Roane County was established
in 1801 from Knox County and Indian Lands and named in honor of Archibald Roane (1760-1819), 1796 Constitutional Convention delegate, Superior Court of Law and Equity judge, Supreme Court judge, governor of Tennessee. The town of Kingston, in the shadow of Fort Southwest Point, was chosen as the
county seat. In 1807 Kingston became "Capital for a Day." The Tellico Treaty
of 1805 stated that Kingston would become the state capital in return for thousands
of acres of Indian land. It did, for a few hours on September 21, 1807. The terms
of the treaty were thus fulfilled, the capital was returned to Knoxville, and
the Indian land was forfeited. A monument commemorating this infamous event stands
in the center of Kingston.
Newspapers were published in Cardiff, Kingston, Oliver Springs and Rockwood. Scattered early issues are available from 1854, and a complete run begins in 1941. 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.
Roane County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1801 and Probate Records from 1802 and is located at Courthouse, P.O.
Box 546,
Kingston, TN 37763-0546; Telephone:
(865) 376-2487 . 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.
Roane County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1801 and is located at Courthouse,
P.O. Box 546, Kingston, TN 37763-0546; Telephone: (865) 376-2487. The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Roane county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
Roane County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1802 and is located at Courthouse,
P.O. Box 546, Kingston, TN 37763-0546; Telephone: (865) 376-2390. 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 Roane County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Roane 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 Roane County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Roane 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 Roane 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 Roane 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 Roane County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Roane 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 Roane County Maps. Email us with websites containing Roane 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 Roane County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Roane 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 Roane County for the years: 1805, 1837, 1858, 1859, 1878-1900 ; 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 Roane County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Roane County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
Roane 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 Roane County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Roane 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 Roane County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Roane 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 Roane County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Roane 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.
It was not until the Civil War, when Union Colonel John Wilder led troops through
the area, that the commercial potential of local mineral deposits was recognized.
Wilder, with other northern industrialists, organized the Roane Iron Company,
and in 1868 established the town of Rockwood. It was a "Company Town of the New
South," shipping pig iron first by steamboat and later by rail.
The town of Harriman brought diversified industry to Roane County late in the
nineteenth century. Northern industrialists of the East Tennessee Land Company,
impressed by the climate, location, transportation systems, and work ethic of
southerners in the area, established the town of Harriman in 1890. The industrialists
were strict prohibitionists with strong religious backgrounds and high ideals
who believed that sober workers and a variety of industries would insure a successful
town and reliable profits. In February 1890 the company held a "Great Land Sale" on
its property. Thousands of buyers from all across the United States offered astonishing
prices for lots. Within ten hours 573 lots had been sold for more that $600,000.
Utopian dreams shaped this social experiment in town building. Every contract
or deed contained a provision forbidding the use, making, storage, or selling
of intoxicating beverages. As a result, Harriman soon gained the reputation as
a "Utopia of Temperance."
Oliver Springs, a small town at the convergence of the Roane, Anderson, and Morgan
County lines, enjoyed national prominence as a mineral springs resort that attracted
people from across the eastern United States in the late nineteenth century.
Richard Oliver, the first postmaster of the town and the man for whom the town
was named, commercialized the springs. Oliver built a four-story hotel containing
almost two hundred rooms topped by a sixty-foot tower. The resort featured bridle
paths to the top of Walden's Ridge, a billiard room, electric elevators, wine
cellars, and a dance pavilion. The resort burned in 1905 and was not rebuilt.
Roane County has its share of famous residents. Return Jonathan Meigs served
as Indian agent at Fort Southwest Point. Sam Houston lived in Kingston briefly,
where he clerked in a store before volunteering for military service in the War
of 1812. A little known Civil War heroine was sixteen-year-old Mary Love, who
carried a Union message to Knoxville through Confederate lines. Sam Rayburn,
longtime Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was born in Roane County
in 1882 and lived there until 1887, when his family moved to Texas. Roane County
also has its infamous residents. Cherokee chiefs Tullentusky (variously spelled)
and Doublehead attacked local settlements for several years. The Harpe brothers
swept through Roane County in the early 1800s, killing and pillaging.
Today, Roane County offers the tranquil beauty of Watts Bar Lake, the community
atmosphere of small town living, and the convenience of proximity to the metropolitan
areas of Knoxville and Chattanooga. Its 2000 population was 51,910.
Fourth Survey Distr[i]ct of Tennessee, 1808-1810 : John McClellan-Surveyor Anderson, Bledsoe, Campbell, Knox, Overton, Rhea, Roane Counties, TN (Douthat, 1988)
General Index to Warranty Deeds, 1801-1860 (WPA, 1940)
Locations of Roane County Cemeteries, Plus Tombstone Readings of Harriman Cemetery and Willard Park Cemetery in Harriman, Tennessee (Pellissippi Genealogical & Historical Society, 1987)
Marriage Records of Roane County, Tennessee, 1801-1855 (Hutcherson & McCluen, 1973)
Marriage Records, Roane County, Tennessee, 1856-1880 (Pierce, 1987)
Marriages of Roane County, Tennessee, 1801-1838 (Whitley, 1983)
Maxwell Funeral Home Records: Harriman, Roane County, Tennessee, 1926-1979 (Bailey, 2000)
Minute Book [County Court], 1801-1826 [10 vols.] (WPA, 1937-1942)
Minutes, New Hope Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1824-1845 (WPA, 1938)
Pioneers of Roane County, Tennessee, 1801-1830. Tax Lists, Muster Rolls, Election Lists, Petitions, etc. (Thornton, 1965)
Records of Roane County, Tennessee (Wells, 192?)
Revolutionary War Pension Applications, Roane County, TN (Douthat, 1988)
Roane County, Tennessee 1870 Federal Census (Bailey & Trent, 1997)
Roane County, Tennessee 1910 Federal Census [5 vols.] (Bailey, 1996-1997)
Roane County, Tennessee 1920 Federal Census ... Civil District ... [5 vols.] (Bailey, 1999-2000)
Roane County, Tennessee, 1830 & 1840 Censuses and 1830 & 1840 Tax Lists (Bailey, 1995)
Roane County, Tennessee 1930 Federal Census [vols. 1 - 3] (Bailey, 2003)
Roane County, Tennessee Abstracts of Estate Book "A", 1801-1824 (McCluen, 1965)
Roane County, Tennessee Census of 1870 [2 vols.] (1986)
Roane County, Tennessee County Court Minutes (Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions) ... [vol. 1 1830-1831; vol. 2 1832-1835; vol. 3 1836-1840; vol. 4 1841-1843] (Bailey, 2000)
Roane County, Tennessee, Deed Abstracts [6 vols.] (Roane County Genealogical Society, 1980-)
Roane County, Tennessee, Divorces, 1807-1900 (Bailey, 1994)
Roane County, Tennessee Estate Book [vol. 1 1802-1842; vol. 2 1842-1846; vol. 3 1847-1855; vol. 4 1856-1863] (Bailey, 1999-)
Roane County, Tennessee, Family Bible Records [2 vols.] (WPA, 1938)
Roane County, Tennessee, John McClellan's surveyor's book, 1808-10 (WPA, 1938)
Roane County, Tennessee, Land Entry Book A, 1807-1808 (WPA, 1939)
Roane County, Tennessee, Marriage Records, 1801-1838 (WPA, 1939)
Roane County, Tennessee Marriages, 1856-1875 (Sistler, 1988)
Roane County, Tennessee Militia Companies 1806-1820 & 1828-1839 (Brittain, 1999)
Roane County, Tennessee Newspaper Abstracts, 1808-1879 : Obituaries, Marriages, and Other Items of Genealogical Interest (Bailey, 1998)
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