FamilySearch Wiki

Sevier County, Tennessee Genealogy

(Redirected from Sevier County, Tennessee)


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

County Facts
County seat: Sevierville
Organized: September 28, 1794
Parent County(s): Jefferson[1]
Neighboring Counties
Blount • Cocke • Haywood (NC) • Jefferson • Knox • Swain (NC)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Sevier County, Tennessee Courthouse.JPG
Location Map
LOcation of Sevier County, Tennessee.PNG

County Information

Description

Sevier County was named for John Sevier, governor of the failed State of Franklin and first governor of Tennessee, who played a prominent role during the early years of settlement in the region. The county is located in the east-central area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Sevier County Courthouse
125 Court Ave.
Sevierville, TN 37862
County Courthouse Phone: 865-453-4654
County Clerk Phone: 865-430-3404
County Register of Deeds Phone: 865-453-2758
County Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 865-774-3731

County Clerk has marriage records from 1856 and probate records from 1850.
Register of Deeds has land records.[3]

Sevier 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
1914 1856 1881 1850 1849 1850 1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908 (1913 missing). General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

1856 Fire damaged courthouse records.[5]

  • Lost censuses: 1800, 1810, 1820
  • Lost marriage records: 1794 to 1855
  • Lost probate records: 1794 to 1848

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

  • The Foxes published a book that attempts "to help compensate for the loss of the records in the courthouse": Fox, George and Juanita Fox. Sevier County, Tennessee Pre-1856 Courthouse Fire Records. n.p.: G.&J. Fox, 2009. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8893 D2f.

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
  • Henderson Springs
  • Hickory
  • Hornet
  • Jones Cove
  • Knob Creek
  • Kodak
  • Laurel
  • Little Cove
  • McCookville
  • McMahan
  • Middle Creek
  • Millican Grove
  • New Center
  • New Era
  • Oldham
  • Park Settlement
  • Parton Ridge
Census-designated places
Historic communities
  • Elkmont
  • Greenbrier


History Timeline

In the 1780s, this county's land fell within the bounds of the State of Franklin

1776 - North Carolina first organized the land that would eventually become Sevier County as part of Washington District
1777 - Organized as part of Washington County
1783 - Organized as part of Greene County
1784 - In August 1784 delegates of three western North Carolina counties, Washington, Sullivan, and Greene (all now in Tennessee), declared their Independence from North Carolina because of perceived neglect, and misuse by North Carolina’s legislature.
1785 - By May 1785 they had petitioned to be admitted to the United States as the new State of Franklin. The Franklin statehood request was denied.[8]
1786 - In March 1786 the Franklin legislature created several new counties including Sevier (all in present-day Tennessee).[9]
1789 - Franklin's hopes of statehood had faded.
1789 - North Carolina ratified the Constitution, was admitted to the union, and ceded her westernmost counties to the United States. The United States used them to form the Southwest Territory. The new counties created by the Franklin government were not recognized by North Carolina, the Southwest Territory, or by Tennessee. When they were reconstituted, no mention was made of their Franklin predecessor county governments.
1794 - The Southwest Territory reconstituted Sevier County from part of Jefferson County.[10]
1796 - The land of all these counties became part of the new State of Tennessee.

Governor John Sevier(1745-1815)


Additional Information

East Tennessee county in the Great Smoky Mountains region.

Sevier County is named after Revolutionary War General Gov. John Sevier (1745-1815).[11]

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

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 ($).

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Sevier 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

  • Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
  • The Smoky Mountain Historical Society published records of more than 350 Sevier County cemeteries in the following book:
In the Shadow of the Smokies: Sevier County, Tennessee Cemeteries. Sevierville, Tenn.: Smoky Mountain Historical Society, 1984. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8893 V3i.

Census Records

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1790 3,619 —
1800 3,419 −5.5%
1810 4,595 34.4%
1820 4,772 3.9%
1830 5,717 19.8%
1840 6,442 12.7%
1850 6,920 7.4%
1860 9,122 31.8%
1870 11,028 20.9%
1880 15,541 40.9%
1890 18,761 20.7%
1900 22,021 17.4%
1910 22,296 1.2%
1920 22,384 0.4%
1930 20,480 −8.5%
1940 23,291 13.7%
1950 23,375 0.4%
1960 24,251 3.7%
1970 28,241 16.5%
1980 41,418 46.7%
1990 51,043 23.2%
2000 71,170 39.4%
Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau.

1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Sevier 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 Sevier County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files and scanned images of census microfilm. The USGenWeb Census Project®.

1800 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1810 Lost, but a substitute is available:

  • Sherrill, Charles A. The Reconstructed 1810 Census of Tennessee: 33,000 Long-lost Records from Tax Lists, Court Minutes, Church Records, Wills, Deeds and Other Sources. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.: C.A. Sherrill, 2001. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810.

1810-1891

1820 Lost[12]

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at the National Archives, Washington, D.C. FS Library copies: FS Library US/CAN Films 1024517-1024518.

  • 1820 Census of Manufactures: Sevier County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 5, No. 2 ():84.

1830

1840

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

1850

  • Creekmore, Pollyanna and Blanche C. McMahon. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850, Seventh Census, for Sevier County, Tennessee. Knoxville, Tenn.: P. Creekmore, 1953. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8893 X2p 1850.

1850 Agricultural Census

1860

  • Greene, Elmer A. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1860 (Eighth U.S. Census) for Sevier County, Tennessee. Kingsport, Tenn.: E.A. Greene, 1971. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8893 X2g 1860.

1880

1890 Lost, but 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. 1 1891. Sevier County is included in Vol. 1.
  • 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

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Methodist Episcopal

Court Records

Law and Legislation

  • Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. [13] 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

  • During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 11 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Sevier County.
  • Kenneth Scott. British Aliens in the United States During the War of 1812. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979, 372-378 (see East Tennessee). FS Library US/CAN 973 W4s; digital version at Ancestry ($)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

More than 50 genealogies have been published about Sevier County families. To view a list, visit Sevier County, Tennessee Compiled Genealogies

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

Deeds

  • Sevier County's early Deed Books do not survive. The Foxes published a substitute for lost Sevier County land records, see Sevier. Extant Deed Books are kept at the County Courthouse. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed surviving Deed Books H to 3 (1845-1909), Trust Deed Book 2 (1883-1890), and an accompanying Index to both (1845-1911). FS Library copies: FS Library US/CAN Films 969973-969987.

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina

The original Sevier County land entries issued by North Carolina are kept at the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh. On their website, users can bring up a list of land entries issued in Sevier County, both before and after its land became a part of the state of Tennessee. Year covered: 1799.

Instructions:

  1. Follow this link to conduct a "Call Number Search" using the MARS Catalog on their site.
  2. Using the pull down window, change "Call Numbers starting" to "A MarsID matching."
  3. Type 12.14.2 (Windows Vista users may need to include a period after the last digit, for example 12.14.2.) and click Search. This is the specific MarsID for Sevier County.
  4. Click on the entry that is returned: "Tennessee, Sevier County."
  5. In the window that pops up, click Show List of Child Records and a list of Sevier County land entries will be produced. Browse to find abstracts of the original records.[14]

N.B. You can also search by name through the Basic Search, but it lacks soundex capabilities.

Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

Maps and Gazetteers

Cocke CountyJefferson CountyKnox CountyBlount CountySwain CountyHaywood CountyTN SEVIER.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources
  • Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
  • 1794 Reeves, Charles A. Sevier County [Tennessee] - Created September 27, 1794 from Jefferson County. Published 2000. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
  • 1926 U.S. Geological Survey. Proposed Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Originally published 1926. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
  • 1934 -U.S. Park Service. Preliminary Base Map, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Originally published 1934. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
  • FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

Military Records

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

Additional resources include:

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; Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Sevier County pensioners 8(2):52, 9(3):95.
  • War of 1812 Militia Companies, Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Spring 1988).
  • Payroll of Drafted East Tenn. Militia Commanded by Captain Andrew Lawson of the ___ Regiment Commanded by Colonel William Johnson in the Service of the United States from 20 Sep 1814 to 3 May 1815, at Genealogy Trails History Group

Civil War

Online Records

Regiments. Men in Sevier 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 Sevier County:

Confederate Soldiers

Union Soldiers

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Sevier County:

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War Battle was fought in Sevier County.[15]

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

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

Obituaries

Other Records

Historic Residences

Prisons

Periodicals

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

Probate Records

Early Sevier County Will Books do not survive. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed Will Books 1 to 2 (1849-1922). FS Library copy: FS Library Film 969971. See also FS Library Film 464146 Items 1-2.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

  • 1849-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FS Library Book 976.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's wills.

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

The original Sevier County Tax Books 1864-1872 are kept at the Sevier. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed these records. FS Library copy: FS Library US/CAN Film 969988.

A list of Sevier County tax assessors 1912-1992 was published in Smoky Mountain Historical Society Journal and Newsletter, Vol. 26, No. 2 (Summer 2000).

Book Abstracts and Indexes

  • 1799 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. & B. Sistler, 1977. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. Includes 1799 tax list.
  • 1803 Unpaid Taxes -- 1803 (Blount, Cocke, Sevier Cos.), Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 10, No. 3 (1984). Digital version by Duay O'Neil, at Sevier County, Tennessee, Genealogy & History. Abstract of The Knoxville Gazette, Aug. 8, 1803.
  • 1814 "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3 (Fall 1996):115-120. For possible FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. Includes Sevier County.
  • 1814, 1837-1838 Fox, George and Juanita Fox. Sevier County, Tennessee: 1830-1840 Federal Censuses, 1814-1837-1838 Tax Lists. n.p.: G.&J. Fox, 2004. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8893 X2f.
  • 1817 "U.S. Holds 1817 Public Sale of Federal Tax-Delinquent Properties in Tennessee," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Summer 1996):63-68. For possible FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. Includes Sevier County.
  • 1820, 1822 Edwards, Olga Jones. The Montgomery Papers, 1817-1913. Tacoma, Washington: O.J. Edwards, 1964. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 M766e. Includes a partial transcripts of 1820 and 1822 tax lists.
  • 1837 Linn, Beulah D. "1837 Sevier County Tax List," Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 11, No. 4 (1985); Vol. 12, No. 1 (1986). For FS Library access, see Periodicals
  • 1864 "1864 Tax List - Partial Transcription," available online, courtesy: Sevier County, Tennessee Genealogy & History.

Vital Records

Birth

Courtesy of Sevier County History Center:

Marriage

Online indexes and Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

Death

Divorce

Online Records

Research Facilities

Archives

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

Sevier County Public Library System
321 Court Ave.
Sevierville, TN 37862
Phone: 865-453-3532
Website

King Family Library
408 High St.
Sevierville, TN 37862
Website

Anna Porter Public Library
158 Proffitt Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Phone: 865-436-5588
Email: kt@annaporterpl.org
Website
Houses a collection of items relating to Gatlinburg, the Great Smoky Mountains, and southern Appalachia, including oral history audiotapes recorded over 30 years ago.

Museums

Societies

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

Smoky Mountain Historical Society
PO Box 5078
Sevierville, TN 37864-5078
Email: corsec@smhstn.org
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, "Sevier, Tennessee" in Wikipedia accessed 08 Jan 2019
  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.
  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, "Sevier County, Tennessee," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sevier_County%2C_Tennessee, accessed 12 December 2019.
  8. ↑ “State of Franklin” in North Carolina History Project .
  9. ↑ “State of Franklin” in The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture.
  10. ↑ Robert M. McBride, "Lost Counties of Tennessee," East Tennessee Historical Society's Publications 38 (1966): 6.
  11. ↑ "John Sevier," Wikipedia.
  12. ↑ Mary Barnett Curtis, Early East Tennessee Tax Lists: a compiled list of residents of the area covered in 22 east Tennessee counties for which there is [sic] no census records prior to 1830 (Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing, 1964), FS Catalog 976.8 R4c.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ J. Mark Lowe, "The Land Grant Processes of North Carolina and Tennessee," Lecture, Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, Knoxville, Tenn., August 21, 2010.
  15. ↑ National Park Service, Civil War Battles. Filter by state or battle name.
  16. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at Media:Igitennessees.pdf.
v • d• e
Links to Tennessee-related articles
Topics
Counties
Anderson · Bedford · Benton · Bledsoe · Blount · Bradley · Campbell · Cannon · Carroll · Carter · Cheatham · Chester · Claiborne · Clay · Cocke · Coffee · Crockett · Cumberland · Davidson · Decatur · DeKalb · Dickson · Dyer · Fayette · Fentress · Franklin · Gibson · Giles · Grainger · Greene · Grundy · Hamblen · Hamilton · Hancock · Hardeman · Hardin · Hawkins · Haywood · Henderson · Henry · Hickman · Houston · Humphreys · Jackson · Jefferson · Johnson · Knox · Lake · Lauderdale · Lawrence · Lewis · Lincoln · Loudon · McMinn · McNairy · Macon · Madison · Marion · Marshall · Maury · Meigs · Monroe · Montgomery · Moore · Morgan · Obion · Overton · Perry · Pickett · Polk · Putnam · Rhea · Roane · Robertson · Rutherford · Scott · Sequatchie · Sevier · Shelby · Smith · Stewart · Sullivan · Sumner · Tipton · Trousdale · Unicoi · Union · Van Buren · Warren · Washington · Wayne · Weakley · White · Williamson · Wilson
Extinct
Counties
Major
Repositories
Migration
Routes
Cumberland River · Mississippi River · Tennessee River · Cumberland Trace · Black Fox Trail · Bolivar and Memphis Trail · Butterfield Overland Mail · Catawba Trail · Chattanooga-Willstown Road · Nickajack Trail · Cisco and Middle Tennessee Trail · Cumberland and Great Lake Trail · Cumberland and Ohio Falls Trail · Federal Road · Great Indian Warpath · Great South Trail · Great Trading Path · Great Valley Road · Jackson's Military Road · Jonesboro Road · Kentucky Road · West Tennessee Trail · Maysville Turnpike · Memphis, Pontotoc and Mobile Trail · Mississippi and Tennessee River Trail · Nashville Road · Nashville-Saline River Trail · Chickasaw Trail · Old Cherokee Path · Tennessee, Ohio and Great Lakes Trail · Unicoi Trail · West Tennessee Chickasaw Trail · Wilderness Road · Illinois Central Railroad
Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Sevier_County,_Tennessee_Genealogy&oldid=6335804"