By the early 1780s three principal stations had been erected in the Cumberland-Red
River area: Prince's Station, established in 1782, near Sulphur Fork and Red
River; Neville's Station founded ca. 1784 between Prince's Station and Clarksville;
and Clarksville, the only station to become a city, established near the confluence
of the Cumberland and Red Rivers. In January 1784 John Montgomery and Martin
Armstrong surveyed the present site of Clarksville and proceeded to sell lots.
The town, established by North Carolina in 1785, was named for General George
Rogers Clark, Indian fighter and Revolutionary War leader.
In 1796 when Tennessee became the sixteenth state, Tennessee County, of which
Clarksville was a part, was divided into Montgomery and Robertson Counties, with
Clarksville the county seat of Montgomery County. The name Montgomery honored
John Montgomery, who was a founder of Clarksville as well as a Revolutionary
War leader. By 1797 Clarksville contained thirty houses, a courthouse, and a
jail. Cultivation of tobacco in Montgomery County antedates the county's name.
Three years after its establishment, Clarksville was declared a tobacco inspection
site.
Newspapers were published in Clarksville. Scattered early issues are available from 1834, and a complete run begins in 1904. See Extended History for More information. There were fires at the Montgomery County courthouse
in 1878 & 1900, and a tornado in 1999.
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. Genealogical Requests made to the various county offices are referred to the Archives.
Montgomery County Archives,
350 Pageant Lane, Suite 101-D, P.O. Box 323,
Clarksville , TN 37041-0323 ;
Phone: (931) 553-5159,
Email: mcarchives@montgomerycountytn.org.
Genealogical Requests made to the various county offices are referred to the Archives.
Montgomery County Archives has the Marriage Records from 1838 and Probate Records from 1796. We also have the Land Records from 1789 and the Court Records from the various courts of the county. In addition, we have Tax records and the loose papers of the various courts. We are located in the Veterans' Plaza on Crossland Avenue and Pageant Lane.
Montgomery County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1838 and Probate Records from 1797 and is located at Courthouse, Clarksville,
TN 37040, Telephone:
(931) 648-5703 . 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.
Montgomery County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1786 and is located at Courthouse, Clarksville,
TN 37040, Telephone:
(931) 648-5703 . The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Montgomery county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
Montgomery County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1805 and is located at Courthouse, Clarksville,
TN 37040, Telephone:
(931) 648-5700 . 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 Montgomery County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Maps. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery County for the years: 1798-1801, 1836 ; 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 Montgomery County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Montgomery County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Montgomery County Archives,
350 Pageant Lane, Suite 101-D, P.O. Box 323,
Clarksville , TN 37041-0323 ;
Phone: (931) 553-5159,
Email: mcarchives@montgomerycountytn.org
Montgomery County Archives has the Marriage Records from 1838 and Probate Records from 1796. We also have the Land Records from 1789 and the Court Records from the various courts of the county. In addition, we have Tax records and the loose papers of the various courts. We are located in the Veterans' Plaza on Crossland Avenue and Pageant Lane.
Montgomery
County Historical Society,
P.O. Box 262,
Clarksville 37041
Austin Peay State University,
Felix G. Woodward Library,
601 College Street, PO Box 4595, Clarksville, TN 37044 931-221-7028
Clarksville-Montgomery County
Public Library,
350 Pageant Lane, Suite 501, Clarksville, TN 37040 931-648-8826
Customs House Museum & Cultural Center,
200 S. 2nd Street, PO Box 383, Clarksville, TN 37041 931-648-5780
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 Montgomery County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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.
The early years of the nineteenth century were progressive ones, chiefly devoted
to the building of roads, railroads, and bridges and the establishment of churches
and educational institutions. The Civil War forced the residents of Montgomery
County to declare their loyalty to the Union or the Confederacy. On June 8, 1861,
citizens of Montgomery County cast 2,631 votes for secession and only 33 votes
against. Realizing that both the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers provided easy
access to the heart of the state, the Confederates established Fort Henry on
the Tennessee River and Fort Donelson at Dover on the Cumberland River in preparation
for the impending Union advance. Near Clarksville breastworks atop the hill overlooking
the confluence of the Cumberland and Red Rivers bore the gallant name of Fort
Defiance. After the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson in February 1862, Confederate
troops at Clarksville withdrew. When Federal gunboats arrived at Fort Defiance,
they found it deserted and flying a white flag. They rebuilt the fort and named
it Fort Bruce. Federal troops occupied Montgomery County, except for one brief
skirmish, until 1865. During these years, local black residents established the
Golden Hill Cemetery in 1863.
After the Civil War, traffic on the Cumberland River continued to be of great
importance to the community, and Clarksville became well known for its production
of dark fired tobacco, its primary money crop. From 1900 to 1940 Clarksville's
trade and business progressed, with the growth of the town closely connected
to agricultural production.
The importance of education to the people of the county was made apparent with
the establishment of the Rural Academy in 1806. A long line of educational institutions
followed at the same location, including Southwestern Presbyterian University
in 1875. In 1925 the school was moved to Memphis, where it remains in operation
as Rhodes College. Today's Montgomery County students can continue their education
at the same site, now the home of Austin Peay State University, established in
1929 as Austin Peay Normal School, initially a two-year school designed to train
teachers for classrooms in the state's rural public schools.
During World War II, the U.S. Army established Camp Campbell from land in Christian
and Trigg Counties in Kentucky and Montgomery and Stewart Counties in Tennessee.
In Montgomery County over forty-two thousand acres (almost two-thirds of the
Tennessee total) were purchased, and in June 1942 relocation of the families
was completed. The post was named Camp Campbell in honor of General William Bowen
Campbell, a Federal officer who served in the Mexican War of 1846 as well as
the Civil War. On April 15, 1950, the post became Fort Campbell when it became
a permanent installation.
Montgomery County furnished two governors to the state, Willie Blount (1809-15)
and Austin Peay (1924-27); United States Supreme Court Justice Horace H. Lurton;
and U.S. Postmaster General Cave Johnson. Clarksville claims the oldest bank
in the state, the Northern Bank now First American, established in 1854; the
state's oldest newspaper, the Leaf-Chronicle, established in 1808;
and the first and only bank established and operated entirely by women, the First
Woman's Bank of Tennessee, which opened in 1919.
Several Montgomery Countians have influenced the fields of music, literature,
and the dramatic and creative arts. Well-known musicians include Clarence Cameron
White, Roland Hayes, and Ferdinand Lust. Important twentieth-century writers
associated with the county are Caroline Gordon, Evelyn Scott, Allen Tate, and
Robert Penn Warren. Local dramatic talent includes Dorothy Jordan, Frank Sutton,
Charles Boillin Watts, and Helen Wood. The visual art of painting is represented
by internationally known artist Robert Loftin Newman, who died in 1912.
Other notable Montgomery Countians have excelled in the arena of sports, including
major league baseball player Horace Lisenbee, golfer Mason Rudolph, track Olympian
Wilma Rudolph, and basketball coach Pat Head Summitt.
Individuals excelling in the fields of medicine and business include Dr. Robert
Burt, well-known African American surgeon who founded Clarksville's first hospital
and is buried in the family plot at Golden Hill Cemetery; Clarence Saunders,
founder of the modern supermarket; and A. H. Patch, inventor of the famed corn
sheller.
Since World War II advances in communication and technology have produced industrial
growth in Montgomery County, attracting new residents and spurring an increase
in population that has made Clarksville the fifth largest municipality in the
state and one of the fastest growing cities in the South. No longer dependent
upon an agricultural base, Montgomery County has become an important transport,
industrial, retail, and professional center. Its 2000 population was 134,768.
1798 Property Tax List and 1820 Census of Montgomery County, Tennessee (Beach & Alley, 1969)
1850 Federal Census of Montgomery County, Tennessee (Beach & Alley, 1971)
1880 Census, Montgomery County, Tennessee (Sistler, 1998)
Abstracts of Wills and Records : Recorded in Books A & B, Montgomery County, Tennessee, 1796-1818 (Darnell, 1976)
Bible and Family Records, Tombstone Inscriptions [bound with Minutes of the Board of Stewards of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Clarksville, 1893-1925] (WPA, 1938)
Cemetery Records of Montgomery County, Tennessee [2 vols.] (Darnell, Jones & Alley, 1965-)
Clarksville, TN, Polk City Directory : Including Montgomery County (1998, 2002, 2003, 2004)
County Court Minutes, 1805-1825 [13 vols.] (WPA, 1937-1941)
Index to Montgomery County, Tennessee, Wills & Administrations, 1795 to 1861 (Sistler, 1990)
Minutes of the Board of Stewards of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Clarksville, 1893-1925 (WPA, 1939)
Montgomery County, Tennessee County Court Minutes [Dec. 1805 - Dec. 1807] (Willis & Dublin, 1998)
Montgomery County, Tennessee, Family History Book 2000 (Montgomery County Historical Society, 2000)
Montgomery County, TN Marriages, 1838-1867 (Sistler, 1986)
Name Index to History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present : Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of Montgomery (Marsh, 1972)
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 Montgomery County, Tennessee (McIntyre, 1994)
Red River Settlers : Records of the Settlers of Northern Montgomery, Robertson, and Sumner Counties, Tennessee (Whitley, 1980)
T E McReynolds and Sons, Funeral Directors, Clarksville, Tenn., Funeral Records, 1897-1923 (Weakley, 1986)
Tennessee County, North Carolina, Early Deeds [2 vols.] (Willis, 1994)
Wills & Inventories, Guardian and Bond Books, 1797-1818 [vol. 1 1797-1810; vol. 2 1811-1818] (WPA, 1936)
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