Rhea County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Rhea County





East Tennessee county. Established 1807.

County Courthouse
Rhea County Courthouse 1475 Market Street Dayton, TN 37321 Phone: 423-775-7806

Rhea County Clerk Marriage and probate records 375 Church Street, Suite 101 Dayton,TN 37321 Phone: 423-775-7808

Rhea County Register of Deeds Land records 375 Church Street, Suite 106 Dayton, TN 37321 Phone: 423-775-7841

Hours: Monday 8:30 am - 6 pm Tuesday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

History
The county is named after U.S. Congressman John Rhea (1753-1832) from Tennessee.

Parent County
1807--Rhea County was established 30 November 1807 from part of Roane County. Early records may be found under Roane County. County seat: Dayton

Record Loss
1869, 1927--Fires damaged records 1833--tornado


 * Lost censuses: 1810, 1820, 1890
 * Marriage records complete
 * Lost probate records: 1808 to 1825

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: Rhea County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

Cemeteries
Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. A local volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness offers to take photographs of headstones found in Rhea County cemeteries.

Additional Rhea County cemetery resources include:


 * Watts Bar Reservoir Cemeteries. Free Lookups Available!

Census
1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Rhea 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 - 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: Rhea County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 6, No. 1 :37. For availability, see Periodicals.

1830


 * Broyles, Betty J. A Compendium of Rhea and Meigs Counties, Tennessee, 1808 through 1850. n.p.: n.p., 1980. FHL US/CAN Book 976.883 V2b. [Includes 1830 census.]
 * Hutcherson, Willis Reed. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1830 for Rhea County, Tennessee. Rockwood, TN: Unknown, 1965. FHL US/CAN Book 976.883 X2p; digital versions at Ancestry ($); Heritage Quest Online ($) and BYU Family History Archives (free). Free Lookups Available!
 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2p 1830.

1840


 * Broyles, Betty J. A Compendium of Rhea and Meigs Counties, Tennessee, 1808 through 1850. n.p.: n.p., 1980. FHL US/CAN Book 976.883 V2b. [Includes 1840 census.]
 * Hutcherson, Willis Reed. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1830 [and 1840] for Rhea County, Tennessee. Rockwood, TN: Unknown, 1965. FHL US/CAN Book 976.883 X2p; digital versions at Ancestry ($); Heritage Quest Online ($) and BYU Family History Archives (free). Free Lookups Available!

1850


 * Broyles, Betty J. A Compendium of Rhea and Meigs Counties, Tennessee, 1808 through 1850. n.p.: n.p., 1980. FHL US/CAN Book 976.883 V2b. [Includes 1850 census.]
 * Hutcherson, Willis and Pollyanna Creekmore. 1850 Rhea County, Tn. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: J.L. Douthat, 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 X2h. Free Lookups Available!

1850 Agricultural Census


 * Broyles, Bettye J. Rhea County: 1850, 1870, and 1880 Agricultural Production Census. n.p.: Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1999. FHL US/CAN Book 976.883 X2b.
 * Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2g v. 1 ff. [Rhea County is included in Vol. 1.]

1860


 * Broyles, Bettie J. Rhea County, Tennessee, Census, Marriage, and Tax Records, 1850 through 1900. 1982. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 X2b. Free Lookups Available!

1870


 * Broyles, Bettie J. Rhea County, Tennessee, Census, Marriage, and Tax Records, 1850 through 1900. 1982. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 X2b. Free Lookups Available!

1870 Agricultural Census


 * Broyles, Bettye J. Rhea County: 1850, 1870, and 1880 Agricultural Production Census. n.p.: Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1999. FHL US/CAN Book 976.883 X2b.

1880


 * Broyles, Bettie J. Rhea County, Tennessee, Census, Marriage, and Tax Records, 1850 through 1900. 1982. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 X2b. Free Lookups Available!
 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, Rhea County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1991. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 X2s 1880.

1880 Agricultural Census


 * Broyles, Bettye J. Rhea County: 1850, 1870, and 1880 Agricultural Production Census. n.p.: Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1999. FHL US/CAN Book 976.883 X2b.

1900


 * Broyles, Bettie J. Rhea County, Tennessee, Census, Marriage, and Tax Records, 1850 through 1900. 1982. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 X2b. Free Lookups Available!

1920


 * Tallent, Seth, Henrietta Tallent and Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society. Rhea County, Tennessee, 1920 Census. Spring City, Tenn.: Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1995. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 X2t.

Church

 * Rhea County Churches and Schools. Free Lookups Available!

Methodist Episcopal


 * Green, William. Life and Papers of A.L.Pl Green, D.D.. Nashville, Tennessee: Southern Methodist Pulblishing House, 1877. Free digital copy.

Court

 * County Court Minutes 1834-1840. Free Lookups Available!
 * County Court Minutes 1840-1844. Free Lookups Available!
 * County Court of Rhea County Minutes: January 1853 - October 1866. Free Lookups Available!
 * County Court of Rhea County Minutes: October 1866 - December 1871. Free Lookups Available!
 * County Court of Rhea County Minutes: December 1871 - April 1876. Free Lookups Available!
 * Rhea County, Tennessee County Court Minute Book April 1876 - August 1881. Free Lookups Available!

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

Bibliography


 * [Edmonds] Yadon, Laurence J. The Newton J. Edmonds Family of Rhea County, Tennessee and Greene, Laclede and Webster Counties, Missouri. Tulsa, Oklahoma: L.J. Yadon II, 1980. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Ed58y.
 * [Shultz] Reagan, Donald B. Smoky Mountain Clans. 3 vols. Knoxville, Tenn.: D.B. Reagan, 1978-1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273R22b 1978. [The Shultz family is discussed in Vol. 2.]
 * [Smith] Mayes, C. Vale. A Genealogy and History of Smith Family of Rhea Co. Tn. and Barry Co. Mo. with Their Related Families, 1772 - 1982. n.p.: C.V. Mayes, 198?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sm61m.
 * [Walker] Bowman, G. Ralph. Some Descendants of Captain George Walker, 1745-1833: of Fauquier, Virginia; Burke County, North Carolina; Knox, Rhea &amp; Bledsoe Counties, Tenn. n.p.: G.R. Bowman, 1978, 2004. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W152bg. Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Wasson] 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.
 * [Young] Stein, Carl F. Some Descendents of James Pickens Young 1815: of Polk, Rhea, Hamilton, Blount, &amp; Knox Counties, Tenn., Cherokee, &amp; Gaston Counties, North Carolina. Family Group Sheets. FHL US/CAN Film 2055385 Item 2.

Land
In 1969, TSLA microfilmed original Rhea County Deed Books A to M (1808-1879). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 589479-589483.

The following Rhea County land records have been abstracted:


 * Gray, David H. and Bettye J. Broyles. Rhea County, Tennessee, Deed Books. 2 vols. [Deed Books A to E (1809-1831), F (1831-1838)] Dayton, Tenn.: Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1987. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 R2r v. 1 ff. Free Lookups Available!

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.

Local Histories

 * A Compendium of Rhea &amp; Meigs, Tn 1801-1850. Free Lookups Available!
 * The History of Rhea County. Free Lookups Available!

Military
Revolutionary War


 * Revolutionary &amp; Military Pensioners, 1840, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Fall 1978).

Civil War


 * Worsham, William J. Old Nineteenth Tennessee regiment, C.S.A. June, 1861-April, l865. Knoxville, Tennessee: Press of Paragon Printing Co., 1902. Free digital copy.

Newspapers
A local volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness is willing to do free obituary lookups in Rhea County 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 Rhea County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Dayton
 * Rhea Springs
 * Spring City

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 Rhea 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 Rhea 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.

East Tennessee Roots

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Rhea 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.

Rhea Notes

The Family History Library has volumes 1 - 9 (1987 - 1995) FHL US/CAN 976.8834 B2r. Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI). For further information see Rhea County Historical and Genealogical website: http://www.rheahistory.com/

Prisons
Learn if your Rhea 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.

Probate
The original Rhea County Wills, Settlements &amp; Inventories are kept at the County Courthouse. In 1969, GSU microfilmed these records for the years 1825 to 1967: FHL US/CAN Films 589477, 1012190.

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


 * 1) Will Book A: 1825-1840
 * 2) Will Book 1: 1852-1881

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


 * [1808-1851] Bell, Annie W.B. Rhea County, Tennessee, Wills, 1808-1851. Typescript, pre-1935. FHL US/CAN 940062 Item 4.
 * [1810-1881] Broyles, Bettye J. Rhea County, Tennessee Wills, Inventories, Estate Settlements and Guardian Reports 1810-1881. n.p.: Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1989. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 P2r. Free Lookups Available!
 * [1825-1860] Historical Records Project (W.P.A.). Will Books, 1825-1860, Rhea County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed in 1940. FHL US/CAN Films 24791, 24788. [Includes inventories and administrations for certain years.]
 * [1825-1861] 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.] Free Lookups Available!
 * [1825-1840, 1852-1881] Strictly By Name (see above).

Taxation
In 1969, the TSLA microfilmed the original Rhea County Tax Lists 1832-1834. FHL copy: Minute Book C, FHL US/CAN Film 1012164.

The following Rhea County tax records have been abstracted and/or indexed::


 * [1808-1809] Tax List, 1808-9, Rhea Notes, Vol. 1, No. 3 (May 1987).
 * [1808, 1819] 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 1808 and 1819 tax lists.]
 * [1808, 1819] Mary Barnett Curtis, Early East Tennessee Tax Lists (Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964), FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4c. [Includes 1808 and 1819 tax lists.]
 * [1808-1850] Broyles, Bettie J. A Compendium of Rhea and Meigs Counties, Tennessee, 1808 through 1850. 1980. FHL US/CAN Book 976.883 V2b.
 * [1808-1809] Tax List, 1808-9, Rhea Notes, Vol. 1, No. 3 (May 1987).
 * [1808] "1808 Tax Lists of Rhea County," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
 * [1809] Tax List, 1809, Rhea Notes, Vol. 9, Nos. 3-4 (May 1995).
 * [1810] Tax List, 1810, Rhea Notes, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Jul. 1987).
 * [1810] Tax List, 1810, Rhea Notes, Vol. 9, Nos. 5-6 (Sep. 1995).
 * [1811] Tax List, 1811, Rhea Notes, Vol. 1, No. 5 (Sep. 1987); Vol. 1, No. 6 (Nov. 1987).
 * [1814] Tax List, 1814, Rhea Notes, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Mar. 1988).
 * [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 Rhea County.]
 * [1815] Tax List, 1815, Rhea Notes, Vol. 2, No. 3 (May 1988).
 * [1816-1817] Tax List, 1816, 1817, Rhea Notes, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Jul. 1988).
 * [1818] Tax List, 1818, Rhea Notes, Vol. 2, No. 5 (Sep. 1988).
 * [1819-1829] Broyles, Bettie J. Rhea County Tax Lists, 1819 through 1829. Chattanooga, Tenn.: B.J. Broyles, 199-?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 R4bb.
 * [1823] Thornton, Mabel H. "Rhea County, Tennessee, Tax List - 1823," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Jan. 1964):9-20. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1832-1834] Wells, Carol. Rhea County, Tennessee: Tax Lists, 1832-1834 and County Court Minutes, Colume D: 1829-1834. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 P2w.
 * [1832-1834] Wells, Carol. Tennessee. CD-ROM. FHL Computer US/CAN Desktop CD-ROM no. 680 v. 2. [Includes 1832-1834 tax lists.]
 * [1833] Vincent, Don. Missouri Heartlands, Family Records. 2 vols. 1991-1993. FHL US/CAN Book 977.8 D2vd. [Includes Rhea County 1833 tax list.]
 * [1836] "Rhea County, Tennessee 1836 Plat Map and Civil District Descriptions," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
 * [1837] Broyles, Bettie J. Rhea County: Taxable Property and Polls for 1837. n.p.: Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1992. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 R4b.
 * [1850-1900] Broyles, Bettie J. Rhea County, Tennessee, Census, Marriage, and Tax Records, 1850 through 1900. 1982. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 X2b. Free Lookups Available!
 * [1866] Broyles, Bettie J. Rhea County, Tennessee 1866 Tax List. [Spring City, Tennessee?: Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society], 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 R4bbj.

Vital Records
Birth


 * Rhea County Vital Statistics: Record of Births 1908-1912. Free Lookups Available!
 * Rhea County Vital Statistics: Record of Births 1924-1939. Free Lookups Available!

Marriage

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


 * [1808-1861] 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.] Free Lookups Available!
 * [1850-1900] Broyles, Bettie J. Rhea County, Tennessee, Census, Marriage, and Tax Records, 1850 through 1900. 1982. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8834 X2b. Free Lookups Available!

Death


 * Rhea County Vital Statistics: Record of Deaths 1925-1939. Free Lookups Available!

For deaths of Methodists in Rhea 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
A local volunteer, through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, offers to do genealogy lookups and make photocopies at Rhea County's public library.

Rhea County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society P.O. Box 31 Dayton, TN 37321 Email:info@rheahistory.com

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

Clyde W. Roddy Library 371 First Avenue Dayton, Tennessee 37321 Phone: 423-775-8406 Email: info@clyderoddy.org

Web Sites

 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Rhea County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Rhea County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Rhea County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNRHEA-L (Rhea 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: SE-TN-L (Southeast Tennessee List)