Washington County, Tennessee Genealogy

Guide to Washington 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 George Washington. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse 100 East Main Street P O Box 219 Jonesborough, TN 37659 County Courthouse Phone: 423-753-1736 County Clerk Phone: 423-753-4716 County Register of Deeds Phone: 423-753-1644

County Clerk has birth records 1908-1912 and 1925-1938, marriage records from 1787 and probate records from 1779. 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

 * 1776 - Settlers in what would eventually become Tennessee successfully petitioned North Carolina to recognize the Washington District. The District included all of modern Tennessee except two small settlements (North-of-Holston, Fincastle (VA) County, and Pendleton, Washington (VA) County) in the far northeast that were considered part of Virginia at the time.
 * 1777 - From the Washington District, North Carolina created Washington County as the western county of North Carolina.
 * 1784 - In August 1784 delegates from Washington and two other western North Carolina counties which had split off from Washington (all now in Tennessee), declared their Independence from North Carolina because of perceived neglect, and misuse by North Carolina’s legislature.
 * 1784 to 1788 - Part of the pioneer Watauga Settlements.
 * 1785 - By May 1785 they had petitioned to be admitted to the United States as the new State of Franklin. The Franklin statehood request was denied.
 * 1789 - Hopes for a State of Franklin faded. North Carolina refused to recognize several counties created by Franklin out of Washington County.
 * 1789 - North Carolina became a state and ceded her westernmost counties to the United States. The ceded counties, including most of Washington County, became the Southwest Territory.
 * 1792 - North Carolina annexed back some land from Washington County that would later become Alleghany (NC), Ashe (NC), and Watauga (NC) counties in North Carolina and attached it to Wilkes (NC) County, North Carolina.
 * 1796 - The remainder of Washington County and the rest of the Southwest Territory became the new State of Tennessee.

Additional Information The county was named after George Washington (1732-1799) who became the First President of the United States in 1789.

See also Washington (old) (NC), originally called Washington District, North Carolina, for further information about Washington County, Tennessee.

Bible Records

 * Watauga Association of Genealogists. Tennessee Bible and Family Records. Johnson City, Tenn.: Watauga Association of Genealogists, 1996. . Free Lookups Available! Washington County families are the primary focus.

Biographies

 * Biographical Sketches Washington County (transcribed by Louise M. Jackson from Goodspeed's History of Tennessee County Histories Nashville, Tenn., 1886-1887), available online, courtesy: David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. East Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1778 to 1911. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2000. . Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes Washington County.

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources
 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
 * Bennett, Charles M. Washington County, Tennessee Tombstone Inscriptions by Charles M. Bennett and Watauga Association of Genealogist, compiled by Loraine Bennett Rae in 3 volumes. Nashville, TN: TRAECO Printing, 1977.

Census Records
1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Washington 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 Washington County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®.

1790 Lost Only statistics survive, but substitutes are available see Washington, and:


 * Eakle, Arlene. Tennessee Research. 2010. Purchase information at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Genealogy Blog. Includes a reconstructed 1790 census, sources: "Contemporary lists–tax lists, militia rolls, land grants and deeds, claims for pre-emption lands, names recorded in diaries and journals. And numerous histories compiled by local historians from records that we have not seen or read ourselves."
 * Jackson, Ronald Vern. Ohio, 1790, Volume Two. North Salt Lake, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1986. . Includes "Territory Southwest of the River Ohio," i.e. East Tennessee.
 * McGhee, Lucy Kate. Partial Census of 1787 to 1791 of Tennessee as Taken from the North Carolina Land Grants. 3 Parts. Microfilmed in 1990. Item 4 and  Item 3.

1800  A substitute is available, see Washington.

1810 Lost A substitute is available:


 * Sherrill, Charles A. The Reconstructed 1810 Census of Tennessee: 33,000 Long-lost Records from Tax Lists, Court Minutes, Church Records, Wills, Deeds and Other Sources. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.: C.A. Sherrill, 2001. ; Google Books.

1810-1891


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

1820 Lost

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at the National Archives, Washington, D.C. FHL copies: -.

Published abstracts:


 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. ; digital version at Lineages. Covers this county.
 * 1820 Census of Manufactures: Washington County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 8, No. 4 :247. For availability and an online description, see Washington.

1830


 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969..
 * Streleski, Nelda. Washington County, Tennessee, 1830 Census. Champaign, Ill.: Decatur Genealogical Society, 1968..

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, Washington County on page 154.

1860


 * Padgett, Hilda Britt. Washington County, Tennessee 1860 Census. n.p.: H.B. Padgett, 2000..

1870


 * Padgett, Hilda Britt. Washington County, Tennessee 1870 Census. n.p.: H.B. Padgett, 1997..

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census Washington County, Tennessee. Nashville: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1994. . Free Lookups Available!

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. . Washington County is included in Vol. 7.
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978..

1891 Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry  $

Church Records
Baptist
 * Antioch. Antioch Baptist Church Records, 1950-1981
 * Cherokee. Church minutes and membership lists (1787-1923) available online.

Court Records
Superior Court


 * Rogers, Pauline and WPA. Washington County, Tennessee, Superior Court Minutes 1791-1804. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1999..

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.

Emigration and Immigration
During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding 8 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Washington County. Ancestry $

Genealogies

 * More than 25 genealogies have been published about Washington County families. To view a list, visit Washington Compiled Genealogies.

Land and Property Records
Deeds

The original Washington County Deed Books are kept at the County Courthouse. In 1969, TSLA microfilmed Deed Books 1 to 53 (1782-1887) and an Index (1783-1900). FHL copies: -.

Online Records and Indexes
 * Deed Book 1: 1782-1787 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 2: 1784-1792 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 3: 1783-1786 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 4: 1787-1795 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 5: 1790-1797 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 6: 1794-1798 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 7: 1794-1795 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book E: 1791-1802 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book E-H-I: 1793-1802 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 8: 1800-1806 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 9: 1801-1806 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 10: 1807-1808 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 11: 1806-1807 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 12: 1808-1811 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 13: 1811-1814 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 14: 1814-1815 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 15: 1815-1817 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 16: 1818 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * Deed Book 17: 1819-1828 Strictly By Name - Index only

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * c1771-1815 - Pruitt, A.B. North Carolina Land Warrants in Tennessee, Valid and Invalid. Whitakers, N.C.: A.B. Pruitt, 2004..
 * 1775-1817 - Rae, Lorraine. Washington County, Tennessee, Deeds (1775-1817). 2 vols. Greenville, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1991..
 * 1778-1783 - Meier, Oveda. Entry Taker's Report, 1778-1783, Washington County, Tennessee, Sullivan County, Tennessee. Salt Lake City, Utah: O. Meier, 1987..
 * 1779-1866 - Historical Records Survey (W.P.A.). General Index to Deeds, 1779-1866, Washington County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA, Nashville, Tenn. Microfilmed in 1940. Items 1-2.
 * 1780-1820 - Meier, Oveda. Washington County, Tennessee, Index to Early Land Owners, 1780-1820. Salt Lake City, Utah: O. Meier, 1989..
 * 1802-1904 - Pruitt, A.B. Washington Co., TN, Land Entries: 1802-1805, 1824-1875, 1879-1904. n.p.: A.B. Pruitt, 2007..
 * 1803-1899 - Toms, Gary R. and William R. Gann. Widows’ Dowers of Washington County, Tennessee, 1803-1899. Milford, Ohio: Little Miami Pub. Co., 2004..

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina The original Washington County land entries issued by North Carolina are kept at the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh. On their website, users can bring up a list of land entries issued in Washington County, both before and after its land became a part of the state of Tennessee. Years covered: 1770-1803.

Instructions:
 * 1) Follow this link to conduct a "Call Number Search" using the MARS Catalog on their site.
 * 2) Using the pull down window, change "Call Numbers starting" to "A MarsID matching."
 * 3) Type 12.14.20 (Windows Vista users may need to include a period after the last digit, for example 12.14.20.) and click Search. This is the specific MarsID for Washington County.
 * 4) Click on the entry that is returned: "Tennessee, Washington County."
 * 5) In the window that pops up, click Show List of Child Records and a list of Washington County land entries will be produced. Browse to find abstracts of the original records.

N.B. You can also search by name through the Basic Search, but it lacks soundex capabilities.

Local Histories

 * Cox, Joyce and W. Eugene (eds). History of Washington County, Tennessee. Jonesborough TN: Washington County Historical Assn., 2001.
 * Watauga Association of Genealogists. History of Washington County, Tennessee, 1988. Johnson City TN: Watauga Association of Genealogists, 1988. LC 88-51330.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1777-1985 - Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
 * 1779 Reeves, Charles A. Sullivan &amp; Washington Counties [Tennessee], the County Bounds in 1779. Published 2000. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Lusk identified 82 early land grants on the Watauga River and prepared a map showing their locations, along with abstracts of the grants, in:


 * Lusk, Ann. "Early Settlers on the Watauga River," Bulletin of the Watauga Association of Genealogists, Vol. 35, No. 1 (2006):60-71.

Migration
Lusk identifies many residents of Augusta (VA) who migrated to pioneer Washington County, Tennessee in:


 * Lusk, Ann. "Some Early Settlers in Washington County, Tennessee," Bulletin of the Watauga Association of Genealogists, Vol. 34, No. 3 (2005):143-145.

Military Records
Revolutionary War The following Washington County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Washington Countians in the Revolutionary War
 * 1840 Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services Tennessee-Eastern District From Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services With Their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, c1841 Southern Book Co., 1954
 * Washington County Revolutionary War Veterans, courtesy of TNGenWeb.

Additional information


 * 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, Washington County on page 154.
 * Allen, Penelope Johnson. Tennessee Soldiers in the Revolution: A Roster of Soldiers Living During the Revolutionary War in the Counties of Washington and Sullivan. n.p.: Tennessee Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1935..
 * King's Mountain Participants (sel.), Holston Pastfinder, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Sep. 2001).
 * Loyalists, 1778-82 (selected), Greene County Pioneer, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Feb. 1991).
 * Pension Office Names, 1836, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 25, No. 2 (1996).
 * Pension Roll, 1835, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 29, No. 1 (2000).
 * Pensions, 1834, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 23, No. 2 (1994).
 * 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.
 * Rejected or Suspended Revolutionary War Pensions, June 7, 1832, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 36, No. 1 (2007).
 * Revolutionary &amp; Military Pensioners, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Summer 1983).
 * Revolutionary War Stub Indents Books, 1782, North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Apr. 1975).
 * Washington County Tennessee Men at Kings Mountain, Holston Pastfinder, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Sep. 1999).

War of 1812
 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98; Vol. 8, No. 4 (Oct. 1961):122-124. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Washington County pensioners 8(3):95, 8(4):122.
 * War of 1812 - Soldiers from Washington County, Tennessee Courtesy:TNGenWeb

Online Records


 * War of 1812 Records; Pensions of 1818 Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * Pensions of 1818 Virginia Pioneers ($)

Indian Wars
 * Service against Chickamaugas, 1790 Claims, Tennessee Ancestors, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Dec. 1989).
 * Certificates of Capt. J. Hadley, 1788, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 24, No. 1 (1995).

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 (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 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

Confederate Soldiers


 * 1st Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Carter's) - CSA - Company M.
 * 19th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company B.
 * 26th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (3rd East Tennessee Volunteers) - CSA - Company B.
 * 29th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies G and I.
 * 34th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Witcher's Battalion, Virginia Mounted Rifles) (Confederate). Company F (Walker's Battalion).
 * 37th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (7th Infantry) (1st East Tennessee Rifles) - CSA - Company F.
 * 60th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Crawford's) (79th Infantry) - CSA - Companies A, C, D, F and K.
 * 63rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Fain's) (74th Infantry) - CSA

Union Soldiers


 * 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Companies D, E and F.
 * 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company M.
 * 13th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Companies I and M.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Washington County:


 * 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.
 * USGenWeb Archives, Washington County Tennessee Archives. Military Records.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications Washington 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. Washington County, page 381-384.
 * TNGenWeb, Washington County Tennessee Civil War Veterans.Links to the 2nd NC Mounted Infantry, 4th TN Cavalry Company B and Battle of Limestone Station.

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 Washington County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Johnson City
 * Jonesborough
 * Limestone
 * The Kingsport Times (Kingsport, Tennessee) at Ancestry $
 * Kingsport News (Kingsport, Tennessee) at Ancestry $
 * Kingsport Times News (Kingsport, Tennessee) at Ancestry $


 * 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?)


 * 1891-1907 - Burns, William A. Abstracts of Death and Obituaries Notices Garnered from Herald-Tribune, Washington County. Phoenix, AZ: W.A. Burns, 1967-1973.

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;.
 * The Pellissippian: Published by the Anderson County Historical Society (formerly called, Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society). The table of contents for some issues are available on their website..
 * Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin: Published by Watauga Association of Genealogists. The table of contents for some issues are found on their website; ; Bulletin Subject Index: The First Thirty Years, 1972-2001 (Johnson City, Tenn.: Watauga Association of Genealogists, 2002).

Probate Records
Online Records and Indexes
 * 1779-2008- Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry  $
 * 1779-1800 Images of Wills and Estates Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1779-1857 Index to Will Bk 1 Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1782-1787 Deeds Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1783-1786 Deeds Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1784-1792 Deeds Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1787-1795 Minutes of the Court Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1788-1799 Minutes of the Court Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1791-1804 Minutes of the Court Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1800-1809 Minutes of the Court Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1802-1809 Minutes of the Court Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1870-1950 Widows Dowers Guardianship Papers, Inventories Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1876-1940 Guardian Bonds Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1878-1928 Settlements by Guardians Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1884-1944 Administrators Settlements, Guardian Bonds, Inventories Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Apprentice Bonds Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Bills of Sale Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1825-1826 Fines Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Insanity Papers Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Jury View Papers Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Land Entries Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Land Petitions Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Petitions before Congress Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Promissory Notes Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Road Petitions Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Stray Land Indentures Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1788 and 1796 Tavern Petitions and Licenses Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Title Bonds; Titles of Books stored in Basement of Court House Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Watauga Assocation of 1772 Southeastern Genealogy ($)

Wills The original Washington County Wills are kept at the County Courthouse. They have been microfilmed twice:
 * 1779-1889 Will Books 1 to 4 (1779-1889). Microfilmed in 1969 by TLSA. FHL copies: ;.
 * 1779-1889 Wills and Index 1779-1889. Microfilmed in 1999 by the Genealogical Society of Utah: Items 2-3,.
 * 1779-1950 - [ Washington County] portion of at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.
 * 1779-1858 Will Book 1: 1779-1858 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1858-1889 Will Book 2: 1858-1889 Strictly By Name - Index only

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * 1777-1872 - Burgner, Goldene Fillers. Washington County, Tennessee, Wills, 1777-1872. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1983. . Free Lookups Available!
 * 1778-1820 - Huffine, Ethel Depew and Ruth Stuart. Washington County, Tennessee, Marriages and Wills. Johnson City, Tenn.: Parrish Print., 1961..
 * 1779-1860 - Historical Records Survey (W.P.A.). Washington County Will Books, 1779-1860; Estate Records, 1779-1860. Typescript, TSLA, Nashville, Tenn. Microfilmed in 1940., -.
 * 1779-1861 - 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 wills. Free Lookups Available!
 * 1779-1889 - Strictly By Name (see above).
 * 1790-1841 - Shell, Vera E. and WPA. Washington County, Tennessee, Settlements of Estates (1790-1841). Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1999..
 * 1790-1841 - Lucas, Silas Emmett and Ella Lee Sheffield. Washington County, Tennessee Settlement of Estates: 1790-1841. Greenville, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1999..
 * 1803-1899 - Toms, Gary R. and William R. Gann. Widows’ Dowers of Washington County, Tennessee, 1803-1899. Milford, Ohio: Little Miami Pub. Co., 2004..

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 Washington County Tax Books (1778-1885) are held at the County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed these records in 1969. FHL copies: -.

The 1778 tax records for Washington County contain an accounting of the name of every tithable freeman over 21 years of age, the poll tax, amount of the estate, and the sum to pay.

The original Washington County Record of Land Sales 1911-1914 for Delinquent Taxes were microfilmed by TSLA in 1969. FHL copies: Item 2.

The earliest Washington County tax records, through 1850, have been published and indexed:


 * 1778 Taxpayers, 1778,East Tennessee Historical Society Publications. Knoxville TN: 1962. Issues 34 and 35.
 * 1778, 1814, 1819 Mary Barnett Curtis, Early East Tennessee Tax Lists (Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964), . Includes 1778, 1814, and 1815 tax lists.
 * 1778, 1787 Creekmore, Pollyanna. Early East Tennessee Taxpayers. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1980. and Silas Emmett Lucas's Revised Index . Includes 1778 and 1787 tax lists.
 * 1778-1850 - Rasmussen, Geoffrey D. East Tennessee Tax Records Index. [1778-1850] 3 vols. Westminster, Md.: Heritage Books, 2005..
 * 1778-1801 - McCown, Mary Hardin, Nancy E. Jones Stickley and Inez E. Burns. Washington County, Tennessee Records, Vol. 1: Washington County Lists of Taxables, 1778-1801; Abstract of Washington County Minutes; Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1778-1801; Lists of Officers of Washington County, 1778-1801; Miscellaneous Records in Washington County. Johnson City, Tenn.: Mary Hardin McCown, 1964..
 * 1787-1799 - Tax Lists, 1787-99, Tennessee Ancestors, Vol. 17, No. 2 (Aug. 2001).
 * 1787-1790 - Taxpayers, 1787-90, Tennessee Ancestors, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Aug. 1989).
 * 1788 East TN Taxpayers, 1788, Tennessee Ancestors, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Apr. 1989).
 * 1790 DeLoach, Javan Michael. "Washington County 1790 List of Taxables," [4 parts] available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives. Source: MSS., Washington County Courthouse.
 * 1798-1852 - List of Taxables, 1798-1852, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 24, No. 1 (1995). For further access, see Periodicals.
 * 1814-1819 - Historical Records Project. Tax List, 1814-1819, Washington County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA, Nashville, Tenn.; Item 2.
 * 1814, 1819 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. . Includes 1814 and 1819 tax lists.
 * 1814 Tax List, 1814, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Summer 1973). For further access, see Periodicals.
 * 1815 Tax List, 1815, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 11, No. 1 (1982). For further access, see Periodicals.
 * 1815-1819 - Washington County, Tennessee, Lists of Taxables, 1815-1819 (photocopies), in Watauga Association of Genealogists Collection, Accession No. 295, Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tenn.
 * 1816 Tax List, 1816, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 12, No. 1 (1983); Vol. 12, No. 2 (1983). For further access, see Periodicals.
 * 1817 Tax List, 1817, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 13, No. 1 (1984); Vol. 13, No. 2 (1984). For further access, see Periodicals.
 * 1818 Tax List, 1818, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 13, No. 2 (1984); Vol. 14 Iss. 1 (1985). For further access, see Periodicals.
 * 1819 Tax List, 1819, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 14, No. 2 (1985); Vol. 15, No. 1 (Spring 1986). For further access, see Periodicals.
 * 1830 - Williams, Sherman (Mrs.). "Washington County, Tennessee Tax Lists-1830," Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Summer 1972):63-78. FHL US/CAN Book 976.897 B2w v. 1. For further access, see Periodicals. Source: original manuscripts, Courthouse, Jonesboro, Tenn.
 * 1831-1833 - Washington County, Tennessee, Lists of Taxables, 1831-1833 (photocopies), in Watauga Association of Genealogists Collection, Accession No. 295, Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tenn.
 * 1840 Tax List, 1840, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 4, No. 1 (1975). For further access, see Periodicals.
 * 1850 Tax List, 1850, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 4, No. 2 (1975). For further access, see Periodicals.
 * 1890 "Washington County 1890 Tax List Images," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1891 "Washington County 1891 Tax List Images," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

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 $
 * 1778-1820 - Washington County, Tennessee, Marriages and Wills [1778-1820]. Digital Book
 * 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry $
 * 1780-2002 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1787-1859 - Marriage Records of Washington County, Tennessee, 1787-1859, FHL Film 464149 Item 2. Click on camera to open)
 * 1787-1922 - Washington County Marriage Index 1787-1922 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 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
 * 1838-1846 - Marriage Records, 1838-1846, Washington County, Tennessee. FHL Film 24853 Item 1. (Click on camera to open)
 * 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


 * 1780-1870 - Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. . Free Lookups Available!
 * 1780-1870 - Washington County, Tennessee Marriages, 1780-1870. FHL Book 976.897 V2bu.
 * 1787-1840 - Marriage Record of Washington County, Tennessee, 1787-1840 FHL Book 976.897 V25g Free Lookups Available!
 * 1871-1899 - Washington County, Tennessee Marriage Records, 1871-1899 FHL Book 976.897 V2hm. Portions of Marriage Books 2,5; completed  Books 3.4.

Death

 * 1874-1955 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1908-1916 - Nikazy, Eddie M. Washington County, Tennessee, Death Record Abstracts, 1908-1916. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1994..
 * 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
 * 1925-1936 - Hougland, Margaret W. et al. Washington County, Tennessee Death Records 1925-1936. Johnson City, TN:Watauga Association of Genealogists NE TN, 2009.
 * 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

Archives

 * Friends of the Archive Facebook

Family History Centers

 * Johnson City/Watauga Tennessee Family History Center

Libraries
Washington County Public Library 200 Sabin Dr. Jonesborough, TN 37659-1306 Phone 423-753-1800 Fax: 423-753-1802 Website
 * Home of the Jonesborough Genealogical Society

Johnson City Public Library 100 West Millard St. Johnson City, TN 37604 Phone: 423-434-4450 E-mail: phoneroom@jspl.net Website
 * Genealogical Research: The Special Collections in the "Tennessee Room" contains many books and periodicals relating to local, regional and state history and also holds census and county records.

Charles C. Sherrod Library, East Tennessee State University P.O. Box 70665 Johnson City, TN 37614 Phone: Information desk 423-439-4307 Website
 * The Sherrod Library has genealogical information concerning the East Tennessee Region.

Societies
Watauga Association of Genealogists P.O. Box 117 Johnson City, TN 37605-0117 Website

Jonesborough Genealogical Society c/o Washington County-Jonesborough Library 200 Sabin Dr. Jonesborough, TN 37659-1306 Facebook Website

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

Websites

 * Washington County, TN Archives &amp; Records Management
 * Washington County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Washington County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Washington 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: Washington County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

For early settlers, Fischer's book is a great place to start searches. She created a comprehensive index to pre-1800 Washington County court, land, marriage, probate, and tax records, see:


 * Fischer, Marjorie Hood. Tennesseans before 1800: Washington County. Galveston, Texas: Frontier Press, 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.897 N22f.