 DeKalb county was formed by acts of the Legislature passed on Dec. 2, 1837, from portions of Smith, Warren, White and Cannon Counties. |
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History of
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and Migration Patterns of DeKalb County
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Historic and genealogy Events of DeKalb County
DeKalb County
Historic Sites of Interest
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THE MIDDLE TENNESSEE TIMES
This is a new paper serving the DeKalb County area.
It has a History and Genealogy section.
"TNDEKALB-L. A mailing list for anyone with a genealogical interest in Dekalb County, Tennessee. Mailing address for postings is TNDEKALB-L-request@rootsweb.com. To subscribe send the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) as the only text in the body of a message to TNDEKALB-L-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or TNDEKALB-D-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode)."
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The Legislature also specified that the County seat should be named Smithville, in honor of Samuel Granville Smith. He had served as Mayor of Gainesboro, As a State Senator and was Tennessee's Secretary of State at the time of his death.
DeKalb County is located in the eastern part of middle Tennessee, about sixty miles southeast of Nashville. It consists of about 317 square miles and the population is about 14,000. The city of Smithville was placed about a mile southeast of the geographical center of the County. The first County Court met in March of 1838.
The First settler of DeKalb County was Adam Dale who was born in 1768 in Worchester County on the eastern shore of Maryland. The earliest town in DeKalb County was Liberty. It was founded in 1804 by Adam Dale and his Mill was the first business to be established.
The founder of Alexandria, DeKalb's second oldest town was Daniel Alexander, who named the town for himself. The only other incorporated town in the County is Dowelltown. It was not incoporated until 1949.
One of the biggest events in the history of DeKalb County and one that affected the lives of hundreds was the passing by Congress of the Flood Control Act of 1938. Center Hill lake and Dam, a multi-purpose project, was authorized by Congress in 1939 and construction was begun in 1940. The advent of electricity and the promise of flood control carried a high price for the residents in the area of the Caney Fork River. More than 6,000 tracts of land were purchased by the Government as settlers moved to other parts of this county and others. The remains of more than 2,000 bodies were exhumed from seventy nine grave sites and reinterred in other cemeteries. The Caney Fork has been called one of the ten most important rivers in Tennessee and it has made a decisive impact on the County.
| Allens Chapel | Antioch | Bethel | Belk |
| Blue Springs | Bluhmtown | Buckners Chapel | Cherry Hill |
| Cross Roads | Dismal | Dry Creek | Helton |
| Indian Mound | Jefferson | Keltonburg | Laurel Hill |
| Midway | Mt. Moriah | Pisgah | Phillipi |
| Shiney Rock | Snows Hill | Temperance Hall | Watkins |
| Williams Crossroads | Young Bend |
What is now DeKalb County had been a part of Smith, Warren, White and Cannon Counties. Alexandria, Liberty, and Temperance Hall were in Smith County. The line between Smith and Warren Counties cut across Holmes creek, Snows Hill, and Dry Creek. Most of "the flatwoods" area and north and east to the Caney Fork was in Warren County. East of the Caney Fork from Little Hurricane Creek to Rock Island was in White County. In 1854, a large section on the northeast corner was given to Putnam County.
Street Address: 101 South First St., Smithville, TN 37166
Phone: (615) 597-4359
Fax: (615) 597-4329
Contacts: Kathy Winchester, Director
Hours: (Central Time) -- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday -- 9:00
a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Thursday -- 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., Saturday -- 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Closed
Sundays
Savage-Goodner Camp #1513 Home page
Allison's Cavalry Squadron Home Page
The R. D. Allison Chapter of the Military Order of the Stars & Bars has a new page on the history of Allison's Cavalry Squadron. Allison's Squadron was raised in Alexandria, Tn. in 1862 and was one of the few local units to actually fight in DeKalb Co unty. This page is complete with the rosters of companies A, B, & C.
TENNESSEANS IN THE CIVIL WAR
| Title / Author | Available from |
|---|---|
| 1840 Dekalb Co. Census $15.00 1850 Dekalb Co. Census $25.00 1860 Dekalb Co. Census $25.00 1870 Dekalb Co. Census $25.00 1880 Dekalb Co. Census $50.00 1900 Dekalb Co. Census $50.00 1910 Dekalb Co. Census $60.00 1920 Dekalb Co. Census $60.00 1930 DeKalb Co. Census $40.00 Dekalb Co. Marriages 1848-1900 $50.00 Dekalb Co. Marriages 1900-1950 $50.00 Dekalb Co. Death Certificates 1914-1925 $30.00 Dekalb Co. Wills Book "A" 1838-1854 $15.00 Dekalb Co. Wills Book "B" 1854-1900 $30.00 DeKalb Co. Wills Book "C" (partial) 1900-1934 $25.00 |
For ordering information please Contact the Justin Potter Library |
| 1870 Cannon County Federal census $25.00 1930 Cannon County Census $25.00 |
For ordering information please Contact the Justin Potter Library |
A Bicentennial History of Dekalb County $30.00 |
For ordering information please Contact the Justin Potter Library |
| Dekalb Co. Cemeteries $25.00 | Doris Gilbert 3366 Keltonburg Rd., Smithville, TN 37166 Please include $3.00 shipping per book |
| "GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN" a supplement to Dekalb Co. Cemeteries updated to Sept. 1996. Over 5,000 names $40.00 plus $5.00 Shipping.
Another book "PLEASE REMEMBER ME" A new Book, "DeKalb County Marrriages" 1951-1999 -- $50 prepaid includes shipping and handling. |
Patsy Underhill Walls PO Box 125, Liberty, Tn. 37095 |
| Administrator's Settlement Books | Mrs. Betty M. Majors 111 Oak Park Dr. Tullahoma, Tn. 37388 |
| Reference | Owner/Email |
|---|---|
| 1840 DeKalb Co. Census | Darrell Spencer |
| 1850 DeKalb Co. Census | Darrell Spencer |
| 1860 DeKalb Co. Census | Darrell Spencer |
| 1870 DeKalb Co. Census | Darrell Spencer |
| 1880 DeKalb Co. Census | Darrell Spencer |
| 1900 DeKalb Co. Census | Darrell Spencer |
| 1910 DeKalb Co. Census | Darrell Spencer | 19200 DeKalb Co. Census | Darrell Spencer |
| DeKalb Co. Marriages 1848-1950 | Darrell Spencer |
| DeKalb Co. Will Book A (1838-1854) | Darrell Spencer |
| DeKalb Co. Cemeteries | Darrell Spencer |
| DeKalb Co. Administrators' Bonds (1860-1892) | Darrell Spencer |
| DeKalb Co. Administrators' Settlements (1846-1907) | Darrell Spencer |
| DeKalb Co. History by The Goodspeed Publishing Co. (1887) | Darrell Spencer |
| The Fite Family History | Dale Cantrell |
| Salem Baptist Church Minutes 1809-1909 | Dale Cantrell |
In 1797, Adam Dale arrived at the site of Liberty, Tennessee from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He built a mill on Smith Fork Creek and by 1804 the town of Liberty was founded. On September 20, 1997, Liberty celebrated its Bi-Centennial with displays a nd a parade. It was a great day and there was a large crowd.
In October, 1856, the DeKalb County Fair was organized in Alexandria, Tennessee, by the DeKalb County Agricultural and Mechanical Society. The Fair is still being held in August of each year. It is known today as the "Grandpa Fair of the South."
The town of Liberty is on the National Register as a Historic District. Several old houses date to before the Civil War.
The Joe L. Evins Appalachian Arts and Craft center has been built overlooking Center Hill Lake. The center is dedicated to the training of self-reliant and self-supporting craft people and to preserving the unique qualities of a rich craft of the Appalachian region.
The center is located between Nashville and Knoxville. Take I-40 to the Smithville exit, number 273. Go South on U. S. Highway 56, cross Hurricane Bridge, and take the first left after crossing the bridge.
The Smithville Jamboree and Craft Festival and National Fiddle Championship is held for two days every year on the weekend nearest the 4th of July. The Jamboree is dedicated to the preservation of Country, Folk, Bluegrass, and Appalachian music and Appalachian Arts and Crafts.
There are around 800 musicians representing several states and Canada and over 250 participants who sell and display authentic pioneer and contemporary crafts. This year's (1996) audience was estimated to be in excess of 100,000 for the two-day event.
For the past eight years, the Jamboree has been selected as a "Top 20 Tourist Favorite" by the Southern Tourism Society. WCTE-TV Channel 22, of Cookville, TN, televises the Jamboree annually. Portions of the program are broadcast about three times a year on PBS.
Smithville is located at the junction of U.S. Highway 56 and U.S. Highway 70.
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