Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Robertson County

Robertson County

Robertson County was formed in 1796 from
Tennessee and Sumner counties

(Acts of Tennessee 1796, Chapter 30)

The county seat is Springfield.

 

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Selected Published County Histories

Additional county and community histories can be found at the Bibliography of Tennessee Local History Sources:  Robertson County. The items in the bibliography may not all be available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.  

 

Published Local Records

 

Local Records on Microfilm

An inventory of microfilmed Robertson County records is available on our website.  Individual reels of microfilm may also be purchased.  

Earliest records include:

 

The following reels are available on interlibrary loan from the Library and Archives:

 

Newspapers on Microfilm

Newspapers were published in Adams, Greenbrier and Springfield. Scattered early issues are available from 1860, and a complete run begins in 1925.  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 website.

 

Search for Manuscripts Material in our Catalog 

 

Census Records

 

Additional Research Aids for Robertson 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.

 

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Robertson County Formation Act

ACTS OF TENNESSEE 1796, CHAPTER 30:

"An Act to divide the county of Tennessee into two distinct counties; taking also a part of the west end of Sumner County."

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, That the county of Tennessee be divided by a line as follows, viz. Beginning at the upper end of the first bluff above James McFarlin's, on Red River, near Allin's Cabbins, running from thence a direct course to the Sulphor Fork, one quarter of a mile below Elias Fort's, thence up the creek, as its meanders, to the mouth of Brush Creek, thence up the same, as it meanders, to the head, thence a direct course to the Davidson County line, at the mouth of Sycamore Creek, thence up said Sycamore Creek, with the Davidson County line, to the Sumner County line, thence with the extreme height of the dividing ridge, eastwardly to the Kentucky road, leading from Nashville, thence northwardly, with said road, to the Kentucky state line, thence west with said line, to such place as a south east course, leaving Joseph French in the lower county, will strike the beginning; And all that part contained in the said boundary, henceforth be erected into a new and distinct county, by the name of Robertson; and the other part thereof be and remain a separate and distinct county, by the name of Montgomery.

SECTION 2. BE IT ENACTED, That William Johnston,  sen. James Norflet,  John Young,  John Donelson, and Samuel Crocket, be, and they are hereby appointed commissioners, and authorized to appoint and lay off a place the most central and convenient on said county of Robertson, for the purposes of erecting a court house, prison, and stocks.

SECTION 3. BE IT ENACTED, That the aforesaid commissioners are hereby authorized and required, as soon as may be, after agreeing on the place whereon the court house, prison and stocks are to be erected in said county of Robertson, to contract and agree with suitable workmen, for erecting and building, at the place aforesaid, a court house, prison, and stocks, for the use and benefit of said county.

SECTION 4. And the better to enable the commissioners aforesaid, to carry this act into effect,  BE IT ENACTED, That a tax not exceeding twelve and an half cents on each hundred acres of land – a tax not exceeding twenty five cents on each town log – a tax not exceeding twenty five cents on each slave, between the age of ten and fifty years – and a tax not exceeding twelve and an half cents on each white male, between the age of twenty on and fifty years, shall be collected in the said county of Robertson, for two years, by the sheriff or collector of the same, and accounted for, and paid to the said commissioners, at the same time, and the same manner, and under the like penalties and restrictions, as is or may be directed for the collecting, accounting for, and paying public taxes.

SECTION 5. BE IT ENACTED, That before the said commissioners shall take into their hands any of the monies directed to be collected by this act, they shall enter into bond, in the sum of one thousand dollars, payable to the governor and commander in chief for the time being, and his successors, conditioned for the faithful discharge of the trust reposed in them.

SECTION 6. And for the due administration of justice, BE IT ENACTED, That the court for the said county of Robertson shall be held constantly by the justices of said county, on the third Mondays in Jannary [sic], April, July, and October, in every year:  And the justices for said county of Robertson, are hereby authorized and empowered to hold the first court for the same, at the house of Jacob M’Carty:  And all subsequent courts for said county, on the days above-mentioned for holding c0urts therein, at any place to which the said justices shall from court to court adjourn themselves, until a court-house shall be built for the said county of Robertson; and then all causes, matters and things depending in the said court, and all manner of process returnable to the same, shall be adjourned to such court-house; and all courts, held in and for the said county of Robertson, shall be held by commission to the said justices, in the same manner, and under the same rules and restrictions, and shall have an exercise the same powers and jurisdiction, as are, or shall be prescribed for the courts for the several counties in this state.

SECTION 7. BE IT ENACTED, That the aforesaid county of Robertson, shall be, and is hereby declared to compose a par of the district of Mero, in the same manner, and for all purposes, civil and military, as it did, when it stood undivided:  PROVIDED, Nothing in this act contained shall be so construed as to prevent the sheriff or collector of the taxes of the county of Tennessee, from collecting the same, both public and county, within the limits of the said county of Robertson, which are, at this time, in arrearages, in the same manner as if this act had not been passed; and the said county of Robertson, from and after the passing of this act, shall furnish six, and the county of Montgomery, six jurors, to the superior court of law and equity, for the district of Mero aforesaid.

SECTION 8. BE IT ENACTED, That Barclay William Pollock and Joseph Carmack, be appointed commissioners, who are authorized to run the dividing lines between the aforesaid counties, that is, where they are not already run, or particularly pointed out by natural boundaries; for which services each of the commissioners shall be allowed two dollars per day, and the markers each one dollar per day, the expenses to be equally paid by the aforesaid counties.

SECTION 9. BE IT ENACTED, That all proceedings, now pending in the county court of Tennessee, shall be proceeded on, and determined in that part of said county, now called Montgomery, in the same manner as if this law had not passed.

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Robertson County Bibliography

PLEASE NOTE that the Tennessee State Library and Archives does not hold copies of all of the items listed in this bibliography. Please check the Tennessee State Library and Archives Online Catalog or visit the Ask Us a Question! webpage to contact the Library and Archives and verify we have an item in our collection. We will respond to e-mail requests promptly; response time may vary, depending on the amount of research required to answer your question and the unique nature of your request. If you need immediate assistance you may call the reference desk at (615) 741-2764 or visit us in person.

 

Subjects :

• Robertson County in General
• Bell Witch
• Cedar Hill
• Cross Plains
• Greenbrier
• Orlinda
• Pleasant View
• Ridgetop
• Springfield

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Robertson County in General

• Allen, Billy R. Robertson countians of the Civil War.
• Biographical directory, TN General Assembly, 1796-1969 (Robertson County, Preliminary # 1). Nashville, TSLA, 1968. 47 pp.
• Carl, Coley T. A survey of parent opinions regarding Robertson County Schools. Austin Peay St. U. thesis, 1970. 41 pp.
• Robercrest in the snow. Springfield, n.p., 1940. 26 pp.
• DeWitt, John H., Jr. "Early radio broadcasting in middle TN." THQ 31 (1972), pp. 80-94.
• Dorsey, A. L. Miscellaneous collection of pamphlets & materials relating to Robertson County & Springfield, 1908-1940. (unpub. typescript)
• Doss, Vertistine T. Characteristics, position, & prospects of black farmers in Robertson County, TN.TSU thesis, 1984. 61 pp.
• Durrett, Jean. Churches of Robertson County, TN, 1786-1900. Springfield, Charlotte Reeves Robertson Chapter, DAR, 1977. 57 pp.
• Flood insurance study: Robertson County, TN, unincorporated areas. Washington, D.C., FEMA, 1983. 30 pp.
• Fyke, Ruth C. History of Mt Zion UMC: established 1798. Springfield, the author, 1984. 254 pp.
• Garrett, William R., ed. "Sketches of Sevier & Robertson counties." AHM 5 (1900), pp. 310-325.
• Gaston, Ray B. "Robertson County distilleries, 1796-1909." THQ 43 (1984), pp. 49-67.
• Goodspeed's history of TN (Robertson County, pp. 827-867, 1124-1205). Goodspeed, 1886.
• Gregory, Rick. "Robertson County & the Black Patch War, 1904-1909." THQ 39 (1980), pp. 341-358.
• Gunn, Lovie M. Childhood memories of Oak Lawn. Springfield, n.p., 1967. 10 pp.
• Gunn, Lovie M. The house with open doors. Springfield, n.p., 1967. 7 pp.
• Henderson, Deborah K. Robertson County's heritage of homes. Springfield, Robertson County Antiquities Foundation, 1979. 96 pp.
• Historical quarterly, eastern Robertson County. Vol. 1, 1994-. (quarterly) Cross Plains Heritage Commission.
• Holman, Catherine & Jean Durette. Historic Robertson County, places & personalities. Photographs by Dennis Noon. Springfield, 1970. 40 pp.
• Kilgore, Sherry J. "A brief survey of frontier architectural characteristics in Robertson & Sevier counties." TN Folklore Soc. Bull. 44 (1978), pp. 116-126.
• Miller, Harriet P. Pioneer colored Christians. Clarksville, W.P. Titus, 1911. 103 pp. (reprinted 1972 by Black Heritage Library Collection)
• Moore, Lee A. Utilization of sources of information as related to socioeconomic characteristics of farmers in Robertson County. TSU thesis, 1984. 119 pp.
• Morton, Jacob C. Robertson County Negro yearbook, 1938. Compiled by Jacob C. Morton & Virdner D. Moore, Jr. Springfield, 1938. 16 pp.
• Mulloy, James S. Reminiscences of Robertson County. Springfield, n.p., n.d. 23 pp.
• Nashville MSA, 1980-1987: an economic analysis. Nashville, TN Dept. Emp. Sec., 1988. 55 pp.
• Owsley, Danny R. A comparison of land utilization in Robertson County to the state of TN. TSU thesis, 1979. 58 pp.
• Red River Baptist Church (Adams, TN). Records of Red River Church at the mouth of Sulpher Fork of Red River in TN County (now Robertson County) Mero District, 1791. N.p., 1936. 251 pp.
• Sanders, Thelma S. Attitudes, societal influences & agency impacts on the quality of life among the poor of rural Robertson County, TN. TSU thesis, 1980. 42 pp.
• Soil survey, Robertson County, TN. Washington, D.C., US GPO, 1914, 1968.
• Stewart, Montgomery, Robertson County solid waste management plan. Clarksville, SMR Regional Planning Board, 1994. var. pp.
• Stroud, Hubert B. Land use in Robertson County, TN. Memphis State U. thesis, 1968. 113 pp.
• Nashville, Division of Surveys & Field Services, George Peabody College for Teachers, 1961. 20 pp.
• Swann, Earl. History of Mt Carmel Baptist Church.
• TN Dept. Education. School plant survey report of selected schools in Robertson County. Nashville, n.p., 1959. 10 pp.
• TN Dept. Emp. Sec. A look into available manpower, Robertson County, TN. Nashville, n.p., 1964. 22 pp.
• TN Dept. Transportation [county maps] issued periodically.
• TN Taxpayers Assn. A report with recommendations covering a survey of the finances & administrative methods of the government of Robertson County, TN. Nashville, the association, 1943. 124 pp.
• Thomas, Mrs. Archie, comp. Chronicles of Robertson County, as appears in Springfield Record, August, 1902. Springfield, n.p., 1922. 56 pp.
• US Army Corps of Engineers. Flood plain information, Sulphur Fork, Springfield, TN. Prepared for the city of Springfield by the Dept. of the Army, Nashville, August 1972. Nashville, Army Corps of Engineers, 1972. 29 pp.
• US Geol. Survey [topographic maps] issued periodically. Quadrangles: Guthrie, Millersville, Dot, Adairsville, Prices Mill, Franklin, Sango, Adams, Springfield North, Youngville, Orlinda, Portland, Henrietta, Pleasant View, Springfield South, Greenbrier, White House, Forest Grove, Whites Creek.
• US Soil Conservation Service. Soils interpretations, Robertson County, TN.
• Nashville, Mid-Cumberland Council of Governments, 1977. 31 pp.
• Walker, Theron J., comp. The first hundred years of the Catholic Church in Robertson County, TN: memorial booklet published on the occasion of the celebration of the centennial of St. Michael's Church, Friday, May 8, 1942. N.p., 1942. 24 pp.
• White, Lex. Occupational opportunities available for women in the field of agriculture in Robertson County, TN. TSU thesis, 1982. 41 pp.
• Willett, Charles. Bygone days in TN. Springfield, the author, 1961. 7 pp. (reproduced from Robertson County Times, Feb.-Mar.-1961)

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Adams

• Williams, Louise & Myralynn Pope. Adams & community.
• Winters, Ralph L. Historical sketches of Adams, Robertson County, TN & Port Royal, Montgomery County, TN, 1779-1968. Clarksville, 1968. 280 pp. (reprinted 1978 by S.J. Winters)
• Winters, Ralph L. Hospitality homes & historic sites in western Robertson County, TN. Clarksville, the author, 1971. 126 pp.

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Bell Witch

• Barr, Gladys H. The Bell Witch at Adams. Nashville, D. Hutchinson, 1969. 107 pp.
• Bell, Charles B. The Bell Witch: a mysterious spirit. Nashville, Lark, 1934. 228 pp. (reprinted 1972 by Charles Elder)
• Bell, Charles B. & Harriet P. Miller. A mysterious spirit & the Bell Witch of TN. (a reprint of The Bell Witch: a mysterious spirit, 1934)
• Brehm, H.C. Echoes of the Bell Witch in the twentieth century. Nashville, the author, 1979. 65 pp.
• Ingram, M.V. Bell Witch: most gruesome of ghost stories, to be run as a serial in the Sun. Charleston, MS, the Sun, 1937. 48 pp.
• Ingram, Martin Van Buren. An authenticated story of the famous Bell Witch, the mysterious talking goblin that terrorized the west end of Robertson County, TN, tormenting John Bell to his death; the story of Betsy Bell, her lover & the haunting sphinx. Clarksville, W.P. Titus, 1894. (various reprints available)
• Lockhart, Teresa A. "20th century aspects of the Bell Witch." TN Folklore Soc. Bull. 50 (1984), pp. 18-24.
• Lombardo, Josephine. Bell Witch legends. Bloomington, Indiana Univ., Archives of Traditional Music, 1972. 8 sound cassettes + documentation. (various named informants interviewed by Lombardo; recorded June-July 1972 by Lombardo in Clarksville, Adams, & Cedar Hills, TN)
• Miller, Harriet P. The Bell Witch of middle TN. Clarksville, Leaf-Chronicle, 1930. 72 pp.
• Price, Charles E. The infamous Bell Witch of TN. Johnson City, Overmountain Press, 1994. 120 pp.
• Scenes of the Bell Witch legend. Adams, K.R.J. Russell, 1972. 6 pp.
• Shebar, Sharon S. & Judith Schoder. The Bell Witch. NY, J. Messner, 1983. 63 pp. (juvenile literature)

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Cedar Hill

• Head, Mary S. A circle of memories - Cedar Hill & surrounding area.
• History of St. Michael's Catholic Church, 1842-1982. Rev. & partially rewritten by Marie English Hall. (1st. ed.) Springfield, Clemons Print. Co., 1982. 60 pp.

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Cross Plains

• Read, Rita A. Across the plains: a history of Cross Plains, TN, 1778-1986. Cross Plains, Cross Plains Heritage Commission, 1986. 120 pp.

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Greenbrier

• Hill, Doris M. & Marjorie S. Pike. The village green, Greenbrier, TN, 1858- 1920. Greenbrier, D.M. Hill, 1983. 151 pp.

 

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Orlinda

• Rigsby, Maggie. Orlinda, TN.

 

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Pleasant View

• Walker, Mary E. Pleasant View & environs: Cheatham & Robertson County, TN, 1787-1981.Pleasant View, the author, 1982. 164 pp.

 

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Ridgetop

• Ridgetop Hist. Soc. Ridgetop, a unique TN community. Ridgetop, the society, 1985. 28 pp.

 

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Springfield

• Beasley, Phyllis H. History of Martin's Chapel United Methodist Church, 1845-1984. Springfield, the church, 1984. 47 pp.
• Flood insurance study: city of Springfield, TN, Robertson County. Washington, D.C., FEMA, 1983. 16 pp.
• Love, Charles H. The Springfield I have known. Springfield, Robertson County Times, n.d. 19 pp. (a reproduction of articles published in the Robertson County Times, beginning with its issue of Feb. 4, 1943)
• US Army Corps of Engineers. Flood plain information, Sulpher Fork, Springfield, TN. Nashville, the corps, 1972. 29 pp.

 

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