Van Buren County, Tennessee Genealogy
Guide to Van Buren County, Tennessee ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Social Security Records
- 2.27 Tax Records
- 2.28 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for President Martin Van Buren. The County is located in the central area of the state. [2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Van Buren County Courthouse
Veterans' Square P O box 126
Spencer, TN 38585
County Courthouse Phone: 931-946-2121
County Clerk Phone: 931-946-2121
County Register of Deeds Phone: 931-946-7363
County Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 931-946-2153
County Elected Officials Phone: 931-946-2314
County Clerk has birth records 1925-1938, death records 1926-1938, marriage andprobate records from 1840.
Clerk and Master has divorce records from 1840.
General Sessions Court has court records from 1840.
Register of Deeds has land records from 1840. [3]
County Pronunciation
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Van Buren County, Tennessee Record Dates[edit | edit source]
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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1925 | 1840 | 1926 | 1840 | 1840 | 1840 | 1810 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
This county suffered a catastrophic fire 8 Jan 2015 and the original records were destroyed by fire. The courthouse is still standing because it is a tiny historic structure and was not the repository for the records any more. Bad News & Good News -- Van Buren County TN Office Destroyed By Fire & Microfilmed Copies of Many Records Available |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
| Bone Cave | Laurelburg | Olio (hist.) | Sparkman |
| Caneridge (hist.) | Laurel Cove | Phiferes | Spencer |
| Chalybeate | Lonewood | Pine Creek | Sweetgum |
| Cummingsville | McElroy | Pine Grove | Welchland |
| Gillentine (hist.) | Meade (hist.) | Riverview | White Hill |
| Harmony | Mooneyham | Sopha (hist.) |
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Additional Information
Middle Tennessee county.
The county is named after President Martin Van Buren (1782-1862).[9]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Douthat, James L. Van Buren County, Tennessee Biographies. 1887; reprint, Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free Surname Index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
- Miller, Alan N. Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2004. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes Van Buren County.
- Tennesse Bureau of Agriculture, Statistics and Mines. Coal Mines and Mining--Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: A.B. Travel, 1883. Free digital copy.
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information. | |
Additional Cemetery Resources
- Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 2,674 | — |
| 1860 | 2,581 | −3.5% |
| 1870 | 2,725 | 5.6% |
| 1880 | 2,933 | 7.6% |
| 1890 | 2,863 | −2.4% |
| 1900 | 3,126 | 9.2% |
| 1910 | 2,784 | −10.9% |
| 1920 | 2,624 | −5.7% |
| 1930 | 3,516 | 34.0% |
| 1940 | 4,090 | 16.3% |
| 1950 | 3,985 | −2.6% |
| 1960 | 3,671 | −7.9% |
| 1970 | 3,758 | 2.4% |
| 1980 | 4,728 | 25.8% |
| 1990 | 4,846 | 2.5% |
| 2000 | 5,508 | 13.7% |
| Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. | ||
1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Van Buren 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 Van Buren, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files and scanned images of census microfilm. The USGenWeb Census Project®.
1810-1891
1850
- Rhinehart, Margaret. United States census Van Buren County, Tennessee, 1850. Spencer, Tennessee: Van Buren County Historical Society, 1982. FHL 976.8657 X2r 1850
1860
- Rhinehart, Margaret. United States census Van Buren County, Tennessee, 1860. Spencer, Tennessee: Van Buren County Historical Society, 1982. FHL 976.8657 X2r 1860
1870
- Rhinehart, Margaret. United States census Van Buren County, Tennessee, 1870. Spencer, Tennessee: Van Buren County Historical Society, 1982. FHL 976.8657 X2r 1870
1880
- Rhinehart, Margaret. United States census Van Buren County, Tennessee, 1880. Spencer, Tennessee: Van Buren County Historical Society, 1983. FHL 976.8657 X2r 1880
- Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census Van Buren County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler and Associates, 1999. FHL 976.8657 X2s 1880
1891 Male Voters
1900
- Rhinehart, Margaret. United States census Van Buren County, Tennessee, 1900. Spencer, Tennessee: Van Buren County Historical Society, 1983. FHL 976.8657 X2r 1900
1910
- Rhinehart, Margaret. United States census Van Buren County, Tennessee, 1910. Spencer, Tennessee: Van Buren County Historical Society, 1984. FHL 976.8657 X2r 1910
1920
- Young, Denise, ed.. Van Buren County, Tennessee Census, 1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Available at Ancestry
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Court Records[edit | edit source]
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.] 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 TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Native Americans
- Walker, Opless and Landon D. Medley. Synthesis of Available Data Concerning Indians in Van Buren County, Tennessee. Doyle, Tenn.: Medley Research Group, 1985. FHL US/CAN Book 970.1 S78. WorldCat
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
General
- As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Van Buren, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 19,000 entries.
- Compendium of Local Biography Van Buren County, Tn. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, (1997?). FHL US/CAN Book 976.8657 D3c.
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Revolutionary War
The following Van Buren County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:
Additional sources
- 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. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Van Buren County pensioners (p. 98).
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 (free)
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren County:
Confederate Soldiers
- 16th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry- CSA - Company I.
- 22nd Battalion, Tennessee Infantry (Murray's)- CSA - Company E.
- 35th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (5th Infantry) (1st Mountain Rifle Regiment)- CSA-2nd Company C.
Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Van Buren County:
- Head, Thomas A. Campaigns and Battles of the Sixteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteers, in the War Between the States, with Incidental Sketches of the Part Performed by Other Tennessee Troops in the Same War. 1861-1865. Nashville, Tennessee: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House, 1884. Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.
- Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Van Buren 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. Van Buren County, page 381.
- TNGenWeb, Civil War in Van Buren County Tennessee.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
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 Van Buren County click on the following town:
- 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?)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Prisons[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
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.
- The Upper Cumberland Researcher: Quarterly magazine of Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association. Articles include abstracts of records of Cannon, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Van Buren, Warren, and White counties. Index of first 17 years, with county list starting on page 19. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2u (1975-1993) and FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2u (1994-present).
- Van Buren County Journal: Published by Van Buren County Historical Society table of contents. US/CAN 976.8657 H2v
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
The Van Buren County Court has responsibility for probate records.
Online Records and Indexes
- 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry $
- 1840-1968 Van Buren 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.
Book Abstracts and Indexes
- 1840-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler and Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's probate records.
- USGenWeb's Van Buren County page has some will abstracts.
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
Book Abstracts and Indexes
- 1812 Combs-Coombs &c. "1812 Warren Co, Tennessee Tax Lists (A Start toward an Annotated List) Index and Search Engine," available online, courtesy: Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group and Warren Co., TNGenWeb. Benjamin Lockhart's District includes the area that later became Van Buren County.
- 1891 Tax List, 1891, Van Buren County Historical Journal, Vol. 6 (1986).
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
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
- 1840-1861 - Marriage Records, 1840-1861, Van Buren County, Tennessee. FHL Film 24846 Item 2 Typescript +++
- 1840-1895 - Van Buren County Marriage Index 1840-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch[10]
- 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
- 1840-1870 - 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2t v. 1 ff. Includes names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for this county for specified years.
- 1840-1875 - Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff. Indexes names of brides, grooms, marriage dates for this county for specified years.
- 1840-1935 - Van Buren County marriage records: book I through book V, May 21, 1840 to September 2, 1935. FHL Book 976.8657 V2v
Death[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Van Buren County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
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.
Local Centers and Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Van Buren County. For state-wide library facilities, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.
Burritt Memorial Library
P.O. Box 18
427 College St.
Spencer, TN 38585-0018
Phone: 931-946-2575
Fax: 931-946-2575
Facebook
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Van Buren County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.
Van Buren County Historical Society
330 Baker Mountain Rd
Spencer, TN 38585
Website
- Publication: Semi-annual: Newsletter; Annual Van Buren County Journal; begun 1981. Table of contents online thru 1992.
Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society
PO Box 330948
Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507
Website
- The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Van Buren County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, a quarterly containing articles of genealogical and historical interest. Little-known Tennessee records are published and indexed, along with family genealogies, Bible records and material submitted by members. There is an alphabetical Index to articles in the Journal 1988-summer 2005
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Van Buren County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Van Buren County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
- Van Buren 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[edit | edit source]
- Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Van Buren County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Van Buren, Tennessee" in wikipedia accessed 09 Jan 2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Voice of Lynnae Weller, Kingsport, Tenn. (2010).
- ↑ Voice of Gene Black, FamilySearch employee, former resident of Bristol, Tenn. (2010).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Robert M. McBride, Tennessee County Data (Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee States Library and Archives, 1966), 47.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ "Martin Van Buren," Wikipedia.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at Media:Igitennessees.pdf.
