land - Property Tax Records, District 12, 1888," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1889 Hill, Phyllis. "Decatur County, TN - Land - Property Tax Records, District 12, 1889," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1896 Hill, Phyllis. "Decatur County, TN - Land - Property Tax Records, District 12, 1896," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

Birth

 * 1828-1939 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1850 Porch, Deane Decatur County, Tennessee, 1850 census Nashville, Tennessee: D. Porch, 1970.
 * 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1880 Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara 1880 Census, Decatur County, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee B. Sistler and Associates, c1993.
 * 1881-1903 - Decatur County Birth Index 1881-1903 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1908-1912 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

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 - [1790-1962] - at FamilySearch. index and images. Covers all counties in Tennessee.- How to Use this Collection
 * 1796-1950 - (Indexes only) at FamilySearch- [Tennessee Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1869-1898 - Marriage records, 1869-1898, Decatur County, Tennessee +++
 * 1869-1895 - Decatur County Marriage Index 1869-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1869-1921, 1927-1992 - Early marriage records of Decatur County, Tennessee  Book covers all recorded marriages from 1869 to 1921. A fire on March 25, 1927 destroyed all records between March 23, 1921 and March 25, 1927. Book then begins the records following the fire through the year 1992.

Death

 * 1874-1955 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1908-1933 - Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 1908-1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1912 - 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 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1949-2014 - Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Divorce
Online Records Online Titles
 * 1796 - 1850 - Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
 * 1800-1965 - Tennessee. Tennessee Divorce and Other Records, 1800-1965. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Available at Ancestry ($)
 * 1980-2014 - Divorce Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index
 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Books Online; - Inventory stating where divorce records are housed.

Libraries
Decatur County Public Library 20 W Market St Decaturville, TN 38329 Phone: 731-852-3325 E-mail: [mailto:dcldsl@tds.net dcldsl@tds.net] Website
 * The Tennessee Room holds birth and marriage records, census records, cemetery records, county histories, military records, county deeds, court minutes, newspapers, etc. The director of the Library has volunteered to take pictures of headstones in Decatur county

Parsons Public Library 535 Tennessee Ave South Parsons, TN 38363 Phone: 731-847-6988 E-mail: [mailto:parsonslib@netease.net parsonslib@netease.net]

West Tennessee Heritage Study Center Paul Meek Library University of Tennessee at Martin Phone: 731-881-7060 Website
 * The Heritage Study Center holds a variety of genealogical resources including materials relating to the following counties in Tennessee: Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Perry, Shelby, Stewart, Tipton, Wayne, Weakley and Carlisle (KY), Fulton (KY), and Hickman (KY) counties in Kentucky.

Societies
Decatur County Historical Society PO Box 700 Decaturville, TN 38329-0700. Website

West Tennessee Historical Society P.O. Box 111046 Memphis, TN 38111 Phone: 901-475-6608 E-mail: [mailto:efrank@memphis.edu efrank@memphis.edu] Website

Websites

 * Decatur County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Decatur County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Decatur County Archives, USGenWeb Archives
 * Yesterday's Tennessee
 * – 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: Decatur County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)