Cumberland County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Cumberland County

Border county between East and Middle Tennessee. Part of the Sequatchie Valley. Established 1855.







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

County Courthouse
Cumberland County Courthouse 2 North Main St. Crossville, TN 38555 Phone: 1-931-484-6442

 'Cumberland County Clerk' Marriage and Probate records 2 North Main Street, Suite 206 Crossville, TN 38555 Phone: 1-931-484-6442

Cumberland County Register of Deeds Land records 2 North Main St., Suite 204 Crossville, TN 38555 Phone: 1-931-484-5559

Cumberland County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 2 North Main, Suite 302 Crossville, TN 38555 Phone: 1-931-484-6647

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

History


The county is named after the Cumberland Mountains.

Parent County
1855--Cumberland County was created 16 November 1855 from White, Bledsoe, Rhea, Roane, Morgan, Putnam, and Van Buren Counties. County seat: Crossville

County Pronunciation


Did we get the accent right? If not, contact Nathan W. Murphy, [mailto:murphynw@familysearch.org murphynw@familysearch.org].

Boundary Changes
"Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the My Tennessee Genealogy website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

Record Loss
1905 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.


 * Lost census: 1890
 * Marriages recorded between 1855 and 1904 are lost
 * Probate records 1855 to 1904 are lost
 * All other records, except deeds, destroyed in 1905 fire

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


 * Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle
 * When the Records are Gone in Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Genealogy Blog

Populated Places
Cities and Towns:

Neighboring Counties

 * Bledsoe
 * Fentress
 * Morgan
 * Putnam
 * Rhea
 * Roane
 * Van Buren
 * White

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

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

The following websites may contain Cumberland County cemetery records:


 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone. May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.


 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Cumberland County linking to the information about the people buried there,


 * Cumberland County, TN Cemetery Records, part of the TNGenWeb Cemetery Database, lists many cemeteries in the county, often with indexes and transcripts of the burials.


 * Cumberland County, Tennessee, USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project lists many cemeteries in the county and has transcripts of the tombstones arranged by cemetery.


 * Cumberland County cemetery information on TNGenweb Project


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries in Cumberland county. Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Cumberland County cemeteries

Census
1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 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®]

1860


 * Kirkeminde, Patricia Barclay. 1860 Census of Cumberland County, Tennessee. n.p.: n.p., 198?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.875 X2ki.

1870


 * Kirkeminde, Patricia Barclay. 1870 Census of Cumberland County, Tennessee. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1984. FHL US/CAN Book 976.875 X2k.

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Samuel D. Sistler. 1880 Census, Cumberland County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1992. FHL US/CAN Book 976.875 X2s.

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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 5 1891. [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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890.

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

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

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 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?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.875 D3c.

Bibliography


 * [Copeland] Halsell, Orpha Ancestors and descendants of Solomon Addison Copeland Oklahoma City, Oklahoma : P.C. Fletcher, 1988 FHL book 929.273 C79h. Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.

Land

 * 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: FHL US/CAN Film 590305-590308.
 * Cumberland County (Tennessee) Entry Taker Entry taker's book, 1856-1904 Nashville, Tennessee : Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1969. FHL US/CAN Film 1012524 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. FHL US/CAN Film 24626 item 3 Free lookups available!

Local Histories

 * Krechniak, Helen Bullard and Joseph Marshall Cumberland County's first hundred years Crossville, Tennessee : Cumberland County Centennial Committee, 1956. FHL US/CAN book 976.875 H2 Free lookups available!
 * Parsons, Barbara B. Facts, folks and photos of Cumberland County, Tennessee Evansville, Indiana : Wipporwill Pub., c1988 FHL US/CAN book 976.875 H2 Free lookups available
 * Raulston, J. Leonard and James Weston Livingood. Sequatchie: A Story of the Southern Cumberlands. Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1974. FHL US/CAN Book 976.87 H2r.

Military
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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. [Includes Cumberland County pensioners (p. 41)]

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 FHL US/CAN book 976.875/C1 B2 Free lookups available!

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!

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 Cumberland 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 FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.
 * East Tennessee Roots
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Cumberland County, Tennessee records have been published in East Tennessee Roots (10 vols.). A subject index to these articles is available online. Surname indexes to Volumes 9 and 10 are also available online. The Family History Library has collected most issues of East Tennessee Roots FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 D25e.
 * Overton County, Tennessee Kin
 * "This newsletter, although called “Overton County,” covers all the area in Overton, Fentress, and Pickett County, TN along with Monterey in Putnam County, and Clinton, Wayne and Cumberland County in Kentucky”—Vol. 7, no. 4, p. 2. The Family History Library has vol. 1, issues 1-4; vol. 2, issues 1-4; vol. 3, issues 1-4; vol. 4, issues 1-4; vol. 5, issues 1-4; vol. 6, issue 1; vol. 7 issue 4, vol. 8, issue 2. FHL US/CAN 976.8684 B2n. Indexed in the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI).

Probate
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: FHL US/CAN Film 1012523.

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

The following Cumberland County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [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.

Marriage

 * Reed, Jan M. and Davis, Loreda W. Marriage records of Cumberland County, Tennessee : vol. 1, 1905-1962 Crossville, Tennessee : Cumberland Geneal. Research, 1991 (Crossville, Tennessee : Cumberland Business Suppliers) FHL US/CAN book 976.875 V2m Free lookups available!

Death

 * Wiefering, Edna and Cleveland Public Library. Cumberland County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1914 through 1925. Cleveland, Tenn.: Cleveland Public Library, 199-?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.875 V2w.

For deaths of Methodists in Cumberland County (or what later became Cumberland 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. FHL US/CAN Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851 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.]

Societies and Libraries
Cumberland County Historical Society Main Street Crossville, TN 38557 Phone: 1-615 456-6532

East Tennessee Historical Society 601 S. Gay St. P.O. Box 1629 Knoxville, TN 37901-1629 Phone: 1-865-215-8824 E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org

Art Circle Public Library 154 East First Street Crossville, TN 38555 Phone: 1-931-484-6790 Fax: 1-931-484-2350 Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri., 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed. and Sat. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Family History Centers
Crossville Tennessee 1550 Genesis Rd Crossville, TN Phone: 1-931-484-2507 Hours: Tues., Sat. 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

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

Web Sites

 * Cumberland County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Cumberland County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Cumberland County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Cumberland County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Cumberland County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (MyTennesseeGenealogy)
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Mailing List: TNCUMBER-L (Cumberland 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: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List) (RootsWeb)
 * Mailing List: TN-UPPER-CUMBERLAND-L (Upper Cumberland Tennessee Region Genealogy List) (RootsWeb)
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region