The Tennessee General
Assembly created Hamilton County
on October 25, 1819. Rhea, Marion,
and Bledsoe Counties bounded the
new county, and it extended south
to the state line. The creation of the new county on the southwestern frontier
was brought about by a treaty with the Cherokees in 1817. By the terms of the
Hiwassee Purchase, the Indians yielded large sections of Alabama and Georgia,
as well as the Sequatchie Valley and the area that became Hamilton County. Initially,
Hamilton County did not extend south of the Tennessee River. This area, including
the site of Cherokee Chief John Ross's landing in present-day Chattanooga, did
not become a part of the county until the disputed Treaty of 1835 that led to
Indian removal and the "Trail of Tears." The county was named in honor of Alexander
Hamilton, secretary of the treasury in George Washington's administration. Hamilton
was the name of the district of which this section had formerly been a part.
Chattanooga is the County Seat.
Newspapers were published in Chattanooga, Signal Mountain and Soddy. Scattered early issues are available from 1844, and a complete run begins in 1879. See Extended History for More information. There was a fire at the Hamilton County courthouse in 1910, Some early 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.
Hamilton County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1857 and Probate Records from 1864 and is located at Courthouse, 625
Georgia Ave, Rm 201,
Chattanooga, TN 37402; Telephone:
(423) 209-6600 . 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.
Hamilton County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1819 and is located at Courthouse,
625 Georgia Ave, Rm 201, Chattanooga, TN 37402; Telephone:
(423) 209-6500 . The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Hamilton county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
Hamilton County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1858 and is located at Courthouse,
625 Georgia Ave, Rm 201, Chattanooga, TN 37402; Telephone:
(423) 209-6700. 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Hamilton County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Hamilton 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. 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. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below.
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. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below.
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering 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 Hamilton County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Hamilton County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Hamilton 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 Hamilton County Maps. Email us with websites containing Hamilton 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Hamilton County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Hamilton 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 Hamilton County for the years: 1836, 1837 ; 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 Hamilton County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Hamilton County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
Hamilton County Genealogical Addresses (See Also Tennessee Genealogical Addresses) - 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 Hamilton County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Hamilton 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 Hamilton County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Hamilton County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers throughout the world.
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 Hamilton County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Hamilton County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Tennessee Valley Genealogy Meetup Group! - Meet other local Genealogists and people who are interested in Genealogy who live in the North Alabama and South Central Tennessee Areas. We welcome beginners and beginners classes will be held as soon as a location can be set up. For everyone else we gather to share tips, exchange information, talk shop, etc.!
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.
This beautiful region, where the Tennessee River winds through the convergence
of several mountain ranges, was the last stronghold of the Cherokees. When their
valiant effort to retain their homeland failed, Ross's Landing became one of
the main staging areas for the trek west.
At the time of the 1820 census, Hamilton County counted 821 residents, including
16 free blacks and 39 slaves. Approximately 100 Cherokees lived on six private
family reserves. The settlers were clustered mainly at Sale Creek, at Poe's Crossroads
(Daisy) and at the farm of Asahel Rawlings (Dallas). Hasten Poe had a popular
tavern at a crossroads near the foot of Walden's Ridge, and this was used for
the holding of the first courts. The courts were later moved nearby to the farm
of John Mitchell before a log courthouse was built at Dallas on the Tennessee
River. The county seat was shifted across the river to the new town of Harrison
in 1840. Chattanooga, whose growth far outstripped that of Harrison, became the
seat of government in 1870.
Principal towns, in addition to Chattanooga, are Red Bank, Soddy-Daisy, Ooltewah,
Collegedale, East Ridge, Lookout Mountain, and Signal Mountain. The old towns
of Dallas and Harrison were inundated by waters of Lake Chickamauga in 1939 when
Hamilton County became a center for the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Chattanooga's future as a railroad center was assured when the Western and Atlantic
Railroad selected it as its northern terminus. This line reached the city in
1849, and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad was completed in 1854. The East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad, the Cincinnati Southern, and other
rail lines later were extended to the growing city.
A rail center and the "Gateway to the South," Chattanooga became a focal point
in the Civil War, especially in the summer and fall of 1863. The Army of Tennessee
under General Braxton Bragg fell back from the city and fought a bloody battle
at nearby Chickamauga, Georgia, on September 19 and 20, 1863. From the surrounding
mountains, the Confederate forces besieged Chattanooga until the arrival of Union
forces under General Ulysses S. Grant and General William T. Sherman. The Union
won victories at Wauhatchie and Lookout Mountain prior to the famous charge up
Missionary Ridge on November 25, 1863.
After the Civil War, Chattanooga experienced a cholera epidemic in 1873 and a
yellow fever scourge five years later. There were also devastating floods in
1867 and 1886. The city still managed to develop as a manufacturing center and
underwent a real estate boom in the late 1880s. Later, it became the site of
the first Coca-Cola bottling franchise and the headquarters for several major
insurance companies. Combustion Engineering, DuPont, and McKee Baking were also
key employers. The Krystal hamburger, the Moon Pie, the Double-Cola soft drink,
and the Little Debbie snack cake originated in Hamilton County, and all four
nationally known products have their corporate headquarters in the county. Hamilton
Place Mall, one of the state's largest shopping malls, opened in 1987.
Chattanoogans who made their mark in national politics include Senator and Postmaster
General David Key, Senator and Treasury Secretary William Gibbs McAdoo, Senator
Estes Kefauver, and Senator and Labor Secretary Bill Brock. Adolph Ochs went
from publisher of the Chattanooga Times to develop the New York
Times into a leading newspaper. Soddy's Ralph McGill became an award-winning
editor of the Atlanta Constitution . Grace Moore was an opera and film
star before meeting a tragic end in an airplane crash; she is buried in Chattanooga.
Bessie Smith rose to fame as "Empress of the Blues," and Roland Hayes had an
outstanding singing career.
With such attractions as Rock City, Ruby Falls, and the Incline Railway on Lookout
Mountain, Chattanooga has been a favorite tourism center. An abandoned railroad
station was converted to the Chattanooga Choo-Choo family entertainment complex
in 1973. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park has units at Chickamauga,
Lookout Mountain, Signal Mountain, and Missionary Ridge. A recent focus has been
development of the downtown riverfront, including erection of the Tennessee Aquarium,
the Children's Discovery Museum, the IMAX Theater, and the Chattanooga Visitors
Center. Other museums include the Chattanooga African American Museum, Chattanooga
Regional History Museum, Houston Museum of Decorative Arts, Hunter Museum of
American Arts, Mary Walker Museum, National Knife Museum, and the museum of the
Tennessee Valley Railroad. The Walnut Street Bridge was restored as a popular
pedestrian walkway, and the handsomely landscaped Tennessee Riverwalk was built
along the river. Engel Stadium is the historic home of the Chattanooga Lookouts
minor league baseball team. Chattanooga, which had a remarkable cleanup of its
polluted air, is developing a reputation as "the environmental city," featuring
electric buses, greenways, and an expanded convention center with an environmental
design.
Colleges and universities in Hamilton County include the University of Tennessee
at Chattanooga, Chattanooga State Technical Community College, Southern University,
Tennessee Temple University, and Covenant College.
The 2000 population of Chattanooga is 155,554 and Hamilton County's was 307,896.
Hamilton County encompasses 542 square miles. Chattanooga and Hamilton County
operate under separate governments, and the county includes nine municipalities.
1880 Census, Hamilton County, Tennessee (Sistler, 1996)
Abstracts of Ocoee District Early Land Records-entries (McClure, 1990)
Chattanooga Baptist Church Minutes of Hamilton County 1852-1882 (WPA, 1941)
Chickamauga Reservoir Cemeteries (Douthat, 1986)
Chickamauga Reservoir Grave Removals (Tennessee Valley Authority, 1939)
Concord Baptist Church Minutes of Hamilton County, 1842-1872 (WPA, 1980)
Confederate Soldiers of Hamilton County, Tennessee : An Alphabetical Listing of the Confederate Soldiers who Lived at one Time in Hamilton County, Tennessee (Hughes & Wilson, 2001)
Early Settlers, Hamilton Co., TN. : 1830-1850 census (Douthat, 1986)
Hamilton County Confederate Soldiers (Armstrong, 193?)
Hamilton County, TN Marriage Book 2, 1864-1874 (Douthat, 1987)
Hamilton County, TN Marriage Books 1-1 1/2, 1853 [i.e. 1857] -1870 (Douthat, 1986)
Hamilton County, Tennessee 1836 Tennessee Civil Districts and Tax Lists (Douthat, 1993)
Hamilton County, Tennessee Chancery Court Minutes 1864-66 (WPA, 1940)
Hamilton County Tennessee Civil Record A Law Court of Chattanooga 1860-1867, part 1-3 (WPA, 1942)
Hamilton County Tennessee Deed Book F vol. 1 1844-1848 (WPA, 1937)
Hamilton County Tennessee Deeds Book ABC vol. 1 1796-1838 (WPA, 1936)
Hamilton County Tennessee Deeds Book D vol. 1 1837-1841 (WPA, 1936)
Hamilton County Tennessee Deeds Book D vol. 1 1838-1841 (WPA, 1937)
Hamilton County Tennessee Deeds Book E vol. 1 1841-1843 (WPA, 1936)
Hamilton County Tennessee Diary of Rev. Robert H. Guthrie 1874-1875 (WPA, 1938)
Hamilton County Tennessee Diary of Miss Josephine H. Hooke 1863-1864 (WPA, 1938)
Hamilton County, Tennessee, Entry Takers Book, 1824-1897 (19??)
Hamilton County, Tennessee, Marriage Book 3, September 1874-May 1880 (Douthat, 1995)
Hamilton County Tennessee Marriage Records Book 1 1857-1863, Book 2 1864-1874 (WPA, 1937)
Hamilton County Tennessee Marriage Records Book 1 1/2 1865-1870 (WPA, 1937)
Hamilton County, Tennessee Will Book Number 1, 1862-1892 (Douthat, 1996)
Index to the Ocoee District Early Land Records - Entries (McClure, 1990)
Private Acts of Hamilton County, Tennessee (McIntyre, 1980)
Probate Record of Hamilton County no. 1 1864-70 part 1-2 (WPA, 1941)
Roll of Honor : Names of Soldiers who Died in Defence of the American Union, Interred in the National Cemeteries at Chattanooga, Stone's River, and Knoxville (United States. Quartermaster's Dept., 1866)
Roster of our Dead Buried in the Confederate Cemetery at Chattanooga, Tenn. (United Confedeerate Veterans, 1985)
Tennessee, Hamilton County Tombstone Inscriptions (Negro) (WPA, 1939)
Tennessee, Records of Hamilton County : Entry Taker's Book 1824-1897 (WPA, 1937)
Tennessee, Records of Hamilton County : Interments of the National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Tennessee 1863-1939 (WPA, 1939)
Tennessee, Records of Hamilton County : Tombstone Inscriptions vol. 1-4 (WPA, 1939)
United States Census, Hamilton County, Tennessee, 1850 (Hobbs & Goins, 198?)
United States Census, Hamilton County, Tennessee, 1870 (Hobbs & Goins, 198?)
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