McMinn County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

McMinn County

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

Tennessee Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Athens Organized: November 13, 1819 Parent County(s): Cherokee Indian Lands Neighboring Counties Bradley  • Loudon  • Meigs  • Monroe  • Polk  • Roane See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: TNGenWeb Project who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

County Information

Description

The County was named after Joseph McMinn (1758-1824). McMinn was a militia commander during the Revolutionary War, a member of the territorial legislature, speaker of the state senate, and eventually governor of the state of Tennessee. McMinn died on October 17, 1824, and is buried at Shiloh Presbyterian Cemetery in Calhoun. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse

McMinn County Courthouse
6 E Madison Avenue
Athens, TN 37303
County Courthouse Phone: 423.745.1281
Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 423-745-1923
Clerk and Master Phone: 423-745-1281

McMinn County Clerk
5 South Hill St., Suite A
Athens, TN 37303
County Clerk Phone: 423-745-4440
County Clerk has marriage, probate and court records from 1820.
Register of Deeds has land records.

County Pronunciation

Hear it spoken (female) Hear it spoken (male)

McMinn 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 Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1908	1901	1925	1843	1901	1900	1830
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1914. General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

1964 Fire damaged courthouse records. Lost census: 1820 Lack of marriage records: 1819 to 1837 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.

Boundary Changes

1819--McMinn County was established 13 November 1819 from Cherokee Indian Lands. County seat: Athens For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed at the MapofUS.org website.

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:

Cities
Athens Etowah	Niota	Sweetwater
Towns
Calhoun	Englewood
Unincorporated communities
Acme Mill Addison Alta Vista Avalon Heights Balltown Barton Mill Bell Spring Belleview Estates Bethsalem Bohannon Addition Brewer Addition Bryson Burger Cambria Carlock Cedar Springs Chestuee Chuckaluck (historical) Claxton Clear Springs Clearwater Clem Jones Heights Cog Hill (historical) Coile Collins Mill Conasauga Dentville Double Springs East Etowah Fairview Fiketown Folger (historical)	Forrest Hills Georgetown Goodsprings Goosetown Grady Heritage Park Hillsview Housley Addition Hutsell Idlewild Ingleside Hill Joshua (historical) Kimbroughs Knox Park Lamontville Liberty Hill Lockmiller Addition Longs Mills (historical) Luskville Macedonia Magellan (historical) Manilla (historical) Marshall Hill Mashburn McKelvia (historical) Mecca Morningside Mortimer (historical) Mount Cumberland Mount Harmony Mount Verd Murray Store	New Bethel Nonaburg North Etowah North Liberty Old Englewood Pickwatina Place Pine Grove Pine Ridge (historical) Piney Grove Pond Hill Poplar Hill Prigmore Prospect Reagan Regret Riddles Store Ridgeway Rogers Creek Sanford Seven Cedars South Liberty Spring Creek Suburban Hills Sunset View Tellico Hills Tranquility Union Grove Watt Heights Wesleyanna Yancey (historical) Zion Hill
Census-designated places
Riceville

History Timeline

Additional Information
East Tennessee county. Established 1819.

The county is named after Tennessee Governor Joseph McMinn (1758-1824).

Resources

Bible Records

• W.P.A. McMinn Transcripts Book. Bible records and original Cedar Grove cemetery. Free Lookups Available!

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. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2m. Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes McMinn County.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of McMinn 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)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Gravestones
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

 

Additional Cemetery Resources

• Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	1,623	—
1830	14,460	790.9%
1840	12,719	−12.0%
1850	13,906	9.3%
1860	13,555	−2.5%
1870	13,969	3.1%
1880	15,064	7.8%
1890	17,890	18.8%
1900	19,163	7.1%
1910	21,046	9.8%
1920	25,133	19.4%
1930	29,019	15.5%
1940	30,781	6.1%
1950	32,024	4.0%
1960	33,662	5.1%
1970	35,462	5.3%
1980	41,878	18.1%
1990	42,383	1.2%
2000	49,015	15.6%
2010	52,266	6.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of McMinn 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 McMinn 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 ($)

1820 Lost

1830

• Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2p 1830. Free Lookups Available!

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Eastern District, McMinn County on page 153.

1850

• Boyer, Reba Bayless. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 (Seventh Census) for McMinn County, Tennessee. Athens, Tenn.: McMinn County Chapter, East Tennessee Historical Society, 1961. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8865 X2p 1850. Free Lookups Available!

1870

• Broyles, Bettye J. 1870 McMinn County, Tennessee, Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8865 X2b 1870. Free Lookups Available!

1880

• Sistler, Barbara and Byron Sistler. 1880 Census, McMinn County,Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler Associates, 1995. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8865 X2s 1880. Free Lookups Available!

1891 Male Voters

• 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)

Church Records

Church records include baptisms, marriages and burials, as well as information about family members and clues about family migration.For additional information about church records, religions, and religious archives in Tennessee, see Tennessee Church Records.

In 1936, a helpful guide to McMinn County church records was publised by the Works Project Administration:

• Douthat, James L. McMinn County, Tennessee, Records W.P.A. transcript. Signal Mountain, Tennessee Mountain Press, 1991.Reprint. FHL 976.8865 K2m
• McMinn County Church Records

- FamilySearch Catalog - McMinn County Church Records

• Church histories tell when a church started in the area, who the early members were, give data about church leaders, etc.

- FamilySearch Catalog - McMinn County Church History

• If the records you need are not in the Family History Library collection, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived.Two sites that give information about churches in McMinn County are:

- List of McMinn County churches with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)

- List of McMinn County churches (TN HomeTownLocator)

Baptist

• 1832-1967 - Mars Hill Presbyterian Church Records. Athens, 1832-1967.TSLA Reel #466 FHL 464124 Item 4
• 1832-1900 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. FHL 976.8 K29s vol.2. Mars Hill Presbyterian Church Records. Athens, 1832-1967.

Methodist Episcopal

• 1865-1929 - Athens Methodist Episcopal Church Records. McMinn County, 1865-1929. TSLA Reel #369
• 1827-1900 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. FHL 976.8 K29s vol.1 Index to original Athens Methodist Episcopal Church Records. McMinn County, 1865-1929.

Court Records

• Boyer, Reba Bayless Chancery court records of McMinn County, Tennessee [Tennessee] " Reba B. Boyer, 1980 FHL US/CAN book 976.8865 P2bo Free lookups available!
• 1852-1930 McMinn County Chancery Court Records Index Free lookups available!

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. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at the TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Genealogies

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following McMinn County residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.

• Brown - Multiple descendants of James S. Brown, b. 1780 Rockingham County, Virginia, resident of Lincoln County, Tennessee mid 1820s, resident of McMinn County, Tennessee 1830, d. 1876 DeKalb County, Alabama. Y-DNA 25 and 67 Marker Tests, FTDNA (Kits 39542, 82328). Genetic signatures available online (labeled Group No. 94), genealogical description available online, courtesy: Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study.

General

• As of August 2010, a query for persons born in McMinn, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 45,000 entries.

• Barnes - See Longley.
• Bates - Bates, Madison C. Bates, a Brief History and Genealogy of Joseph Harrison Bates. Galesburg, Ill.: Wagoner Printing Co., 1915. FHL/VAULT US/CAN Film 1145782 Item 3; digital version at Google Books.
• Beavers - Beavers, Donald Lewis. Beavers Family: Charles Brack Beavers, 1876-1933. n.p.: D.L. Beavers, 1980?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B386be.
• Bigham - Bigham, Esther W. Genealogical Collection of Esther Bigham. MSS., microfilmed in 1993. FHL US/CAN Film 1598133 Item 1. Andres Bigham of McMinn County, Tennessee.
• Blake - Johnson, Chester R. The Blakes of Bibb County, Alabama, 1819-1988. Cullman, Ala.: Gregath, 1988. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B581j.
• Boone - Hodges, J. E. Jesse Boone: His Ancestors and Descendants. Maiden, NC: Unknown, 1953. FHL US/CAN Film 1402779; digital version at Heritage Quest Online. ($).
• Brown - Schofield, Cuma Drury. My Mother's Brown Family. [North Fork, Calif.: C.D. Schofield], 1990. FHL US/CAN Book 929.273 B812s.
• Brown - McCornack, John C. The Family of Ollie Brown and Robert Austin of Scotts Hill, Tennessee and Foss, Oklahoma. [Peoria, Illinois]: J.C. McCornack, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B814; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
• Cantrell - See Longley.
• Curd - See Longley.
• Delzell - Delzell Family Bible Records, 1847-1936. Published before 1948. FHL US/CAN Film 875412 Item 6.
• Dixon - Abshire, Wiley D. Dixon Genealogy. MSS., microfilmed in 1978. FHL US/CAN Film 1036379 Item 25.
• Dodson - Lynn, Catherine Gaffin. The Dodson Family of Warren County, Tennessee and Allied Families. Centerville, Tenn.: Lynn, 1974. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D668Lc.
• Firestone - Russell, George Ely. "Firestone Family of Frederick Co., Md.," Western Maryland Genealogy, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Jan. 1993):2-14; Vol. 9, No. 2 (Apr. 1993):62-72.
• Gentry - Edwards, Helen Watson. Echoes of the Past: A Book for the Descendants of John Alexander Gentry and Minnie Bell Woods. Montgomery, Ala.: H.W. Edwards, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G289eh.
• Hampton - Mellen, Diana L. Yesterday: The Hampton, McCracken, Longwith, Mabry ; Wells Families. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H189hm.
• Hemphill - Hemphill, Patricia Murphy. James M. Hemphill and Frances A. Neill: of North Carolina, Tennessee and Missouri: and Their Descendants (1800-1999). Decorah, Iowa: Anundsen, 1999. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H377hp.
• Hunt - Hunt, Edward E. Descendants of Grandison Hunt, 1801-1982. Prepared abt 1982. FHL US/CAN Film 1320815 Item 42.
• Kelley - Smith, Paul and Alba Nannie Hickman Smith. Joel Kelley, ca 1775 - ca 1862. Alpharetta, Georgia: P. Smith, 1984. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 K287sm.
• Kincheloe - Hendrix, Dorothy Kincheloe. Ancestors and Descendants of Alexander Bowling Kincheloe and Nancy Catherine Stout. Orem, Utah: D.K. Hendrix, 2001. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 K574h.
• Langley - See Longley.
• Longley - Matthews, Addah Longley. Genealogy, Curd-Longley, Cantrell-Barnes. North Newton, KS: Mennonite Press, 1966. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C922g; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• Morris - Morris, James L. Our Morris Family. [Boise, Idaho]: J. Morris, 1993. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M831mjL.
• Morton - Morgan, Donna Morton. The Lookout Mountain Mortons and Their Descendants: Plus Ancestors and Relatives from York Co., Pennsylvania; Mechklenburg Co., North Carolina; Blount Co., Tennessee; and Wacker Co., Georgia, 1731-1989. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 1989. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M821mL.
• Newman - Benson, Gracie Lee Armstrong, Alice Loraine Benson Slayden, Mildred Lindsey Strange and Susan Cantrill Christie. The Cantrell-Newman Genealogy. Bowie, Texas: Mrs. W.E. Benson ; Mrs. J. Slayden, [1964]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C169b.
• Owen - Owen, Cyril Revella Zina and Dorothy Barbara Cross Owen. Owen - Cross Family History. Aptos, Calif.: C.R.Z. ; D.B.C. Owen, 1979. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Ow2ocr.
• Pope - Pope, George M. Our Pope Family in America: With Brief Genealogy of the Rutherford, Odell, Morgan and Banks Families. Murfreesboro, Tenn.: G.M. Pope, 2002. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 P81pg.
• Rothwell - Fischer, Myra Smith. A Rothwell Book: Comprising the Descendants of Claiborne Rothwell of Albemarle County, Virginia, through Nine Generations and Interesting Sketches About Some of His Descendants. Memphis, Tennessee: M.S. Fischer, 1964. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R746f; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• Rutherford - Guthrie, Glenita. Family Cookin' II: With a Dash of Family History. Westville, Oklahoma: G. Guthrie, (1995). FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R159g.
• Smart - Goforth, George Tuttle. Smart Genealogy. Annadale, Md.: G.T. Goforth, (198-). FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 6413.
• Starr - Garrett, Sandi. Descendants of Thomas Starr, Nannie Wolf ; Nancy Foreman: "Ani-Yun-Wa-Ya" Real People. Spavinaw, Oklahoma: Cherokee Woman Pub., 2000. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 St28gsa.
• Thomas - Roy, Claude N. The Roy Family of Virginia and Tennessee: Goddard, Thomas, Lee, McDaniel. n.p.: C.N. Roy, 1994. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R812rc.
• Thompson - Thompson, Mary Ann Morris. Samuel Thompson of McMinn County, Tennessee and Some of His Descendants: Including the Related Families of Cobb, Cooke, Derrick, Lattimore and Rogers. Plano, Texas: M.A.M. Thompson, 1993. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T371tm.
• Whitmore - Whitmore, Mary Louisa. A Brief History of Mary Louisa Whitmore. FHL FAM HIST Q Storage 929.273 W598wm.
• Wolfe - Moore, Kenneth. Jeremiah Wolfe Family. Typescript, microfilmed in 2003. FHL US/CAN Film 1440545 Item 24.

Land and Property Records

In 1970, TSLA microfilmed the original McMinn County Deed Books A to II (1820-1900) as well as a Deed Index (1893-1927). FHL copies: FHL Films 830197-830213.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)

Military Records

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

• 1835 Pension Roll
• 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
• McQueen, Ed and Bigham, W.L. (Transcribed by) McMinn County, Tennessee Revolutionary War Pensioner's List
• TnGenWeb Revolutionary War Pensioner's Information of McMinn County, Tennesse

Additional resources include:

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Eastern District, McMinn County on page 153.
• 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, courtesy: TNGenWeb. Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.

War of 1812

• Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jan. 1961):20-23. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes McMinn County pensioners (p. 20).

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
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 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 McMinn 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 McMinn County:

Confederate Soldiers

• 1st Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Carter's) - CSA - Company C.
• 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company G.
• 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Lillard's) - CSA - Company G.
• 5th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (McKenzie's) - CSA
• 16th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Neal's) - CSA - Company B.
• 19th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company H.
• 39th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (W. M. Bradford's) (31st Infantry) - CSA - Company F.
• 43rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Gillespie's) (5th East Tennessee Volunteers) - CSA - Company H.
• 59th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Cooke's) (Eakin's 1st Battalion) - CSA - Companies A and H.

Union Soldiers

• 5th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Companies A and D.
• 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company M.
• 10th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Companies C, D, and I.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from McMinn County:

• Wiefering, Edna et al. Tennessee Union Soldiers: of Bradley, McMinn and Polk Counties Serving in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 10th TN Cavalry 5th TN Infantry and 5th TN Mounted Infantry. Cleveland, Tenn.: Cleveland Public Library (Tennessee), 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 M28tus.
• Worsham, William J. Old Nineteenth Tennessee regiment, C.S.A. June, 1861-April, l865. Knoxville, Tennessee: Press of Paragon Printing Co., 1902. Free digital copy.
• USGenWeb Archives, McMinn County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Records.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: McMinn 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. McMinn County, page 359-360.
• TNGenWeb, McMinn County Military Units. Confederate and Federal.

Newspapers

Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at TSLA. Most of these newspapers may be accessed by interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee, although there are some newspapers which are not available in or outside of Tennessee. For further information regarding interlibrary loan policies and newspapers not available for interlibrary loan click here. For a list of newspapers available at the archives for McMinn County click on the following cities or towns:

• Athens
• Calhoun
• Englewood
• Etowah

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

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 on their website; FHL Book 976.8 B2a.
• East Tennessee Roots: Published by East Tennessee Roots The table of contents for some issues are available on their website; FHL Book 976.8 D25e.

Probate Records

In 1970, TSLA microfilmed McMinn County Will Books A to H (1819-1925). FHL copies: FHL Films 830194-830196.

Online Records and Indexes

• 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
• 1819-1942 McMinn County portion of Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.
• 1819-1830 Will Book A: 1819-1830 Strictly By Name - Index only
• 1820-1870 Boyer, Reba Bayless. Wills and Estate Records of McMinn County, Tennessee 1820-1870. 1966. FHL Book 976.8865 P2br. Free lookups available!
• 1820-1861 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills ; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler ; Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL Book 976.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's probate records. Free Lookups Available!
• 1823-1851 Bell, Annie W.B. Record of Marriages and Wills in McMinn County, Tennessee, 1823-1851. 1935. FHL Film 823725 Item 5.
• 1828-1848 Historical Records Project (W.P.A.). Will Books, 1828-1848, McMinn County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed in 1940. FHL Film 24749.

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.

Tax Records

TSLA microfilmed the original McMinn County Tax Books 1829-1832, 1872, 1875-1898 back in 1970. FHL copies: FHL ;US/CAN Films 830219-830225.

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1825 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. ; B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. Includes 1825 tax list.
• 1829-1832, 1836 - Reksten, Harold and Reba Bayless Boyer. Index to McMinn County, Tennessee, Tax Lists 1829-1832, 1836 ; Detail from 1836 Tax. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8865 R42r.
• 1836 "Plat of Districts, McMinn County, Tennessee" and "McMinn County, Tennessee Tax List 1836," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Fall 1989):116-122, 129; Vol. 36, No. 4 (Winter 1989):183-188. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 36 (1989);digital version at society's website. For further access, see McMinn.

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 ($)
• 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 ($).
• 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
• 1820-1895 - McMinn County Marriage Index 1820-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1838-1888 - Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry ($)
• 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1838-1934 - McMinn Marriage Records 1838-1934. Free Lookups Available!
• 1820-1870 - Marriage Records of McMinn County, Tennessee, 1820-1870. 1964. Book 976.8865 V25b Free Lookups Available!
• 1820-1870 - Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. FHL Book 976.8 V2s v. 1. Indexes of brides, grooms, and marriage dates for this county for 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

Online Records

• 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

Online Titles

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

Research Facilities

Archives

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

Family History Centers

Family History 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 family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Libraries

• Athens Tennessee
  506 Cedar Springs Rd
  Athens, TN
  Phone: 423-745-0102
  

Libraries

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

EG Fisher Library
1289 Ingleside Ave.
Athens, TN 37303
Phone: 423-745-7782
Website

E.G. Fisher Public "Library currently has over 1,000 books for the local history researcher, including county histories, transcribed county records, family histories, military histories, and church records. McMinn County, in particular, is the focus of the collection; however, the collection includes material on other East Tennessee counties, general Tennessee history, and genealogical material of other southern states, particularly Virginia and North Carolina." Heritage Quest available

Carnegie Library
723 Ohio Ave.
Etowah, TN 37331
Phone: 423-263-9475
Website

Fort Loudoun Regional Library
718 George St.
Athens, TN 37303
Phone: 423-745-5194
Facebook

Societies

Listed below are societies in McMinn County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.
McMinn Historical Society
6 East Madison Ave.
Athens, TN 37303
Phone: 423-744-3911
E-mail: mcminn history06@comcast.net
Facebook

East Tennessee Historical Society
601 S. Gay St.
P.O. Box 1629
Knoxville, TN 37901-1629
Phone: 865-215-8824
E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org
Website

Websites

• McMinn County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• McMinn County, TN Heritage and Genealogy Page (American History and Genealogy Project)
• McMinn County, TN "Our Tennessee Home" (American Local History Network) Resources to help you place your ancestors within the context of their local history.
• McMinn 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: McMinn County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library