Scott County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

Scott County

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

Tennessee Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Huntsville Organized: December 17, 1849 Parent County(s): Anderson, Campbell, Fentress, Morgan Neighboring Counties Anderson • Campbell • Fentress • McCreary (KY) • Morgan • Pickett • Wayne (KY) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Scott County was named for U.S. Army General Winfield Scott, a hero of the Mexican War. The county is located in the north-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Scott County Courthouse
283 Court Street
Huntsville, TN 37756-0087
County Courthouse Phone: 423-663-2627
County County Clerk Phone: 423-663-2588
County Register of Deeds Phone: 423-663-3075

Scott County Circuit Court Clerk
243 Court St.
Huntsville, TN 37756
County Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 423-663-2440

County Clerk has marriage and probate records.
Register of Deeds has land and probate records.

Scott 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
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1914	1854	1901	1850	1850	1892	1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908 (1913 missing). General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

1946 Fire damaged courthouse records. Lost marriage records: 1842 to 1854 Lost probate records: 1842 to 1892 For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

1849--Scott County was established 17 December 1849 from Anderson, Campbell, Fentress, and Morgan counties. Early records may be found under Anderson, Campbell, Fentress, and Morgan counties. County seat: Huntsville Tennessee Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Tennessee Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Tennessee county 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:

Towns
Huntsville	Oneida	Winfield
Unincorporated communities
Fairview Glenmary Isham	New River Norma Paint Rock	Rugby Smoky Junction Winona
Census-designated places
Elgin	Helenwood	Robbins

History Timeline

Gen. Winfield Scott (1786-1866)

Additional Information

East Tennessee county. The county is named after General Winfield Scott (1786-1866).

Resources

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

• Miller, Alan N. East Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1778 to 1911. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2000. FS Library US/CAN 976.8 U2m. Digital version at MyHeritage ($).
• Tennessee Bureau of Agriculture, Statistics and Mines. Coal Mines and Mining--Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: A.B. Travel, 1883.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Scott County, Tennessee online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com TNGenWeb TNGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project TNGenWeb Cemeteries BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com TNGravestones FamilySearch Places
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

 

Additional Cemetery Resources

• Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	1,905	—
1860	3,519	84.7%
1870	4,054	15.2%
1880	6,021	48.5%
1890	9,794	62.7%
1900	11,077	13.1%
1910	12,947	16.9%
1920	13,411	3.6%
1930	14,080	5.0%
1940	15,966	13.4%
1950	17,362	8.7%
1960	15,413	−11.2%
1970	14,762	−4.2%
1980	19,259	30.5%
1990	18,358	−4.7%
2000	21,127	15.1%
Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau.

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Scott 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 Scott County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project^®.

1810-1891

• Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry — index $

1850

• Creekmore, Pollyanna. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 (seventh census) for Scott County, Tennessee. Knoxville, Tenn.: Clinchdale Press, 1959. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 A1 no. 5.

1850 Agricultural Census

• Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 X2g v. 1 ff. Scott County is included in Vol. 2.

1860

• Douthat, James L. 1860 Scott County, Tn Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1985. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.871 X2d.

1870

• 1870 Census, Scott County, Tennessee. n.p.: Scott County Historical Society, 1986?. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.871 X2s.

1880

• Reed, Joyce. 1880 Census, Scott County, Tennessee. Huntsville, Tenn.: Scott County Historical Society, 19--. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.871 X2r 1880.
• Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, Scott County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler & Associates, 1994. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.871 X2ss 1880.

1890 Lost Substitutes are available:

• Reed, Sue S. Enumeration of Male Inhabitants of Twenty-one Years of Age and Upward, Citizens of Tennessee, January 1, 1891, as Provided for by an Act of General Assembly of Tennessee, Passed January 15, 1891, and Approved January 22, 1891. 8 vols. Houston, Texas: S.S. Reed, 1989. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 5 1891. Scott County is included in Vol. 5.
• Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890.

1891 Male Voters

• 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry — index $

1900

• Reed, Clyde and Joyce Reed. 1900 Census, Scott County, Tennessee. Huntsville, Tenn.: Scott County Historical Society, 1987. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.871 X2r 1900.

1910

• Carson, Louise, Norma Mabe, Evelyn Jeffers and Scott County Historical Society. 1910 Census, Scott County, Tennessee. Huntsville, Tenn.: Scott County Historical Society, 1995?. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.871 X2s 1910.

1920

• Lemasters, Paul W. and Scott County Historical Society. 1920 Census, Scott County, Tennessee. Huntsville, Tenn.: Scott County Historical Society, 1994. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.871 X2L 1920.

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

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

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Funeral Homes

Four Oaks Funeral Home in Huntsville Four Oaks Funeral Home in Oneida Jones and Son Funeral Home in Oneida

Genealogies

Bibliography

• Anderson - John Anderson Biography, Blockhouse Proprieter and Frontier Legend, Revolution Battles, 1750-1817,
  Appalachian Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Dec. 2004).
• Blankenship - Blankinship, Leslie C. The Blankenship Family History. New Orleans, La.?: J. Q. Blankinship, 1967. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
• Blankensop - See Blankenship.
• Blankingship - See Blankenship.
• Cross - Cross Family of Scott County, Tennessee. Typescript. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 C884cr.
• Lawson - Lawson, Anna R. The Lawsons, of Scott County, Tennessee. Huntsville, Tenn.?: A.R. Lawson, 1996. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.871 D2L.
• Litton - Cox, Holland E. The Litton Family. Birmingham, AL: Unknown, 1999. Online at: Ancestry ($); at some libraries through HeritageQuest Online.
• Low - Low and Related Families. Free Lookups Available
• Robbins - Bailey, Robert L. Robbins Family of Scott County, TN. Huntsville, Tenn.: R. Bailey, 1992. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 R534b.
• Sexton - Bailey, Robert L. The Sexton Family of Scott County, Tennessee. 5 vols. Huntsville, Tenn.: [Scott County Historical Society], 1992. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.871 D2b ff.
• Terry - Terry, George Alvin. The Terrys of Scott County, Tennessee. Goodlettsville, Tenn.: G.A. Terry, 1984. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 T279tg.

Land and Property Records

The original Scott County Deed Books are kept at the County Courthouse. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A to P (1850-1885) and an Index to Deed and Mortgage Records (1850-1915). FS Library copies: FS Library US/CAN Film 926295-926302.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Scott County, Tennessee Surveyor's Book 1 1850-1867. TNGenWeb Free Lookups Available.
• Scott County, Tennessee Surveyor's Book 2 1868-1887. TNGenWeb Free Lookups Available.
• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
• FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

Revolutionary War

• Revolutionary War Plaque, Huntsville, Pellissippian, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Jul. 1980).

War of 1812

• Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1961):49-52. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at Ansearchin' News. Includes Scott County pensioners (p. 52).
• War of 1812, Marshalls 5th TN Militia, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Spring 1989).

Civil War

Online Records

• 1861-1865 Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1891-1965 Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Men in Scott 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 Scott County:

Union Soldiers

• 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company A.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Scott County:

• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Scott County. Includes soldier's name, county, pension #, unit or widow.
• United States Pension Bureau, List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883: Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for ... (Washington Printing Office; 1883). Online at Internet Archive. Scott County, page 373.
• TNGenWeb, Scott County Tennessee Military Records.

Newspapers

• Newspapers on Microfilm at the Library & Archives at TSLA; some may be accessed via interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee
  • See Interlibrary Loan Policies for more information
    

For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Scott County click on the following towns:

• Helenwood
• Huntsville
• Oneida

• Thomas, Marlene C. Some Extractions from the Scott County Newspapers Regarding Nicks Creek, Campbell County, Tennessee Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.

• 1847 - 1851 - Smith, Jonathan K.T. Genealogical Abstracts from Reported Deaths, the Nashville Christian Advocate. [1847-1914] 10 vols. [Jackson, Tenn.]: J.K.T. Smith, 1997-2003. FS Library US/CAN Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851 ff; digital versions at David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository. Website expands upon the publications and includes deaths from the 1830s, 1840s, 1910s and 1920s. (Largely Methodist?)
• 1800s-Current Tennessee, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Other Records

Prisons

• 1831-1850 Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850 at Tennessee State Library and Archives
  
• 1851-1870 Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870 at Tennessee State Library and Archives

Periodicals

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

• Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues at Ansearchin' News. FS Library Book 976.8 B2a.

• East Tennessee Roots: Published by East Tennessee Roots The table of contents for some issues are available on their website; FS Library Book 976.8 D25e.

• FNB Chronicle: Publication of the First National Bank, who "relies heavily on the cooperation of the Scott County Historical Society as well as the recollections and keepsakes of county residents." Tables of contents to the first 20 volumes (1989-present) are available online (click FNB Chronicles category). Many of the articles have been digitized on the same site.

• The Pellissippian: Published by the Anderson County Historical Society (formerly called, Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society). The table of contents for some issues are available on their website. FS Library Book 976.8 D25p.

• Scott County Historical Society Newsletter: Scott County Genealogy Societies FS Library US/CAN 976.871 D25s

Probate Records

Online Records and Indexes

• 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry $

The original Scott County Wills Books survived, but have not been microfilmed. Scott County Historical Society has published abstracts of the early records:

• Lemasters, Paul W. Wills, Scott County, Tennessee, 1850-1927. Huntsville, Tenn.: Scott County Historical Society, 1991. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.871 P28L. Free Lookups Available!

• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

TSLA microfilmed Scott County Tax Records 1875-1972 (Rolls 197-211) and 1973-1983 (Rolls A-6088 to A-6099).

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1818 Tax List, 1818, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Spring 1997).
• 1861 Delinquent Polls, 1861, Districts 1 & 8, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Fall 2000).
• 1875 Tax List, 1875, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Winter 1998); Vol. 16, No. 3 (Spring 1999).
• 1876, 1907-1918 - Female Dog Registry, 1907-1918, 1876, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Fall 2005).
• 1906 Delinquent Tax List, 1906, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 15, No. 1 (Fall 1997).
• 1909 Tax Levy Committee Report, 1909, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 23, No. 4 (Summer 2006).
• 1911 Poll Tax, 1911, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Fall 1996).
• 1915 Poll Tax List, 1915, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Winter 2002).
• 1950 Veterans Poll Tax Receipt Book, 1950, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Summer 1992).
• Veterans Poll Tax Receipts, Scott County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 9, No. 2 (Winter 1992).

Vital Records

Birth

• 1828-1939 Tennessee Births and Christenings 1828-1939 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1869-1909 Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry $
• 1908-1912 Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

Online indexes and Records

• 1625-1966 Tennessee, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
• 1780-2002 Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry $
• 1780-2002 Tennessee State Marriage Index 1780-2002 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1790-1962 Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
• 1796-1950 Tennessee Marriages 1796-1950 (Indexes only) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1838-1888 Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1851-1900 Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry $
• 1851-1940 - Scott County, Tennessee Marriages, 1851-1940. online at TNGenWeb (Scroll down to Marriages)
• 1854-1895 - Scott County Marriage Index 1854-1895. International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1980-2014 Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1854-1880 - Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. FS Library US/CAN 976.8 V2s v. 1. Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.

Death

• 1874-1955 Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1908-1933 Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• 1908-1958 Tennessee Death Records 1908-1958 at Ancestry $
• 1908-1912 Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1914-1933 Tennessee Death Records 1914-1933 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1914-1966 Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1949-2014 Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Divorce

• 1796-1850 Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1980-2014 Divorce Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Scott 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

• Corbin Kentucky FamilySearch Center
• Jamestown Tennessee FamilySearch Center
• La Follette Tennessee FamilySearch Center
• Oak Ridge Tennessee FamilySearch Center
• Whitley City Kentucky FamilySearch Center
• Knox County Public Library - an affiliate library.
• Oak Ridge Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

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

Huntsville Public Library
314 Court House Square
Huntsville, TN 37756
Phone: 423-663-9230
Website

Oneida Public Library
290 S. Main Street
Oneida, TN 37841
Phone: 423-569-8634
Website

Winfield Public Library
275 Pine Grove Road
Winfield, TN 37892
Phone: 423-569-9047
Facebook

Museums

Museum of Scott County
400 Scott High Drive
Huntsville, TN 37756
Phone: 423-215-1625
Website

Societies

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

Scott County Historical Society
P.O. Box 7
311 Court Street
Huntsville, TN 37756
Phone: 423-663-3887
Email: scott.county.historical.society@yahoo.com
Facebook

Websites

• Scott County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Scott County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Scott County TN Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
• FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

• Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Scott County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)