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Unicoi County History and Information |
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Settlers arrived in the late 1770s and quickly established farms and churches.
The area that is now Unicoi County was part of Carter and Washington counties
until March 23, 1875, when the Tennessee General Assembly created the new county.
The county court took office in January 1876. Erwin, which was centrally located,
became the county seat. The town had existed under various names including Unaka
(1832), Longmire (1840), and Vanderbilt (1976). In December 1879, the name was
changed to Ervin, in honor of David J. N. Ervin, who had donated fifteen acres
for the county seat. A mistake by postal officials, which was never corrected,
recorded the name as Erwin.
Newspapers were published in Erwin. Scattered early issues are available from 1887, and a complete run begins in 1941. See Extended History for More information.
Unicoi County is bordered by Washington County (north), Carter County (northeast), Mitchell County, North Carolina (east), Yancey County, North Carolina (south), Madison County, North Carolina (southwest) and Greene County (west). Cities and Towns include Erwin, Flag Pond, Unicoi. The Official County Website is located at ?
Tennessee
State Library and Archives has Inventories of Unicoi County Records on Microfilm. Click Here to Order County Microfilm Inventories and Reels. Early Unicoi 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. . Unicoi 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.
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See Also Tennessee Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records
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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. |
Unicoi County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1876 and Probate Records from 1876 and is located at Courthouse, P.O.
Box 340,
Erwin, TN 37650-0340; Telephone:
(423) 743-9541.
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.
Unicoi County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1876 and is located at Courthouse, P.O.
Box 340, Erwin, TN 37650-0340; Telephone: (423) 743-9541 .
The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Unicoi county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
Unicoi County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1875 and is located at Courthouse, P.O.
Box 340, Erwin, TN 37650-0340; Telephone: (423) 743-3541 .
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 Unicoi County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Unicoi County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Vital Records in Tennessee
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!
Contact the Unicoi County Clerk For County Marriage Divorce Records (See Unicoi County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where Certificate was granted.
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.
[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 Unicoi County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Unicoi County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Research In Census Records
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Unicoi County, Tennessee are 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Unicoi County, Tennessee are Industry and Agriculture Schedules available for the years 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1880.
See Also Statewide Records that exist for Tennessee
Below is a list of online resources for Unicoi County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Unicoi County Census Records by clicking the link below:
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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 Unicoi County Maps. Email us with websites containing Unicoi County Maps by clicking the link below:
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See Also Military Records in Tennessee
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 Unicoi County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Unicoi 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.
- Unicoi 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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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 Unicoi County for the years: 1876-1899 ; 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 Unicoi County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Unicoi County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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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 Unicoi County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Unicoi County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
- The East Tennessee Historical Society:
- 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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See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Tennessee
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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 Unicoi County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Unicoi 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.
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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 Unicoi County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Unicoi County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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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 Unicoi County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Unicoi County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
- Unicoi 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: [ Unicoi 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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The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture © Tennessee Historical Society
Located
in the mountains of upper East Tennessee,
Unicoi County covers approximately
186 square miles, of which approximately
50 percent is owned by the U.S. government. Unicoi is
a Cherokee word meaning "white," "hazy," "fog-like," or "fog
draped." The county's principal waterway,
the Nolichucky River, originates
at the point where the North Toe
River joins the Cane River in North
Carolina. Nolichucky Gorge is now
a popular center for white water
rafting.
Construction and maintenance of county roads and bridges proved to be a major
problem for the new county. Between 1916 and 1919, second and third class roads
were replaced by macadamized roads. Today, a modern four-lane highway links Unicoi
County to Interstate 81 and to the North Carolina state line. This highway will
become a part of Interstate 26 when the North Carolina link is finished in 2000.
The 1879 schools report listed one frame and eleven log school buildings in Unicoi
County. Today the county has excellent schools, and school enrollment has grown
from 802 in 1880 to 2,580 in 1997.
The county boasts a fully accredited Hill-Burton hospital, which opened in 1953
and was the first hospital in upper East Tennessee to install a centralized oxygen
system. A library, established in 1921 and in continuous operation since, became
a part of the Watauga Regional Library System in 1959. In December 1997, the
library moved into facilities in the newly renovated historic railway depot.
Unicoi County experienced rapid growth once railroad construction began in 1886.
Several railroads have operated trains in the county--the Charleston, Cincinnati
and Chicago, beginning in 1886; Ohio River and Charleston, 1893; South and Western
Railway, 1902; Carolina, Clinchfield, and Ohio, 1908; Seaboard, which later became
CSX, 1908. The Clinchfield ran 277 miles from Elkhorn City, Kentucky, to Spartanburg,
South Carolina, covering five states. Rails cross four mountain ranges and five
major watersheds with eighty bridges and fifty tunnels.
Arguably, Erwin's best-known event was the hanging of an elephant in 1916. On
September 12, 1916, when the circus played in Kingsport, Mary the elephant killed
her trainer. Authorities decided to dispose of the elephant, but all available
guns proved inadequate to the task. Authorities then requested that railroad
officials hang the elephant from the large derrick used to clear train wrecks.
Mary was brought to the Erwin railroad yard and hanged with a chain.
In 1897 a U.S. Fish Hatchery was established in Unicoi County and celebrated
one hundred years of continuous operation in 1997. The original superintendent's
house has been converted to a county Heritage Museum containing memorabilia enjoyed
by local residents and tourists.
The railroad remained the major employer until 1916 when Southern Potteries opened
in Erwin. The pottery specialized in hand-painted dinnerware called Blue Ridge
China. During plant construction, local people learned hand-painting, but many
workers came from Ohio and West Virginia. Peak employment reached more than one
thousand during the 1940s. After World War II, imports slowly brought a curtailment
in production, and the plant closed in 1957. Hand-painted dinnerware from Southern
Potteries remains valuable to today's collectors.
Just as the Southern Pottery closed, Davison Chemical Company (now Nuclear Fuel
Services) located in Erwin. The plant processes uranium and thorium products
and is now the major supplier of fuel for nuclear powered Navy ships. Other industries
have also based their operations in Unicoi County, including Georgia Pacific,
Hoover Precision Products, NN Ball & Roller, Morrill Motors, Specialty Tire
Company, and several plastics manufacturers. The county's 2000 population was
17,667.
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- 1880 Census Unicoi County, Tennessee (Padgett, 1995)
- 1900 Census, Unicoi County, Tennessee (Padgett, 1995)
- 1910 Census, Unicoi County, Tennessee (Padgett, 1995)
- 1920 Census, Unicoi County, Tennessee (Padgett, 1996)
- Cemeteries of Unicoi County, Tennessee, Including Genealogical Information (Unicoi County Historical Society, 1989)
- Marriages of Unicoi County, Tennessee, 1876-1904 (Padgett, 1989)
- Unicoi County, Tennessee, Death Record Abstracts, 1908-1936 (Nikazy, 1997)
- Unicoi County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1914 Through 1925 (Wiefering, 1994)
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