Hamilton County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States Tennessee  Hamilton County

Guide to Hamilton County, Tennessee ancestry, family history and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

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

.*City of Chattanooga (Hamilton County births begin 1908, Hamilton County deaths begin 1908)

County Courthouse
Hamilton County Courthouse County Courthouse; Rm 201; Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone: 423.209.6500

County Clerk has marriage records from 1857. County Health Department has birth records from 1949 and death records from 1972. Circuit Court and Clerk and Masters has divorce records. Clerk and Masters has probate records from 1865. Clerk and Masters and Register of Deeds has land records. Register of Deeds has military discharge records. Clerk Circuit Court has court records.

Hamilton County Courthouse 625 Georgia Ave., Room 201 Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone: 1-423-209-6500

Hamilton County Clerk Marriage records 625 Georgia Ave., Room 201 Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone: 1-423-209-6500 Online Marriage search

Hamilton county Register of Deeds Land records 400 Courthouse 625 Georgia Ave. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone: 1-423-209-6560

Hamilton County Clerk and Master Probate records 300 Courthouse 625 Georgia Ave. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone: 1-423-209-6601

Hamilton County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 500 Courthouse 625 Georgia Ave. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone: 1-423-209-6701

Hamilton County Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

History


East Tennessee county. Established 1819.

The county is named after Founding Father Alexander Hamilton (c1755-1804).

Parent County
1819--Hamilton County was created 25 October 1819 from Cherokee Indian Lands. County seat: Chattanooga

County Pronunciation

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

Boundary Changes
Daughter county. The extinct daughter county called James County has been re-attached to Hamilton County. James County was created in 1871 from parts of Bradley and Hamilton counties. James County went bankrupt in 1919. As a result it was reincorporated into Hamilton County. James County is now extinct.

Border dispute with Georgia. For a boundary dispute between Tennessee and Georgia over the city of Chattanooga, see:


 * Dick Eastman. "Part of Tennessee Belongs To Georgia?" Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter (2008/02/12).

For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1910 Hamilton County Courthouse burned and many records were damaged. Antebellum will books are lost.


 * Lost censuses: 1820
 * Lost marriages: 1819 to 1856
 * Lost probate: 1819 to 1861

Extinct James County. The extinct James County created in 1871 went bankrupt and was merged back into Hamilton county in 1919 along with its courthouse records. However, James County Courthouse fires in 1890 and 1913 caused extensive record loss. The surviving James County records are now housed in Hamilton County.

Neighboring Counties

 * Bledsoe
 * Bradley
 * Catoosa County, Georgia
 * Dade County, Georgia
 * Marion
 * Meigs
 * Rhea
 * Sequatchie
 * Walker County, Georgia
 * Whitfield County, Georgia

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Hamilton County African American, biography, cemetery, census, history, Indian, land, marriage, military, newspaper, probate, and tax records. To determine which books are being searched, or to search each publication's index individually, click here. You are now equipped with a checklist of books to pull off the shelves at a genealogy library, or a wish list for your personal book collection.

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Hamilton 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

Chattanooga African American Museum 200 E. Martin Luther King Boulevard Chattanooga, TN 37403 (423) 266-8658

Businesses

 * Acme Furniture Corporation 1911 Catalogue

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

Census
1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Hamilton 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.

See Hamilton County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. [The USGenWeb Census Project®]

1810 - 1891


 * Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

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:.

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. ; digital version at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

These records have also been abstracted:


 * 1820 Census of Manufactures: Hamilton County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 8, No. 4 :247. For availability, see Periodicals.

1830


 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969..
 * Douthat, James L. Early Settlers, Hamilton County, Tennessee: 1830-1850 Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1986. . Free Lookups Available!

1840


 * Douthat, James L. Early Settlers, Hamilton County, Tennessee: 1830-1850 Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1986. . Free Lookups Available!

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners


 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Eastern District, Hamilton County on page 153.]

1850


 * Douthat, James L. Early Settlers, Hamilton County, Tennessee: 1830-1850 Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1986..

1860


 * Scanned census images [in the USGenWeb Archives]
 * Douthat, James L. 1860 Hamilton County, Tennessee, Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1989..

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler ; Associates, 1996..

1891 Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1900


 * 1900 Census, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Free Lookups Available!

1930


 * 1930 Census, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Free Lookups Available!

Church
Church records include baptisms, marriages and burials, as well as information about family members and clues about family migration. For additional information about church records, religions, and religious archives in Tennessee, see Tennessee Church Records.


 * Hamilton County Church Records


 * - FamilySearch Catalog -


 * Church histories tell when a church started in the area, who the early members were, give data about church leaders, etc.


 * - FamilySearch Catalog -


 * If the records you need are not found in the Family History Library collection, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived. Two sites that give information about churches in Hamilton County are


 * - List of Hamilton County churches with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)
 * - List of Hamilton County churches (TN HomeTownLocator)


 * In 1936, a helpful guide to early Hamilton County church records was published by the Works Project Administration. Use this guide to locate which church records exist and where they were housed in 1936. The Tennessee State Library and Archives has filmed some of these records. To locate which records are available at the TSLA, go to the appropriate "county fact sheet" on the TSLA Web site and scroll down to "selected manuscript material". All filmed church records at the TSLA for Hamilton County are listed. Many of these filmed records are also available at the Family History Library.

Baptist


 * [1848-1872] Historical Records Survey. Concord Baptist Church minutes, 1848-1872, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1943. Typescript. Item 2
 * [1838-1876] Historical Records Survey. Good Spring Baptist Church minutes, 1838-1876, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1943. Typescript. Item 2
 * [1859-1896] Historical Records Survey. Ocoee Baptist Association minutes, 1859-1896, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1943. Typescript. Item 1

Episcopal


 * [1850-1900] St. Paul's Episcopal Church Records. Chattanooga, 1850-1900.TSLAReel #503
 * [1850-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.2   Index to St. Paul's Episcopal Church Records. Chattanooga, 1850-1900.
 * [1900-1950] St. Paul's Episcopal Church Records. Chattanooga, 1900-1950.TSLA Reel #350
 * [1900-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.2   Index to St. Paul's Episcopal Church Records. Chattanooga, 1900-1950.

Methodist Episcopal


 * [1872-1954] First Methodist Episcopal Church Records. Chattanooga, 1872-1954. TSLA Reel #455
 * [1872-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.2   Index to First Methodist Episcopal Church Records. Chattanooga, 1872-1954.
 * 1875-1885 - First Methodist Episcopal Church, Chattanooga, Baptism Index 1875-1885. Batches and  in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1885-1895 - First Methodist Episcopal Church, Chattanooga, Marriage Index 1885-1895. Batches and  in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * [1899-1966] Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, South Records. Chattanooga, 1899-1966. TSLA Reel #454
 * [1899-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.2   Index to Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, South Records. Chattanooga, 1899-1966.

Presbyterian


 * [1881-1952] Second Presbyterian Church Records. Chattanooga, 1881-1952.TSLA Reel #393
 * [1881-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.2   Index to Second Presbyterian Church Records. Chattanooga, 1881-1952.

The W.P.A. published a helpful survey in 1940:


 * Directory of Churches, Missions, and Religious Institutions of Tennessee, no. 33, Hamilton County, Chattanooga. Nashville, Tenn.: Tennessee Historical Records Survey Project, 1940. FHL US/CAN Book 976.882 E4h.

Directories

 * Chattanooga, TN, 1890. Chattanooga, TN: Connelly &amp; Fais, 1890. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Chattanooga, TN, 1891. Chattanooga, TN: Connelly &amp; Fais, 1891. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

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


 * [Brown] Descendant of John P. Brown, b. 1853 Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Y-DNA 37 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 157721). Genetic signature available online (labeled Group No. 117), genealogical description available online, courtesy: Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study. Matches have been found.

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 Hamilton, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 30,000 entries.


 * Wilson, John. Hamilton County Pioneers. Chelsea, Mich.: BookCrafters, 1998. . Free Lookups Available!
 * Wilson, John. Early Hamilton Settlers. Chattanooga, Tenn.: J. Wilson, 2001. . Free Lookups Available!

Bibliography


 * [Boyd] Boyd, R. Vernon. The Boyds of Sequatchie Valley, Tn. Typescript, microfilmed in 1993. FHL US/CAN Film 1750733 Item 37; digital version at.
 * [Hughes] Wilson, Duane Earl. Phetoma D. Epps (1837-1907) of Davidson County, North Carolina and Pope County, Arkansas and John Edward Hughes (1836-1885) Hamiliton County, Tennessee and Pope County, Arkansas: and Some of Their Ancestors, Descendants, and Related Families. Naperville, Ill.: D.E. Wilson, 1993..
 * [Lauderdale] Lauderdale, Charles J. The Lauderdales of Scotland and America, 1056-1936. Joplin, MO: Gahagan Print. Co., 1937. Available at, digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Young] Stein, Carl F. Some Descendents of James Pickens Young 1815: of Polk, Rhea, Hamilton, Blount, Knox Counties, Tenn., Cherokee, Gaston Counties, North Carolina. Family Group Sheets..

Land
The original Hamilton County Deed Books are held at the County Courthouse. In the early 1990s, the Hamilton County Microfilm Department microfilmed Deed Books A to Y6 (1796-1901) and Indexes (1799-1929). Copies of their large collection of films are also available at the Family History Library: ff.

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.] The 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

 * Armstrong, Zella. The History of Hamilton County and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Chattanooga, Tenn.: Lookout Pub. Co., c1931-c1940. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Torrey, Bradford. Spring Notes from Tennessee. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and company, c1896. Digital version, free. Description of local cabins, Confederate Veterans, Chattanooga in the 1890's.
 * Ochs, Milton Barlow. Views: Chattanooga, Chickamauga national park, Look-out Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob national cemetery, Tennessee River, Walden's Ridge. Chattanooga, Tennessee: Macgowan-Cooke Printing Co., 1905. Free digital copy.  Photos and history of historical places and battlefields in Chattanooga.
 * Parham, Louis L. Chattanooga, Tennessee: Hamilton County and Lookout Mountain. sp: 1876. Digital version. free.
 * The history of Hamilton County and Chattanooga, Tennessee at Ancestry.com (Free /$)

Maps

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
 * [1871] Ruger, A. Bird's Eye View of the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Originally published 1871. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1886] Wellege, Henry. Chattanooga, County Seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee. Originally published 1886. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1890] Hopkins, G.M. A Map of the City of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Originally published 1890. Shows streets, businesses, etc. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1939] Viking Press for WPA. A Map of Chattanooga. Originally published 1939. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Revolutionary War
The following Hamilton County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


 * 1) 1835 Pension Roll
 * 2) 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions

Additional resources include:


 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Eastern District, Hamilton County on page 153.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.]
 * Veterans, Revolutionary through Indian Wars, Appalachian Families, Vol. 1, No. 2 (1988).

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; Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1960):90-93. ; digital version at journal website. [Includes Hamilton County pensioners 7(3):66 and James County pensioners 7(4):90)]

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1891-1965 - at FamilySearch — images
 * Civl War Research Database $
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Civil War service men from Hamilton County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Hamilton County.

Confederate Soldiers


 * 1st Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Carter's) - CSA - Company B.
 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Ashby's) - CSA - Company H.
 * 4th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Branner's) - CSA - Company A.
 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - CSA - Company H
 * 5th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McClellan's) - CSA - Company B.
 * 5th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (McKenzie's) - CSA
 * 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) - CSA - Company H.
 * 19th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A and I.
 * 26th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (3rd East Tennessee Volunteers) - CSA - Companies G and H.
 * 35th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (5th Infantry) (1st Mountain Rifle Regiment) - CSA - Company I.
 * 36th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies H and K.
 * 37th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (7th Infantry) (1st East Tennessee Rifles) - CSA - Company D and H.
 * 43rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Gillespie's) (5th East Tennesse Volunteers) - CSA - Company K.

Union Soldiers


 * 5th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Company E.
 * 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company F.
 * 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company M.
 * 10th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company D.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Hamilton County:

A good place to start is:


 * Hughes, Nathaniel Cheairs and John C. Wilson. The Confederates, Soldiers of Hamilton County, Tennessee: An Alphabetical Listing of the Confederate Soldiers Who Lived at One Time in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2001. FHL US/CAN Book 976.882 M2h.


 * Boynton, Henry V. (Henry Van), 1835 - 1905; Kirkley, Joseph W. (Joseph William), 1841-1912.The National Military Park, Chickamauga -- Chattanooga. An Historical Guide(A roster of the Union and Confederate armies, at Chickamauga. Cincinnati). The Robert Clarke Co., 1895. Free digital copy.
 * Curry, W.L. (William Leontes)b.1839: Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Ohio Commandery. Raid of the Confederate Cavalry through Central Tennessee, in October, 1863, commanded by General Joseph Wheeler. A paper read before the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion, April 1, 1908. [n.p.], 1908. Free digital copy.
 * Turchin, John Basil. ...Chickamauga. Chicago: Fergus Printing Co., 1888. Free digital copy.
 * Wehner, William. Battles of Chattanooga, Fought Nov. 23-25, 1863, by the armies of the Cumberland and Tennessee, under Generals Grant, Thomas, Sherman, and Hooker. General Bragg commanding the Confederate forces. Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and localities made famous by the battles of Chickamauga, Wauhatchie, Graysville, Ringgold, etc.. Chicago, Illinois, W.J. Jefferson, 1886. Free digital copy.
 * 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.
 * Genealogy Trails, Hamilton County Tennessee Military, (accessed 30 Jan 2012).
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications : Hamilton County, (accessed 30 Jan 2012). 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), (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Online at Internet Archive. Hamilton County, page 341.
 * CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Chattanooga, (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Located in Hamilton County and City of Chattanooga.  Wauhatchie, located in Hamilton, Marion and Dade County.
 * American Memory, Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865, (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Chattanooga.
 * 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), (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Online at Internet Archive. Hamilton County, page 340-342.
 * Hamilton County Tennessee Civil War Soldiers, (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Confederate and Union

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battles were fought in Hamilton County


 * June 7-8, 1862 = Chattanooga I
 * August 21, 1863 = Chattanooga II
 * October 28 - 29, 1863 = Wauhatchie, also known as Brown's Ferry
 * November 23-25, 1863 = Chattanooga III


 * Map showing Civil War battles in Tennessee.

Newspapers
Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the 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 Hamilton county click on the following cities or towns:


 * Chattanooga
 * Ooltewah
 * Signal Mountain
 * Soddy

Probate Records
Hamilton County's early will books were destroyed in the Civil War. Surviving will books are held at the County Courthouse. In the early 1990s, the Hamilton County Microfilm Department microfilmed Will Books 1 to 6 (1862-1936) and an Index. FHL copies:.

Online Records


 * 1779 - 2008 - Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1862 - 1936 - Hamilton County Tennessee list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills. - free


 * Index to Wills, 1862 - 1936
 * Wills, 1862 - 1936 (Vols. 1-6)
 * Probate records index, 1916 - 1917
 * Probate records, 1864 - 1928 (Vols. 1-30)
 * Bonds, Letters, 1878 - 1932 (16 vols.)

The following Hamilton County probate records have been abstracted:


 * 1862 - 1892 - Douthat, James L. Hamilton County, Tennessee, Will Book 1. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1996..

Taxation
The following Hamilton County tax records have been indexed:


 * [1836] "Hamilton County, Tennessee 1836 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Spring 1982):25-31. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a; free digital version at society's website. For further access, see Periodicals.
 * [1836] Douthat, James L. 1836 Hamilton County, Tennessee, Civil Districts and Tax Lists. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. ; online: free surname index and purchase details.
 * [1836-1837] Tax Lists, 1836-37, by District, Southern Roots &amp; Shoots. Rossville GA: Aug 1993. Vol. 9 Iss. 3.

Vital Records
See also How to order Tennessee Vital Records or order electronically online.

Birth

 * 1828-1939 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

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


 * 1857-1927 &amp; 1979-present - online records from the Hamilton County Clerk


 * 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1780-2002 - at FamilySearch.org— index


 * 1790-1950 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * 1796-1950 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry.com— index and images $


 * 1857-1863 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1987. . [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.] Free Lookups Available!


 * 1857-1900 - Hamilton County Marriage Index 1857-1900 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Divorce
In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Hamilton County divorce papers in diverse manuscript collections, including some separate divorce dockets, 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 Hamilton County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:


 * Hamilton County Obituaries - database from the Chattanooga Public Library of obits from local papers spanning 1897-2003.


 * 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.]


 * 1874-1955 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1908-1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * 1914-1955 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images

Societies and Libraries
See also a List of Tennessee Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Hamilton County Tennessee Genealogy Society 430 Runyan Dr. Chattanooga, TN 37405

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

Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library 1001 Broad Street Chattanooga, TN 37402 Telephone: 423-757-5310 Fax: 423-757-5090 Internet: http://www.lib.chattanooga.gov/

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Chattanooga Tennessee Family History Center

3067 Ooltewah Ringgold Rd Ooltewah, Tennessee, United States Telephone: 423-892-7632

e-mail tn_chattanooga@ldsmail.net Hours: Tues./Thurs./Sat. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Evenings: Tues. &amp; Wed. 7 - 9 p.m. Attention: Inclement Weather Closings will coincide with school closings.

This is not a mailing address. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

 * (FamilySearch)
 * Hamilton County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Hamilton County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNHAMILT-L (Hamilton 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)