Cannon County, Tennessee
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Cannon County Tennessee Map
VEIW FULL SIZED D.O.T. COUNTY MAP

Cannon County was established on January 31, 1836, when the state legislature took portions of Rutherford, Smith and Warren Counties to create the new county of Cannon, named in honor of Whig Governor Newton Cannon. (Two years later, the legislature added a portion of Wilson County, creating the present county boundaries.) The county's first settlers moved to present-day western Cannon County, around the Readyville and Bradyville areas, during the late 1790s. Hugh P. Brawley operated a grist mill at Brawley Fork as early as 1808.

The first village of any size, however, was Danville, which became the initial county seat. Its name was soon changed to Woodbury to honor Levi Woodbury, the Democratic secretary of the treasury. In 1836 Henry Trott and William Bates laid out new lots for Woodbury, and their plan adapted the earlier linear street plan of Danville into a central courthouse square plan. The present Cannon County Courthouse, built in 1935, features a striking Colonial Revival design by Nashville architect George Waller and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Other local properties in the National Register are the Houston House, a vernacular Greek Revival-style I-house associated with Democratic Congressman William C. Houston; the Adams House, the last remaining dormitory of the Baptist Female College and the later home of prominent physician Jesse F. Adams; the Wharton House, a vernacular Queen Anne dwelling from the late nineteenth century; and the Readyville Mill, a nineteenth- and twentieth-century grist mill complex.

Newspapers were published in Woodbury. Scattered early issues are available from 1876, and a complete run begins in 1930. See Extended History for More information.

Cannon County is bordered by DeKalb County (northeast), Warren County (east), Coffee County (south), Rutherford County (west) and Wilson County (northwest). Cities and Towns include Auburntown and Woodbury. The Official County Website is located at http://www.cannoncounty.info/. There was a fire at the Cannon County courthouse in 1934.

Tennessee State Library and Archives has Inventories of Cannon County Records on Microfilm. Click Here to Order County Microfilm Inventories and Reels. Early Cannon County Records Available on Interlibrary Loan.

  • Search Historical Newspapers from Tennessee (1795 - 1929 ) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
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  • Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
  • Search Tennessee Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

  • Cannon County, Tennessee History Books at Amazon.com.

Cannon County Court and Probate Records

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.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Cannon County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1838 and Probate Records from 1836 and is located at Courthouse, Public Square, Woodbury, TN 37190; (615) 563-4278.

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.

Cannon County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1836 and is located at Courthouse, Public Square, Woodbury, TN 37190; (615) 563-4278.

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

Cannon County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1836 and is located at Courthouse, Public Square, Woodbury, TN 37190; (615) 563-4278.

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 Cannon County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Cannon County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Cannon County Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

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 Cannon County Clerk For County Marriage Divorce Records (See Cannon 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 FREEicon
  • 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 Cannon County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Cannon County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

Cannon County Census Records

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 Cannon County, Tennessee are 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Cannon 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 Cannon County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Cannon County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Census Records at Archives.com
  • Cannon 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.

Cannon County Maps & Atlases

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 Cannon County Maps. Email us with websites containing Cannon County Maps by clicking the link below:

  • Cannon 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.

Cannon County Military Records

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 Cannon County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Cannon County Military Records by clicking the link below:

Cannon County Tax Records

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 Cannon County for the years: 1836, 1838, 1839, 1853-1856, 1875-1876, 1881-1882, 1887-1889, 1890-1892, 1895-1897, 1898-1900 ; 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 Cannon County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Cannon County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Cannon County, Tennessee Tax Books at Amazon.com

Cannon County Genealogical Addresses

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 Cannon County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Cannon County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Cannon County Archives,
  • 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.

Cannon County Church & Cemeteries

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 Cannon County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Cannon 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 Cannon County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Cannon County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

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 Cannon County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Cannon County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

Extended History

 

The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture © Tennessee Historical Society

Woodbury has always served as the county's seat of government and primary town, but it never had a railroad connection and remained largely isolated from major transportation networks until the completion of the original Memphis-to-Bristol Highway (now U.S. Highway 70S) during the late 1920s. The new highway promoted commercial development; many of the historic stores around the town square date to the 1920s and 1930s. As travelers sped through the county on the new highway, they stimulated the already-established market for white oak baskets and wood furniture on sale at stands and shops along the road. Cannon County is now recognized as an important regional center for folk decorative arts. The new road also spurred local leaders, especially Dr. Jesse F. Adams, to create and invest in new businesses like the Good Samaritan Hospital (early 1930s) and the town's first modern factory, the Armour Cheese Plant, in 1935. After World War II, in 1947, Adams and the Woodbury Lions Club combined forces to convince the Colonial Shirt Corporation to establish a Woodbury factory; a branch factory was later opened in Auburntown. Another key entrepreneur was Selmer Mason Jennings, who used the new highway and his solid business ability to gain a Ford Motor car dealership for the town during the 1920s. Jennings Ford still operates today. Woodbury also is the county's educational center, home to the Laurens Academy and the Baptist Female College during the antebellum era, Woodbury College during the Victorian era, and the public Cannon County High School, which was established in 1920.

Villages in Cannon County include Readyville, Auburntown, Bradyville, and Gassaway. Crisp was a smaller African American village centered around a segregated black school and church.

During the Civil War Cannon County residents raised seven infantry companies for the Confederacy. Union soldiers also came from the county; most served in the Fifth Tennessee Cavalry, which was largely based in Liberty in adjacent DeKalb County. Small skirmishes and reconnaissance movements characterize most of the military activity within the county. Guerrilla warfare also was common. During World War II the maneuvers of the Second Army included parts of Cannon County, and local citizens in Woodbury established a USO center for the soldiers.

Since its creation Cannon County has been Democratic in its political loyalties and has produced two notable party leaders. In the late 1800s and early 1900s William Cannon Houston was the county's most prominent politician. Cannon established the Woodbury newspaper, practiced law, and served in the state legislature as a young man; from 1904 to 1918 he served in the United States Congress and often entertained important southern Democratic leaders at his home on the outskirts of Woodbury. Throughout the mid-1900s Jim Cummings was an influential member of the Tennessee General Assembly. He was first elected to the state legislature in 1929 and stayed there until 1972, except for a four-year stint from 1949 to 1952, when Cummings was secretary of state under Governor Gordon Browning. Cummings was the Speaker of the House during the Eighty-fifth General Assembly. Historian Robert Mason noted that "Mr. Jim" Cummings "evoked the essence of a more gracious, gentler time--of friendly towns and family farms and hills and valleys and country roads." (1)

The county's 2000 population was 12,826, an increase of 22 percent since 1990

Cannon County Published Records

  • 1880 census, Cannon County, Tennessee (Sistler, 1990)
  • Abstract of Cannon County, Tennessee, Will Book A (1836-1895) (Carlson, 1990?)
  • Cannon County, Tennessee [1850 census] (Porch, 1974)
  • Cannon County, Tennessee, Bible, Family & Tombstone Records (WPA, 1939)
  • Cannon County, Tennessee, Chancery Court Minutes, 1840-1880 (Partlow, 2000)
  • Cannon County, Tennessee, Deed Books [1836-1857] (Partlow, 1998)
  • Cannon County, Tennessee, Marriage Records [1838-1899] (Rogers, 1992?)
  • Cannon County, Tennessee, Marriage Records [1850-1866] (WPA, 1937)
  • Cannon County, Tennessee Minute Book Volume A, 1836-1841 (Stacey & Perry, 1994?)
  • Cannon County, Tennessee, Will Book [1836-1895] (WPA, 1938)
  • Cannon County, TN Marriages, 1838-1873 (Sistler, 1985)
  • Name Index to History of Tennessee ... Together with ... Sketch of the Counties of White, Warren, Coffee, DeKalb and Cannon ... (Marsh, 1972)
  • Our Families at Rest in Cherry, Jacksboro, King, Rains Cemeteries (Jones, 1998)
  • Our Loved Ones : A Listing of Tombstones and Unmarked Graves in Cannon County, Tennessee (Lewis, 199?)
  • Private Acts of Cannon County, Tennessee (McIntyre, 1984)
  • Tennessee, Records of Cannon County : General Index to Deeds [1836-1860] (WPA, 1939)
  • Tombstone Records of Cannon County Tennessee (Lewis, 1998
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