Meigs County Tennessee

 Genealogy

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Meigs County is located in East Tennessee, one of the three "grand divisions." Meigs County was formed from Rhea County in 1836.


Thanks to Ottis & Shirley for sharing.



Welcome to Meigs County, TN! Located on the eastern bank of the Tennessee River in East Tennessee and was one of the three "grand divisions". It was formed in 1836 from Rhea County so any records before 1836 will be probably found in Rhea County records.

Meigs County was named for Col. Return Jonathan Meigs from Connecticut who served in the Revolutionary War and was head of the Cherokee Agency from 1801 until his death in 1823.

Rhea County was established in 1807 and included land on the northwest side of the Tennessee River. In 1819, Rhea County was almost doubled in size when the legislature took over part of the Cherokee Nation which was located on the south east bank of the Tennessee River. This land was designated as the Hiwassee District and this is the portion of land that became Meigs County in 1836 and was made up of seven districts.

The County Clerk has marriage, divorce, civil court and probate records since 1836. The Registrar of Deeds has the land records. Meigs County Courthouse, Main Street, Decatur, TN 37322.

There is an active Historical Society at P. O. Box 43, Decatur, TN 37322.

Early religion in Meigs County was divided between Baptists and Methodists. Some early Baptist churches were Pisgah at Peakland, Good Hope at Big Spring, Concord at Sweetwater, Goodfield at Decatur and Fellowship at Euchee.

Methodist churches included Calhoun near the McMinn County line, Walnut Grove, Standfields, Tranquility, Lawsons, Taylors (now Concord), Decatur, Goodfield, Pleasant Hill, Temperance Hall, Bethany, Spring Creek and Brittons.

In 1859, only fifteen percent of the Meigs County population were slave owners so the issue of states rights was of far more importance than the slavery issue. Meigs County did support the Democratic candidate, Breckinridge for President in 1860.

The 1870s were difficult years for the residents of Meigs County. A national depression was deeply felt in this agrarian community and many people left at this time.

Meigs County Historians:

Ms. Shirley Jennings
River Road
Decatur, TN 37322

Ms. Paulette Jones
355 Ford Road
Decatur, TN 37322

Kay Griffin Snow, Meigs County, TN County Coordinator.

We Need YOUR help and Invite you to Volunteer!

If YOU wish to make a contribution to Meigs Co. Genealogy Project then PLEASE look over what we have, then choose a topic and let us know your plan to help.  My goal is to keep this page updated and to continue to add new features as I receive them.

Please keep in mind that I do not live in Tennessee therefore I cannot help you with specific family research. Your best resource is to subscribe to the Meigs County mailing list.

All that I have or know of general research material is and will be posted on these pages. I hope you find these pages helpful. If you have information you want to share, I would love to hear from you. This site relies on YOUR contributions... 

                       

 

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Add your QUERY for your Meigs County and easily access queries for other Tennessee counties.

Meigs County Surnames 

Meigs County Historical Museum   

TNGenWeb Cemetery Database    

Local News - Reunions

William Blythe Had Early Ferry  

Chronicling America.gov    (Issues from Nashville Union and American)

Meigs County - Decatur Public Library

Meigs County Look Up Resources

Meigs County Marriages 1850 - 1900

Meigs County Marriages 1838 - 1850

Meigs County Photo Album

Mt. Zion Cemetery, Ten Mile 

Sharp Cemetery, Little Egypt Rd., Ten Mile     

National Reg.of Historic places- Meigs County

Goodspeed's Biographies

Meigs Co.Family Histories & Biographies 

Directions to Meigs Co. cemeteries USGS MAP

Home Pages with Family Ties to Meigs County

Our Memorial Page

Meigs County Archives 


                           

Related Links:   {{{Note: Links to external web sites are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or approval of any of the products, services or opinions contained in any external web site.}}}

Apprehending A Murderer In Arkansas 

African Ancestored Genealogy

The TN Encyclopedia of History & Culture
   A Good link for Meigs Co. history

Tennessee and the Civil War

The American Civil War Homepage

Letters From Forgotten Ancestors

Road Map of Meigs County

Cemeteries in Meigs County on USGS Maps

Index to the 1840 Census of Meigs County

TNGenWeb County Selection Page

Archived queries for Meigs County

Tennessee State Archives

Queries

Find A Grave    

Submit to Migrations Project

View Migrations Project Data

About the TNGenWeb Project

Census Online website

Books We Own

ALHN,McMinn Co., TN.

Books of Interest

Census Records at USGenWeb Archives   

 

 
 



Books of Interest

  • A Compendium of Rhea and Meigs Counties 1808-1850 by Bettye J. Broyles

  • Meigs County Marriages and Census 1850-1900 by Bettye J. Broyles

  • Meigs County Cemeteries by Meigs County, Historical Society

  • Meigs County, TN Records 1836-1881 by Reba Bayless Boyer

  • Meigs County, TN County Court Minute Book 1, Town of Decatur Commission Minutes, Trustees Book of Claims and Strays Taken Up by the Ranger by the Rhea County Historical Society

  • Meigs County, TN by Stewart Lillard

  • Meigs County, TN and Its People 1836-1997 Meigs County Heritage Book Committee

  • Survey of the Tennessee River 1826-1846 Dept. of War

  • Leaves From the Family Tree by Penelope Allen

  • Missouri Heartlands by Don Vincent
     

                               


Some Rhea County books of interest:




RECORDS AT THE TENNESSEE STATE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES

Available Records:

  • Census Records 1830-1920
  • Selected County Histories
  • Published Local Records
  • Local Records on Microfilm
  • Newspapers on Microfilm
  • Selected Manuscripts
  • Complete Bibliography of books about Meigs County


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MEIGS COUNTY QUERIES

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Add Meigs County to your bookmarks, then visit our neighbors

Bradley Co.

Hamilton Co.

McMinn Co.

Rhea Co.

Roane Co.


 

MEIGS COUNTY MAILING LIST

MEIGS County now has a mailing list, you can use it to share and exchange information about MEIGS County related Genealogy.

To SUBSCRIBE in LIST mode: Please send the word SUBSCRIBE as the only text in the BODY of a message to:
tnmeigs-l- request@rootsweb.com

To SUBSCRIBE in DIGEST mode and receive all the messages at one time: Please send the word SUBSCRIBE as the only text in the BODY of a message to:
tnmeigs-d-request@rootsweb.com

Members on this mailing list all have MEIGS County Connections. When you Subscribe you will receive instructions on how to post a message to the mailing list from the list hostess, Joyce Reese

If you are interesting in adopting one of TNGenWeb Project's orphaned Counties please read our guidelines.

Tennessee State Coordinator is Taneya Koonce

Assistant State Coordinator is Jane Colmenares


Top of Page . . . Thanks for stopping by and come back soon!

  

 

I am very proud to have been associated with TNGenWeb Project and County Coordinator for Meigs County for over 5 years.

Kay Griffin Snow

 

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Last update: 11 Jan 2022

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