Johnson County shared its early history with Carter and Washington Counties.
Johnson County was created by the general assembly in 1836 and named in honor of Thomas Johnson, early settler of Carter County on the Doe River, prominent citizen and one of the first magistrates of Johnson County. Johnson
died in 1835, but the first session of the county court was held in the home
of his son, William Johnson, who served as a member of the court. Other members
included Andrew Wilson, James Wright, John Ward, James B. Morley, Joseph Robinson,
Jered Arrendell, Jessie Cole, M. M. Wagner, James Brown, Andrew L. Wilson, Phillip
Shull, and John Dugger.
The commissioners appointed to locate the seat of justice purchased twenty-five
and one-half acres from William P. Vaught and laid off a town, which they named
Taylorsville, in honor of Colonel James P. Taylor. The first courthouse was completed
in 1837, and two years later the county built a jail. A second courthouse was
erected in 1894. The third and present courthouse was built in 1958.
In 1866 Taylorsville was incorporated, and J. M. Wagner served as the first mayor.
In 1885 the town changed its name to Mountain City. In 1844 W. R. Keys founded
the Taylorsville Reporter; in 1885 the newspaper's name changed to
the Tennessee Tomahawk, and in 1915 it was called the Johnson County
News . Mac Wright owned and published another small paper called the Johnson
County News Bulletin . In 1950 he purchased the Johnson County News and
continued with the News Bulletin until 1956, when he sold it to new
owners, who renamed the paper the Tomahawk .
Newspapers were published in Mountain City. Scattered early issues are available from 1882, and a complete run begins in 1954. 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.
Johnson County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1838 and Probate Records from 1839 and is located at Courthouse, 222
Main St.,
Mountain City, TN 37683; Telephone:
(423) 727-7853
. 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.
Johnson County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1836 and is located at Courthouse,
222 Main St., Mountain City, TN 37683; Telephone: (423) 727-7853 . The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Johnson county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
Johnson County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1836 and is located at Courthouse,
222 Main St., Mountain City, TN 37683; Telephone: (423) 727-9012 . 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 Johnson County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson 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 Johnson County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson 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 Johnson County, Tennessee are 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Johnson 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 Johnson County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson 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 Johnson County Maps. Email us with websites containing Johnson 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 Johnson County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson 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 Johnson County for the years: 1836-1844, 1863, 1869-1875, 1879-1885, 1887-1891, 1893-1895, 1898-1900 ; 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 Johnson County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
Johnson 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 Johnson County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Johnson 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 Johnson County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson 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 Johnson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Johnson 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.
Before the arrival of white settlers, the Cherokees, Creeks, and Yuchis used
the area as a hunting and burial ground. Evidence of prehistoric mound builders
has been found. The first white settlers were mostly English, but also included
some Scots-Irish and Germans. The first settlement occurred at the confluence
of a buffalo trail and three wilderness trails. The settlement name, Trade, attests
to its importance as a meeting place where settlers, frontiersmen, and Native
Americans swapped goods and stories.
Daniel Boone hunted and explored the area between 1761 and 1769. Numerous settlers
followed Boone's trail through the wilderness, including John Honeycutt, who
built a cabin on Roan Creek. Honeycutt entertained several well-known frontiersmen,
including Boone and James Robertson, who achieved fame in the Watauga and Cumberland
settlements. Before the end of the century, additional settlements had been established
at Little Doe, Shady Valley, and Laurel Bloomery.
Settlers on Roan Creek included Joseph and John Haskins; George and Samuel Neatherly;
Thomas, John, and Charles Asher; Richard and Benjamin Wilson; John and Henry
Grimes; Joseph Gentry; John Jesse; and John Higgins. Nathaniel Taylor erected
an iron works on Roan Creek. The first Little Doe settlers were Jacob Perkins,
George Brown, George Crosswhite, Ed Polly, Joseph Timpkins, and David Stout.
John Vaught operated a mill and a "still house," which he left to his son Joseph
Vaught. Shouns Crossroads bore Leonard Shoun's name, and David Wagner lived east
of Shouns. Laurel settlers included James Keys, Charles Anderson, Peter and John
Wills, Daniel Cuthbert, Peter Snyder, Abraham Dorson, Joseph Sewell, John and
Garland Wilson, Robert and John Walters, William Wandley (now Widby), William
Neatherly, and Anthony and William Fisher.
In 1900 Johnson County acquired railroad service, and the line reached Mountain
City in 1910. Built to haul timber and manganese into Virginia and North Carolina,
the railroad attracted miners and timber cutters, who established camps along
the line. In 1922 the Merchant and Traders Bank was founded to handle the company
payrolls for the mining and timber operations. The bank, now the Farmer's State
Bank, competes with two others, the Johnson County Bank and Elizabethton Federal.
The county's economy remains somewhat dependent on agriculture. Today, tobacco
is still the largest cash crop, with a few land owners leasing tobacco allotments
from smaller farms. Corn, apples, strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables
are raised on small farms and sold locally. In the first half of the century,
Johnson County was known as the "Green Bean Capital of the World."
The largest industrial employers in the county are textile mills, including Sara
Lee Knit Products, Bike Athletic Company, Mountain City Glove Manufacturing Company,
and C&A Lingerie. Johnson County has experienced some industrial downsizing
due to recent changes in the textile industry. In response to these changes,
the county economy has shifted toward tourism and the creation of specialty shops.
The Appalachian Trail crosses U.S. 412 at the Johnson-Sullivan county line, and
most of the county's natural resources are within the Cherokee National Forest.
TVA-created Watauga Lake (1949) provides recreational opportunities at Butler.
Johnson County and Mountain City have undertaken a number of improvements. Mountain
City boasts two new parks, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and has initiated
a downtown revitalization project. The Johnson County Welcome Center is one of
the largest in the state, and the Mountain City Municipal Airport, which can
accommodate small jets, includes 4,500 feet of runway. The Roan Valley Golf Course
also hosts a number of golf tournaments. The county increased in population between
1990 and 2000 by 27 percent, to 17,499 residents.
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