The Tennessee General Assembly formed Dickson County on October 25, 1803, from the counties of Montgomery and Robertson and named in honor of William Dickson (1770-1816), Nashville physician, member and speaker of the state house, U.S. congressman, trustee of the University of Nashville. An industrial county from its inception, Dickson County was part of the frontier until 1818. The first court justices included several well-known Tennesseans: Montgomery Bell, William Doak, William Russell, Sterling Brewer, Gabriel Allen, Lemuel Harvey, Jesse Craft, Richard C. Napier, and William Teas. They organized the county on March 19, 1804, at the home of Robert Nesbitt on Barton's Creek. Later sessions of the court met at the homes of Colonel John Nesbitt and John Spencer until the courthouse was completed in 1810.
The county seat of Charlotte, named for James Robertson's wife, was built on 50 acres purchased from Charles Stewart for five thousand dollars. On May 30, 1830, a tornado devastated the town, destroying most of the businesses and homes, as well as the jail and courthouse, along with many county records. A new brick courthouse was completed in 1832 and is now the oldest courthouse in the state.
Newspapers were published in Burns, Charlotte, Dickson and Ruskin Cave. Scattered early issues are available from 1879, and a complete run begins in 1907. See Extended History for More information. There was a fire at the Dickson County courthouse in 1830, some records were destroyed.
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.
Dickson County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1817 and Probate Records from 1803 and is located at 4
Court Square,
Charlotte, TN 37036;
615-789-4171 . 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.
Dickson County Register of Deeds hasLand Records from 1804 and is located at 4 Court Square,
Charlotte, TN 37036; (615) 789-4171 . The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Dickson county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
Dickson County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1804 and is located at 4 Court Square,
Charlotte, TN 37036; 615-789-4171 . 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 Dickson County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Dickson 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 Dickson County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Dickson 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 Dickson 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 Dickson 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 Dickson County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Dickson 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 Dickson County Maps. Email us with websites containing Dickson 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 Dickson County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Dickson 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 Dickson County for the years: 1831-1836, 1839, 1841-1845, 1847-1856, 1858-1862, 1865-1871, 1880-1900 ; 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 Dickson County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Dickson 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 Dickson County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Dickson County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Dickson County Archives,
P.O. Box 155,
Charlotte , TN 37036;
Phone: (615) 789-7012
Dickson County Historical Society,
PO Box 611, Charlotte, TN 37036 615-446-1655 Dickson County Public Library,
206 Henslee Drive, Dickson, TN 37055 615-446-8293
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 Dickson County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Dickson 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 Dickson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Dickson 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.
The Tennessee General Assembly formed Dickson County on October 25, 1803, from
the counties of Montgomery and Robertson and named it in honor of Congressman
William Dickson, a Nashville physician. An industrial county from its inception,
Dickson County was part of the frontier until 1818. The first court justices
included several well-known Tennesseans: Montgomery Bell, William Doak, William
Russell, Sterling Brewer, Gabriel Allen, Lemuel Harvey, Jesse Craft, Richard
C. Napier, and William Teas. They organized the county on March 19, 1804, at
the home of Robert Nesbitt on Barton's Creek. Later sessions of the court met
at the homes of Colonel John Nesbitt and John Spencer until the courthouse was
completed in 1810.
The county seat of Charlotte, named for James Robertson's wife, was built on
50 acres purchased from Charles Stewart for five thousand dollars. On May 30,
1830, a tornado devastated the town, destroying most of the businesses and homes,
as well as the jail and courthouse, along with many county records. A new brick
courthouse was completed in 1832 and is now the oldest courthouse in the state.
As a part of the Military Reserve, Dickson County was attractive to many settlers,
who established farms along the rich bottom lands of the Cumberland, Piney, and
Harpeth Rivers, as well as Jones, Turnbull, Bartons, and Yellow Creeks. Although
the soil and climate of Dickson County were not conducive to the production of
cotton, early farmers raised the crop to take advantage of the high cotton prices.
In 1807 Robert Jarman began operating his own cotton gin, which he claimed was
superior to all others due to its "hollow neck teeth saw" design. By 1860 wheat,
rye, oats, corn, and tobacco had overtaken cotton in economic importance.
During the antebellum years, Dickson County was one of the leading iron producers
in Tennessee. In 1796 James Robertson began manufacturing the first iron products
west of Tennessee's Allegheny Mountains from his Cumberland Iron Works at Cumberland
Furnace. In 1804 Robertson sold his furnace to Montgomery Bell, who became the
state's wealthiest capitalist and industrialist. Other important iron manufacturers
included Anthony and Bernard Van Leer and George F. and Richard C. Napier. Much
of the iron production was accomplished with slave labor, and throughout the
antebellum period iron makers held approximately one-fourth of the slaves in
Dickson County. Although iron production declined in importance in the post-Civil
War period, the furnace was still in production in the early 1940s.
Dickson County played a pivotal role in the development of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church. Influenced by the religious fervor associated with the Second Great Awakening,
some members of the Presbyterian Church chafed under the Calvinist doctrines
and church rules regarding ordination of ministers. On February 4, 1810, Samuel
King, Finis Ewing, and Ephraim McLean met at the home of Samuel McAdow on Acorn
Creek (now in Montgomery Bell State Park) to discuss the conflict. After a night
of prayer, they organized the Cumberland Presbytery, the foundation of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church.
Although a school board was appointed in 1807, public education received little
support during the nineteenth century. The first four-year high school was established
in 1919. From the 1820s to the 1920s private secondary schools and colleges followed
the fortunes of ministers and professors who moved into the county. Included
among those early schools were Tracy Academy, Charlotte Female School, Alexander
Campbell School, Edgewood Academy and Normal College, Dickson Academy, Dickson
Normal School, Glenwylde Academy, and Ruskin Cave College.
On June 8, 1861, the county voted overwhelmingly to join the Confederacy. Dickson
County supplied six infantry companies and an artillery battery to the Southern
cause. Yellow Creek and Cumberland Furnace were favorite rendezvous areas for
guerrilla forces. No major skirmishes took place, but frequent attacks occurred
along the railroad constructed by the Union army.
After the war the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad (on the Nashville, Chattanooga
and St. Louis main line), which traversed the southern portion of the county,
became a magnet for migrants from the North, who settled in the new railroad
towns of Dickson (originally called Smeedville), Tennessee City, White Bluff,
and Burns. With two railroad branch lines terminating in Dickson, the town became
the county's railroad "hub," and by the early 1900s was the financial and commercial
center of the county. The growth of Dickson produced bitter conflict with Charlotte,
the economic fortunes of which were in decline, over the best location for the
county seat.
Among the new arrivals to Dickson County was Julius Augustus Wayland, who founded
the Ruskin Cooperative Association in August 1894. The cooperative was first
located at Tennessee City, but soon moved to the great cave (since named Ruskin)
on Yellow Creek. Internal disagreements led to the dissolution of the colony
in 1899.
Montgomery Bell State Park, the county's major recreation area, was established
as a project of the National Park Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps
during the New Deal. After World War II administration of the 3,782-acre park
was transferred to the state. Montgomery Bell offers camping, hiking, boating,
fishing, and golf to park visitors. The state completed a major resort facility
at the park in 1998.
Frank Goad Clement, three-term governor of Tennessee, was born in Dickson at
the Halbrook Hotel, which is listed in the National Register. Clement's administration
in the 1950s and 1960s oversaw a pivotal time in the state's political life,
as he dealt with the changes brought about by urbanization and desegregation.
He drew national attention when he delivered the keynote address at the 1956
Democratic National Convention.
The old county court system, composed of magistrates from each of the civil districts,
was phased out in the 1950s when the General Sessions Court was established.
Presently, the county is administered by an elected county executive and two
commissioners elected from each of the twelve representative districts.
The northern section of the county remains primarily rural. Modern highways and
an industrial park have further urbanized southern Dickson County, with the town
of Dickson as the retail and industrial center. Dickson is also home to the Renaissance
Center, a multimedia arts and educational center established by the Jackson Foundation.
In addition to Dickson and Charlotte, other incorporated towns are Burns, White
Bluff, Vanleer, and Slayden. Between 1990 and 2000 county population grew by
23 percent to 43,156 residents.
1850 Census for Dickson County, Tennessee, with Index (Baker, 2001)
1860 Census for Dickson County, Tennessee with Index (Baker, 1999)
1870 Census for Dickson County, Tennessee, with Index (Baker, 2000)
1880 Census for Dickson County, Tennessee, with Index (Baker, 2000)
Bible Records of Dickson County, Tennessee (Dickson County Historical Society, 1984?)
Cheatham County, Tennessee, Dickson County, Tennessee, Hickman County, Tennessee, Humphreys County, Tennessee, Lawrence County, Tennessee [1891 enumeration of male voters] (Reed, 1992)
Confederate Burials in Dickson County, Tennessee (McCauley, 2003)
Dickson County, Tennessee, 1880 Census (Sistler, 1993)
Dickson County, Tennessee Cemetery Records [2 vols.] (Garrett & Hopkins, 1991)
Dickson County, Tennessee, Cemetery Records [2 vols.] (Garrett & McClain, 1969-70)
Dickson County, Tennessee, Circuit Court Minute Book, 1839-45 (WPA, 1939)
Dickson County, Tennessee, County and Circuit Court Minutes, 1816-1828 and Witness Docket (Wells, 1993)
Dickson County Tennessee : Index to Marriage Licenses and Bonds 1817-1847 (Kilgore, 1983)
Dickson County Tennessee : Index to Marriage Licenses and Bonds 1848-1856 (Kilgore, 1983)
Dickson County, Tennessee, Marriage Records (Negro), 1865-1881 (WPA, 1938)
Dickson County, Tennessee Marriages, 1817-1856 (Kilgore, 1987?)
Dickson County, Tennessee Marriages, 1857-1870 (Sistler, 1988)
Dickson County, Tennessee, Minute Book [vol. 1 1804-1807; vol. 2 1810-1815] (WPA, 1936)
*Dickson County, Tennessee, Newspaper Abstracts (Willis, 1998)
Dickson County, Tennessee, Will Book A, 1804-1856 (Loggins & Binkley, 1998)
Dickson Herald Death Notices [6 vols. 1981-1987] (Luke, 1986)
Down "On Piney" : Excerpts from Early Dickson Newspapers and the Dickson County Herald, 1883-1916 (Baker [ed], 2004)
Index to Dickson County, Tennessee Marriage Records, 1859-1876 (Mayo & Hickman, 1980?)
Pioneers of Dickson County, Tennessee : A Genealogical Abstract of the Earliest Minute Books, March 1804-January 1807, January 1812-January 1814, July 1816 (Wells, 1988)
Primal Families of the Yellow Creek Valley : A Chronicle of the Pioneer Families of the Regions of Dickson, Houston, and Montgomery Counties in Middle Tenn (Nesbitt, 1985)
Private Acts of Dickson County, Tennessee (McIntyre, 1994)
Tennessee, Records of Dickson County, Marriage Record, 1838-1848 (WPA, 1938)
Tennessee, Records of Dickson County [Will Book B, 1804-1908] (WPA, 1936)
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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