DEKALB COUNTY, TENNESSEE

GENEALOGY


 

 


My name is David Johnson, and I am the Dekalb County, Tennessee GenWeb County Coordinator. If you have any genealogy materials to contribute to this page or any questions or comments, please contact me.


Last update 07/28/2010


What's New

List of all updates (past and present) to this site




Dekalb County, Tennessee was established by an act of the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee on December 2, 1837. The area west of the Caney Fork River came from Warren County and a small strip from Cannon County. The area east of the Caney Fork River came from White County. Generally, much of the area north of the "Indian Boundary" of the Holston Treaty of 1791 that was included in Dekalb County came from Smith County.

Dekalb County is located in middle Tennessee, one of the three divisions of Tennessee
.

 

A list of Communities in Dekalb County

There are two site searches below. The Freefind search is best. The Google site search is now also searching this site correctly, but it will always be slower to catch changes I make. These search engines search only this site and my Dekalb County TNLHN site where the 1850 census is located.

Freefind Site Search

site search by freefind advanced

 

Google Site Search


View or Post a Query

 

View Old Queries: November 2004 and Earlier

 

Dekalb County Mailing List:

TNDEKALB-L is a mailing list hosted by rootsweb for anyone with a genealogical interest in Dekalb County, Tennessee. Full instructions for subscribing and unsubscribing to the mailing list are at rootsweb, here:

http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/TN/dekalb.html

From this page you can subscribe or unsubscribe or even browse the archived mailing list messages.

 


A Tribute to Athol K Foster and his service as

the past County Coordinator

 

 

 

Robbie (Rowland) Ragland and Charles Butler Ragland ca. 1929

I've been cautioned that this car is a URO

(Unidentified Rolling Object)

Photo taken by Jack and Ruth Rowland

 

 

 

 

 


Dekalb County's radio station WJLE is now streaming a broadcast live on the internet at scheduled times. Click the link to see the schedule of broadcast times. Usually they will start a music broadcast earlier than the scheduled time. Select "Listen Live" at the bottom of their page to hear the broadcast. Also check out their main page with local scenes and news. They also have obituaries. A Wonderful Site.



Genealogy Archives
Administrator's Settlements Past County Officials
Bible Transcriptions Postmasters
Cemetery Directions R. M. Johnson Journal
Cemetery Transcriptions Salem Baptist Church Membership Lists
Court Records Slave Records in various documents
Deeds Social Security Death Index at rootsweb
Eli Vick's Store Ledger Surnames
Family Histories Tennessee Death Index at TSLA
Years 1908-1912
Years 1914-1931
There were no death certificates in 1913.
Marriages Index of TN Health Dept. Death Certificates
Years 1949-2005
Obituaries by Marie Beckman Grucz Will Transcriptions


Census
1840 transcription by Marie Beckman Grucz 1890 Civil War Veterans Census
1850 with index in progress at the TNLHN Dekalb County site- Dist. 1 and 13 complete 1850 Dekalb County Civil Districts Map
1860 with index
1920 Dekalb County Civil Districts Map
1880 familysearch.org transcription  


Metes and Bounds Measurements Found in Deeds:
1 rod = 1 pole = 16.5 feet
1 chain = 4 rods or 4 poles = 66 feet
1 furlong = 10 chains = 40 rods or 40 poles = 660 feet
1 acre = 1 chain x 1 furlong = 66 feet x 660 feet = 43,560 square feet

1 square mile = 640 acres, which was the amount of land given to a Revolutionary War Private on completion of 84 months of service (the full 7 years from the war's beginning in 1776 to its end in 1783).

If a tract of land is stated to be a total size of, for example, 1000 poles (not two dimensions given, but one number), it means it is 1000 square poles in size. This is more commonly seen on surveys rather than deeds.


NOW AVAILABLE

  Early Virginia Families with Middle Tennessee Connections

has just been published by Justin Potter Library of Smithville, Tennessee. The author is Thomas G. Webb, DeKalb County historian, who has spent more than 60 years researching the history of the several families in the book. The result is a 384-page hardback book with a complete first-name index. Besides related families, more than 30 main families are presented. They are:

Bennett
Boykin
Braswell
Cathcart
Childers
Cooper
Davis
Downing
Flood
Frazier
Gribble
Harris
Jennings
Magness
Mason
Moser
Nicholls
Parker
Power
Rich
Robinson
Rowland
Smith
Snow
Spoe
Strother
Tubb
Washer
Weedon
Wilson
Yeargin

     Most of these families have been traced to the 1600s in Virginia, then down to the present time. This is more than just a list of names and dates, and many of the people are presented in great detail, so that we can understand their way of life and their reasons for making the decisions they made. All research is thoroughly documented and footnoted, with references to the original documents. The book contains more than 40 pages of family and historical photographs. The hardback cover is done in full color, with photographs of locations in DeKalb County. A limited number of books will be published, and no second printing is planned, so it is important to obtain your book as soon as possible.

      The book can be purchased in person or by mail from Justin Potter Library, 101 South First Street, Smithville, TN 37166 (Phone 615-597-4359). The cost is $35.00, or $40.00 postpaid. Checks should be made payable to Justin Potter Library. The book can also be purchased in person at F. Z. Webb Pharmacy and Gifts, 400 Public Square in Smithville.


Death Record Search All Tennessee Counties 1949-2005

also Divorces 1980-2005 and Marriage Records 1980-2005
The Shelby County, Tennessee Registrar of Deeds has a website where you can mainly search Shelby County government records. If you go to the link I give below, then go to the column on the page where it says "Archives". There you will find 3 "statewide" record categories, where you can choose any of the 3 categories, including deaths. It works as an index giving information to order the record, but the actual name and death/marriage/divorce date is also given. Also if there are many records that meet your search criteria, all those will be listed. You are also given a link to order the record from the state health department.

Death record results contain name, date, age, county, marital status, race, gender, and file number. It doesn't get any better for free.
GO TO THE SEARCH PAGE


The Land Laws of Tennessee
by Henry D Whitney

This book gives all information about the laws of public and private land sales, grants, deeds- every law concerning land in Tennessee and the changes in the law throughout history. It can help explain why certain things are on deeds, where grants were issued from at various times in Tennessee history, and can possibly help you find in which government office your ancestor's grant might be located. If you want or need any information about Tennessee land, this has it all.


Schools
Oakland Institute, 1850, Sligo area- includes teachers' names and students' names from the 1850 census of the dormitory A history of Pure Fountain College at Smithville from "A Bicentennial History of DeKalb County, Tennessee", by Thomas G. Webb- includes students' names
Holmes Creek School, 1927 Photo Bright Hill school, 1922 Photo


Dekalb County Funeral Homes
Dekalb Funeral Chapel (with obits) Love-Cantrell Funeral Home (with obits)

You have to enter at least 2 letters, or better a surname, into their search box to see any past obits- they do have a lot, but you can't simply browse all.
Avant Funeral Home- no website
109 High St., Alexandria, TN
(615) 529-2323

24hr Obituary line: (615) 529-2221
Anderson Funeral Home- no website
302 West Main Street, Alexandria, TN
(615) 529-2173 or

Smithville, TN
(615) 529-2988
Smithville Memorial Chapel- no website
614 Murphy St
Smithville, TN 37166
(615) 597-6277
 


Newspapers
Alexandria Times abstracts 1894-1895  Smithville Review Newspaper
Liberty Herald Newspaper Abstracts 1886-1900 The Middle Tennessee Times
Reminiscences of Smithville- articles from the Smithville Review  


Military

---REVOLUTIONARY WAR---

Revolutionary War Veterans Who Settled in Dekalb County Revolutionary War Pension Applications:

http://www.tngenweb.org/projects/

Then choose "Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War"

This is mostly copied from the pensions book. There is no listing for Dekalb County, because the pensions started before Dekalb County was formed. Look in Smith County and nearby.

---CIVIL WAR---

Dekalb County in the Civil War by Will T Hale Index of Tennessee Civil War Veterans Questionaires
Southern Claims Commission claims in Dekalb County Look up any Union or Confederate soldier anywhere in US- by name
Everything you ever wanted to know about the 16th Infantry Regiment, CSA Tennessee and the Civil War- a TNGenWeb project

16th Tennessee Infantry Regement

35th Tennessee Infantry Regiment

84th Tennessee Infantry Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment, CSA photos
16th Infantry Regiment, CSA burials in Dekalb County
Savage Goodner Camp 1513- Sons of Confederate Veterans Allison's Cavalry Squadron


Photos
Pictoral History of Dekalb County More Photos at the TNLHN Dekalb County site
Photo of Adam Dale (1st settler) at DAR site Photo of Street Scene and Courthouse at the Presswood Hanging, 1872, with Dekalb's 1st courthouse
Robert Lack's Photos- he needs help with identification of many Photo of the teacher and students of Holmes Creek School in 1927- need help with identification of these people
Photo of the Teachers and Students of Bright Hill School- Most are named Roy- Vick- Yeargin Photos- Submitted by Marie Wingate
Salem Cemetery Photos Foutch Family Photos- Submitted by Marie Wingate
The University of Tennessee has placed copies of it's yearbooks with all the pages and photos for the years 1897 through 2004 online. If any of your kin or ancestors attended this University, you might find their photo at that web site. The main page has a search box where you can enter any name, and all occurrences of that name, with links to the yearbook page, will be listed. For students, their hometown is also given.

The link is here.


Lookup Volunteers
The Fite Family History Dale Cantrell
Salem Baptist Church Minutes 1809-1909 Dale Cantrell
If you want a lookup for other items such as marriage, census, cemetery, etc., it would be best to just post a query in the queries section. The link for that is further up the page. I will see that and do lookups for the censuses that are not already online- 1870, 1900, 1910, 1920. Others might do lookups in books they own. Another place to get lookups is the mailing list.


Reunions


Local History
Goodspeed's History of Dekalb County and Goodspeed's Biographies
History of Dekalb County, Tennessee by Will T Hale
Google Books has "History of Middle Tennessee Baptists" by John Harvey Grime- The Dekalb County churches start on pages 60 and following- read it all online- starts abt 1800
"You Can Go Home" by James W Lee Jr
"Historian Unravels Liberty Mule Mystery", by Thomas G. Webb
"The Last Bear Fight" from The Smithville Review
"The Foutch/Malone Feud" by Chris Tramel
John Presswood, Jr hanging in 1872, from the Smithville Review
"Dekalb Countians in State and US Government" by Thomas Webb
Genealogy Room Named For Thomas G Webb
More history at the TNLHN Dekalb County site -pioneer roads and migration, map and discussion of the Holston Treaty Indian Boundary that ran through Dekalb County, bios of early settlers, photo of Center Hill Dam construction, etc.


Genealogy Resources
The Webb Families of Dekalb County, Tennessee and 23 Related Families- by Thomas Webb
An Inventory of Dekalb County Books at the library - 3 Titles For Sale
An Inventory of Dekalb County Records on Microfilm Available at TSLA
Tennessee State Library and Archives main page
Libraries in Dekalb County
Introduction to Tennessee Land History - an explanation of how Tennessee land was surveyed and the Surveyor's Districts
County offices contact information
Tennessee GenWeb Special Projects main page
The Family History Library's DeKalb County resources site

Several of their links are links back to our DeKalb Co., TN GenWeb pages which you already had access to here. Other links contain lists of materials available at the Family History Library.


OUR NEIGHBORS' SITES
Go to Cannon County page
Go to Putnam County page
Go to Smith County page
Go to Warren County page
Go to White County page
Go to Wilson County page
Return to TNGenWeb page

See my Jackson County, Tennessee page at TN-ALHN

 


 

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David Pye

Thanksgiving graphics from Annes Place

Christmas banner is my own creation and copyright 2008

The floral banner on this page is my own creation and copyright 2008