Macon County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Macon County Middle Tennessee county established in 1842. Macon County's land belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.





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

County Courthouse


Macon County Courthouse 104 Courthouse, Public Square Lafayette, TN 37083 Phone: 1-615-666-2000

Macon County Clerk Marriage and probate records Birth records 1908-1912 104 County Courthouse Lafayette, TN 37083 Phone: 1-615-666-2333

Macon County Register of Deeds Land records 102 County Courthouse Lafayette, TN 37083 Phone: 1-615-666-2353

Macon County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 904 Highway 52 Bypass East Lafayette, TN 37083 Phone: 1-615-666-2354

Because of three courthouse fires, the records stored there prior to 1901 are mostly destroyed. The Macon County Historical Society is working to restore these lost records through several different means. To learn what records are now available, it is worthwhile to contact the Macon County Historical Societyat P.O. Box 231, Lafayette, Tennessee 37083-0231.

Courthouse hours: Mon.-Wed. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Closed Thursday

History


The county is named after U.S. Senator Nathaniel Macon (1758-1837).

Parent County
1842--Macon County was created 18 January 1842 from Smith and Sumner Counties. County seat: Lafayette

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
Most records stored at the courthouse before 1900 have been lost.


 * Lost census: 1890
 * Lost land records
 * Lost marriage records: 1842 to 1900
 * Lost probate records: 1842 to 1939

Surviving chancery court records act as a substitute to the lost land and probate records.

For tips on researching in burned counties, see:


 * 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: Macon County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
 * "Research in Macon County," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Winter 1993). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

African American
United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often include birth, marriage, and death information.


 * 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 Macon County linking to the information about the people buried there,
 * Macon Co. TN Cemetery Records, part of the TNGenWeb Cemetery Database, lists many cemeteries in the county, often with indexes and transcripts of the burials.
 * Macon County, Tennessee, USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project lists many cemeteries in the county and has transcripts of the tombstones arranged by cemetery.
 * The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries in Macon county. Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.
 * ePodunk list of Macon County cemeteries
 * Macon County Historical Society (Lafayette, Tennessee) Macon County, Tennessee, cemeteries Lafayette, Tennessee : Macon County Historical Society (Tennessee), 1987-1989. FHL US/CAN book 976.8484 V3m v.1-2 Free lookups available!

Census
1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Macon 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 Macon County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. [The USGenWeb Census Project®]

1850


 * Cothron, Judy M., ed. Macon County Tennessee, 1850 &amp; 1860 Census. Lafayette, Tennessee: Macon County Historical Society, 1997.
 * Porch, Deane. Macon County, Tennessee, 1850 Census. Franklin, Tennessee: L.G. Lynch, 19-?.

1860


 * Cothron, Judy M., ed. Macon County Tennessee, 1850 &amp; 1860 Census. Lafayette, Tennessee: Macon County Historical Society, 1997.

1870


 * Cothron, Judy M., ed.Macon County, Tennessee, 1870 &amp; 1880 Census.Lafayette, Tennessee : Macon County Historical Society, 1995.

1880


 * Cothron, Judy M., ed.Macon County, Tennessee, 1870 &amp; 1880 Census.Lafayette, Tennessee : Macon County Historical Society, 1995.
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1880 census, Macon County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee : B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1993.

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. 6 1891. [Macon County is included in Vol. 6.]
 * 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.

1900


 * Crumpton, Barbara. 1900 Census, Macon County, Tennessee.Duncan, Oklahoma: Creative Copies, 1988.
 * Pryor, Mary C. Macon County, Tennessee 1900 &amp; 1910 Census. Lafayette, Tennessee: Macon County Historical Society, 2004.

1910


 * Pryor, Mary C. Macon County, Tennessee 1900 &amp; 1910 Census. Lafayette, Tennessee: Macon County Historical Society, 2004.

1920


 * Young, Denise, ed. Macon County, Tennessee Census, 1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Available at Ancestry ($).

Church
Church records include baptisms, marriages and burials, as well as information about family members and clues about family migration. For additional information about church records, religions, and religious archives in Tennessee, see Tennessee Church Records.


 * Macon County Church Records


 * - Family History Library Catalog - Bedford County Church Records


 * Church histories tell when a church started in the area, who the early members were, give data about church leaders, etc.


 * - Family History Library Catalog - Macon County Church History


 * If the records you need are not through the Family History Library, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived. Two sites that give information about churches in Macon County are:


 * - List of Macon County churches with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)
 * - List of Macon County churches (TN HomeTownLocator)

Baptist


 * [1831-1928] Hillsdale Baptist Church Records. Macon County, 1831-1928. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #215. Item 3. Formerly the East Fork of Goose Creek Church.
 * [1831-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 1 Index to original Hillsdale Baptist Church Records. Macon County, 1831-1928.
 * [1841-1883] Hastings, Patricia G. Into His Marvelous Light : the Minutes of the Siloam Missionary Baptist Church, 1841-1883. Nashville, Tennessee: P.G. Hastings, 1988.

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


 * [Doss] Descendant of John Doss (1816-1857) of Sumner and Macon counties, Tennessee. Y-DNA 37 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 49304). Genetic signature available online (labeled Ju-3), genealogical description available online, courtesy: The Doss DNA Project, World Families. Matches have been found.

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 Macon, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 38,000 entries.


 * Macon County Tennessee Historical Society. Macon County, Tennessee: History and Families. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 2001. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8484 H2m.
 * Macon County Historical and Genealogical Society. Macon Roots: A Record of the Families of Macon County, Tennessee in 1850. n.p.: Ridge Runner, 2008. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8484 D2m.
 * Masters, Jack and Bill Puryear. Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804: Showing Who Came, How They Came, and Where They Put Down Roots. Gallatin, Tenn.: Warioto Press, 2009. FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d. Supplements: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 E7d supp. 1 ff. Purchase at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers.

Bibliography


 * [Ballew] Ballew, David L. Ancestors of Leonard Ballew. West Palm Beach, Fla.: D.L. Ballew, 1987? FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B212b.
 * [Cragon] Cragon, Henry D., Harvey Allen Cragon, Miller Murray Cragon, and James Alexander Cragon. Tennessee Cragons and Their Kinfolk. [Birmingham, Alabama?: H.D. Cragon], 1974. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C843c.
 * [Doss] Murphy, Nathan W. Descendants of Azariah Doss and His Wife Lydia (Ayres) Doss. Hanson, Ky.: David W. Murphy and Associates, 1998. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D741m

Land

 * Land Grants. Free index to 1500+ Pioneer Cumberland Settlements Land Grants, available online, courtesy: Cumberland Pioneer Settlers. The Cumberland Settlements region covered what is now this county. To view the land grants platted on maps, purchase the books described on this site, or access those available at the Family History Library FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d.

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.

Local Histories

 * Blankenship, Harold G. History of Macon County, Tennessee. n.p.: H.G. Blankenship, 1986. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8484 H2b.
 * Roddy, Vernon On the early story of Red Boiling Springs, Tennesse : with selected supporting materials Hartsville, Tennessee : V.Roddy, 1991 (Murfreesboro, Tennessee : Ambassador Print) FHL US/CAN book 976.8484 H2rv Free lookups available!

Military
War of 1812


 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jan. 1961):20-23. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. [Includes Macon County pensioners (p. 21).]

Civil War


 * McMurray, William Joseph. History of the 20th Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1904. Free digital copy.

Newspapers

 * Gregory, Charles Cal's Column-Macon County Times Free lookups available or visit  Transcription Cal's Column.


 * 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 Macon County click on the following cities:


 * Lafayette
 * Red Boiling Springs

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 Macon County, Tennessee records 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.
 * Makin' History: Newsletter of the Macon County, Tennessee, Historical Society
 * The Family History Library has Volume 1  - present. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8484 B2n  Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) For further information see website: http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnmchs (Includes Quarterly Newsletter Index)
 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Macon County, Tennessee have been published in The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, the quarterly of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society (23+ Vols.). To view a list of these articles, visit their online Index to Articles (1988-2005). Surname indexes are also available online for Vols. 2-22. The website also offers back issues for sale in paper and on CD. The Family History Library has a complete collection of this quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.

Prisons
Learn if your Macon 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
Probate records are court records created after an individual’s death that relate to a court’s decisions regarding the distribution of the estate to the heirs or creditors and the care of any dependents. You may find the names of married daughters or other relatives and their residences; or information about the adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. Probate records do not always give an exact date of death, but the death usually occurred within a few months of probate. These documents are important to family history researchers because they usually exist for time periods before civil birth and death records were kept.

The Macon County Court and County Clerk have responsibility for the probate records.

The following Macon County probate records have been abstracted, indexed, or both:


 * Macon County (Tennessee) County Clerk and Tennessee State Library and Archives (Nashville, Tennessee) Macon County, Tennessee wills, ca. 1946-1977 Nashville, Tennessee : Filmed by the Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1988. FHL US/CAN film 1928767 item 6 Free lookups available!

Taxation
The following Macon County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1789] Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes area that later became Macon County.]
 * [1868] Taxpayers, 3rd District, 1868, Macon County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Summer 1992).

Birth

 * For free lookups of 1908-1939 Macon County Births click here.

Marriage
The original Macon County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. Because of a courthouse fire, no marriage records before 1900 are available. The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:


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

The following Macon County marriage records are microfilmed:


 * [1901-1994] Available at the TSLA.
 * [1901-1954] Available at the Family History Library.

The following Macon County marriage records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * [1901-1994] Macon County, Tennessee Bonds and Marriages. Lebanon, Tennessee: Brawner Books, 2001-1002. 2 volumes
 * RecordSearch at FamilySearch now includes indexed Tennessee marriages. This is a free pilot site and still under construction.  At this time, it is best to search from the home page, Discover Your Ancestors: indicate a surname, marriage "event", no date, and a county name (i.e. Macon, Tennessee).  Browse through the results for that surname. You may need to supply any variant spellings of the surname in separate searches.
 * Many county marriage records are indexed with images at Ancestry's Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. ($) Be aware that this index is not complete for many counties.

Macon County is not included in Sistler's Early Middle Tennessee Marriages.

Divorce
In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Macon County divorce papers in diverse County Courthouse records, see:


 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A3gp.

Death

 * For free lookups of 1908-1954 Macon County deaths click here.

For deaths of Methodists in Macon 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
Macon County, Tennessee Historical and Genealogical Society Meets at Macon County Court House room 202 Lafayette, TN Phone: 1-615-688-6247 E-mail: makinhistory@nctc.com

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Macon County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, a quarterly containing articles of genealogical and historical interest. Little-known Tennessee records are published and indexed, along with family genealogies, Bible records and material submitted by members. There is an alphabetical Index to articles in the Journal 1988-summer 2005

Macon County Public Library 311 Church St. Lafayette, TN 37083 Phone: 1-615-666-4340 Fax: 1-615-666-8932 E-mail: Julia.Marshall@state.tn.us Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. 9 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Thurs. 12 noon-8 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m.-1:45 p.m.

Web Sites

 * Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Macon County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Macon County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Macon County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-UPPER-CUMBERLAND-L (Upper Cumberland Tennessee Region Genealogy List)