Cheatham County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Cheatham County





Middle Tennessee county established in 1856. The northern part of what is now Cheatham County belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.

County Courthouse
Cheatham County Courthouse 100 Public Square Ashland City, Tennessee 37015 Phone: 615-792-4620

Cheatham County Clerk Marriage records 264 S. Main Street, Suite 108 Ashland City, TN 37015 Phone: 615-792-5179

Cheatham County Register of Deeds 264 S. Main Street, Suite 109 Ashland City, TN 37015 Phone: 615-792-4317 The County Register of Deeds registers and keeps all public records for Cheatham County.

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

History
The county is named after "Tennessee state legislator Edward Cheatham."

Parent County
1856--Cheatham County was created 28 February 1856 from Davidson, Robertson, Dickson, and Montgomery Counties. County seat: Ashland City

From 1788 to 1796 people living in what is now part of Cheatham County were in extinct Tennessee County. Their records for that period are now found in Robertson County, Tennessee.

Populated Places
Cities and Towns:

Neighboring Counties
Davidson 

Dickson

Montgomery

Robertson 

Williamson

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Cheatham 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.)

Cemeteries
For a list of Cheatham county cemeteries, click here.

Census

 * Bush, Marisa, ed.. Cheatham County, Tennessee Census, 1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Available at Ancestry ($).

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


 * Masters, Jack and Bill Puryear. Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804: Showing Who Came, How They Came, and Where They Put Down Roots. Gallatin, Tenn.: Warioto Press, 2009. FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d. Supplements: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 E7d supp. 1 ff. Purchase at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers.

Bibliography


 * [Curfman, Kurfman, Corfman, Korffmann] Curfman, Robert Joseph. The Curfman-Kurfman-Corfman-Korffmann Genealogy. Denver: Priv. print., 1971. Digital versions available at Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Whitfield] Whitfield, Vallie Jo Fox. Whitfield History and Genealogy of Tennessee. [Walnut Creek, CA: Unknown,, 1964. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 879642 Item 1; digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).

Land
Land Grants


 * Free index to 1500+ Pioneer Cumberland Settlements Land Grants, available online, courtesy: Cumberland Pioneer Settlers. The Cumberland Settlements region covered what is now this county. To view the land grants platted on maps, purchase the books described on this site, or access those available at the Family History Library FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d.

Local Histories
Deserted Sycamore Village by Lois Barnes focuses on the early families and history of Sycamore, Cheatham, Tennessee. Many historical photographs are included. Some readers caution that family genealogies are not all correct and need more research.

Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2004. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Cheatham County.]

Periodicals
The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Cheatham County, Tennessee have been published in The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, the quarterly of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society (23+ Vols.). To view a list of these articles, visit their online Index to Articles (1988-2005). Surname indexes are also available online for Vols. 2-22. The website also offers back issues for sale in paper and on CD. The Family History Library has a complete collection of this quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.

Prisons

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

Taxation

 * [1789] Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1856] Cheatham County Tax List with Land Descendants and Map, 1856, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Winter 1991); Vol. 4, No. 4 (Spring 1991); Vol. 5, No. 1 (Summer 1991). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

Vital Records

 * Tennessee. Tennessee Divorce and Other Records, 1800-1965. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Available at Ancestry ($).

Web Sites

 * Cheatham County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Cheatham County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Cheatham County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
 * Family History Library Catalog