Houston County, Tennessee Genealogy

Guide to Houston 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 Sam Houston. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Houston County Courthouse 4725 East Main Street PO Box 388 Erin, TN 37061-0388 County Courthouse Phone: 931-289-3633 County Clerk Phone: 931-289-3141 Clerk Circuit Court Phone: 931-289-4673 Register of Deeds Phone: 931-289-3510

Marriage records, divorce and court records Probate records, land records.

County Pronunciation
 * 1) Hear it spoken (female)
 * 2) Hear it spoken (male)

History Timeline
Additional Information

Middle Tennessee county on the Tennessee River. Established 1871.

The county is named after Sam Houston (1793-1863), Governor of Tennessee and later of Texas.

Business, Commerce, and 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. . Purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes Houston County.

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources
 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
 * Houston County, Tennessee Cemetery Listing - cemetery information with transcriptions
 * Douthat, James L. Kentucky Lake Reservoir Cemeteries. Vol. 2. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1988. Free Surname Index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.
 * Maupin, Judith Ann Cemetery Records of Land Between the Lakes (Betweist Rivers) 1814-1982 May 1982. Cemetery records of land between the lakes

Census Records
1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Houston 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.

1810-1891


 * Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry ($)

1880


 * Finley, Nina. Census of Houston County Area.Erin, Tennessee Friends of Houston County Library, 19--?. vol.9
 * Sistler, Samuel D. 1880 census - Houston County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 2000.

1890 Lost

Substitutes are available:


 * Reed, Sue S. Enumeration of Male Inhabitants of Twenty-one Years of Age and Upward, Citizens of Tennessee, January 1, 1891, as Provided for by an Act of General Assembly of Tennessee, Passed January 15, 1891, and Approved January 22, 1891. 8 vols. Houston, Texas: S.S. Reed, 1989. . Houston County is included in Vol. 2.
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978..

Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)

1900


 * Finley, Nina. Census of Houston County Area.Erin, Tennessee Friends of Houston County Library, 19--?. vol.10

1920


 * Bush, Marisa, ed.. Houston County, Tennessee Census, 1920 (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Available at Ancestry ($)

Genealogies
General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Houston, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 4,000 entries.

Bibliography


 * Adams - Proctor, Irene Adams. The Adams Family Kith and Kin: From Halifax County, Virginia to Yellow Creek Valley and Grices Creek, Houston County, Tennessee; a Narrative Account: History, Biography, Genealogy and Legend. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 2000..
 * Beasley - Lockhart, William Thomas. The Beasley Family of Benton, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart Counties of Tennessee. Florissant, Missouri: W. Lockhart, 1985..
 * Knight - Garrett, Jill Knight. Knight Cousins. Columbia, TN: Unknown, 1967. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 928090; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).

Land and Property Records

 * Houston County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1871 and is located at the county Courthouse, P.O. Box 388, 100 Main St., Erin, Tennessee 37061; Telephone: (931) 289-3141. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
 * The Family History Library has microfilm copies of deed books 1871-1967; probate deed books 1871-1957; trust deed books, 1872-1967; Plat books 1853-1967.

Local Histories

 * Goodspeed firm Goodspeed history of Tennessee The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1886 for histories of Montgomery, Robinson, Humphreys, Stewart, Dickson, Cheatham, and Houston Counties of Tennessee.
 * Finley, Nina - compiled from records housed at Houston County Board of Education ''Houston County School Data Pre-1930. 1991
 * McClain, Iris Hopkins A history of Houston County. 1966

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. 3 (Jul. 1960):65-68. ; digital version at journal website. Includes Houston County pensioners (p. 68)

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
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865
 * 1891-1965 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Other Resources
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Houston County. 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. Houston County, page 348.

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 Houston County click on the following city:


 * Erin


 * 1847 - 1851 - 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. (Largely Methodist?)

Prisons

 * 1831-1850 - Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850 at Tennessee State Library and Archives
 * 1851-1870 - Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870 at Tennessee State Library and Archives

Periodicals

 * The River Counties Quarterly: (14 vols.) edited by Jill K. Garrett. The Family History Library has a complete collection

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

Online Records and Indexes


 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1869-1966 - Houston County portion of at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.

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.

Birth

 * 1881-1882 - Houston County Birth Index 1881-1882. Batch in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.org- free.
 * 1908-1912 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage
Online Indexes and Records


 * 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. ($) May not be complete for all counties.
 * 1790-1962 - - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
 * 1796-1950 - (Indexes only) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
 * 1871-1937 - Houston County Marriage Index 1871-1937 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.org
 * 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * Finley, Nina. Newspaper clipping collection: from the attic of Mr. and Mrs. James T. Brigham. Erin, Tennessee: Friends of Houston County Library, 19--. FHL Book 976.836 B39f

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
 * 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;

Libraries
Houston County Public Library 24 S. Spring Street Erin, TN 37061 Phone: 931-289-3858 website

West Tennessee Heritage Study Center Paul Meek Library University of Tennessee at Martin Phone: 731-881-7060 Hours vary by semester 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
Houston County Historical Society c/o Nina Finley P.O. Box 401 Erin, TN 37061 Facebook

Websites

 * Houston County, Tennessee by Dan Martin. Genealogy Resources, Local History, Queries
 * Houston County, Tennessee Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Houston County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * Houston County TN Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – 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: Houston County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)