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Sevier County History and Information

VEIW FULL SIZED D.O.T. COUNTY MAP

Located in East Tennessee, Sevier County has the distinction of having three birthdays: in 1785 under the State of Franklin, in 1794 under the Southwest Territory, and in 1796 from Jefferson County under the State of Tennessee. Sevierville, the county seat, and the county were named in honor of John Sevier (1745-1815), governor of the State of Franklin, territiorial militia officer, U. S. congressman from North Carolina and Tennessee, state senator and first governor of Tennessee.

The first court of Sevier County, State of Franklin, was held at Samuel Newell's Station on Boyds Creek in March 1785. The first court of Sevier County, Southwest Territory, was held at the home of Isaac Thomas on November 8, 1794. Magistrates present were Samuel Newell, Joseph Willson, Joshua Gist, Peter Bryant, Joseph Vance, and Andrew Evans. Absent were Mordecai Lewis and Robert Pollock. On January 11, 1796, Spencer Clack, John Clack, Samuel Wear, Peter Bryant, and Thomas Buckingham were sent to help prepare a state constitution at the convention in Knoxville. John Clack was elected to the Senate and Spencer Clack and Samuel Wear to the House of Representatives.

Surveyors who prepared the plats for the State of Tennessee to issue land grants from 1807 to 1894 included Robert Wear, Thomas Price, Mark Moore, Guilford Cannon, Daniel Kerr, John Mullendore, G. W. Layman, Wellington McMahan, John A. Trotter, G. W. J. Hill, and Jesse Atchley.

Sevierville, originally the Forks of Little Pigeon community settled by the Isaac Thomas, Spencer Clack, and James McMahon families in the 1780s, became the county seat in 1795. The present courthouse, noted for its majestic tower, was built in 1896. Incorporated in 1901 with A. M. Paine as mayor, Sevierville had 7,178 residents in 1990.

Newspapers were published in Gatlinburg and Sevierville. Scattered early issues are available from 1882, and a complete run begins in 1909. See Extended History for More information. There was a fire at the Sevier County courthouse in 1856, nearly all records were destroyed.

Sevier County is bordered by Jefferson County (north), Cocke County (east), Haywood County, North Carolina (southeast), Swain County, North Carolina (south), Blount County (west) and Knox County (northwest). Cities and Towns include Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Pittman Center, Sevierville. The Official County Website is located at http://www.seviercountytn.org/

Early Sevier County Records. Newspaper Microfilms are loaned to Tennessee libraries. Individual reels may also be purchased. An Inventory of Newspapers on Microfilm at TSLA is available on our web site.. Sevier County, Tennessee History Books at Amazon.com.

Search Historical Newspapers from Tennessee (1795 - 1929 ) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
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Sevier County Court Records

Sevier County Vital Records

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 Sevier County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Sevier County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

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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
Sevier 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.

Sevier County Census Records

Sevier County Maps & Atlases

Sevier County Military Records

Sevier County Tax Records

Sevier County Genealogical Addresses

Sevier County Church & Cemeteries

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 Sevier County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Sevier 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!
Sevier 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: [ Sevier 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.
The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture

Extended History

The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture © Tennessee Historical Society

The land area of 592.3 square miles has a varied topography which consists of fertile lowlands along the French Broad and Little Pigeon Rivers, the hilly portion drained by the Forks of Little Pigeon River, and the majestic peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains, including Clingman's Dome, the highest mountain peak in Tennessee.

The two branches of the Great Indian War Path which crossed the county became the chief migratory route for the early settlers in the 1780s. The signing of the Dumplin Treaty at Major Hugh Henry's Station in 1785 opened the area south of the French Broad for settlement.

Pigeon Forge, originally the Fanshiers community, was settled by the Wear, Fancher, and Lovelady families in the 1780s. The Pigeon Forge post office opened in 1841 with William K. Love as postmaster. Incorporated in 1961 with Xan Davenport as mayor, the city had a population of 3,027 in 1990.

Gatlinburg, originally the White Oak Flats community settled by the Richard Reagan and Martha Ogle families ca. 1806, was the name given to the post office in Radford Gatlin's store in 1856. Incorporated in 1945 with Dick Whaley as mayor, the city had a population of 3,417 in 1990.

Pittman Center, named for Reverend Eli Pittman of Elmira, New York, was established by Reverend E. O. Burnett as a Methodist settlement school and health center in 1921 and closed with the retirement of Dr. Robert F. Thomas in 1964. The Pittman Center community, incorporated in 1974 with Conley Huskey as mayor, had a population of 478 in 1990.

Manufacturing in the county before the Civil War included cottage industries, the Sevierville Pottery, mills, the bloomery forge at Pigeon Forge established by Isaac Love in 1817, and Sweden furnace. From the 1870s to the 1920s flatboat transportation from Sevierville to the steamboats on the French Broad River increased trade. The construction of the Knoxville, Sevierville, and Eastern Railroad (KS&E) and the extension to McCookville in 1920 enhanced manufacturing. The railroad ceased operation in 1961.

The logging industry flourished from 1900 to 1930 in the Great Smoky Mountains. The establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1930 and the construction of Highway 441 through the center of the valley in the 1950s opened the area for the development of tourism.

In 1996 the county had a population of 51,043, and the labor force was predominantly employed in trade and finance due to the large number of retail establishments associated with the tourism industry. Manufacturing is the second largest industry.

Nancy Academy (1811-97) and Murphy College (1892-1936) were historic educational institutions. In 1996 Sevier County had three high schools, four middle schools, one intermediate school, nine elementary schools, and a vocational center. A branch of Walters State Community College is in Sevierville. The Sevier County Library, founded by Fred P. Rawlings, opened in 1920 in the Masonic Temple.

Sevierville's African Americans have contributed to Tennessee history. Many brick buildings in Sevierville today attest to the skill of brick making, masonry, and carpentry of Isaac Dockery, Samuel Coleman, the P. Witt McMahan family, and S. H. Burden and son. The furniture of Lewis Buckner is a prized possession. Mary Bond McMahan and James Chandler were educators.

Preston B. Love published the first newspaper, the Enterprise, in 1882. Subsequent newspapers include the Republican, Sevier County Republican, Star, Vindicator, Volunteer, Sevier County Republican and Sevier County Record, Gatlinburg Press, News-Record, and Mountain Press. The Bank of Sevierville opened in 1888.

Ray L. Reagan, the elected county judge from 1956 until his death in 1978, led the campaign to attract new industry to broaden the county's agricultural and tourist-oriented economy. He was instrumental in the remodeling of the courthouse and the development of the Sevier County Industrial Park, the Sevier County Medical Center, and the Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg Airport. Dollywood, located in Pigeon Forge, is the largest amusement park in Tennessee.

Between 1990 and 2000 Sevier County grew by 39 percent to a total population of 71,170.

The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1887

Sevier County lies east of Blount County, and adjoins North Carolina on the south. It is one of the largest counties in the State, having an area of about 660 square miles. A considerable part of the land is broken and untillable, but along the streams, and in the coves and valleys it is exceedingly fertile. The French Broad River flows through the northern portion, and receives the waters of Little Pigeon River, formed by the junction of two forks which take their rise in the Great Smoky Mountains. Boyd's Creek flows through the eastern portion of the county, and also empties its waters into the French Broad.

The settlement of the territory now embraced in Sevier County was begun about 1788, although the several years previous it had been traversed by traders and military bodies operating against the Cherokees.

In 1775 two traders from Virginia, Boyd and Doggett, while returning from a trip into the Indian nation, were killed by a band of savages, who threw their bodies into the stream which has since been known a Boyd's Creek. In 1780 one of the best fought of the early Indian battles took place on this creek, near what is now known as Rocky Springs.

In 1783 a number of settlers, who had recently located in the vicinity, assembled at Maj. [Major] Henry's, near the mouth of Dumplin Creek, and there built a fort. At about the same time, a friendly conference with the Indians was held at the house of a Mr. Gist. It was attended by Maj. James Hubbard, who had settled on the north bank of the French Broad River just above Bryant's Ferry, and who became notorious for his enmity toward the Indians. His father's family in Virginia had been cruelly murdered by the Shawnees, and he had sworn vengeance against the whole race. He spared no pains to create Indian disturbances in order to afford opportunity to gratify his revenge, and this occasion was no exception. He attempted to frighten the Cherokees in attendance upon the conference into some hasty action which might furnish a pretext for violating the truce, but in this he was prevented by Capt. James White, and for a time peace was secured. After this the settlements south of the French Broad increased quite rapidly. In November, 1783, Thomas Stockton began the erection of the first gristmill in the county. It was located at Christian's Ford on the French Broad. During the following year the pioneers built their cabins and cleared fields along Little Pigeon River and Boyd's Creek. On the later stream, two strong forts were erected: One was at Samuel Newell's, near the head of the creek, and the other at Samuel McGaughey's lower down.

In 1784, the State of Franklin was organized, and in March of 1785, the first legislature of the new State met. Among the acts passed was one for the division of Greene County into three separate counties, one of which was named Sevier. It embraced the greater part of the territory south of the French Broad extending from the Big Pigeon River to the ridge dividing the waters of Little River and Little Tennessee. The courts were held at Newell's Station, and Samuel Wear became clerk of the county court. At the next election Samuel Newell and John Clark were chosen to represent the county in the Legislature.

In 1785 a treaty was concluded with the Cherokees at Henry's Station, known as the treaty Dumplin [Treaty of Dumplin], by the terms of which the Indians relinquished their right and title to the land embraced within Sevier County. After this treaty, the occupation of the county south of the French Broad went on rapidly. Prominent among the early settlers beside those already mentioned were Isaac Thomas, who lived on the west bank of the Pigeon opposite Sevierville, William Cannon located opposite Catlettsburg, where his grandson later lived. Jacob Huff lived on the site of Catlettsburg, where he build a mill. Samuel Blair also located in the same neighborhood and Josiah Rogers still further down the river. North of the French Broad were Peter and Allen Bryant, Joshua Gist, the Cates and Underwoods. Eight miles below Sevierville was the residence of Thomas Buckingham, who, it is said, built the first brick house in the county. The Brabsons, Chandlers, Crewells and Capt. Nathaniel Evans located on Boyd's Creek, and Thomas Sharp in the neighborhood of Trundle's Cross Roads. Randall Hill lived three miles east of Catlettsburg and Thomas Evans about five miles from the same place of the French Broad. Benjamin Atchley also located in the same neighborhood. The upper end of the county in the vicinity of Bird's Cross Roads a colony of Germans from Virginia was located: among them were Jacob Bird, Jacob Derrick, Adam Fox and James Baker. Frederick Emert and Martin Shultz settled in what is now known as Emert's Cove. Andrew Wells and John Baughman lived in the area of Jones Cove. George Bush settled the place where Mrs. Hodsden lived in ____. William Henderson, John Jenkins and Robert Duggan also lived east of Sevierville. Among others of the early settlers were Shields, Calverts, Richardsons, Creswells and Keelers.

In 1788 the Franklin government came to an end, and the government of North Carolina, ignoring the acts of the former, among which was the treaty of Dumplin, still recognized the French Broad, Houston and Big Pigeon Rivers, as a part of the Indian boundary line, leaving the inhabitants to the south of these steams in the position of trespassers upon the Cherokee lands. Realizing their exposed condition, these people adopted articles of association by which they proposed to be governed. The constitution and laws of North Carolina were adopted, and all civil and military officers of Sevier County, elected under the government of Franklin, were continued in office. For the General supervision of affairs, a committee, composed of two members from each militia company, was provided for. Who composed the committee is not known, but their place of meeting is supposed to have been Newell's Station. This remained practically the condition of Sevier County until after the conclusion of the treaty of Holston in 1791, and the organization of Jefferson County in July of the following year [1792]. The latter included the present Sevier County, and Samuel Wear was one of the representatives in the first territorial assembly. During the first session an act to divide Jefferson County into two distinct counties was passed, and Joseph Wilson, Robert Polk, Samuel McGaughey, Samuel Newell and Thomas Buckingham were appointed to locate the seat of justice, the courts to be held for the time at the house of Isaac Thomas. The first court met on November 8, 1794. Samuel Newell, Joseph, Joshua Gist, Peter Bryant, Joseph Vance and Andrew Evans were the magistrates present, while Mordecai Lewis and Robert Polock were absent. Samuel Newell was chosen chairman; Samuel Wear, clerk; Jesse Byrd, register; Thomas Buckingham, sheriff; Mordecai Lewis, coroner, and Alexander Montgomery, surveyor.

In October, 1795, Sevierville was laid out at the confluence of the east and west forks of the Little Pigeon River. Tradition has it that the first courts, after the town was established, were held in a building previously occupied as a stable, and that owing to the great number of fleas infesting it, the lawyers accomplished its destruction through as Irishman and a bottle of whisky. A courthouse and jail, both probably built of logs, were then erected.

On July 4, 1796, the first court for Sevier County was held under the State constitution. The justices present were Samuel Newell, Joshua Gist, Joseph Wilson, Andrew Cowan, Joseph Vance, James Riggin, Alexander Montgomery, Jesse Griffin and Isom Green. The county officers, who had served under the territorial government, with the exception of the register and coroner, were retained. James McMahan was elected register and James D. Puckett, coroner.

At the time and for more than thirty years afterward, the people south of the French Broad, and Holston, who had occupied their lands under treaties made by the Franklin government, were harassed by law of both the United States and the States attempting to compel them to purchase their land at the rate of $1 per acre. The settlers denied the right and justice of these laws, and obstinately refused to comply with them. An act was finally passed in 1829, allowing occupants to enter a tract of not more than 200 acres, including their improvements.

As has been stated Sevierville was laid out in 1795, but previous to that time, September 29, 1789, a Baptist Church had been organized in the vicinity. Among the first settlers of the town were Alexander Preston and M. C. Rogers, merchants; Benjamin Catlett, tavern-keeper; Richard Catlett, hatter; John Catlett, carpenter; Spencer Clack, who had a mill on the right bank of the East Fork, just above town; James McMahan, the county register, and Isaac Thomas, who lived on the left bank of Pigeon, and owned and operated a mill there. Hugh Blair was the first blacksmith, but resided below town.

Sevier County Published Records

1880 Census, Sevier County, Tennessee (Sistler, 1996)
Atchley Funeral Home Records, Sevierville, Tennessee [vols. 1-2, 1955-1973; vols. 3-4, 1974-1999] (Fox, 2002)
Cemetery Inscriptions in the Smoky Mountain Area, Sevier County, Tennessee (Reagan, 1984)
Enumeration of Male Inhabitants, 1891 Anderson, Blount, Knox, Sevier Counties, Tenn (Reid, 1989)
Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1840 for Sevier County, Tennessee (Templin & Wells, 1981)
Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 (Seventh Census) for Sevier County, Tennessee (Creekmore & McMahon, 1953)
Sevier County, Tennessee, 1830-1840 Federal Censuses; 1814, 1837, 1838 Tax Lists (Fox, 2004)
Sevier County, Tennessee Early Surveyor Books, 1824-1902 (Fox, 2002)
Sevier County, Tennessee, Marriage Record, Book 1, 1856-1873 (Reagan, 1982)
Sevier County, Tennessee, Marriage Records no.1, 1856-1873 (WPA, 1938)
Sevier County, Tennessee, Marriage Records, 1920-1934 (Parton & Fox, 1998)
Sevier County, Tennessee : Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1830 (Fifth Census) for Sevier County, Tennessee (Creekmore & McMahon, 1956)
Sevier County, Tennessee, State of Tennessee Land Grants, 1806-1900 (Fox, 2002)
Sevier County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1914 through 1925 (Wiefering, 1993)
Sevier County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1926 through 1930 (Wiefering, 1999)
Sevier County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1931 through 1935 (Wiefering, 1999)
Sevier County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1936 through 1941 (Wiefering, 1999)
Sevier County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1942 through 1946 (Wiefering, 1999)
Smoky Mountain Clans [3 vols.] (Reagan, 1978)
Tennessee Negro Cemetery Records and Marriage Records : Counties of Campbell, Dickson, Madison, McMinn, Monroe, Roane, Sevier (WPA, 1938)

Sevier County History and Information

Sevier County Court Records

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

Sevier County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Tennessee

Tennessee State Library and Archives have the following records:

Sevier County Census Records

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

Sevier County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Sevier County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Tennessee