| AL | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT |
| DE | FL | GA | ID | IL | IN |
| IA | KS | KY | LA | MA | MD |
| ME | MI | MN | MO | MS | MT |
| NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY |
| NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA |
| RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT |
| VA | VT | WA | WV | WI | WY |
The general assembly created Wayne County in 1817, but the engrossing clerk failed to sign the act, and it had to be passed again when the legislature next met in 1819. The county was named in honor of daring “Mad Anthony” Wayne (1745-1796), American statesman and officer in the Revolutionary War who later lead troops against hostile Indians. Created from parts of Hickman and Humphreys Counties, it encompasses 338,291 acres. The first settlers in Wayne County arrived from Middle Tennessee and North and South Carolina to claim military grants, occupants' claims, and warrants.
The first county court met at the home of Benjamin Hardin on Factor's Fork where the old Natchez Trace crosses Shoal Creek. The next meeting was held at William Barnett's house on old Town Branch, where the court continued to meet until 1822. The first elected county officers were William Barnett, clerk; Benjamin Hardin,
In 1821 the general assembly appointed commissioners James Hollis, John Hill, Nathan Biffle, and Charles Burns to establish a county seat. The men purchased 40 acres from William Burns for the town of Waynesboro. They sold lots and used the proceeds to build a courthouse, jail, and stocks. A century later, Waynesboro had a population of 600, several schools and churches, a bank, and a number of businesses. In 2000 the town's population reached 2,228 residents. More than a dozen manufacturing plants, including Lincoln Brass Works, provide employment to several hundred workers.
There was an earlier but a whole separate Wanye County which is included in Present day Carter County and part of Johnson County. It was establish in 1785 under the State of Franklin but was abolished in 1788.
Newspapers were published in Clifton, Collinwood and Waynesboro. Scattered early issues are available from 1819, and a complete run begins in 1943. See Extended History for More information. There was a fire at the Wayne County courthouse in 1973.
Wayne County is bordered by Perry County (north), Lewis County (northeast), Lawrence County (east), Lauderdale County, Alabama (south), Hardin County (west) and Decatur County (northwest). Cities and Towns include Clifton, Collinwood, Waynesboro. The Official County Website is located at ?
Tennessee State Library and Archives has Inventories of Wayne County Records on Microfilm. Click Here to Order County Microfilm Inventories and Reels. Early Wayne 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.. Wayne County, Tennessee History Books at Amazon.com.
Click Here to Search Tennessee Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records!
Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.
Wayne County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1851 and Probate Records from 1838 and is located at Courthouse, P.O. Box 185, Waynesboro, TN 38485; Telephone: (913) 722-5517.
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.
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.
Wayne County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1820 and is located at Courthouse, P.O. Box 185, Waynesboro, TN 38485; Telephone: (913) 722-5517 .
The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Wayne county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
Wayne County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1837 and is located at Courthouse, P.O. Box 185, Waynesboro, TN 38485; Telephone: (913) 722-5519.
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.
There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912, Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records, Tennessee Marriages to 1825; Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 and Tennessee Marriages, 1851-1900.
Below is a list of online resources for Wayne County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Birth, Marriage & Death Records!
Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Contact the Wayne County Clerk For County Marriage Divorce Records (See Wayne 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:
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.
There are a few online marriage databases which include: Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912, Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records, Tennessee Marriages to 1825; Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 and Tennessee Marriages, 1851-1900
Below is a list of online resources for Wayne County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Voter Lists & Census Records!
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 Wayne 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 Wayne 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 Wayne County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Census Records by clicking the link below:
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 Wayne County Maps. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Maps by clicking the link below:
Search Tennessee Military Records!
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 Wayne County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Military Records by clicking the link below:
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 Wayne County for the years: 1836, 1838, 1873-1900 ; 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 Wayne County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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 Wayne County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Obituary Records!
This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. 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 Wayne County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Wayne 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 Wayne County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Family Tree Records!
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 Wayne County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Wayne County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Wayne County is located on the extreme western side of the Highland Rim, with its northwest corner extending into the Tennessee River basin. It is made up of ridges and hollows and is on a plateau of about eight hundred feet in elevation in the southwest corner of the Middle Tennessee division. Heavily wooded, the county contains deposits of iron that were still being worked into the early twentieth century.
Clifton was founded in 1840 and named for the high cliffs upon which it stands. Located sixteen miles north of Waynesboro, Clifton was first known as Ninevah. Built on land purchased from Stephen Roach and located on the Tennessee River, the town emerged as the most important commercial location in the county. Local farmers and lumbermen shipped cotton, livestock, lumber, cross ties, and tan bark via the river from Clifton and received imported supplies which were distributed around the county by wagon. During the Civil War, on December 15, 1862, a Confederate force of eighteen hundred under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest crossed the Tennessee at Clifton to launch a two-hundred-mile raid on Union lines and supplies in order to delay the Union campaign against Vicksburg. In 1855 the Masonic Academy was built at Clifton, and Frank Hughes College was erected there in 1906. Growth slowed dramatically from the 1920s to the 1980s. Since 1990, Clifton's growth has been revived with the establishment of Mousetail Landing State Park to the north, the construction of a new bridge spanning the Tennessee River, the institution of a branch campus of Columbia State Community College, and the erection of a large state prison facility. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist T. S. Stribling maintained his home in Clifton.
Collinwood traces its origins to the survey for the Tennessee Western Railroad in 1912. Investors in the Collinwood Land Company surveyed the town site on the Bud Scott farm and began selling town lots in June 1913. Collinwood was named for W.W. Collins, manager of the railroad operations in Wayne County. The town was incorporated in 1915, and the first city election brought the following men to office: Charles J. Farris, mayor; Sam V. Coltrane, city recorder; and T. A. Adkisson, J. F. Turman, Leo Forsythe, Dr. W. W. Rippy, and A. O. Lindsey, aldermen. Robert L. Morrow served as marshal.
In 2000 the 16,842 citizens of Wayne County earn their livelihood from the lumber industry and several manufacturing concerns. Migration into the county has included retirees and families seeking a more rural setting.