Bledsoe County, Tennessee
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

See Also Tennessee Land Records, Marriage Records, Court, Tax & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Bledsoe County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1908 and Probate Records from 1908 and is located at P.O. Box 149, Pikeville, TN 37367; (423) 447-2137.

The County Clerk maintains Marriage & Divorce records. It also has jurisdiction over probate cases. Wills, administrations, and all other records pertaining to probate are recorded in the respective county clerk's office. If the will or administration was contested, the records of these actions may be filed in the circuit court or chancery court.

Bledsoe County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1808 and is located at P.O. Box 212, Pikeville, TN 37367-0212; Telephone: (423) 447-2137.

The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Bledsoe county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries

Bledsoe County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1845 and is located at P.O. Box 212, Pikeville, TN 37367-0212; Telephone: (423) 447-2137 .

Circuit Court Clerks serve an important role in the operation of the court system in Tennessee. Chancery courts have jurisdiction over property disputes, and circuit courts oversee criminal cases, divorces, and adoptions. Early courts included courts of common pleas and quarter sessions.

Below is a list of online resources for Bledsoe County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Bledsoe County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee Court Books at Amazon.com
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
• Search Land Patents at Gov-Records.com
• Search Property Records at Gov-Records.com
• Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912
• Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records
• Tennessee Marriages to 1825
• Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002
• Tennessee Marriages, 1851-1900

See Also Vital Records in Tennessee

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Contact the Bledsoe County Clerk For County Marriage Divorce Records (See Bledsoe County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where Certificate was granted.

Tennessee State Vital Records, is located at Central Services Building, 1st Floor, 421 5th Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee 37243; Phone (615) 741-1763, FAX (615) 741-9860. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records registers and maintains the original certificates of births, deaths, marriages and divorces that occur in Tennessee. They have the following records:

• Birth Certificates: Records are available beginning with January 1914, for Nashville since June 1881, for Knoxville since July 1881, and for Chattanooga since January 1882. Records of some births that occurred in the major cities from 1881-1913 are also available. A certified photocopy of the original record may be obtained at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. For persons born from 1949 to the present, a certified copy produced by computer is also available at a fee of $7.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below.
• Death Certificates: Death records are available for the past 50 years (1957). The fee is $7.00 per certified copy. The cause of death is not normally included on a certified copy unless specifically requested and then is available only to certain family members or legal representatives. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage and divorce records are available for the past 50 years at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificate. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below.
• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

Make certified checks and money orders should be made payable to "Tennessee Vital Records". Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services. Please do not send cash or checks. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to: Tennessee State Vital Records, Central Services Building, 1st Floor, 421 5th Avenue North, Nashville, TN, 37243.

Tennessee State Library and Archives have the following records:

• Birth Records & "Delayed" Birth Certificates: Tennessee began keeping birth records statewide in 1908. TSLA has statewide birth records for the years 1908-1912. To find a birth record, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known). The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier birth records: Nashville (beginning in 1881); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1879); and Memphis (beginning in 1874). Only the early Nashville birth records are indexed. For birth records after 1912 or for "delayed" birth certificates filed for persons born after 1903, contact the Office of Vital Records above.
  TSLA also has "delayed" birth certificates for persons born 1869 - 1903. These delayed certificates were filed at the request of the individual or that person's representative for legal reasons. To locate a delayed birth certificate, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known). E-mail TSLA and they can check thier index to the "delayed" birth records for a specified name. Please specify that you are requesting a "delayed" birth certificate.
  
  There is a $20 fee to search for a birth record. If the record is found, they will mail a copy to you. If the record is not found, you will be notified by mail. The $20 fee is not refundable. Payment in advance by check, money order or credit card is required. Send your request to Tennessee State Library and Archives, Research Department, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville TN 37243-0312. [GO TO FORMS PAGE].
  
  
• Death Records: Tennessee began keeping death records statewide in 1908. TSLA has statewide death records for the years 1908-1912 and 1914-1955. To find a death record, we need the following information: name of individual, date of death (or three year range to search), county of death (if known) and name of spouse (if known). Please keep in mind that some deaths were not recorded, due to poor record-keeping by local officials. For death records from 1956 to the present, contact the Office of Vital Records above.
  The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier death records: Nashville (beginning in 1874); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1872); and Memphis (beginning in 1848). Only the early Nashville and Memphis death records are indexed. TSLA can search the unindexed records for one year only; you must provide us with the name of individual, date of death, the city, and the name of the spouse (if known).
  There is a $20 fee to search for a death record. If the record is found, they will mail a copy to you. If the record is not found, you will be notified by mail. The $20 fee is not refundable. Payment in advance by check, money order or credit card is required. Send your request to Tennessee State Library and Archives, Research Department, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville TN 37243-0312. [GO TO FORMS PAGE]

Below is a list of online resources for Bledsoe County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Bledsoe County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• Vital Records from Archives.com: Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records and Death Records
• VitalChek Express Certificate Service. - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912
• Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records
• Tennessee Marriages to 1825
• Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002
• Tennessee Marriages, 1851-1900
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Tennessee

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Bledsoe County, Tennessee are 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Bledsoe County, Tennessee are Industry and Agriculture Schedules available for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.

Below is a list of online resources for Bledsoe County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Bledsoe County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Census Records at Archives.com
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Tennessee and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Bledsoe County Maps. Email us with websites containing Bledsoe County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Bledsoe County, Tennessee Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

See Also Military Records in Tennessee

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Bledsoe County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Bledsoe County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Tennessee units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
• Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee Military Books at Amazon.com
• Tennessee Society Daughters of the American Revolution
• Tennessee Society Sons of the Revolution
• Tennessee Civil War Regimental Histories
• Tennessee, Civil War Confederate Pension Applications Index
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

See Also Research In Tax Records

Tennessee tax lists can be used to locate families, document historic properties and study community history. Early tax lists generally include all white males over 21 and indicate whether they owned land or slaves. They usually do not provide other personal information.

The tax lists enumerated for Bledsoe County for the years: 1837-1839, 1861, 1888, 1889 ; are available on microfilm at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. They are generally filed with each county's records, but some early lists are in a separate collection. To order a search of the records by mail, follow this link [EMAIL]

The 1796 Constitution levied taxes on “every freeman of the age of twenty-one years and upward possessing a freehold in the county wherein he may vote, and being an inhabitant of this State, and every freeman being an inhabitant of any one county in the State six months immediately preceding the day of the election, shall be entitled to vote....”

Many early surviving tax records were published in an effort to replace the missing federal censuses. Original extant tax records are preserved in the respective county courthouse as well as in the Tennessee State Library and Archives, where a card index exists for tax records in its collection pre-dating 1835, arranged by county, date, and district.

Original tax schedules for most Tennessee counties for 1836 through 1839 are available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

The 1891 tax lists of male inhabitant voters in each county were recently found. Available on microfilm at the Tennessee State Library and Archives, these nine reels are arranged alphabetically within each district in each county. Tax records from trustees office in counties are available on microfilm as well.

Below is a list of online resources for Bledsoe County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Bledsoe County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Bledsoe County, Tennessee Tax Books at Amazon.com

See Also Other Tennessee Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Bledsoe County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Bledsoe County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Bledsoe County Public Library, P.O. Box 465, Pikeville , TN 37367; Phone: (423) 447-2817 [EMAIL]
• Bledsoe County Historical & Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 465, Pikeville, TN 37367
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37243-0312; Phone: (615) 741-2764, Fax (615) 741-6471
• Tennessee Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 3343, 9114 Davies Plantation Rd, Brunswick, TN 38014, (901) 381-1447; [EMAIL]
• Tennessee Historical Society, 300 Capital Boulevard, Nashville 37243
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Tennessee

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Bledsoe County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Bledsoe County Tombstone Transcription Project. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.

Although few histories for Tennessee churches have been published, there are church records for almost every county in the state. Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist were the principal religions of early settlers in the state, and documents from these groups make up the largest number of records available. Other representative religions include Lutheran, Church of Christ, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and Jewish. Most early Tennessee churches only kept minutes and membership records. Church records could, however, include records of baptism, marriage, burial, membership, or removal, but it is rare to find all or several of these categories maintained by one church.

A large collection of transcripts of Tennessee cemetery records has been compiled by members of chapters of the DAR. Records collection available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives and through the FHL. The state library and archives has notebooks containing listings of cemetery records.

County genealogical and historical societies and local citizens have collected, compiled, and published numerous volumes of cemetery records.

Below is a list of online resources for Bledsoe County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Bledsoe County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Cemetery Records at Archives.com
• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers throughout the world.
• Obituary Records at Archives.com
• America's Obituaries (1977 to current) at Genealogybank.com - Obituaries contain helpful information such as names, dates, places of birth, death, marriage and family information. Over 28 million obituaries make this the most complete collection from the 20th and 21st centuries - includes over 1,100 U.S. newspapers. New content added daily!
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee Church Books at Amazon.com

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Bledsoe County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Bledsoe County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local Tennessee Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Tennessee Researcher!
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee Family Books at Amazon.com
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data : For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons.
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Bledsoe County ] [ Tennessee ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• The Tennessee Family Group Sheet Project
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
• Tennessee Family Books at Amazon.com

The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture © Tennessee Historical Society

The oldest and northernmost county in the Sequatchie Valley is Bledsoe County; it became Tennessee's thirty-third county by an act of the Tennessee legislature in November 1807. It was named for Anthony Bledsoe, a Revolutionary War patriot who migrated to Tennessee from Virginia in the late 1700s.

Nature divided Bledsoe County's 404 square miles into three distinct regions: Sequatchie Valley, Cumberland Plateau, and Walden Ridge. In 1795 John McClellen and Charles McClung explored the area of the Sequatchie Valley that would become Bledsoe County. They praised the rich soil as equivalent to any land in the world, but settlers generally avoided the area until after the Third Tellico Treaty of 1805. Several early settlers accepted Sequatchie land as payment for service in the Revolutionary War.

In 1816, when the decision was made to move the county seat from its first location at Madison, Charles Love of Virginia sold thirty acres of land on Sequatchie Creek to the commissioners for the establishment of Pikeville; the price was $110.25. Located on the stage route from Knoxville to Huntsville, Alabama, the town developed as a trade and supply center for farmers. Pikeville has changed little since the early twentieth century, with houses surrounding the county courthouse, a neoclassical building listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Lincoln School, an early twentieth-century African American school and community center, stands on the north end of town.

The school, which is also listed in the National Register, was constructed in 1925-26 with support from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. Just off the square is another National Register property, the Pikeville AME Zion Church, the core of which dates to circa 1870, when the building was to serve as Freedmen's Bureau school and church. The town's older residential district is also listed in the National Register.

The first schools in Bledsoe County were one-room log buildings which served both as schools and as churches. In 1826 the State of Tennessee authorized the establishment of Lafayette Academy in Pikeville. The school operated until after the Civil War. In 1990 Bledsoe County operated three elementary schools--on the Cumberland Plateau, on Walden Ridge, and at Pikeville--in addition to the centrally located high school at Pikeville. There have been three colleges associated with the Methodist Church in or near Pikeville: the People's College, Bledsoe College, and Sequatchie College.

During the nineteenth century, the Methodists exerted the strongest religious influence in the county, followed closely by the Baptists. The first religious services were held in the settlers' homes. One of the earliest church buildings was the log structure erected by Thomas Swafford sometime between 1820 and 1827 and named Swafford Chapel. First replaced by a larger frame building in 1853 and then rebuilt after the Civil War, the present church was completed in 1912. In addition to the Methodist and Baptist churches, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Christian Church established congregations in Bledsoe County in the nineteenth century. The 1990 census counts more than sixty churches located in the county, almost half of which are Baptist.

Bledsoe County has provided several notable political figures. Isaac Stephens (1782-1862) served three terms in the Tennessee General Assembly, beginning in 1813. He was commissioned as a captain in the Thirty-first Militia Regiment, a large portion of which volunteered for service in the War of 1812. James Standifer (1776-1837) began his long political career as a member of the first Bledsoe County Court. He represented Bledsoe County in the state Senate, 1815-23. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1822, he served five terms, 1823-25 and 1829-37, and died in 1837 on his way to Washington. A farmer and surveyor, Standifer had business interests in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and New Orleans. James B. Frazier, an attorney with little political experience, won the gubernatorial election in 1902 as a Democrat. In 1906 he was reelected but resigned after his inauguration to fill the unexpired term of U.S. Senator William B. Bate, who had died in March 1907.

Bledsoe Countians had divided sentiments over the Civil War. The county voted against secession, but after Tennessee withdrew from the Union in 1861, several Confederate companies were organized in the county. Other Bledsoe men served in the Union army. James G. Spears, a Democrat and slave owner, joined the Union and advanced to the rank of brigadier general.

In 2000, the population of Bledsoe County stood at 12,367, of which 1,781 reside in Pikeville. The thirty-three-bed Bledsoe County Hospital, the forty-nine-bed Bledsoe County Nursing Home, the Pikeville Clinic, and the Bledsoe County Public Health Department serve county health needs. TVA supplies electric power to the Sequatchie Valley Electric Cooperative, and the Dunlap Natural Gas System supplies Pikeville with natural gas. Bledsoe Countians enjoy the benefits of modern communications systems, including a local radio station (WUAT) and a weekly newspaper, the Bledsonian-Banner. Nearby Fall Creek Falls State Park offers recreational opportunities. In 1834, while touring the area in search of coal and limestone deposits, Gerard Troost, state geologist, visited the "gulf," a large chasm on the Cumberland Plateau that was later incorporated into the park.

• 1840 Census, Sequatchie Valley, Bledsoe-Marion Counties (Douthat, 1982)
• 1870 Census of Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Kirkeminde, 1982?)
• 1880 Census, Tennessee, Transcription for Bledsoe County (Sistler, 1978?)
• Bledsoe County Court Letter Book Containing Minutes From Jan. 1847-Mar. 1852 (Swift, 1995)
• Bledsoe County Court Minutes, April 1856-March 1860 (Swift, 1995)
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee 1836 Tennessee Civil Districts and Tax Lists (Douthat, 1993)
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee, Baptist Church Minutes, 1882-1938 (WPA, 1938)
• *Bledsoe County, Tennessee Chancery Court Loose Papers, 1840-1940 (Hobbs, 1999)
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee, Chancery Court Minute Book, Vol. II, 1836-1847 (WPA, 1938)
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee, Circuit Court Execution Docket, 1810-1824 (WPA, 1938)
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee, Deed Book [6 vols. 1807-1826, 1829-1854] (WPA, 1937)
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee, Deed Books A-D, Abstracts (Goins, 1994)
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee, Tombstone Inscriptions (WPA, 1939)
• Bledsoe County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1914 Through 1925 (Wiefering, 1993)
• Census of Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Pikeville, Tennessee (Bledsoe Co.) taken July, 1982 (Appell, 1982)
• Collier Cemetery, Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Hobbs, 1991?)
• County Court Minutes (Abstract), Bledsoe County, Tennessee [1841-1846] (Hobbs, 1990?)
• Fourth Survey Distr[i]ct of Tennessee, 1808-1810 : John McClellan-surveyor Anderson, Bledsoe, Campbell, Knox, Overton, Rhea, Roane Counties, TN (Douthat, 1988)
• Howard/Walker Cemetery, Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Beyer, 2003)
• Marriage Records of Bledsoe County, Tennessee [vol. 1 1908-1917; vol. 2 1917-1924] (Goins and Hobbs Genealogy Service, 1988-)
• Minutes of the Circuit Court of Bledsoe County, 1834-1841 (WPA, 1941)
• Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 for Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Hutcherson, 1963)
• Records of Bledsoe County, Tombstone Inscriptions (Madewell, 1982)
• Sequachee Valley News Gossip Columns (Harris, 19??-)
• Sequatchie Valley Bible Records (Douthat, 1985)
• Tennessee Fourth Surveyor's District Land Surveys 1814-1824 : Anderson, Bledsoe, Campbell, Morgan, Overton, Rhea and Roane Counties, Tenn. (Bailey, 1996)
• Tennessee, Records of Bledsoe County : County Court Minute Book [1841-1846] (WPA, 1939)
• United States Census, Bledsoe County, Tennessee, 1850 (Hobbs, 1986)
• United States Census, Bledsoe County, Tennessee, 1860 (Hobbs, 1986)
• United States Census, Bledsoe Co., Tennessee, 1870 (Hobbs, 1986)
• United States Census, Bledsoe County, Tennessee, 1880 (Hobbs, 1990?)
• United States Census, Bledsoe County, Tennessee, 1900 (Hobbs, 1986)
• United States Census, Bledsoe County, Tennessee, 1910 (Hobbs, 198?)
• United States Census, Bledsoe County, Tennessee, 1920 (Goins, 1994)