Carter County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Carter County



County Courthouse
Carter County Courthouse 801 E. Elk Avenue Elizabethton, Tennessee 37643-4537 Phone: (423) 542-1801

Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4:30 pm

Parent County
1796--Carter County was created 9 April 1796 from Washington County. County seat: Elizabethton

Record Loss
1933-- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.

Many of the early wills have been lost.

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

Cemeteries
For a list of Carter county cemeteries, click here.

Census
1820 - Lost

Land
The original Carter County Deed Books are held at the County Courthouse. In the 1970s, the Tennessee State Library and Archives microfilmed Deed Books A to T (1796-1884), indexes, and Trust Deed Book 1874-1892. Copies of their microfilms are also available at the Family History Library: FHL US/CAN Films 847620-847627, 464080 Item 2, 1011383.

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 Tennessee State Library and Archives 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 Tennessee State Library and Archives; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Military

 * History of the Thirteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, U. S. A ... By Samuel W. Scott and Samuel P Angel, has information, including some biographies of Carter County people. Available at FHL; digital version on Google Books

Probate
Loose probate files exist at the Carter County Courthouse covering the years 1796 to 1915. They were microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1999: FHL US/CAN Films 2117645-2117646, 2117648.

Taxation

 * [1796] Creekmore, Pollyanna. Early East Tennessee Taxpayers. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1980. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp and Silas Emmett Lucas's Revised Index FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp index. [Includes 1796 tax list.]
 * [1796, 1798] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. [Includes 1796 and 1798 tax lists.]

Web Sites

 * Family History Library Catalog