Hamilton County
Hamilton County was formed in 1819 from
parts of Rhea County and Indian lands
(Private Acts of Tennessee 1819, Chapter 41).
The county seat is Chattanooga.
SELECTED PUBLISHED COUNTY HISTORIES
- African Americans of Chattanooga : A History of Unsung Heroes (Hubbard, 2007)*
- Chattanooga Country, 1540-1976 : From Tomahawks to TVA (Govan & Livingood, 1977) [name index]*
- Chattanooga's Forest Hills Cemetery (Moore, 2012)
- Chattanooga's St. Elmo (Moore, 2012)
- Goodspeed's History of Hamilton, Knox, and Shelby Counties of Tennessee (Goodspeed, 1974) [name index]
- Hamilton County (Livingood, 1981) [name index]*
- Hamilton County Pioneers (Wilson, 1998) [name index]*
- History of Hamilton County and Chattanooga, Tennessee [2 vols.] (Armstrong, 1993) [name index]*
- History of Hamilton County, Tennessee (Livingood, 1981) [name index]*
- Jewish Community of Chattanooga (Adams, 1999)*
- Legendary Locals of Chattanooga Tennessee (Hull, 2012) [name index]
- Old Timer's Guide to Chattanooga Tennessee, 1838 : The Legends, History, & Fun of Chattanooga (Sands, 1982)
- Sketches of Eastdale History, 1540-1986 (Blevins, 1987)
- Signal Mountain and Walden's Ridge (Patten, 1976)*
PUBLISHED LOCAL RECORDS
- 1860 Hamilton County, TN, Census (Douthat, 1989) [surname index]
- 1880 Census, Hamilton County, Tennessee (Sistler, 1996) [alphabetical by head of household]z*
- Abstracts of Ocoee District Early Land Records-entries (McClure, 1990) [alphabetical listings]
- Chattanooga Baptist Church Minutes of Hamilton County 1852-1882 (WPA, 1941)
- Chickamauga Reservoir Cemeteries (Douthat, 1986) [surname index]*
- Chickamauga Reservoir Grave Removals (Tennessee Valley Authority, 1939)
- Concord Baptist Church Minutes of Hamilton County, 1842-1872 (WPA, 1980)
- Confederate Soldiers of Hamilton County, Tennessee : An Alphabetical Listing of the Confederate Soldiers who Lived at one Time in Hamilton County, Tennessee (Hughes & Wilson, 2001) [alphabetical listings]
- Early Settlers, Hamilton Co., TN. : 1830-1850 census (Douthat, 1986) [surname index]
- Hamilton County Confederate Soldiers (Armstrong, 193?) [alphabetical listings]
- Hamilton County, TN Marriage Book 2, 1864-1874 (Douthat, 1987) [name index]*
- Hamilton County, TN Marriage Books 1-1 1/2, 1853 [i.e. 1857] -1870 (Douthat, 1986) [name index]
- Hamilton County, Tennessee 1836 Tennessee Civil Districts and Tax Lists (Douthat, 1993) [name index]*
- Hamilton County, Tennessee Chancery Court Minutes 1864-66 (WPA, 1940)
- Hamilton County Tennessee Civil Record A Law Court of Chattanooga 1860-1867, part 1-3 (WPA, 1942)
- Hamilton County Tennessee Deed Book F vol. 1 1844-1848 (WPA, 1937) [name index]
- Hamilton County Tennessee Deeds Book ABC vol. 1 1796-1838 (WPA, 1936) [name index]
- Hamilton County Tennessee Deeds Book D vol. 1 1837-1841 (WPA, 1936) [name index]
- Hamilton County Tennessee Deeds Book D vol. 1 1838-1841 (WPA, 1937) [name index]
- Hamilton County Tennessee Deeds Book E vol. 1 1841-1843 (WPA, 1936) [name index]
- Hamilton County Tennessee Diary of Rev. Robert H. Guthrie 1874-1875 (WPA, 1938) [name index]
- Hamilton County Tennessee Diary of Miss Josephine H. Hooke 1863-1864 (WPA, 1938) [name index]
- Hamilton County, Tennessee, Entry Takers Book, 1824-1897 (19??) [name index]*
- Hamilton County, Tennessee, Marriage Book 3, September 1874-May 1880 (Douthat, 1995) [name index]*
- Hamilton County Tennessee Marriage Records Book 1 1857-1863, Book 2 1864-1874 (WPA, 1937) [name index]
- Hamilton County Tennessee Marriage Records Book 1 1/2 1865-1870 (WPA, 1937) [name index]*
- Hamilton County, Tennessee Will Book Number 1, 1862-1892 (Douthat, 1996) [name index]*
- Index to the Ocoee District Early Land Records - Entries (McClure, 1990) [name index]
- Ocoee Land District Maps (Douthat, 2013) [name index]
- Polk's Chattanooga City Directory (2015 - 2019)
- Private Acts of Hamilton County, Tennessee (McIntyre, 1980)
- Probate Record of Hamilton County no. 1 1864-70 part 1-2 (WPA, 1941)
- Roll of Honor : Names of Soldiers who Died in Defence of the American Union, Interred in the National Cemeteries at Chattanooga, Stone's River, and Knoxville (United States. Quartermaster's Dept., 1866)
- Roster of our Dead Buried in the Confederate Cemetery at Chattanooga, Tenn. (United Confederate Veterans, 1985) [alphabetical listings]
- Rothberger Directory Company's Chattanooga, Tennessee City Directory [1880, 1891,1895/1896, 1899/1900, 1900/1901, 1903-1905, 1907-1910, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1920, 1922-1964,1967-2008] [years available only on microfilm: 1871/72, 1876-1879, 1881, 1888-1890, 1894, 1897]
- Tennessee, Hamilton County Tombstone Inscriptions (Negro) (WPA, 1939) [name index]
- Tennessee, Records of Hamilton County : Entry Taker's Book 1824-1897 (WPA, 1937) [name index]
- Tennessee, Records of Hamilton County : Interments of the National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Tennessee 1863-1939 (WPA, 1939) [name index]
- Tennessee, Records of Hamilton County : Tombstone Inscriptions vol. 1-4 (WPA, 1939) [name index]
- United States Census, Hamilton County, Tennessee, 1850 (Hobbs & Goins, 198?) [surname index]*
- United States Census, Hamilton County, Tennessee, 1870 (Hobbs & Goins, 198?) [surname index]*
LOCAL RECORDS ON MICROFILM
An inventory of microfilmed Hamilton County records is available on our web site. Individual reels of microfilm are also available for purchase.
Earliest records include:
- marriages from 1857
- wills from 1862
- deed index from 1799
- circuit court minutes from 1860
- tax books from 1836
The following reels are available on interlibrary loan from the Library and Archives:
- Marriage Records -- 1857-1874 [WPA typed copy] (#29, 1 reel)*
- WPA Records, Hamilton County (Record Group #107, Roll 28, 1 reel). Roll includes Deed Books A-C (1796-1838), Deed Book D (1839-1841), Deed Book E (1841-1843), Deed Book F (1844-1848), Entry Taker's Book (1824-1897) and Chancery Court Minutes (1864-1866).*
- WPA Records, Hamilton County (Record Group #107, Roll 29, 1 reel). Roll includes Probate Records, Book 1, pts. 1 & 2 (1865-1870), Marriage Records, Books 1, 1A & 2 (1857-1874), Interments in the National Cemetery, Chattanooga, TN (1863-1939), Miss Josephine H. Hooke's Diary (1863-1864), Diary of Rev. Robert H. Guthrie, Cleveland Circuit Holston Conference (1874-1875) and Tombstone Inscriptions, Vols. 1-4 (undated).*
- WPA Records, Hamilton County (Record Group #107, Roll 30, 1 reel). Roll includes Civil Record A, Law Court of Chattanooga, Pts. 1-3 (1860-1867), Tombstone Inscriptions [Negro] (undated), Chattanooga Baptist Church Minutes (1852-1882), Concord Baptist Church Minutes (1848-1872) and Good Spring Baptist Church Minutes (1838).*
NEWSPAPERS ON MICROFILM
Newspapers were published in Chattanooga, Signal Mountain and Soddy. Scattered early issues are available from 1844, and a complete run begins in 1879. Microfilms are loaned to Tennessee libraries. Individual reels may also be purchased. An Inventory of Newspapers on Microfilm at the Library and Archives is available on our web site.
SELECTED MANUSCRIPTS MATERIAL
- Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, South Records. Chattanooga, 1899-1966 (Microfilm Manuscript #454, 1 reel)*
- Chamber of Commerce Records. Chattanooga, 1903-1965 (Microfilm Manuscript #445 & 446, 5 reels)*
- Chamber of Commerce Records. Chattanooga, 1966-1970 (Microfilm Manuscript #528, 1 reel)*
- Chattanooga Primitive Baptist Church Records. Chattanooga, 1910-1972 (Microfilm Manuscript #488, 1 reel)*
- Church of the Good Shepherd Records. Lookout Mountain, 1946-1969 (Microfilm Manuscript #306, 1 reel)*
- Clift Family Papers, ~ 1820-1968
- Enrollment Book of the Superior Court, Knoxville, Tenn., from Hamilton District Territory South of the River, 1793-1800 (Microfilm Manuscript #1488, 1 reel)*
- First Methodist Episcopal Church Records. Chattanooga, 1872-1954 (Microfilm Manuscript #455, 1 reel)*
- Lookout Mountain Baptist Church Records. Lookout Mountain, 1945-1969 (Microfilm Manuscript #328, 9 reels)*
- Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church Records. Lookout Mountain, 1894-1975 (Microfilm Manuscript #493, 3 reels)*
- McGill-Thatcher Family Papers, 1818-1979 (Microfilm Manuscript #1844, 1 reel)*
- McKenzie and Son, Surveyors Maps. Chattanooga, 1880-1916 (Microfilm Manuscript #1477, 1 reel)*
- Roark-Conner Association Papers, 1795-1996 (Microfilm Manuscript #1518, 5 reels)*
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church Records. Chattanooga, 1850-1900 (Microfilm Manuscript #503, 1 reel)*
- Signal Mountain Community Guild Minutes. Hamilton County, 1973-1982 (Microfilm Manuscript #765, 1 reel)*
- Signal Mountain Community Guild Minutes. Hamilton County, 1983-1989 (Microfilm Manuscript #1100, 1 reel)*
- Signal Mountain Community Guild Records, 1994-2000 (Microfilm Manuscript #1629, 1 reel)*
- Swick Family Papers, 1842-1879
- Union Chapel of Walden's Ridge Records. Summertown, 1909-1967 (Microfilm Manuscript #474, 1 reel)*
- William Polk Papers, 1785-1890 (Microfilm Manuscript #17, 1 reel)*
CENSUS RECORDS
- Census on microfilm for Hamilton County: 1830-1880, 1900-1930
- State-wide census index: 1830-1880
- State-wide census index on microfilm (Soundex): 1880, 1900-1930
- Hamilton County census records in book form: 1830, 1840, 1850*, 1860, 1870*, 1880*
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AIDS FOR HAMILTON COUNTY
- County Index to Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications
- Early Tennessee Tax Lists at the Tennessee State Library and Archives
- Funeral Home Records at the Tennessee State Library and Archives
- Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912
- Index to Tennessee Death Records 1914-1933
- School Census Records
- Tennessee World War I Veterans
* Indicates this title may be borrowed on interlibrary loan from the Library and Archives.
