Obion County, Tennessee Genealogy

Guide to Obion 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 the Obion River. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Obion County Courthouse 6 Bill Burnett Circle Union City, TN 38261 County Courthouse Phone: 731-885-2562 County Clerk Phone: 731-885-3831 Register of Deeds Phone: 731-885-9351 County Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 731-885-1372

County Clerk has marriage records from 1824 and probate records from 1833. Circuit and Chancery Court has divorce records. Circuit and General Sessions Court has court records. Register of Deeds has land records

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

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
Additional Information

West Tennessee county. Established 1823.

The county is named after the Obion River.

Bible Records

 * Bowers - Abington - Guerrant - Cobb Bible Records, ca. 1801-1991. MSS.,.
 * Daughters of the American Colonists. Union City Chapter (Tennessee). Bible Records: Union City, Obion County, Tennessee, 1788-1964. 1979..
 * Daughters of the American Colonists. Union City Chapter (Tennessee). Family Bible Records of Obion County Tennessee and Fulton County Kentucky. 1982..
 * Morris - Collier - Martin Family Bible Records, ca. 1770-1958. MSS.,.

Biographies

 * Family Biographies from The History of Obion County, Tennessee (1887) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. West Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1821 to 1889. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2006. . Purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes Obion County.

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources
 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census Records
1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Obion 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 Obion County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files and scanned images of census microfilmed pages. The USGenWeb Census Project®.

1810-1891


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

1840


 * Scanned census images in the USGenWeb Archives

1840 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, Western District, Obion County on page 159.

1850


 * Porch, Deane Obion County, Tennessee 1850 census Franklin, Tennessee Louise G. Lynch, 1973.
 * Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. ff. Obion County is included in Vol. 1.

1860


 * Scanned census images in the USGenWeb Archives

1870


 * Full name index linked to appropriate scanned census image in the USGenWeb Census Project®

1880


 * Scanned census images in the USGenWeb Archives
 * Sistler, Barbara and Samuel D. 1880 census Obion County, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee: Byron Sistler and Association, 2002

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. . Obion County is included in Vol. 3.
 * 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 $

Court Records
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.

Genealogies
General
 * As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Obion, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 45,000 entries.


 * Hillis, L.B. Illustrated, Historic, Industrial - Biographical Book of Obion County. Obion, Tenn.: Obion County Enterprise, 1911..

Bibliography


 * Bell - Ross, John Kelly. Edwards/Bell Family History: The Ancestors and Descendants of Ira "Papa" Edwards and Eula "Mama" Bell Edwards of Obion County, Tennessee, and Fulton County, Kentucky. Clinton, Ky.: J.K. Ross, 1994..
 * Boon - Boone, Merritt Anderson. Descendants of Henry Harrison Boon: Including Partial Histories on Curtner and Burgess Families. 1971..
 * Brown - Dodson, Ralph Harris. The Browns of Obion County, Tennessee and Their Kin. 1977..
 * Bryant - Green, Virginia Pearson, Thomas Nash Green Sr., Thomas Nash Green Jr., and Martha Green. As I Have Been Told, 3: Frances Elizabeth Bryant 1859-1951. San Diego, Calif.: V.P. Green, 1998..
 * Burress - Burress, Charles G. The Family of William Burress (ca. 1799-1850?) of Tennessee. Phoenix, Ariz.?: unknown, 1971. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * Caruthers, Carruthers - Wright, E. M. A Brief of John Caruthers, a Pioneer. Springfield, Mo.?: Unknown, 1944. Available at ; and ; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * Harrison - Roberts, Harry D. Harrison Family Research. Malibu, Calif.: H.D. Roberts, 1975..
 * Harrison - Griffin, Frances C. Harrison Family Research. Chesapeake, Va.: F.C. Griffin, 1985..
 * Harrison - Bianchi, Ann Herod. A Working Report on Robert Henry Harrison: And His Descendants. Conroe, Tex.: A.H. Bianchi, 2000..
 * Snow - Boaz, Thurmond DeWitte. The Family of Mrs. J.B. Snow: A Record of the Descendants of Nancy Adeline (Boaz) Snow (1833-1902). McLean, Va.: T.D. Boaz, Jr., 1974..
 * Valliant - Lane, Elise Denison Brown. Certain Descendants of Robert Spencer Valliant and His Wife, Martha Hurlock: Through Their Eldest Child, James Valliant (1759-1838) and His Wife, Margaret Thompson. San Antonio, Tex.: n.p., 1953. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 2241..

Land and Property Records

 * Obion County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1824 and is located at the Courthouse, 2 Bill Burnett Circle, Union City, TN 38261; Telephone: (731) 885-2562. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
 * Willis, Laura. Obion County Deed Books Feb 1825-Feb 1831. Simmons Historical Publications, 2001. Digital version available at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * The Family History Library has microfilm copies of deeds and trust deeds 1824-1900 with indexes 1824-1904; land entries and land surveys 1820-1904.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
 * Map of 1888 Obion County, Tennessee with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * 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, Western District, Obion County on page 159.
 * 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. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1961):49-52. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Obion County pensioners (p. 49).

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 — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1891-1965 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Confederate Soldiers


 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Neely's) - CSA - Company E.
 * 9th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company H.
 * 22nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Barteau's) - CSA - Companies I, K, and 2nd Company H.
 * 27th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company C.
 * 33rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A, D, E, F, I, and K.
 * 47th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A, H, and I.

Union Soldiers


 * Bradford's Battalion, 13th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry, Companies B, C and D.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Obion County:


 * Lynn, H.M. H.M. Lynn Papers, 1858-1882. Southern Historical Collection, Manuscripts Dept., Wilson Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Free digital copy. 9th Tennessee Regiment, Company C.
 * Pruett, Joan (abstracts) Abstracts of Civil War Questionnaires Includes biographical information.
 * USGenWeb Archives, Obion County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Records.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Obion 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. Obion County, page 367.
 * TNGenWeb, Obion County Military Pages. Scroll down to "Military."

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 Obion County click on the following cities and towns:


 * Kenton
 * Obion
 * Troy
 * Union City


 * 1794-1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..
 * 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?)

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;
 * Family Findings: Quarterly of the Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society. For tables of contents and online access to issues, see TNGenWeb Project. Also try this specialized Google search..


 * Volumes 1-10 (1969-1978)
 * Volumes 11-20 (1979-1988)
 * Volumes 21-24 (1989-1992)
 * Volumes 32-35 (2000-2003)


 * Obion Origins:
 * West Tennessee Historical Society Papers: Occasional publication of the West Tennessee Historical Society. . To view Table of Contents and complete articles from 1947 - 2005 see Shelby County Register of Deeds

Probate Records
The County Court and Chancery Court have responsibility for the probate records of Obion County.

Online Records and Indexes


 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry$
 * 1833-1924 - Obion County portion of at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1833-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills and Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler and Associates, Inc., 1990. . Includes an index to this county's probate records.
 * 1834-1842 - Willis, Laura, Betty Sellers, and Wilda Jetton. Obion County, Tenn., Wills, Adm. and Bonds (1834-1842). Melber, KY: Simmons Historical Pub., 2001. 3 volumes. Available at ; selected volumes can also be found at World Vital Records ($): Volume 3 1840-1842; and Volume 4 1842-1843. Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

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 Obion County Tax Books 1825-1885 are kept at the County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed these records in 1976. FHL copies:.

The original Obion County Tax Records 1856-1919 are kept at the County Courthouse. GSU microfilmed these records in 2002:.

A variety of miscellaneous Obion County tax records are included in the collection Obion County, Tennessee Civil Cases, 1823-1900; Indexes, 1823-1885. The original records are kept at the County Courthouse. In 2000-2001, GSU microfilmed these records: ff.

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1824 -1825 - Dennis. "Tax List: 1824 and 1825, Obion County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1826 Dennis. "Tax List: 1826, Obion County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1827 Dennis. "Tax List: 1827, Obion County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1828 Dennis. "Tax List: 1828, Obion County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1829 Dennis. "Tax List: 1829, Obion County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1837 Davis, Bettie Brandon. "Obion County, Tennessee Tax List 1837," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Spring 1978):39-44. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Obion; digital version of District 8 at RootsWeb.
 * 1851 Poll Tax Records, 1851, Obion Origins, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Aug. 1988).
 * 1871-1897 - Powell, Jane N. " [Partial Misc. Tax Lists for Obion Co., TN District 6 and 7 from 1871-1897,"] available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. Mainly surnames that begin with initial letters A, B, C.

Birth

 * 1828-1939 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry$
 * 1881 Obion County Birth Index 1881 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1908-1912 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage
Online indexes and Records


 * 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
 * 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry $
 * 1780-2002 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 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
 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1838-1895 - Obion County Marriage Index 1838-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * 1838-1952 - Marriages (Obion County, Tennessee), 1838-1952. FHL US/CAN Films 1007235-1007239 and 1928794-99. Click magnifying glass to search, camera icon for images.
 * 1870-1900 - Obion County, Tennessee miscellaneous records, 1870-1900 FHL US/CAN Film 2315552 item 2. Click camera icon to open.
 * 1900, 1931-1950 - Obion County, Tennessee, marriage licenses, and marriage, 1900, 1931-1950. FHL US/CAN Films 2114756-7, 2114941-42, 2114951, and 2293654. Click magnifying glass to search, camera icon for images.

Book Indexes and Abstracts


 * 1824-1877 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early West Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler and Associates, 1989. ff. Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.

Death

 * 1823-1852 - Hays, Tony. West Tennessee Death Records [ca. 1823-1852]. 2 vols. n.p.: Kitchen Table Press, 1987. . Obion County is included in Vol. 1.
 * 1874-1955 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1908-1933 Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 1908-1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry $
 * 1914-1966 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Books Online

Libraries
Obion County Public Library 1221 E Reelfoot Ave Union City, TN 38261 Phone: 731-885-7000 Website
 * The Tennessee Room holds materials from Obion County and other localities within a 150-mile radius. Records found in the Tennessee Room include Newspapers, Periodicals, City and State Records, Census Records, Deeds, Wills, Maps, and more.

West Tennessee Heritage Study Center Paul Meek Library University of Tennessee at Martin Phone: 731-881-7060 Hours vary by semester Website
 * The Heritage Study Center holds a variety of genealogical resources including materials relating to the following counties in Tennessee: Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Perry, Shelby, Stewart, Tipton, Wayne, Weakley and Carlisle (KY), Fulton (KY), and Hickman (KY) counties in Kentucky.

Societies
Obion County Historical Society P.O. Box 241 Union City, TN 38261 Website

West Tennessee Historical Society P.O. Box 111046 Memphis, TN 38111 Phone: 901-475-6608 E-mail: [mailto:efrank@memphis.edu efrank@memphis.edu] Website

Websites

 * Obion County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Obion 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: Obion County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)