Hardeman County was formed from the Jackson
Purchase and attached to Hardin County,
then to Madison County, before the
Tennessee General Assembly created
Hardeman County in 1823. The county
was named in honor of Thomas Jones Hardeman (1788-1854), Creek War and War of 1812 soldier, prominent figure in the fight for Texas independence and Republic of Texas Congressman. He was commissioner
of the town of Bolivar before moving
to Texas in 1835.
Settlement of the county began almost immediately, with most settlers migrating
from Middle Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Kentucky.
Among the early settlers were Ezekiel Polk, the grandfather of President James
K. Polk, and his son and son-in-law, William Polk and Thomas McNeal, and Rufus
P. Neely, the grandson of Thomas Hardeman.
The county seat was established first on Hatchie River and named Hatchie Town.
In April 1824 the commissioners chose the present site on land offered by William
Ramsey and called the town Bolivar in honor of the South American patriot Simon
Bolivar. The town was incorporated in 1847 and was governed by a mayor, recorder,
and five aldermen.
Newspapers were published in Altamont and Tracy City. Scattered early issues are available from 1887, and a complete run begins in 1946. See Extended History for More information. There was a fire at the Hardeman County courthouse in 1864.
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.
Hardeman County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1823 and Probate Records from 1823 and is located at Courthouse, 100
N. Main St.,
Bolivar, TN 38008-2322; Telephone:
(731) 658-3142. 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.
Hardeman County Register of Deeds hasLand Records from 1823 and is located at Courthouse,
100 N. Main St., Bolivar, TN 38008-2322; Telephone: (731)
658-3541. The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Hardeman county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
Hardeman County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1810 and is located at Courthouse,
100 N. Main St., Bolivar, TN 38008-2322; Telephone: (731)
658-6534 . 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 Hardeman County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Hardeman 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 Hardeman County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Hardeman 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 Hardeman County, Tennessee are 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Hardeman 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 Hardeman County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Hardeman 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 Hardeman County Maps. Email us with websites containing Hardeman 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 Hardeman County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Hardeman 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 Hardeman County for the years: 1824-1854, 1865-1881 ; 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 Hardeman County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Hardeman 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 Hardeman County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Hardeman County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Bolivar-Hardeman County Library,
213 N. Washington Street, Bolivar, TN 38008 731-658-3436
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 Hardeman County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Hardeman 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 Hardeman County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Hardeman 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.
Today, Bolivar embraces both the old and the new. City residents enjoy recreational
facilities that include a city park, city swimming pool, and the Hardeman County
Golf and Country Club. The city has a weekly newspaper, the Bolivar Bulletin-Times,
two radio stations, and cable television. City government consists of a mayor
and city council. In 1973 Bolivar took steps to preserve the architectural worth
of the many antebellum houses still in use by creating a historical and cultural
district of twenty sites in the uptown area. A Victorian Village was established
with the district.
The town of Grand Junction became synonymous with railroads as a result of the
1854 junction of the Memphis and Charleston and the Mississippi Central Railroads.
By 1858 Grand Junction had a newspaper, the Quid Nunc. Today, the town is the
home of the National Bird Dog Museum and Field Trial Hall of Fame. Grand Junction
acquired these facilities because of its proximity to the Ames Plantation, where
the annual National Bird Dog Field Trial takes place each spring. The Hobart
Ames Foundation operates the plantation for the benefit of the University of
Tennessee. On the plantation grounds is "Cedar Grove," the plantation house built
by John Walker Jones in 1847.
Other Hardeman County towns also owe their existence to the railroads. Hickory
Valley is situated on the old Mississippi Central Railroad. In 1920 H. H. McMurtree
and Luke Wadley built a sassafras mill near Hickory Valley. Pulliam's Crossing
was established around the same time the railroad was built in 1855. In 1897
H. B. Duryea built a noted stock farm for shorthorn cattle on three thousand
acres near the rail crossing.
The first flourishing settlement at Hornsby was called Bright Prospect before
it took the name Crainville. The town's reputation rested on the discovery of
artesian wells in 1915. By 1923 the town boasted nine artesian wells and had
become a favorite spot for political candidates to hold rallies and barbecues.
Middleton began as a small settlement called Slab Town. In 1946 the Tennessee
Gas Transmission Company (now Tennessee Gas Pipeline, part of the ElPaso Corporation),
a major supplier of natural gas in the United States, located in Middleton. Recently,
the town has emerged as a major retail and industrial center. Labor Day weekend
is celebrated with the Fur, Fin, and Feather Festival. Middleton also celebrates
the M-Town Variety Show in November and sponsors a Christmas parade and Christmas
yard- and business-decorating contests in December.
Saulsbury was incorporated in 1856 and quickly became a leading area cotton market.
As a result of the importance of Saulsbury, the county polling place moved from
Berlin to Saulsbury. The town also engaged in sand mining, and James H. Godsey
established a leather goods manufacturing industry. Today, Saulsbury holds an
annual community celebration with the lighting of the Christmas tree.
Eight cousins established the town of Silerton, which was incorporated in 1923.
Jim Rowland served as the first mayor. Silerton became the center of the county's
timber trade. Toone, named for James Toone, became a major shipping point for
the northern part of the county when the railroad came through in 1856. T. C.
Conner established a pottery there, the only one of its kind in West Tennessee.
Whiteville, which was incorporated in 1854, first emerged in the early nineteenth
century when Dr. John White opened a trading post. John S. Norment built the
first and only cloth manufacturing factory near Whiteville. In 1900 the community
supported a newspaper, the Whiteville News. Today, Whiteville is the site of
a Tennessee Technology Center. The town celebrates Children's Day, a Harvest
Festival, and a December Parade. Anderson's Fruit Farm maintains markets at Whiteville
and Cloverport.
Pocahontas in the southeastern part of the county was the site of a Civil War
battle at Davis Bridge, part of the Corinth campaign. Today, visitors reach the
National Register-listed site via a walking trail. Pocahontas is also the home
of the Big Hill Pond State Natural Area, a park abounding in wildlife, with fishing,
nature trails, and scenic areas. Middleburg, once a thriving community, was destroyed
during the Civil War. Only Lax's Ole Country Store survives as a reminder of
the former community.
Several Tennesseans of note have come from Hardeman County. Elizabeth Avery Meriwether,
an ardent nineteenth-century supporter of women's rights was born in Bolivar.
She wrote numerous articles and essays in support of her cause and published
two books, Recollections of 92 Years and The Master of Red Leaf, Black and White.
John Houston Bills, a Hardeman County planter, maintained private journals for
the years 1843 to 1871; they are an invaluable source to the history of the county.
His house, "The Pillars," is a historic house museum in Bolivar. Another historic
building, the Little Courthouse (circa 1824), is the county's official museum,
administered by the county chapter of the Association for the Preservation of
Tennessee Antiquities. John Milton Hubbard, another diarist, wrote Notes of a
Private. Hubbard was headmaster of Bolivar Male Academy when he marched away
to the Civil War with his students. Egbert Haywood Osborne--educator, Baptist
minister, Confederate soldier, and lawyer--published a book of poems. Charles
Austin Miller, 1890 Tennessee secretary of state, compiled the Official and Political
Manual of Tennessee. Jesse Christopher Allen and James H. White worked to establish
schools for black children in the 1930s.
For much of its history, Hardeman County's economy has depended on agriculture
and lumbering. Quickly identified as a favorable site for cotton production,
the county early attracted planters who built plantations and worked the cotton
fields with slave labor. No longer dependent upon cotton, the county's farmers
now engage in livestock production and plant a variety of crops. Hardeman is
still the leading hardwood-producing center in West Tennessee. McAnulty's Woods,
a conservation site within the town of Bolivar, is the only known virgin forest
remaining in West Tennessee.
Since the 1940s Hardeman County's economy has shifted toward industrial production.
As in other Tennessee counties, Hardeman workers are engaged in the production
of automotive parts and textiles. In addition, factories in the county produce
elevator appliances, pyrotechnics, electrical switches, and absorbent clay products.
According to the 2000 census, 28,105 people lived in the county, representing
an increase of 20 percent since 1990.
Hardeman County Tennessee Court Minutes vol. 2 1827-1829 (WPA, 1936)
Hardeman County, Tennessee Deeds [Books D-E, Oct 1834 - Dec 1838] (Hutchings, 2002-)
Hardeman County Tennessee Marriage Book vol.1 1838-52 (WPA, 1937)
Hardeman County, Tennessee, Marriage Records [vol. 1 Oct 1823 - Feb 1838; vol. 2 Feb 1838 - July 1852; vol. 3 July 1852 - Dec 1859; vol. 4 Dec 1862 - May 1863; vol. 5 Nov 1865 - Dec 1870] (Armour, 1965-66)
Hardeman County Tennessee Marriage Records 1860-1870 (WPA, 1938)
Hardeman County Tennessee Marriage Records Loose 1823-1838 (WPA, 1938)
Hardeman County, Tennessee: Family History (Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, Hardeman County Chapter, 2001)
Hardeman County, TN Marriages, 1823-1861 (Sistler, 1986)
Hardeman County Vital Records [marriages 1827-1832] (Hays, 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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