Union County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Union County





East Tennessee county. Established 1850.

County Courthouse
Union County Courthouse 901 Main Street Maynardville, TN 37807 Phone: 865-992-8043

Union County Clerk Birth records from 1864 Marriage and probate records 901 Main Street Maynardville, TN 37807 Phone: 865-992-8043

Union County Register of Deeds Land records 901 Main Street, Suite 108 Maynardville, TN 37807 Phone: 865-992-8024

Union County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 901 Main Street, Suite 220 Maynardville, TN 37807 Phone: 865-992-5493

Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm Saturday 9 am - noon

History
The origin of the county name is not entirely clear. Some believe it symbolized the unification of several East Tennessee counties at it's formation. Others point out Tennessee's desire to preserve the Union.

Parent County
1850--Union County was created 3 January 1850 from Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger, and Knox Counties. County seat: Maynardville

Record Loss
1969--Fired damaged records
 * Antebellum marriages are lost

Research Guides

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

Census
1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Union 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, these indexes are often more accurate than those available online.

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


 * Wilson, Marshall A. Families of Norris Reservoir Area. Clinton, Tennessee: Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society, 1986. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8935 D2w.


 * Norris Dam on the Clinch River in Eastern Tennessee was a project of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1930s. Nearly 3,000 families, totalling almost 14,000 persons, were required to vacate land that was to be inundated by the resulting reservoir. In connection with the removal of families and gravesites, Mr. Wilson, a TVA official, collected historical and genealogical information about Norris Valley residents; he presents information about 75 of those families, along with a brief chronology of the area. Each family record begins with the name of a father and the name of that man's father, con- tinuing through other ancestors of the direct male line back to the earliest one known. Families represented by ten or more male heads of household include Agee, Carden, Hatmaker, Irwin, Longmire, Miller, Rice, and Sharp.

Bibliography


 * [Ridenour] Ridenour, James. The Ridenour Families of Union County, Tennessee, 1850-1930. Maynardville, Tenn.: Union County Historical Society (Tennessee), 2004?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8935 D2r.

Military
Civil War


 * Carter, William Randolph. History of the First regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry in the Great war of the Rebellion, with the Armies of the Ohio and Cumberland, under Generals Morgan, Rosecrans, Thomas, Stanley and Wilson. Knoxville, Tennessee: Gaut-Ogden Co. Printers, 1902. Free digital copy.&amp;nbsp; Union.

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 Union 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:

Pathways History and Genealogical Journal

"A quarterly publication of the Union County Historical Society" organized in 1980. The Family History Library has most volumes to the present time. FHL US/CAN 976.8935 H25p Indexed at PERiodical Source Index (PERSI)

The Pellissippian

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Union County, Tennessee records were published in the The Pellissippian (25 vols., 1980-2004), the quarterly of the Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society. The society has posted tables of contents for all 25 volumes on their website. They also have back issues available for purchase. The Family History Library has acquired the first 20 volumes FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 D25p.

Yesteryears

Family History Library has volumes 2 and 3 (Feb 2006 - Oct 2007) For additional information see website: http://www.unioncountytn.com/history/default.htm. Website includes Volume 3, Issue 3 May/June 2007 online.

Prisons
Learn if your Union County ancestors went to prison!


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Taxation
The original Union County Tax Duplicates, 1854-1860, 1869-1874, and 1893 are kept at the County Courthouse. In the 1970s, the Tennessee State Library and Archives microfilmed these records. Copies of their films are also available at the Family History Library: FHL US/CAN Films 976359-976360.

Vital Records
Death

For deaths of Methodists in Union 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
Union County Historical Society, Inc. 3824 Maynardville, Highway P.O. Box 95 Maynardville, Tennessee 37807 Phone: 865-992-2136

Web Sites

 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNUNION-L (Union 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: UPPEREASTTN-L (Upper East Tennessee List)
 * Union County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Union County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Union County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)