The
Tennessee General Assembly created
Cheatham County on February 28, 1856,
from parts of Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery and Roberson Counties.
The county name honors Edwin S. Cheatham (1818-1878), member of Tennessee state house, member and speaker of the state senate, businessman and railroad president.
At the first county court meeting
at Sycamore in May 1856, the commissioners
purchased fifty acres of land on
the north side of the Cumberland
River from James Lenox for the establishment
of Ashland City. Proceeds from the
sale of town lots financed the construction
of a courthouse and jail. The courthouse,
completed in 1858, was replaced by
a larger, brick structure in 1869.
In 1886 a brick jail supplanted the
original log jail; following a fire
in 1935, it was rebuilt, and a new
jail was erected in 1986.
Newspapers were published in Ashland City and Pleasant View. Scattered early issues are available from 1880, and a complete run begins in 1931. See Extended History for More information.
PLEASE READ!! 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.
Cheatham County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1856 and Probate Records from 1856 and is located at Courthouse, 115
Courthouse,
Ashland City, TN 37015; Telephone:
(615) 792-5179. 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.
Cheatham County Register of Deeds hasLand Records from 1856 and is located at100 Public Square,
Ashland City, TN 37015-1711;
(615) 792-4317. The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Cheatham county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
Cheatham County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1856 and is located at Courthouse,
115 Courthouse, Ashland City, TN 37015; Telephone:
(615) 792-5179 . 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.
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Below is a list of online resources for Cheatham County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Cheatham County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Tennessee Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
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.
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. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. 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. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. 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. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee
State Library and Archives Below.
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 theOffice 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 Cheatham County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Cheatham 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 Cheatham 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 Cheatham County, Tennessee are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible 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 Cheatham County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Cheatham 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 Cheatham County Maps. Email us with websites containing Cheatham County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to 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. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Cheatham County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Cheatham 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.
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.
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 Cheatham County for the years: 1856-1861, 1868, 1875, 1877-1879, 1888-1900 ; 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.
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 Cheatham County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Cheatham 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 Cheatham County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Cheatham County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Tennessee Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
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.
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. .
As with cemetery records, the DAR has collected church records
for Tennessee, available at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C.,
and through the FHL.
Many compilations of church records have been compiled and/or
published for the state. The Tennessee
State Library and Archives has records of over one hundred churches that pre-date 1900.
There is a online Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records which contains over 25,000 records for the state of Tennessee for the years approximately 1720-1890. This includes marriages, births, deaths, and wills, etc., has been obtained from family bibles, church, court, and county records.
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 Cheatham County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Cheatham 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 Cheatham County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Cheatham County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
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.
Tennessee Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Several archaeological sites, including ones listed on the National Register
of Historic Places, document activities by Native Americans who once lived in
the county. Early white settlers in the county established settlements at Sycamore,
Pleasant View, and Ashland City. To provide for the safety of the first settlers,
a blockhouse was erected at the fork of Half Pone and Raccoon Creeks.
In an effort to make education more widely available, the Tennessee General Assembly
incorporated the Millwood Female Academy in 1852. Despite its name, males as
well as females attended the school, which remained in operation until shortly
after the Civil War. Millwood Institute, located at Sycamore Mills, became the
largest private school in Cheatham County. Established in 1859, the school had
closed by the end of the nineteenth century. Ashland Institute, established in
1880, Link School at Thomasville, founded in 1902 by S. A. Link, and Pleasant
View School, opened in 1884 by W. I. Harper, also provided early educational
opportunities.
The first significant manufacturer in the area was Montgomery Bell. In 1818 he
blasted a tunnel through the Narrows of the Harpeth River to create a sixteen-foot
fall of water. He erected two water wheels at this site to operate hammers for
forging pig iron into pots, pans, kettles, and other iron products. The Narrows
is now a state park, the Harpeth Scenic River and Narrows Historic Area.
In 1835 Samuel N. Watson established Sycamore Mills, located on Sycamore Creek
four miles north of Ashland City. In 1842 he sold half-interest in the operation
and five thousand acres of land to Richard Cheatham, at which time the name was
changed to Cheatham, Watson and Company. The operation included a cotton gin,
grist mill, and a powder mill, but the manufacture of gunpowder was the most
important industry. As one of only two large powder mills in the South, Sycamore
Mills became a target for both Federal and Confederate armies in the opening
days of the Civil War. In 1862 it quickly came under Union control and suspended
operations until the close of the war. In 1869 the Cheatham heirs sold their
interest in the mills to the Sycamore Manufacturing Company. The company purchased
the machinery of the destroyed Confederate Powder Works in Augusta, Georgia,
and moved it to the mills in Cheatham County. In 1893 E. I. Du Pont de Nemours
Company purchased the mills. At the time of the closing of the mills in 1904,
the daily production had reached 400 kegs of powder.
Today Cheatham County retains its reputation as a manufacturing center. With
2,600 employees, State Industries of Ashland City is one of the world's largest
suppliers of water heaters, producing 2.3 million heaters a year.
Early agriculture and industry depended on the Cumberland River and its tributaries.
In 1897 the DuPont company at Sycamore Mills purchased a steamboat, rechristened
the Sycamore, to haul gunpowder from Ashland City to Nashville. In
1848 the state chartered Hyde's Ferry Turnpike to extend from Nashville across
the Cumberland River. The road remained in operation until 1916, when Cheatham
County, following the lead of Davidson County, bought its portion of the road
and freed it of tolls. By 1920 Cheatham County boasted twenty-eight miles of
railway owned by the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway and the Tennessee
Central Railway. Today Interstates 24 and 40 and U.S. Highways 70 and 41A traverse
the county. At Ashland City a new bridge over the Cumberland River has been recently
finished to replace one built in 1931.
Cheatham County first acquired a local newspaper service in 1877 when H. B. Stewart
established the Cheatham County Plaindealer. In 1896 William Thomas
Clark bought the Reporter (established in 1883) and renamed it the Ashland
City Times . This paper, which continues in operation, was purchased by
Community Newspapers Incorporated in 1944 and resold to Multimedia of Greenville,
South Carolina, in 1973.
In recent years animal wildlife has become a source of revenue for the county.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency operates a game reserve of twenty-one
thousand acres on the south side of the Cumberland River where deer, turkey,
and small game are hunted in the appropriate hunting seasons.
Cheatham County's population grew by a third between 1990 and 2000, with most
people working in industry and the services. But hundreds of families are still
actively engaged in farming. Tobacco and beef cattle produce the county's largest
farm incomes.
According to the 200O census, 35,912 people live in Cheatham County. In addition
to the county seat of Ashland City, there are two other incorporated towns, Kingston
Springs and Pegram. Two libraries, at least sixty churches, three high schools,
and a hospital meet the educational, spiritual, and health needs of the county
residents. Seven parks and two golf courses provide recreational opportunities.
An active historical and genealogical association preserves the county's heritage.
Cheatham County, Tennessee, Bible and Tombstone Records (WPA, 1939)
Cheatham County, Tennessee, Census of 1860 (Dalton, 1986)
Cheatham County, Tennessee, Death Records, 1817 To 1950 (Poole, 1999)
Cheatham County, Tennessee Marriage Records 1856-1897
Cheatham County, Tn Marriages, 1856-1881 (Sistler, 1988)
Enumeration of Male Inhabitants of Twenty-One Years of Age and Upward, Citizens of Tennessee, January 1, 1891 [Cheatham County] (Reed, 1992)
Name Index to History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present : Together With an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of Montgomery (Marsh, 1972)
Narrows of the Harpeth and Montgomery Bell (Brehm & Curtis, 1981)
Tennessee Records of Cheatham County Wills & Inventories, Vol. A, 1856-1871 (WPA, 19??)
Tombstone Records of Cheatham County, Tennessee (Haile & Garrett, 1987)
Works Progress Administration Cemetery and Bible Records, Cheatham County, Tennessee (Whitworth, 1987)
The following companies are currently offering free trials on their subscriptions from 7 to 14 days. You can receive more information by clicking the links below:
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