Morgan County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Morgan County

East Tennessee county. Established 1817.





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

County Courthouse
Morgan County Courthouse 415 N. Kingston Street Wartburg, TN 37887 Phone: 423-346-3105

Morgan County Clerk Marriage records and Birth records 1908-1912 P.O. Box 301 Wartburg, TN 37887 Phone: 423-346-3480

Morgan County Register of Deeds Land records 415 North Kingston St. Wartburg, TN 37887 Phone: 423-346-3105

Morgan County Clerk and Master Probate records 415 N. Kingston Street Wartburg, TN 37887 Phone: 423-346-3881

Morgan County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 415 N. Kingston Street Wartburg, TN 37887 Phone: 423-346-3503

All of the offices are located on the 1st floor of the courthouse.

Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm Saturday 8 am - noon

History


The county is named after Revolutionary War Officer Daniel Morgan (1736-1802).

Parent County
1817--Morgan County was established 15 October 1817 from Roane County. County seat: Wartburg

Record Loss
1826, 1870, 1904--Fires damaged records


 * Lost censuses: 1820, 1890
 * Lost marriage records: 1817 to 1861
 * Lost probate records: 1817 to 1865

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


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

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Morgan County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

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

1820 - Lost

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 1024517-1024518.

The following book is a useful aid for finding the original records. A free online index, provided by Lineages, 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. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2m 1820; digital version at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

These records have also been abstracted:


 * 1820 Census of Manufactures: Morgan County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 6, No. 2 :56. For availability, see Periodicals.

1830


 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2p 1830.

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. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Eastern District, Morgan County on page 154.]

1850


 * Porch, Deane and Louise Gillespie Lynch. Morgan County, Tennessee 1850 Census. Franklin, Tenn.: Louise G. Lynch, 1973. FHL US/CAN Book 976.874 X2p.

1850 Agricultural Census


 * Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2g v. 1 ff. [Morgan County is included in Vol. 1.]

1860


 * Index to 1860 Morgan County Census (Tennessee). Wartburg, Tenn.: Morgan County Genealogical Society, 199?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.874 X2i 1860.

1870


 * Index to 1870 Morgan County Census (Tennessee). Wartburg, Tenn.: Morgan County Genealogical Society, 199?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.874 X2i 1870.

1880


 * Index to 1880 Morgan County Census (Tennessee). Wartburg, Tenn.: Morgan County Genealogical Society, 199?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.874 X2i 1880.
 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census Morgan County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.874 X2d 1880.

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. [Morgan 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.

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Morgan 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


 * The Heritage of Morgan County, Tennessee, 1817-1999. [Tenn.]: Morgan County Heritage Book Committee, 1999. FHL US/CAN Book 976.874 D2h.

Bibliography


 * [Alexander] Gaston, Essie Gladys. The Clift-Penland Family. Unknown: Unknown, 1949. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C613g digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($). [Mentions the John Alexander family that came from Morgan County, Tennessee to Arkansas].
 * [Bowman] Bowman, Charles W. Bowman Genealogy: Fragmentary Annals of a Branch of the Bowman Family: To Which is Appended Data Relating to other Bowmans and the Spencers. Washington, D.C.: Law Reporter Print. Co., 1912. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B684bc; FHL US/CAN Fiche 6046561; digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books (full view); and Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Kindred] Henrick, Ruby Rigor. Thomas Kindred Family History: Albermarle County, Virginia to Morgan County, Tennessee 1776-1986. St. Louis, Missouri: R.R. Henrick, 1986. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 K577r.
 * [Laymance] Roberts, Snyder E. A Sketch of Laymance Families of Morgan County, Tennessee. [Tenn.]: S.E. Roberts, 1985. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 8090.
 * [Ruffner] Roberts, Pauline H. Ruffner Families of Maienfeld, Switzerland and Morgan County, Tennessee. [Oliver Springs, Tenn.]: P.H. Roberts, 1981. Book: FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R838ro; Microfilm: FHL US/CAN Film 1307514 Item 39.
 * [Stinecipher] Roberts, Snyder E. Data Sheets on Stinecipher Families of Morgan &amp; Roane Counties, Tennessee. [Oak Ridge, Tenn.]: S. Roberts, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 8047.

Land
The original Morgan County Deed Books are kept at the County Courthouse. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A to KZ (1818-1901) and accompanying Indexes (1818-1914). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 978846-978866.

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.] 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

 * Hughes, Thomas. Rugby, Morgan County, Tennessee, Settlement. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke &amp; Co., Print, 1880. 1975 reprint: FHL US/CAN Book 976.874/R1 H2h. Digital version at Google Books.

Military
Revolutionary War

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Select Morgan County Revolutionary War Pension Records

The 1840 Census of Pensioners has been abstracted multiple times:


 * 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. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Eastern District, Morgan County on page 154.]
 * Revolutionary &amp; Military Pensioners, 1840, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 33, No. 1 (Spring 1986).

Additional resources include:


 * Local Soldiers, Revolution to Desert Storm, Morgan County Messenger, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Spring 1993).
 * Matthias Williams Pension Application, 1832, Morgan County Messenger (Summer 1998).
 * 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.]
 * Revolutionary War Pens. Info., Court Minutes,1850-52, Pellissippian, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Apr. 1981).

War of 1812


 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1961):49-52. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. [Includes Morgan County pensioners (p. 49).]

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 Morgan County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Oakdale
 * Rugby
 * Sunbright
 * Wartburg

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. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2m. Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Morgan County.]
 * Tennesse Bureau of Agriculture, Statistics and Mines. Coal Mines and Mining--Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: A.B. Travel, 1883. Free digital copy.

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

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Morgan 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

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Morgan 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.

Morgan County Messenger

The Family History Library has Volume 1, no. 2 (Fall 1986) FHL US/CAN 976.874 B2m Indexed at PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) Volume 1 (May 1986) - Volume 21 (Spring 2007)

The Pellissippian

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Morgan County, Tennessee records were published in the The Pellissippian (25 vols., 1980-2004), the quarterly of the Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society. The society has posted tables of contents for all 25 volumes on their website. They also have back issues available for purchase. The Family History Library has acquired the first 20 volumes FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 D25p.

Prisons
Learn if your Morgan County ancestors went to prison!


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online, courtesy: TSLA.
 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: TSLA.

Probate
The original Morgan County Wills are kept at the County Courthouse. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed Wills 1866-1935. FHL copy: FHL US/CAN Film 978845. In 1988, TSLA also microfilmed Will Book 2 (1889-1958). FHL copy: FHL US/CAN Film 1928793.

Taxation
The following Morgan County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1814] "1814 Roane County, Tennessee Tax List," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. ["Only the tax list for the militia company that included most of the people that became Morgan Countians in 1817 is included here."]
 * [1817] "1817 Roane County, Tennessee Tax List," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Includes area that later became Morgan County.]
 * [1836, 1848, 1874, 1876] Morgan County, Tennessee, Tax Lists: Year 1836, 1848, 1874, 1876. n.p.: n.p., n.d. FHL US/CAN Book 976.874 R4m.
 * [1836] "Tax List, 1836," Morgan County Messenger, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Winter 1988).
 * [1836] "Tax List Excerpt, 1836," Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 10, No. 4 (Summer 1993).
 * [1836] "Morgan County Tax Records District 1, 1836," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
 * [1848] Thornton, Mrs. Robert E. "Morgan County Tax List - 1848," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1967):23-29. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

Death
For deaths of Methodists in Morgan 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
Morgan County Genealogical and Historical Society P. O. Box 684 Wartburg, TN 37887 Telephone 423-346-2479 (Located in the Wartburg Public Library and have an extensive collection of Civil War Pension Records, vertical files, genealogical books, census records and more.)

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

Coalfield Public Library 112 Jerry Jones Rd. P.O. Box 97 Coalfield, TN 37719 Phone: 865-435-4275 Email coalfieldlibrary@yahoo.com Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs 12 noon - 6 pm Saturday 10 am - 2 pm

Sunbright Public Library 142 Melton Drive Sunbright, TN 37872 Phone: 423-628-2439 Hours: Monday - Thursday 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm Saturday 9:30 am - 1:30 pm

Wartburg Public Library Phone: 423-346-2479 Wartburg, TN 37887 514 Spring Street

Deer Lodge Public Library 110 Corinne Ave Deer Lodge, TN 37726 Phone: (423) 965-3029

Petros Public Library 208 West Main Street Petros, TN 37845 Phone: (423) 324-2825

Oakdale Public Library 212 Queen Street Oakdale, TN 37829 Phone: (423) 369-2595

Web Sites

 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Morgan County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Morgan County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Morgan County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNMORGAN-L (Morgan County, Tennessee List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-L (East Tennessee List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-OZ-L (East Tennessee Migrants to Ozarks Region List)