Hardin County, Tennessee Genealogy

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Guide to Hardin County, Tennessee ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.


County Facts
County seat: Savannah
Organized: November 13, 1819
Parent County(s): Chicasaw Indian Lands[1]
Neighboring Counties
Alcorn (MS)ChesterDecaturHendersonLauderdale (AL)McNairyTishomingo (MS)Wayne
See County Maps
Courthouse
Hardwin County Courthouse.jpg
Location Map
Location of Hardin County, Tennessee.PNG

County Information

Description

Hardin County was named for Col. Joseph Hardin, a Revolutionary War soldier and a legislative representative for the Province of North Carolina; the State of Franklin; and the Southwest Territory. The county is located in the southwestern area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Hardin County Courthouse
465 Main Street
Savannah, TN 38372
County Courthouse Phone: 731-925-1000
County Clerk Phone: 731-925-3921
Circuit Court Phone: 731-925-1000
Chancery Court Phone: 731-925-8166

Clerk has marriage records from 1864, divorce, land, probate and court records.[3]

Hardin County, Tennessee Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1881 1864 1881 1820 1820 1825 1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908 (1913 missing). General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

1859, 1864, 1949 Fires damaged courthouse records.[5]
  • Lost marriage records: 1819 to 1863
  • Lost probate records: 1819 to 1836

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

Boundary Changes

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[7]

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

Additional Information
West Tennessee county. Established 1819.

The county is named after "Joseph Hardin legislator of the Southwest Territory and State of Franklin."[8]

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

  • West Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1821 to 1889. 2006. By Alan N. Miller. Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company. FS Library US/CAN 976.8 U2man. Online at MyHeritage ($). Includes Hardin County.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Hardin County, Tennessee online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

Additional Cemetery Resources

Census Records

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1820 1,462
1830 4,868 233.0%
1840 8,245 69.4%
1850 10,328 25.3%
1860 11,214 8.6%
1870 11,768 4.9%
1880 14,793 25.7%
1890 17,698 19.6%
1900 19,246 8.7%
1910 17,521 −9.0%
1920 17,291 −1.3%
1930 16,213 −6.2%
1940 17,806 9.8%
1950 16,908 −5.0%
1960 17,397 2.9%
1970 18,212 4.7%
1980 22,280 22.3%
1990 22,633 1.6%
2000 25,578 13.0%
2010 26,026 1.8%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Hardin County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Tennessee Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than nationwide online indexes.

See Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

See Hardin County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®

1810-1891

1820

1833

1840

  • Curtis, Janet Austin 1840 U.S. census, Hardin County, Tennessee Fort Worth, Texas American Reference Publishing Company, 1972 FS Library US/CAN book 976.8 A1

1840 Pensioners

1860

1870

1880

1890 Lost, but substitutes are available:

  • Burress, Reita Jones. "1890 Civil War Veterans Census of Hardin County, Tennessee," available online.

1891 Male Voters

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Law and Legislation
  • Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. January 25, 2005. In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service. The TSLA has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. Online searchable index at TSLA.

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

  • African American: Census takers found no free African Americans living in Hardin County, Tennessee in 1820.[9]

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

  • Bratton - Jones, Louise Brint Family History of our Brattons, Masseys and Martins Salt Lake City, Utah? L.B. Jones, 1985. Available at the FamilySearch Library FS Catalog book 929.273 B737j with a digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library .
  • Brooks - Brooks, Moses Edward. Descendants of James Brooks. Unknown: unknown, 1974.
  • Cook - See Grimes
  • Grimes - Grimes, Jay Cook. Grimes, Cook and Related Families of Wayne County, Tennessee: A Genealogy. Related Families, Johnson, Morris, Montague, 1800-1960. Auburn, Alabama: J.C. Grimes, 1960. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Ancestry ($).
  • Johnson - See Grimes
  • Martin - See Bratton
  • Massey - See Bratton
  • McDougal - The McDougal Family in Hardin County, Tennessee. MSS., Paducah, Ky. Microfilmed in 1963. FS Library US/CAN Film 301102 Item 53.
  • Montague - See Grimes
  • Morris - See Grimes
  • Rose - Rose, Christine. Ancestors and Descendants of Frederick Rose of Sussex County, Virginia, Orange County, North Carolina, and Wayne and Hardin Counties, Tennessee. San Jose, Calif.: C.C. Rose, 1980. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 R72rch.

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

  • Hardin County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1835 and is located at the Courthouse, 601 Main St., Savannah, TN 38372-2061; Telephone: (731) 925-3921.Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
  • The FamilySearch Library has microfilmed copies of deeds 1835-1892 with indexes1835-1903; land entries 1820-1820-1853, tax sales to the state 1896-1913; and survey books1824-1934.

Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

  • A History of Hardin County, Tennessee. By B. G. Brazelton. Nashville, Tenn.: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House, 1885. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

Decatur CountyWayne CountyLauderdale CountyTishomingo CountyMcNairy CountyChester CountyHenderson CountyTN HARDIN.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Revolutionary War
The following Hardin County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:

Additional resources include:

  • A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FS Library US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FS Library US/CAN Film 2321. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Tennessee, Western District, Hardin County on page 159.
  • Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War. Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.

War of 1812

Civil War

Online Records

Regiments. Men in Hardin County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Hardin County:

Confederate Soldiers

Union Soldiers

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Hardin County:

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War Battles were fought in Hardin County.[10]

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Hardin County click on the following city:

  • 1794-1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FS Catalog 976.8 V2L.

For deaths of Methodists in Hardin County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try searching the following resources:

Obituaries

Other Records

Prisons

Periodicals

Genealogical periodicals can contain unique sources and can be local, regional, or statewide. The following periodicals cover this county:

Probate Records

The County Court has responsibility for the probate records of Hardin County.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

  • 1779-1861 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FS Library US/CAN 976.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's probate records.
  • 1866-1902 Brown, Albert. Index to Guardians Settlement Records, Jul 1866 - Jul 1902. Bethel Springs, Tennessee: A. Brown, 1994. (FS Library 976.829 P28b.)
  • USGenWeb's Hardin County page has links to some wills and estate records.

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

The original Hardin County Record of Tax Sales to the State records 1896-1913 were microfilmed by the TSLA. FS Library copy: FS Library US/CAN Film 983534 Item 1.

The original Hardin County State Tax on Mortgage records 1917-1928 were microfilmed by TSLA. FS Library copy: FS Library US/CAN Film 983534 Item 2.

Book Abstracts and Indexes

  • 1821-1823 "Hardin County Sheriff Seeks to Collect Three Years of Unpaid Taxes," (1821-1823) Ansearchin' News, Vol. 47, No. 1 (Spring 2000):17-18. For access, see Periodicals.
  • 1833 "1833 Enumeration, Hardin County, Tennessee," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 30, No. 4 (Winter 1983):159-163. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 29-30 (1982-1983);digital version at Ansearchin' News. For further access, see Periodicals.
  • 1836-1837 "Hardin County, Tennessee 1836 Civil District Map" and "Hardin County, Tennessee 1836 and 1837 Tax Lists," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Spring 1990):20-26; Vol. 37, No. 2 (Summer 1990):81-87. For access, see Periodicals.
  • 1836-1837 Brown, Albert. 1836 & 1837 Tax List Hardin Co., Tennessee. Bethel Springs, Tenn.: History & Genealogy, 1994. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.831 R49b.
  • 1862-1866 Direct Tax Assessment List, 1862-66, Hardin County Historical Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Jul. 1982); Vol. 1, No. 2 (Oct. 1982); Vol. 1, No. 4 (Apr. 1983); Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jan. 1984); Vol. 2, No. 2 (Apr. 1984); Vol. 2, No. 4 (Oct. 1984); Vol. 3, No. 2 (Apr. 1985); Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jul. 1985); Vol. 3, No. 4 (Oct. 1985); Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jan. 1986); Vol. 4, No. 2 (Apr. 1986); Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jul. 1986); Vol. 4, No. 4 (Oct. 1986).

Vital Records

Birth

Marriage

Online indexes and Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

Death

Divorce

Online Records

Online Titles

  • W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Digital Library.

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Hardin County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Hardin County. For state-wide library facilities, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

Hardin County Library
1365 Pickwick St
Savannah, TN 38372
Phone: 731-925-4314
Facebook
Website
Census Records, Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, Probate Records, Newspapers including The Savannah Courier, Deeds, Court Minutes, Tax Lists, etc.

West Tennessee Heritage Study Center
Paul Meek Library
10 Wayne Fisher Dr.
Martin, TN 38238
Phone: 731-881-7065
Website
Houses a variety of genealogical resources including materials relating to the following counties in Tennessee: Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Perry, Shelby, Stewart, Tipton, Wayne, Weakley and Carlisle (KY), Fulton (KY), and Hickman (KY) counties in Kentucky.

Museums

Tennessee River Museum
495 Main Street
Savannah, TN 38372
Phone: 731-925-8181
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Hardin County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.

Hardin County Historical Society
P.O. Box 1012
Savannah, TN 38372
Website

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. Wikipedia contributors, "Hardin, Tennessee" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardin_County,_Tennessee accessed 21 Dec 2018
  3. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. Lost Records: Courthouse Fires and Disasters in Tennessee in Tennessee State Library and Archives in Tennessee Secretary of State (accessed 13 March 2016).
  6. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  7. Wikipedia contributors, "Hardin County, Tennessee," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardin_County,_Tennessee, accessed 17 November 2019.
  8. "List of counties in Tennessee," Wikipedia.
  9. *Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website.
  10. National Park Service, Civil War Battles. Filter by state or battle name.
  11. Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/d/d3/Igitennesseef.pdf.