Welcome to Free Genealogy Resources for Grainger County

You have reached the Grainger County Website of the Tennessee GenWeb Project which is affiliated with the USGenWeb Project. We welcome you and invite you to explore and use the free resources available here. You can do this using the above buttons or the HTML link below them which are on each of the pages. Please visit periodically to keep up with what is new as there are frequent updates to this website. If you own or are aware of other resources that should be posted or linked here, or if you have any problems using this website, please notify the County Host.

Grainger County has a rich history dating back to its creation in 1796 from parts of Hawkins and Knox counties. It later gave up territory to three other counties: Claiborne(1801), Union(1850), Hamblen(1870) and settled into its current boundaries in 1960 when a small amount of territory was returned from Union County. The county is bounded on the Northwest by the Clinch River (and Norris Lake) and on the Southeast by the Holston River (and Cherokee Lake). Grainger's current population is estimated at just over 21,000, with most living in owner occupied single family dwellings. The population is mostly rural, with only three incorporated towns - Rutledge, the county seat, Bean Station and Blaine. Other communities are: Powder Springs, Thornhill, Treadway and Washburn. While small and rural, an amazing number of folks passed through on their way to other areas, so a very large number of US residents today have ancestry in this beautiful county. In the heart of East Tennessee, Grainger is the only county in the state named after a woman. It's namesake was Mary Grainger, who married Governor William Blount and became First Lady of the Territory South of the River Ohio (which later became known as Tennessee). The county also has the distinction of having established the first paper mill in the south. The most famous resident was Andrew Johnson, who, as a young man, operated a small tailor shop in Rutledge and later served as the 17th President of the United States. A replica of his shop stands in front of the Grainger County Courthouse.