DEKALB COUNTY, TENNESSEE GENEALOGY

A list of Communities in Dekalb County

TNDEKALB-L is a mailing list hosted by rootsweb for anyone with a genealogical interest in Dekalb County, Tennessee. Full instructions for subscribing and unsubscribing to the mailing list are at rootsweb, here: http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/TN/dekalb.html From this page you can subscribe or unsubscribe or even browse the archived mailing list messages.

Map

I am placing links here that will help people locate cemeteries, rivers, creeks, roads, churches, and schools. One is a detailed present-day map of DeKalb County, Tennessee done by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The map marks all schools, cemeteries, and churches, but does not name them. The roads and waterways are named. If you are using Firefox version 19 or later (released this year, 2013) and the map will not load to be viewed, Firefox has replaced your real Adobe Reader plugin with a junk plugin. You can and should get the Adobe Plugin back by: in Firefox go to Edit-> Preferences-> Applications and find in the list "Portable Document Format" and change the application for that from "Preview in Firefox" to "Adobe Reader".

Genealogy Archives
Administrator's Settlements	Past County Officials
Bible Transcriptions	Postmasters
Biographies	R. M. Johnson Journal
Cemetery Directions	Salem Baptist Church Membership Lists
Cemetery Transcriptions	Slave Records in various documents
Court Records	Social Security Death Index at familysearch Advanced- choose search engine to use: "FamilySearch 2"
Deeds	Surnames
Eli Vick's Store Ledger	Tennessee Death Index at TSLA Years 1908-1912 Years 1914-1933 There were no death certificates in 1913. Free TN Death certificate index (1908-1959) at ancestry.com
Family Histories	Index of TN Health Dept. Death Certificates Years 1949-2009
Marriages	Will Transcriptions
Obituaries (on this site) NEW in 2013 Obituaries by Marie Beckman Grucz (off-site) DeKalb Co. Obituaries in Warren Co. Papers	A few scans of DeKalb County death certificates If you want to order a death certificate or view free TN death certificates on ancestry.com (TN residents), read this important information: How To Order a Tennessee Death Certificate

Census
1840 transcription by Marie Beckman Grucz	1890 Civil War Veterans Census
1850 with index in progress at the TNLHN Dekalb County site- Dist. 1 and 13 complete	1850 Dekalb County Civil Districts Map
1860 with index	1920 Dekalb County Civil Districts Map
1880 familysearch.org transcription	If you are a TN resident, you can get free access to Heritage Quest, including the censuses, here- click on "Genealogy": http://tntel.tnsos.org/

Metes and Bounds Measurements Found in Deeds:

1 rod = 1 pole = 16.5 feet 1 chain = 4 rods or 4 poles = 66 feet 1 furlong = 10 chains = 40 rods or 40 poles = 660 feet 1 acre = 1 chain x 1 furlong = 66 feet x 660 feet = 43,560 square feet 1 square mile = 640 acres, which was the amount of land given to a Revolutionary War Private on completion of 84 months of service (the full 7 years from the war's beginning in 1776 to its end in 1783). If a tract of land is stated to be a total size of, for example, 1000 poles (not two dimensions given, but one number), it means it is 1000 square poles in size. This is more commonly seen on surveys rather than deeds.

History Of The Allen Family book By Donald Lee Allen This family history records descendants of John Allen of London, England born ?1585. The early Allen Family name entered England with William the Conqueror of Normandy, France, in 1066 AD. Normandy had been settled by the Norwegian Viking King Rollo and his followers in 911 AD. The Allens of England were investors in the Virginia Company of the early 1600's; members of the family immigrated to Virginia in 1638. The Allens would ultimately obtain sizable acreages within Albemarle and Buckingham counties, Virginia. Their marriages would be to women of prominent families. Of note, Mary Hunt Minge Allen (1695-1763), wife of William Allen (1692-1752), upon his death, married Field Jefferson, the uncle of Thomas Jefferson. Participation in the Revolutionary War of 1776 has been noted. Following this period the family moved to the new State of Tennessee in the early 1800's. Following the Civil War, family members moved to the new frontier of Texas in 1870 and ultimately the Oklahoma Territory in 1904. Family Index includes both Allen and Bloodworth families. The Tennessee families were early pioneers of Dekalb Co., TN. Thomas G. Webb is noted for his contribution to this work. It is 606 pages and contains 103 photos of the extended Allen family and Bloodworth family For ordering information, click here

The Redmon and Turner Families of DeKalb County, TN Book The Redmon and Turner Families of DeKalb County, Tennessee is now available from Justin Potter Library The 777 page hard-bound book is actually two volumes bound together in one edition. The Redmon book and the Turner book are numbered separately and have separate full-name indexes. The books were compiled by Earl France, a descendant of both the Redmons and the Turners. He was assisted by his wife, Emmalyne Cantrell France, and by DeKalb County historian Thomas G. Webb. Related families in the Redmon book are Moore, Linder, Colwell, Adcock, Cantrell, Driver, Judkins, Martin, Pack and Young. Among the related families in the Turner book are Taylor, Adcock, Hooper, Cantrell, France, Thweatt, Luna, Rigsby and Young. The Turner section deals primarily with the Turner family of the Jefferson, Belk, Indian Creek and Shiney Rock communities, as well as the Nolan Turner family of Dowelltown. Other Turner families are probably not related. For ordering information, click here

NOW AVAILABLE   Early Virginia Families with Middle Tennessee Connections has been published by Justin Potter Library of Smithville, Tennessee. The author is Thomas G. Webb, DeKalb County historian, who has spent more than 60 years researching the history of the several families in the book. The result is a 384-page hardback book with a complete first-name index. Besides related families, more than 30 main families are presented. They are:
Bennett Boykin Braswell Cathcart Childers Cooper Davis Downing Flood Frazier	Gribble Harris Jennings Magness Mason Moser Nicholls Parker Power Rich	Robinson Rowland Smith Snow Spoe Strother Tubb Washer Weedon Wilson Yeargin
Most of these families have been traced to the 1600s in Virginia, then down to the present time. This is more than just a list of names and dates, and many of the people are presented in great detail, so that we can understand their way of life and their reasons for making the decisions they made. All research is thoroughly documented and footnoted, with references to the original documents. The book contains more than 40 pages of family and historical photographs. The hardback cover is done in full color, with photographs of locations in DeKalb County. A limited number of books will be published, and no second printing is planned, so it is important to obtain your book as soon as possible.       The book can be purchased in person or by mail from Justin Potter Library, 101 South First Street, Smithville, TN 37166 (Phone 615-597-4359). For ordering information click here

Death Record Search All Tennessee Counties 1949-2009 also Divorces 1980-2009 and Marriage Records 1980-2009

The Shelby County, Tennessee Registrar of Deeds has a website where you can mainly search Shelby County government records. If you go to the link I give below, then go to the column on the page where it says "Archives". There you will find 3 "statewide" record categories, where you can choose any of the 3 categories, including deaths. It works as an index giving information to order the record, but the actual name and death/marriage/divorce date is also given. Also if there are many records that meet your search criteria, all those will be listed. You are also given a link to order the record from the state health department. Death record results contain name, date, age, county, marital status, race, gender, and death certificate number (file number). It doesn't get any better for free.

GO TO THE SEARCH PAGE

If you want to order a death certificate, read this important information: How To Order a Tennessee Death Certificate

The Land Laws of Tennessee by Henry D Whitney

This book gives all information about the laws of public and private land sales, grants, deeds- every law concerning land in Tennessee and the changes in the law throughout history. It can help explain why certain things are on deeds, where grants were issued from at various times in Tennessee history, and can possibly help you find in which government office your ancestor's grant might be located. If you want or need any information about Tennessee land, this has it all.

Schools
Oakland Institute, 1850, Sligo area- includes teachers' names and students' names from the 1850 census of the dormitory	A history of Pure Fountain College at Smithville from "A Bicentennial History of DeKalb County, Tennessee", by Thomas G. Webb- includes students' names
Holmes Creek School, 1927 Photo	Bright Hill school, 1922 Photo

Dekalb County Funeral Homes
Dekalb Funeral Chapel (with obits)	Love-Cantrell Funeral Home (with obits) You have to enter at least 2 letters, or better a surname, into their search box to see any past obits- they do have a lot, but you can't simply browse all.
Avant Funeral Home- now part of several Bass Funeral Homes (with obits) 109 High St., Alexandria, TN (615) 529-2323 24hr Obituary line: (615) 529-2221 They have recent obituaries, but older obits can be searched for and found by typing a name in the search box on the obituaries page.	Anderson Funeral Home- no website 302 West Main Street, Alexandria, TN (615) 529-2173 or Smithville, TN (615) 529-2988

Newspapers
Alexandria Times abstracts 1894-1895	Reminiscences of Smithville- articles from the Smithville Review
Liberty Herald Newspaper Abstracts 1886-1900	Smithville Review Newspaper

Military
---REVOLUTIONARY WAR---
Revolutionary War Veterans Who Settled in Dekalb County	Revolutionary War Pension Applications: http://www.tngenweb.org/projects/ Then choose "Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War" This is mostly copied from the pensions book. There is no listing for Dekalb County, because the pensions started before Dekalb County was formed. Look in Smith County and nearby.
---CIVIL WAR---
Dekalb County in the Civil War by Will T Hale	Index of Tennessee Civil War Veterans Questionaires
Southern Claims Commission claims in Dekalb County	Look up any Union or Confederate soldier anywhere in US- by name
Everything you ever wanted to know about the 16th Infantry Regiment, CSA	Tennessee and the Civil War- a TNGenWeb project 16th Tennessee Infantry Regement 35th Tennessee Infantry Regiment 84th Tennessee Infantry Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment, CSA photos
16th Infantry Regiment, CSA burials in Dekalb County
16th Regiment CSA Reunion Photo	Allison's Cavalry Squadron
A map of Tennessee Civil War Battles. You can make the map zoom in to enlarge it, and also switch to aerial view. On the right of the page you can select a county and view the regiment histories. You can also select battlefields, etc., for information. One battle on the map is in DeKalb Co., near Snows Hill/ Liberty. That minor skirmish is described in the histories on our DeKalb GenWeb site.

Photos
Pictoral History of Dekalb County	More Photos at the TNLHN Dekalb County site
Photo of Adam Dale (1st settler) at DAR site	Photo of Street Scene and Courthouse at the Presswood Hanging, 1872, with Dekalb's 1st courthouse
Robert Lack's Photos- he needs help with identification of many	Photo of the teacher and students of Holmes Creek School in 1927- need help with identification of these people
Photo of the Teachers and Students of Bright Hill School- Most are named	Roy- Vick- Yeargin Photos- Submitted by Marie Wingate
Salem Cemetery Photos Whaley grave- Whorton Springs Cemetery	Foutch Family Photos- Submitted by Marie Wingate Foutch Family Photos-Submitted by Gale Nash
Magness, Lawson, and Adcock Photos- Submitted by Darral Lawson	Family Photos submitted by Connie Mize
The University of Tennessee has placed copies of it's yearbooks with all the pages and photos for the years 1897 through 2009 online. If any of your kin or ancestors attended this University, you might find their photo at that web site. The main page has a search box where you can enter any name, and all occurrences of that name, with links to the yearbook page, will be listed. For students, their hometown is also given. The link is here.

Lookup Volunteers
The Fite Family History	Dale Cantrell
Salem Baptist Church Minutes 1809-1909	Dale Cantrell
If you want a lookup for other items such as marriage, census, cemetery, etc., it would be best to just post a query in the queries section. The link for that is further up the page. I will see that and do lookups for the censuses that are not already online- 1870, 1900, 1910, 1920. Others might do lookups in books they own. Another place to get lookups is the mailing list.

Local History

Goodspeed's History of Dekalb County and Goodspeed's Biographies

History of Dekalb County, Tennessee by Will T Hale

Google Books has "History of Middle Tennessee Baptists" by John Harvey Grime- The Dekalb County churches start on pages 60 and following- read it all online- starts abt 1800

"You Can Go Home" by James W Lee Jr

"Historian Unravels Liberty Mule Mystery", by Thomas G. Webb

"The Last Bear Fight" from The Smithville Review

"The Foutch/Malone Feud" by Chris Tramel

John Presswood, Jr hanging in 1872, from the Smithville Review

"Dekalb Countians in State and US Government" by Thomas Webb

Genealogy Room Named For Thomas G Webb

More history at the TNLHN Dekalb County site -pioneer roads and migration, map and discussion of the Holston Treaty Indian Boundary that ran through Dekalb County, bios of early settlers, photo of Center Hill Dam construction, etc.

Genealogy Resources

The Webb Families of Dekalb County, Tennessee and 23 Related Families- by Thomas Webb

An Inventory of Dekalb County Books at the library - 3 Titles For Sale

An Inventory of Dekalb County Records on Microfilm Available at TSLA

Tennessee State Library and Archives main page

Tennessee State Library and Archives Research and Collections index page

Libraries in Dekalb County

County offices contact information

Tennessee GenWeb Special Projects main page

The Family History Library's DeKalb County resources site Several of their links are links back to our DeKalb Co., TN GenWeb pages which you already had access to here. Other links contain lists of materials available at the Family History Library.

OUR NEIGHBORS' SITES

Go to Cannon County page

Go to Putnam County page

Go to Smith County page

Go to Warren County page

Go to White County page

Go to Wilson County page

Return to TNGenWeb page

See my Jackson County, Tennessee page at TN-ALHN