DeKalb County, Tennessee Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Revolutionary War hero Major General Johann de Kalb. The County is located in the central area of the state.

DeKalb County Tennessee Courthouse
DeKalb County Courthouse 1 Public Square Smithville, TN 37166 Phone: 615-597-5159

DeKalb County Clerk Marriage and Probate records 1 Public Square, Room 205 Smithville, TN 37166 Phone: 1-615-597-5177

DeKalb County Register of Deeds Land records 1 Public Square, Room 201 Smithville, TN 37166 Phone: 1-615-597-4153

DeKalb County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 1 Public Square, Room 303 Smithville, TN 37166 Phone: 1-615-597-5711

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 pm

DeKalb County Tennessee History
Middle Tennessee county.

The county is named after Revolutionary War hero Johann de Kalb (1721-1780), a German baron.

Parent County
1837--DeKalb County was created 11 December 1837 from White, Warren, Cannon, Wilson, and Jackson Counties. County seat: Smithville

County Pronunciation

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

Boundary Changes
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

 * Marriages recorded between 1837 and 1847 are lost
 * Probate records 1837 to 1846 are lost

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:

Neighboring Counties

 * Cannon
 * Putnam
 * Smith
 * Warren
 * White
 * Wilson

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published DeKalb County biography, 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: DeKalb 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

Biographies

 * All of the family biographies from the History of DeKalb County, Tennessee (1887) by Goodspeed Publishing Co., are available free online at My Genealogy Hound.

Census
1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of DeKalb 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.

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

1891 Male Voters
 * Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * See Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.
 * See DeKalb County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®

1840
 * Parsley, Jorene W. DeKalb County, 1840, Eleven Districts Population. Smithville, Tennessee: J.W. Parsley, 1985.

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, Middle District, DeKalb County on page 155.

1850
 * Parsley, Jorene W. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 for DeKalb County, Tennessee. Smithville, Tennessee: J.W. Parsley, 1988.

1860
 * Parsley, Jorene W. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1860 for DeKalb County, Tennessee. Smithville, Tennessee: J.W. Parsley,19-?.

1870
 * Parsley, Jorene W.Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1870 for DeKalb County, Tennessee. Smithville, Tennessee: J.W. Parsley, 198-?

1880
 * Parsley, Jorene W. and Brenda J. Tramel Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1880 for DeKalb County, Tennessee. Smithville, Tennessee: J.W. Parsley and B.J. Tramel, 198-?
 * Sistler, Byron. 1800 Census, DeKalb County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: B.H. Sistler, 1993.

1890 - Lost, but substitutes are available:


 * 1890 Civil War Veterans Census of DeKalb County, Tennessee, available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.

1900


 * Parsley, Jorene W. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1900 for DeKalb County, Tennessee. Smithville, Tennessee: J.W. Parsley, 1988.

1920


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

Church

 * Grime, John Harvey. History of Middle Tennessee Baptists: With Special Reference to Salem, New Salem, Enon and Wiseman Associations. Nashville, Tennessee: Baptist and Reflector, 1902. Includes names changes for places in Middle Tennessee. Free digital copy.
 * Salem Baptism Church Minutes, 1809-1908, Dekalb County, Tennessee. TGenWeb Project. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1939.

Genealogy
More than 23 genealogies have been published about DeKalb County, Tennessee families. For more information visit DeKalb County, Tennessee Compiled Genealogies.


 * The Justin Potter Library in Smithville, Tennessee maintains an online list of published genealogies held in their collection. See: An Inventory of Genealogy Books found at the Justin Potter Library.

Land

 * Dekalb County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1838 and is located at Courthouse, Room 205, Smithville, Tennessee 37166; Telephone: (615) 597-517. 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 deeds 1838-1897 with indexes 1898-1968; Land entries 1838-1905.

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.

Local Histories

 * The Goodspeed Histories of Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Warren and White Counties: With Biographical Sketches and Aboriginal Map of Tennessee. McMinnville, TN: B. Lomond Press, 1972. Reprint. Originally published: Nashville, TN: Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1887. Available at Digital version available at World Vital Records ($).
 * Hale, Will T. DeKalb County History. Nashville, Tennessee: P. Hunter, 1915. Free dital copy.

Maps

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Revolutionary War Veterans, Dekalb County, Tennessee A list of those who served in the Revolutionary War and later lived in Dakalb county, including biographies.

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, Middle District, DeKalb County on page 155.
 * 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.

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 DeKalb County pensioners (p. 43)

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861 - 1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1891 - 1965 - at FamilySearch — images
 * Civil War Research Database ($)
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Civil War service men from DeKalb 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 DeKalb County:

Confederate Soldiers


 * 1st Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McNairy's) - CSA - Company E.
 * 1st Battalion, Tennessee Infantry (Colms') (20th Battalion) - CSA- Companies A and C.
 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry-CSA- Companies C, D, F, and K.
 * 7th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA
 * 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) - CSA - Company D.
 * 11th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Gordon's) - CSA - Company F.
 * 16th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A and G.
 * 22nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Barteau's) -CSA - Company C.
 * 23rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Martin's) - CSA - 2nd Company C.
 * 24th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company F.
 * 35th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (5th Infantry) (1st Mountain Rifle Regiment) - CSA - Company I.
 * 50th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies B and K.
 * 84th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA

Union Soldiers


 * 1st Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Company G.
 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Companies E, F, G, and K.
 * 5th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Companies A, B, C, and K.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from DeKalb County:


 * Head, Thomas A. Campaigns and battles of the Sixteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteers, in the war between the states, with incidental sketches of the part performed by other Tennessee troops in the same war.1861-1865. Nashville, Tennessee: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House, 1885. Free digital copy
 * TNGenWeb, DeKalb County, Tennessee, Civil War. A variety of links available.
 * Allison's Cavalry Squadron. A brief history and organization.
 * USGenWeb Archives, DeKalb County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Records.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: DeKalb 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. DeKalb County, page 331-332.

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 Dekalb County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Alexandria
 * Liberty
 * Smithville

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 DeKalb 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:


 * Ansearchin' News


 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of DeKalb County, Tennessee have been published in Ansearchin' News, the quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. To view a list of these articles, visit their county index. To read digitized versions of the first 36 years of articles (Vols. 1-36), browse their archive or conduct a surname search. The Family History Library has a complete collection of the Ansearchin' News quarterly


 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History


 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of DeKalb 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.


 * The Upper Cumberland Researcher


 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of DeKalb County, Tennessee have been published in The Upper Cumberland Researcher, the journal of the Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc. To view a list of the first 17 years of these articles, visit their online Seventeen Year Index to The Upper Cumberland Researcher (Vols. 1-17, 1975-1992). The Index contains a "Counties" section beginning on page 19. The Family History Library has most issues through the present (1975-1993) and  (1994-present).

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

Online Records


 * 1779 – 2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images. ($)


 * Wills, 1838-1967 (5 vols.)
 * Bonds, Letters, 1860-1942 (Vols. A-F)
 * Insolvent estate records, 1856-1879, 1899-1946 (Vols. 1-3)
 * Inventories, 1885-1969 (Vols. A-D)
 * Letters, 1888-1914 (Vol. A)
 * Sales, 1878-1886, 1903-1921 (Vols. 1-3)
 * Settlements, 1846-1955 (11 vols.)

The following DeKalb County probate records have been abstracted or indexed:


 * 1846 - 1907 - Majors, Betty Moore. DeKalb County, Tennessee, Genealogy from Administrator's Settlement Books, 1846-1907. Signal Mountain, Tennessee: Mountain Press, 1992. Indexed. (FHL book 976.8532 D2m.)
 * 1838 - 1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. . Includes an index to this county's probate records.


 * USGenWeb's DeKalb County page also has some transcribed wills.

Taxation
The following DeKalb County tax records have been abstracted:


 * 1839 - "DeKalb County, Tennessee 1839 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 40, No. 2 (Summer 1993):65-70. For access, see Periodicals.
 * 1839 - Douthat, James L. 1839 DeKalb County, Tennessee Tax List. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details.
 * 1846 - "DeKalb County, Tennessee Delinquent Property Taxes, 1846," Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin, Vol. 17, No. 2 (1992):76-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * 1906 - 1907 - "DeKalb County, Tennessee Road Taxpayers, 16th District, 1906-7," Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Fall 1992):116-. For access, see Periodicals.

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. ($)


 * 1908 - 1912 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage
The original DeKalb County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. Marriages before August 1848 are lost. The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:


 * 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1794 - 1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..


 * 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. ($)

The following DeKalb County marriage records are microfilmed:


 * 1848 - 1991 - Available at the TSLA. Marriages 1848-1887 are available for interlibrary loan.
 * 1848 - 1968 - Available at the Family History Library. Indexes are at the front of each volume.

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


 * 1848 - 1895 - DeKalb County Marriage Index 1848-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1848 - 1880 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1988. v. 2. Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.
 * 1848 - 1859 - Marriage Records, 1850-1866, DeKalb County, Tennessee. Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project.  Typescript.  Item 4
 * 1848 - 1900 - Parsley, Jorene W. Marriages recorded in DeKalb County, Tennessee, 1848-1900. Smithville, Tennessee: J. W. Parsley, 1990
 * 1848 - 1850 - Marriage Records: Early–1850.

Death

 * 1874 - 1955 - at FamilySearch.org — index


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


 * 1914 - 1966 - at FamilySearch — index and images

For deaths of Methodists in DeKalb 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. 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.

DeKalb County Tennessee Genealogy Libraries
Libraries associated with the Dekalb County Library System

Justin Potter Library 101 S. 1st St. Smithville, TN 7166-1706 Phone: 1-615-597-4359 This library is the home of the now defunct DeKalb County Genealogical Society's collection. An Inventory of Genealogy Books Found at the Justin Potter Library (2009)

Alexandria Branch Library 109 Public Square; PO Box 367 Alexandria, TN 37012-0367 Phone: 1-615-529-9124

Dowelltown Branch Library Church Street; PO Box 87 Dowelltown, Tennessee 37059-0087 Phone: 1-615-536-5997

Liberty Public Library 103 College Street Liberty, TN 37095 Phone: 1-615-536-6116

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

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

The once active DeKalb County Genealogy Society is now defunct. Its collection is currently housed at the Justin Potter Library and includes an extensive collection of Vertical Files, Genealogical Books, Census Records, and lots more. See: An Inventory of Genealogy Books Found at the Justin Potter Library (2009)

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Dekalb County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, a quarterly containing articles of genealogical and historical interest. Little-known Tennessee records are published and indexed, along with family genealogies, Bible records and material submitted by members. There is an alphabetical Index to articles in the Journal 1988-summer 2005

DeKalb County Tennessee Genealogy Websites

 * DeKalb County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * DeKalb County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * DeKalb County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * (FamilySearch) — The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List) (RootsWeb)
 * Mailing List: TN-UPPER-CUMBERLAND-L (Upper Cumberland Tennessee Region Genealogy List) (RootsWeb)