Sevier County Facts

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map     Located in East Tennessee, Sevier County has the distinction of having three birthdays: in 1785 under the State of Franklin, in 1794 under the Southwest Territory, and in 1796 from Jefferson County under the State of Tennessee. Sevierville, the county seat, and the county were named in honor of John Sevier (1745-1815), governor of the State of Franklin, territiorial militia officer, U. S. congressman from North Carolina and Tennessee, state senator and first governor of Tennessee.     The first court of Sevier County, State of Franklin, was held at Samuel Newell's Station on Boyds Creek in March 1785. The first court of Sevier County, Southwest Territory, was held at the home of Isaac Thomas on November 8, 1794. Magistrates present were Samuel Newell, Joseph Willson, Joshua Gist, Peter Bryant, Joseph Vance, and Andrew Evans. Absent were Mordecai Lewis and Robert Pollock. On January 11, 1796, Spencer Clack, John Clack, Samuel Wear, Peter Bryant, and Thomas Buckingham were sent to help prepare a state constitution at the convention in Knoxville. John Clack was elected to the Senate and Spencer Clack and Samuel Wear to the House of Representatives.     Surveyors who prepared the plats for the State of Tennessee to issue land grants from 1807 to 1894 included Robert Wear, Thomas Price, Mark Moore, Guilford Cannon, Daniel Kerr, John Mullendore, G. W. Layman, Wellington McMahan, John A. Trotter, G. W. J. Hill, and Jesse Atchley.     Sevierville, originally the Forks of Little Pigeon community settled by the Isaac Thomas, Spencer Clack, and James McMahon families in the 1780s, became the county seat in 1795. The present courthouse, noted for its majestic tower, was built in 1896. Incorporated in 1901 with A. M. Paine as mayor, Sevierville had 7,178 residents in 1990.    Newspapers were published in Gatlinburg and Sevierville.  Scattered early issues are available from 1882, and a complete run begins in 1909. See Extended History for More information. There was a fire at the Sevier County courthouse in 1856, nearly all records were destroyed.    Sevier County is bordered by Jefferson County (north), Cocke County (east), Haywood County, North Carolina (southeast), Swain County, North Carolina (south), Blount County (west) and Knox County (northwest). Cities and Towns include Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Pittman Center, Sevierville. The Official County Website is located at http://www.seviercountytn.org/    Early Sevier County Records. Newspaper Microfilms are loaned to Tennessee libraries. Individual reels may also be purchased.  An Inventory of Newspapers on Microfilm at TSLA is available on our web site.  . Sevier County, Tennessee History Books at Amazon.com. Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

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Sevier County Court Records

See Also Tennessee Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

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.

  Sevier County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1856 and Probate Records from 1849 and is located at Courthouse, 125 Court Ave., Sevierville, TN 37862-3596; Telephone: (865) 453-4654.
    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.

   Sevier County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1842 and is located at Courthouse, 125 Court Ave., Sevierville, TN 37862-3596; Telephone: (865) 453-4654.
    The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Sevier county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.

   Sevier County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1854 and is located at Courthouse, 125 Court Ave., Sevierville, TN 37862-3596; Telephone: (865) 453-5536.
   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.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912, Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records, Tennessee Marriages to 1825; Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 and Tennessee Marriages, 1851-1900.

Click Here to Search Tennessee Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Sevier County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Sevier County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Sevier County, Tennessee Court Books at Amazon.com
• 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.
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Sevier County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Tennessee

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.

Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!

   Tennessee State Vital Records, is located at Central Services Building, 1st Floor, 421 5th Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee  37243; Phone (615) 741-1763, FAX (615) 741-9860. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records registers and maintains the original certificates of births, deaths, marriages and divorces that occur in Tennessee. They have the following records:

• Birth Certificates: Records are available beginning with January 1914, for Nashville since June 1881, for Knoxville since July 1881, and for Chattanooga since January 1882. Records of some births that occurred in the major cities from 1881-1913 are also available. A certified photocopy of the original record may be obtained at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. For persons born from 1949 to the present, a certified copy produced by computer is also available at a fee of $7.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below.
• Death Certificates: Death records are available for the past 50 years (1957). The fee is $7.00 per certified copy. The cause of death is not normally included on a certified copy unless specifically requested and then is available only to certain family members or legal representatives. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage and divorce records are available for the past 50 years at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificate. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below.

Make certified checks and money orders should be made payable to "Tennessee Vital Records". Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services Please do not send cash or checks. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to: Tennessee State Vital Records, Central Services Building, 1st Floor, 421 5th Avenue North, Nashville, TN,  37243.

   Tennessee State Library and Archives have the following records:

• Birth Records & "Delayed" Birth Certificates: Tennessee began keeping birth records statewide in 1908. TSLA has statewide birth records for the years 1908-1912. To find a birth record, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known). The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier birth records: Nashville (beginning in 1881); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1879); and Memphis (beginning in 1874). Only the early Nashville birth records are indexed. For birth records after 1912 or for "delayed" birth certificates filed for persons born after 1903, contact the Office of Vital Records above.
  
  TSLA also has "delayed" birth certificates for persons born 1869 - 1903. These delayed certificates were filed at the request of the individual or that person's representative for legal reasons. To locate a delayed birth certificate, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known). E-mail TSLA and they can check thier index to the "delayed" birth records for a specified name.  Please specify that you are requesting a "delayed" birth certificate.
  
  There is a $20 fee to search for a birth record. If the record is found, they will mail a copy to you. If the record is not found, you will be notified by mail. The $20 fee is not refundable. Payment in advance by check,  money order or credit card is required. Send your request to Tennessee State Library and Archives, Research Department, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville TN 37243-0312. 
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• 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]

There are a few online marriage databases which include: Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912, Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records, Tennessee Marriages to 1825; Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 and Tennessee Marriages, 1851-1900

Below is a list of online resources for Sevier County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Sevier County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• Sevier County, Tennessee Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
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Sevier County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records

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 Sevier 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 Sevier 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.

See Also Statewide Records that exist for Tennessee

Below is a list of online resources for Sevier County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Sevier County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Sevier County, Tennessee Census Books at Amazon.com
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Sevier County Maps & Atlases

   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 Sevier County Maps. Email us with websites containing Sevier County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Sevier County, Tennessee Map Books at Amazon.com
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Sevier County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Tennessee

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 Sevier County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Sevier 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.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (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.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Tennessee units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• 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.
• Sevier County, Tennessee Military Books at Amazon.com
• Tennessee Society Daughters of the American Revolution
• Tennessee Society Sons of the Revolution
• Tennessee Civil War Regimental Histories
• Tennessee, Civil War Confederate Pension Applications Index
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Sevier County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

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 Sevier County for the years: 1837, 1838, 1864-1867, 1869-1872 ; 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. 

Original tax schedules for most Tennessee counties for 1836 through 1839 are available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

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 Sevier County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Sevier County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Sevier County, Tennessee Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Sevier County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other 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 Sevier County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Sevier County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Sevier County Preservation of Records Department, 125 Court Avenue, Suite 201E, Sevierville , TN 37862; Phone: (865) 774 3627, Email: bnc0610@bellsouth.net
• Anna Porter Public Library, (Smoky Mountain Collection)
  207 Cherokee Orchard Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 865-436-5588
• Pigeon Forge Public Library, 2449 Library Drive, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 865-429-7490
• Sevier County Public Library, 321 Court Avenue, Sevierville, TN 37862 865-453-3532
• Local Tennessee Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37243-0312; Phone: (615) 741-2764 , Fax (615) 741-6471
• Tennessee Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 3343, 9114 Davies Plantation Rd, Brunswick, TN 38014, (901) 381-1447; [EMAIL]
• Tennessee Historical Society, 300 Capital Boulevard, Nashville 37243
• 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.

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Sevier County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Tennessee

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.

   There are many churches and cemeteries in Sevier County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Sevier County Tombstone Transcription Project. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.

   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 Sevier County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Sevier County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Sevier County, Tennessee Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Sevier County, Tennessee Church Books at Amazon.com
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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

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 Sevier County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Sevier County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Sevier County, Tennessee Family Books at Amazon.com
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data : For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Sevier County ] [ Tennessee ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• 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.
• Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
• 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.
• Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
• The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
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County History

 The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture © Tennessee Historical Society
The land area of 592.3 square miles has a varied topography which consists of fertile lowlands along the French Broad and Little Pigeon Rivers, the hilly portion drained by the Forks of Little Pigeon River, and the majestic peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains, including Clingman's Dome, the highest mountain peak in Tennessee.

The two branches of the Great Indian War Path which crossed the county became the chief migratory route for the early settlers in the 1780s. The signing of the Dumplin Treaty at Major Hugh Henry's Station in 1785 opened the area south of the French Broad for settlement.

Pigeon Forge, originally the Fanshiers community, was settled by the Wear, Fancher, and Lovelady families in the 1780s. The Pigeon Forge post office opened in 1841 with William K. Love as postmaster. Incorporated in 1961 with Xan Davenport as mayor, the city had a population of 3,027 in 1990.

Gatlinburg, originally the White Oak Flats community settled by the Richard Reagan and Martha Ogle families ca. 1806, was the name given to the post office in Radford Gatlin's store in 1856. Incorporated in 1945 with Dick Whaley as mayor, the city had a population of 3,417 in 1990.

Pittman Center, named for Reverend Eli Pittman of Elmira, New York, was established by Reverend E. O. Burnett as a Methodist settlement school and health center in 1921 and closed with the retirement of Dr. Robert F. Thomas in 1964. The Pittman Center community, incorporated in 1974 with Conley Huskey as mayor, had a population of 478 in 1990.

Manufacturing in the county before the Civil War included cottage industries, the Sevierville Pottery, mills, the bloomery forge at Pigeon Forge established by Isaac Love in 1817, and Sweden furnace. From the 1870s to the 1920s flatboat transportation from Sevierville to the steamboats on the French Broad River increased trade. The construction of the Knoxville, Sevierville, and Eastern Railroad (KS&E) and the extension to McCookville in 1920 enhanced manufacturing. The railroad ceased operation in 1961.

The logging industry flourished from 1900 to 1930 in the Great Smoky Mountains. The establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1930 and the construction of Highway 441 through the center of the valley in the 1950s opened the area for the development of tourism.

In 1996 the county had a population of 51,043, and the labor force was predominantly employed in trade and finance due to the large number of retail establishments associated with the tourism industry. Manufacturing is the second largest industry.

Nancy Academy (1811-97) and Murphy College (1892-1936) were historic educational institutions. In 1996 Sevier County had three high schools, four middle schools, one intermediate school, nine elementary schools, and a vocational center. A branch of Walters State Community College is in Sevierville. The Sevier County Library, founded by Fred P. Rawlings, opened in 1920 in the Masonic Temple.

Sevierville's African Americans have contributed to Tennessee history. Many brick buildings in Sevierville today attest to the skill of brick making, masonry, and carpentry of Isaac Dockery, Samuel Coleman, the P. Witt McMahan family, and S. H. Burden and son. The furniture of Lewis Buckner is a prized possession. Mary Bond McMahan and James Chandler were educators.

Preston B. Love published the first newspaper, the Enterprise, in 1882. Subsequent newspapers include the Republican, Sevier County Republican, Star, Vindicator, Volunteer, Sevier County Republican and Sevier County Record, Gatlinburg Press, News-Record, and Mountain Press. The Bank of Sevierville opened in 1888.

Ray L. Reagan, the elected county judge from 1956 until his death in 1978, led the campaign to attract new industry to broaden the county's agricultural and tourist-oriented economy. He was instrumental in the remodeling of the courthouse and the development of the Sevier County Industrial Park, the Sevier County Medical Center, and the Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg Airport. Dollywood, located in Pigeon Forge, is the largest amusement park in Tennessee.

Between 1990 and 2000 Sevier County grew by 39 percent to a total population of 71,170.

The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1887
Sevier County lies east of Blount County, and adjoins North Carolina on the south. It is one of the largest counties in the State, having an area of about 660 square miles. A considerable part of the land is broken and untillable, but along the streams, and in the coves and valleys it is exceedingly fertile. The French Broad River flows through the northern portion, and receives the waters of Little Pigeon River, formed by the junction of two forks which take their rise in the Great Smoky Mountains. Boyd's Creek flows through the eastern portion of the county, and also empties its waters into the French Broad.

The settlement of the territory now embraced in Sevier County was begun about 1788, although the several years previous it had been traversed by traders and military bodies operating against the Cherokees.

In 1775 two traders from Virginia, Boyd and Doggett, while returning from a trip into the Indian nation, were killed by a band of savages, who threw their bodies into the stream which has since been known a Boyd's Creek. In 1780 one of the best fought of the early Indian battles took place on this creek, near what is now known as Rocky Springs.

In 1783 a number of settlers, who had recently located in the vicinity, assembled at Maj. [Major] Henry's, near the mouth of Dumplin Creek, and there built a fort. At about the same time, a friendly conference with the Indians was held at the house of a Mr. Gist. It was attended by Maj. James Hubbard, who had settled on the north bank of the French Broad River just above Bryant's Ferry, and who became notorious for his enmity toward the Indians. His father's family in Virginia had been cruelly murdered by the Shawnees, and he had sworn vengeance against the whole race. He spared no pains to create Indian disturbances in order to afford opportunity to gratify his revenge, and this occasion was no exception. He attempted to frighten the Cherokees in attendance upon the conference into some hasty action which might furnish a pretext for violating the truce, but in this he was prevented by Capt. James White, and for a time peace was secured. After this the settlements south of the French Broad increased quite rapidly. In November, 1783, Thomas Stockton began the erection of the first gristmill in the county. It was located at Christian's Ford on the French Broad. During the following year the pioneers built their cabins and cleared fields along Little Pigeon River and Boyd's Creek. On the later stream, two strong forts were erected: One was at Samuel Newell's, near the head of the creek, and the other at Samuel McGaughey's lower down.

In 1784, the State of Franklin was organized, and in March of 1785, the first legislature of the new State met. Among the acts passed was one for the division of Greene County into three separate counties, one of which was named Sevier. It embraced the greater part of the territory south of the French Broad extending from the Big Pigeon River to the ridge dividing the waters of Little River and Little Tennessee. The courts were held at Newell's Station, and Samuel Wear became clerk of the county court. At the next election Samuel Newell and John Clark were chosen to represent the county in the Legislature.

In 1785 a treaty was concluded with the Cherokees at Henry's Station, known as the treaty Dumplin [Treaty of Dumplin], by the terms of which the Indians relinquished their right and title to the land embraced within Sevier County. After this treaty, the occupation of the county south of the French Broad went on rapidly. Prominent among the early settlers beside those already mentioned were Isaac Thomas, who lived on the west bank of the Pigeon opposite Sevierville, William Cannon located opposite Catlettsburg, where his grandson later lived. Jacob Huff lived on the site of Catlettsburg, where he build a mill. Samuel Blair also located in the same neighborhood and Josiah Rogers still further down the river. North of the French Broad were Peter and Allen Bryant, Joshua Gist, the Cates and Underwoods. Eight miles below Sevierville was the residence of Thomas Buckingham, who, it is said, built the first brick house in the county. The Brabsons, Chandlers, Crewells and Capt. Nathaniel Evans located on Boyd's Creek, and Thomas Sharp in the neighborhood of Trundle's Cross Roads. Randall Hill lived three miles east of Catlettsburg and Thomas Evans about five miles from the same place of the French Broad. Benjamin Atchley also located in the same neighborhood. The upper end of the county in the vicinity of Bird's Cross Roads a colony of Germans from Virginia was located: among them were Jacob Bird, Jacob Derrick, Adam Fox and James Baker. Frederick Emert and Martin Shultz settled in what is now known as Emert's Cove. Andrew Wells and John Baughman lived in the area of Jones Cove. George Bush settled the place where Mrs. Hodsden lived in ____. William Henderson, John Jenkins and Robert Duggan also lived east of Sevierville. Among others of the early settlers were Shields, Calverts, Richardsons, Creswells and Keelers.

In 1788 the Franklin government came to an end, and the government of North Carolina, ignoring the acts of the former, among which was the treaty of Dumplin, still recognized the French Broad, Houston and Big Pigeon Rivers, as a part of the Indian boundary line, leaving the inhabitants to the south of these steams in the position of trespassers upon the Cherokee lands. Realizing their exposed condition, these people adopted articles of association by which they proposed to be governed. The constitution and laws of North Carolina were adopted, and all civil and military officers of Sevier County, elected under the government of Franklin, were continued in office. For the General supervision of affairs, a committee, composed of two members from each militia company, was provided for. Who composed the committee is not known, but their place of meeting is supposed to have been Newell's Station. This remained practically the condition of Sevier County until after the conclusion of the treaty of Holston in 1791, and the organization of Jefferson County in July of the following year [1792]. The latter included the present Sevier County, and Samuel Wear was one of the representatives in the first territorial assembly. During the first session an act to divide Jefferson County into two distinct counties was passed, and Joseph Wilson, Robert Polk, Samuel McGaughey, Samuel Newell and Thomas Buckingham were appointed to locate the seat of justice, the courts to be held for the time at the house of Isaac Thomas. The first court met on November 8, 1794. Samuel Newell, Joseph, Joshua Gist, Peter Bryant, Joseph Vance and Andrew Evans were the magistrates present, while Mordecai Lewis and Robert Polock were absent. Samuel Newell was chosen chairman; Samuel Wear, clerk; Jesse Byrd, register; Thomas Buckingham, sheriff; Mordecai Lewis, coroner, and Alexander Montgomery, surveyor.

In October, 1795, Sevierville was laid out at the confluence of the east and west forks of the Little Pigeon River. Tradition has it that the first courts, after the town was established, were held in a building previously occupied as a stable, and that owing to the great number of fleas infesting it, the lawyers accomplished its destruction through as Irishman and a bottle of whisky. A courthouse and jail, both probably built of logs, were then erected.

On July 4, 1796, the first court for Sevier County was held under the State constitution. The justices present were Samuel Newell, Joshua Gist, Joseph Wilson, Andrew Cowan, Joseph Vance, James Riggin, Alexander Montgomery, Jesse Griffin and Isom Green. The county officers, who had served under the territorial government, with the exception of the register and coroner, were retained. James McMahan was elected register and James D. Puckett, coroner.

At the time and for more than thirty years afterward, the people south of the French Broad, and Holston, who had occupied their lands under treaties made by the Franklin government, were harassed by law of both the United States and the States attempting to compel them to purchase their land at the rate of $1 per acre. The settlers denied the right and justice of these laws, and obstinately refused to comply with them. An act was finally passed in 1829, allowing occupants to enter a tract of not more than 200 acres, including their improvements.

As has been stated Sevierville was laid out in 1795, but previous to that time, September 29, 1789, a Baptist Church had been organized in the vicinity. Among the first settlers of the town were Alexander Preston and M. C. Rogers, merchants; Benjamin Catlett, tavern-keeper; Richard Catlett, hatter; John Catlett, carpenter; Spencer Clack, who had a mill on the right bank of the East Fork, just above town; James McMahan, the county register, and Isaac Thomas, who lived on the left bank of Pigeon, and owned and operated a mill there. Hugh Blair was the first blacksmith, but resided below town.

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Sevier County Published Records

• 1880 Census, Sevier County, Tennessee (Sistler, 1996)
• Atchley Funeral Home Records, Sevierville, Tennessee [vols. 1-2, 1955-1973; vols. 3-4, 1974-1999] (Fox, 2002)
• Cemetery Inscriptions in the Smoky Mountain Area, Sevier County, Tennessee (Reagan, 1984)
• Enumeration of Male Inhabitants, 1891 Anderson, Blount, Knox, Sevier Counties, Tenn (Reid, 1989)
• Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1840 for Sevier County, Tennessee (Templin & Wells, 1981)
• Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 (Seventh Census) for Sevier County, Tennessee (Creekmore & McMahon, 1953)
• Sevier County, Tennessee, 1830-1840 Federal Censuses; 1814, 1837, 1838 Tax Lists (Fox, 2004)
• Sevier County, Tennessee Early Surveyor Books, 1824-1902 (Fox, 2002)
• Sevier County, Tennessee, Marriage Record, Book 1, 1856-1873 (Reagan, 1982)
• Sevier County, Tennessee, Marriage Records no.1, 1856-1873 (WPA, 1938)
• Sevier County, Tennessee, Marriage Records, 1920-1934 (Parton & Fox, 1998)
• Sevier County, Tennessee : Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1830 (Fifth Census) for Sevier County, Tennessee (Creekmore & McMahon, 1956)
• Sevier County, Tennessee, State of Tennessee Land Grants, 1806-1900 (Fox, 2002)
• Sevier County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1914 through 1925 (Wiefering, 1993)
• Sevier County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1926 through 1930 (Wiefering, 1999)
• Sevier County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1931 through 1935 (Wiefering, 1999)
• Sevier County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1936 through 1941 (Wiefering, 1999)
• Sevier County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1942 through 1946 (Wiefering, 1999)
• Smoky Mountain Clans  [3 vols.]  (Reagan,  1978)
• Tennessee Negro Cemetery Records and Marriage Records : Counties of Campbell, Dickson, Madison, McMinn, Monroe, Roane, Sevier (WPA, 1938)

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