Sequatchie County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Sequatchie County

Middle Tennessee county in the Sequatchie Valley. Established 1857.





Quick Dates
Sequatchie County's civil records start the following years:

County Courthouse


Sequatchie County Courthouse 307 Cherry St. Dunlap, TN 37327 Phone: 1-423-949-3670

Sequatchie County Clerk Birth, death,marriage and probate records 22 Cherry St. P.O. Box 248 Dunlap, TN 37327 Phone: 1-423-949-2522

Sequatchie County Register of Deeds 22 Cherry St. P.O. Box 174 Dunlap, TN 37327 Phone: 1-423-949-2512

Sequatchie County Clerk Master Court records 22 Cherry St. P.O. Box 1651 Dunlap, TN 37327 Phone: 1-423-949-3670

Hours: Mon.-Wed. and Fri. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed Thursdays

History
The county is named after a "Cherokee word believed to mean, opossum, he grins or runs."

Parent County
1857--Sequatchie County was created 9 December 1857 from Hamilton County. Early records may be found under Hamilton County. County seat: Dunlap

County Pronunciation


Did we get the accent right? If not, contact Nathan W. Murphy, [mailto:murphynw@familysearch.org murphynw@familysearch.org].

Boundary Changes
"Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the My Tennessee Genealogy website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

Record Loss
Lost census: 1890

County records are complete.

Research Guides

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

African American
United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

Cemeteries
Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.

The Tennessee Cemeteries page provides explanations of the following online resources:

Census
1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Sequatchie 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.

1860


 * Douthat, James L. 1860 Sequatchie County, Tennessee Census. Signal Mountain, Tennessee : James L. Douthat, 1983.


 * Goins, Sarah A. and Norma Jean Hobbs. 1860 Census, Sequatchie County, Tennessee. S.l.: Goins and Hobbs Genealogy Service, 198-?.

1870


 * Goins, Sarah A. and Norma Jean Hobbs. United States Census, Sequatchie County, Tennessee 1870. S.l.: Goins and Hobbs Genealogy Service, 198-?.

1880


 * Hobbs Norma Jean and Sarah A. Goins. United States Census, Sequatchie County, Tennessee 1880. Dunlap, Tennessee : N. Hobbs &amp; S. Goins, 1986.
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census Sequatchie County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler and Associates, 1994.

1910


 * Goins, Sarah A. and Norma Jean Hobbs. Sequatchie County, Tennessee, 1910 Census. S.l.: Goins and Hobbs Genealogy Service, 1986.

1920


 * Goins, Sarah A. and Norma Jean Hobbs. 1920 Census, Sequatchie County, Tennessee. Dunlap, Tennessee : Goins and Hobbs Genealogy Service, 198-?.

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

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

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Sequatchie, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 5,000 entries.


 * Compendium of Local Biography Sequatchie County, Tn. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1997?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.877 D3c.
 * Douthat, James L. Sequatchie Families: Biographical Sketches of the Earlier Settlers of the Sequeatchie Valley of Tennessee. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: J.L. Douthat, 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.87 D3d.

Bibliography


 * [Boyd] Boyd, R. Vernon. The Boyds of Sequatchie Valley - Genealogy Data. 1992. FHL US/CAN Film 1750733 Item 38; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Boyd] Boyd, R. Vernon. The Boyds of Sequatchie Valley, Tn. 1992. FHL US/CAN Film 1750733 Item 37; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Brock] Brock, E. Ralph. Brock: A Family History. Wyandotte, Oklahoma: E. Brock, 1989. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B782be.
 * [Lamb] Mohon, James L. Lamb and Allied Families of the Sequatchie Valley. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 1996. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 L165m.
 * [Mansfield] Stites, J.S. Mansfield and Stites Genealogical Record: Ancestors, Relatives, Descendants. Santa Rosa, California: J.S. Stites, 1989. FHL FAM HIST Large Q Book 929.273 M317s.
 * [Peters] Holloman, Eddie Inez Peters and Mary Lillian Peters Whitten. Peters, Vaughan, Russell and Related Families. Amory, Mississippi: Amory Advertiser, 1980. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 P442h.
 * [Stewart] Blakemore, Mary Stewart. A Narrative Genealogy of the Stewarts of Sequatchie Valley, Tennessee: and Allied Families. Richmond, Va.: Dietz Press, 1960. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 St49b; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Swafford] Swofford, Ray C. Swaffords of Sequatchie Valley, Tennessee. Houston, Tex.: Swofford, 1971. FHL US/CAN Film 908246 Item 1.
 * [Swafford] Swofford, Ray C. Swaffords of Sequatchie Valley, Tennessee. Houston, Tex.: R.C. Swofford, 1978. FHL US/CAN Film 1036306 Item 1.
 * [Swafford] Swofford, Ray C. Swaffords of Sequatchie Valley, Tennessee. 2 vols. Houston, Tex.: R.C. Swofford, 1990. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sw12s ff.

Local Histories

 * Raulston, J. Leonard and James Weston Livingood. Sequatchie: A Story of the Southern Cumberlands. Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1974. FHL US/CAN Book 976.87 H2r.

Military
Revolutionary War


 * Douthat, James L. Sequatchie Valley Revolutionary War Soldiers. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1999. FHL US/CAN Book 976.877 M2d.

War of 1812


 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1961):49-52. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. [Includes Sequatchie County pensioners (p. 52).]

Civil War


 * Blevins, Jerry. Sequatchie Valley Soldiers in the Civil War: Bledsoe, Grundy, Marion and Sequatchie Counties in Tennessee and Jackson County in Alabama. Huntsville, Ala.: J. Blevins, 1990. FHL US/CAN Book 976.87 M2b.

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 Sequatchie County click on the following city:


 * Dunlap

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 Sequatchie County.]
 * Tennesse Bureau of Agriculture, Statistics and Mines. Coal Mines and Mining--Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: A.B. Travel, 1883. Free digital copy.

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
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Sequatchie County, Tennessee records 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.

Probate
Probate records are court records created after an individual’s death that relate to a court’s decisions regarding the distribution of the estate to the heirs or creditors and the care of any dependents. You may find the names of married daughters or other relatives and their residences; or information about the adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. Probate records do not always give an exact date of death, but the death usually occurred within four months of probate. These documents are important to family history researchers because they usually exist for time periods before civil birth and death records were kept.

The Sequatchie County Court and County Clerk have responsibility for the probate records.

Taxation
The original Sequatchie County Tax Books (1861-1891) are held at the County Courthouse. GSU microfilmed these records in 1969: FHL US/CAN Film 1012196.

The following Sequatchie County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1861] Goins, Sara and Paula Carle Bosch. "1861 Sequatchie County, Tennessee Tax List," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.

Marriage
The original Sequatchie County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. The following Sequatchie County marriage records are microfilmed:


 * [1817-1995] Available at the TSLA. The first film of this series is avaialable for interlibrary loan.
 * [1858-1967] Available at the Family History Library. Some volumes are indexed.

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


 * [1858-1881] Douthat, James L. Sequatchie County, Tennessee Marriages, 1854-1881 [i.e. 1858-1881]. Signal Mountain, Tennessee : J.L. Douthat, 1982.
 * [1858-1922] Goins, Sara A. Marriages of Sequatchie County, Tennessee, 1858-1922. Dunlap, Tennessee: Goins and Hobbs Genealogy Service, 1986.
 * [1858-1874] Marriage Records, 1858-1874, Sequatchie County, Tennessee. Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 1940.  Typescript.  Item 5
 * [1858-1881] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]
 * 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. Dickson, 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.
 * [1858-1922] Marriage Records.

Divorce
In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Sequatchie County divorce papers in diverse County Courthouse records, see:


 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A3gp.

Death
For deaths of Methodists in Sequatchie County (or what later became Sequatchie 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
Sequatchie County Public Library 227 Cherry St. Dunlap, TN 37327 Phone: 1-423-949-2357 Fax: 1-423-949-6619 Hours: Mon. 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues. and Wed. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m.-noon The genealogy room will generally be available for research on Wednesdays, but call the library before going to be sure it is open.

East Tennessee Historical Society 601 S. Gay St. P.O. Box 1629 Knoxville, TN 37901-1629 Phone: 1-865-215-8824 E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org

Web Sites

 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Mailing List: SE-TN-L (Southeast Tennessee List) (RootsWeb)
 * Sequatchie County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Sequatchie County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Sequatchie County, Tennessee Genealogy and History (American Local History Network) Resources to help you place your ancestors within the context of their local history.
 * Sequatchie County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Sequatchie County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Sequatchie County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (MyTennesseeGenealogy)