Cumberland County, Tennessee Genealogy

Guide to Cumberland 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 the Cumberland Mountains. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Cumberland County Courthouse 2 North Main Street Crossville, TN 38555 Cumberland County Website Phone: 931-484-6165 County Clerk Phone: 931-484-6442 Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 931-484-5852 Clerk and Master Phone: 931-484-4731 Register of Deeds Phone: 931-484-5559 County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1905. Clerk and Master and Clerk of the Circuit Court have divorce records. Register of Deeds has land records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

History Timeline
Additional Information

The county is named after the Cumberland Mountains.

Border county between East and Middle Tennessee. Part of the Sequatchie Valley.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Tennesse Bureau of Agriculture, Statistics and Mines. Coal Mines and Mining--Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: A.B. Travel, 1883. Free digital copy.
 * Tennessee Post Office and Postmaster Appointments 1789-1984 Free lookups available!

Census Records
1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Cumberland 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 Cumberland 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 ($)

1860


 * Kirkeminde, Patricia Barclay. 1860 Census of Cumberland County, Tennessee. n.p.: n.p., 198?..

1870


 * Kirkeminde, Patricia Barclay. 1870 Census of Cumberland County, Tennessee. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1984..

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Samuel D. Sistler. 1880 Census, Cumberland County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1992..

1890 Lost, but 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. . Cumberland County is included in Vol. 5.
 * 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 ($)

Church Records

 * Hedgecoth, Carolyn Hamby Antioch Church Record Book 1850-1905 C.H. Hedgecoth, 1997 Free lookups available!

Court Records
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 the TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Genealogies
General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Cumberland, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 15,000 entries.


 * Compendium of Local Biography, Cumberland, County, Tennessee. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1997?..

Bibliography


 * Copeland - Halsell, Orpha Ancestors and descendants of Solomon Addison Copeland Oklahoma City, Oklahoma P.C. Fletcher, 1988 Digital version available at

Land and Property Records

 * In 1969, the TSLA microfilmed the original Cumberland County Deed Books A to H (1854-1884) and Deed Index Books A to C (1854-1939). Copies of their films are also available at the Family History Library:.
 * Cumberland County (Tennessee) Entry Taker Entry taker's book, 1856-1904 Nashville, Tennessee Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1969. Free lookups available!
 * Historical Records Project (Tennessee) Journal, 1856-1860, Cumberland County, Tennessee Salt Lake City, Utah Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1940. Free lookups available!

Local Histories

 * Krechniak, Helen Bullard and Joseph Marshall Cumberland County's first hundred years Crossville, Tennessee Cumberland County Centennial Committee, 1956. Free lookups available!
 * Parsons, Barbara B. Facts, folks and photos of Cumberland County, Tennessee Evansville, Indiana Wipporwill Pub., c1988 Free lookups available
 * Raulston, J. Leonard and James Weston Livingood. Sequatchie: A Story of the Southern Cumberlands. Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1974..

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. 2 (Apr. 1960):40-45. ; digital version at journal website. Includes Cumberland County pensioners (p. 41)

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
 * 1891-1965 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * Civil War Research Database
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Confederate Soldiers


 * 28th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies B and K.
 * 28th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (2nd Tennessee Mountain Volunteers) - CSA - Companies A and B.

Union Soldiers


 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - Company D.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Cumberland County:


 * TNGenWeb, Cumberland County and the Civil War. Information for Union and Confederate Soldiers.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Cumberland 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. Cumberland County, page 328.

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 Cumberland County click on the following city:


 * Crossville


 * Boniol, Michael W. Genealogical and Historical Notes from Crossville, TN Newspapers, Vol. I, 1878- 1899 Crossville, Tennessee M.W. Boniol, c1995 Free lookups available!

For deaths of Methodists in Cumberland County (or what later became Cumberland County) between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:


 * 1847-1914 - 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.

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

 * Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues on their website;


 * East Tennessee Roots: Published by East Tennessee Roots The table of contents for some issues are available on their website;.


 * Overton County, Tennessee Kin: Publication of the Overton County Genealogical Society, covering all the area in Overton, Fentress, and Pickett County, TN along with Monterey in Putnam County, and Clinton, Wayne and Cumberland County in Kentucky. FHL US/CAN

Probate Records
Early Cumberland County Will Books were destroyed. In 1969, the TSLA microfilmed surviving Will Books 1 to 3 (1904-1969). A copy of this film is also available at the Family History Library:.

Online Records


 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1904-1969 - Cumberland County portion of at FamilySearch - images only; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.- How to Use this Collection

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.

Tax Records
The original Cumberland County Tax Books 1904-1968 are kept by the Trustee's Office at the County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed these records.

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1857-1858 - Unpaid Property Taxes, 1857 and 1858, Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin. Cookeville TN: Summer 1986. Vol. 11 Iss. 3.
 * 1858 Taxpayers, 1858, Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin. Cookeville TN: Winter 1986. Vol. 11 Iss. 1.
 * Delinquent Railroad Taxes, Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin. Cookeville TN: Spring 1986. Vol. 11 Iss. 2.

Birth

 * 1828-1939 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1912 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

Marriage
Online Indexes and Records
 * 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1780-2002 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1790-1962 - [1790-1962] - at FamilySearch. index and images. Covers all counties in Tennessee.- How to Use this Collection
 * 1796-1950 - (Indexes only) at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * 1905-1962 - Marriage records of Cumberland County, Tennessee : vol. 1, 1905-1962. FHL US/CAN book 976.875 V2m. Free lookups available!

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
 * 1914-1925 - Wiefering, Edna and Cleveland Public Library. Cumberland County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1914 through 1925. Cleveland, Tenn.: Cleveland Public Library, 199-?..
 * 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
 * 1800-1965 - Tennessee. Tennessee Divorce and Other Records, 1800-1965. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Available at Ancestry ($)
 * 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; - Inventory stating where divorce records are housed.

Family History Centers

 * Cookeville Tennessee Family History Center
 * Crossville Tennessee Family History Center
 * Art Circle Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Knox County Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

 * Art Circle Public Library 154 East First Street Crossville, TN 38555 Phone: 931-484-6790 Fax: 931-484-2350 Website

Societies

 * Cumberland County Archives and Family Heritage Center 95 E. First St. Crossville, TN 38555 Phone: 931-456-2006 Email: [mailto:archives@artcirclelibrary.info archives@artcirclelibrary.info] Website Facebook
 * Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc. P.O. Box 575 Cookeville, TN 38503-0575 Email: [mailto:info@ucga.info info@ucga.info] Website

Websites

 * Cumberland County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Cumberland County TN Genealogy
 * Cumberland County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * – 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: Cumberland County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)