DeKalb County, Tennessee

Societies and Family History Resources ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣ County Genealogy Links

DeKalb County, Tennessee Facts

When was DeKalb County, TN Created?

DeKalb County was founded on December 1837 from Cannon County, Warren County and White County.

What is the County Seat of DeKalb County, TN?

The County Seat of government is located in Smithville# also, the county government website is www.smithvilletn.com .

What counties are adjacent to DeKalb County, TN?

Bordering counties are Putnam County, White County, Warren County, Cannon County, Williamson County and Smith County .

DeKalb County Courthouse and Government Records

What genealogical records can I find in the DeKalb County Courthouse?

The following information and facts indicates whatever birth, death, marriage, land, wills, and courtroom records will be in DeKalb County or in the Tennessee State Library & Archives. The dates indicated below could be the first widely known documents for this county.

• DeKalb County Clerk
  • Address: 732 S Congress Blvd Rm 102, Smithville, TN 37166
  • Phone: 615-597-5177
  • Marriage Records: 1848
  • Probate Records: 1846
• DeKalb County Register of Deeds
  • Address: 1 Public Square, RM 201, Smithville, TN 37166
  • Phone: (615) 597-4153
  • Land & Deed Records: 1838
• DeKalb County Clerk of Circuit Court
  • Address: Dekalb County Courthouse One Public Square, Room 303, Smithville, TN 37166
  • Phone: 615-597-5711
  • Chancery Court Minutes: 1844
  • Circuit Court Minutes: 1860
  • County  Court Minutes: 1838

Where can find DeKalb County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?

DeKalb County vital records can be found at the Tennessee Department of Health (VDH) Office of Vital Records which has copies for copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses and divorce decrees. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Tennessee for current fees and application process.

Marriage license records are available from the county clerk who issued the marriage license. Court divorce orders may be obtained from the clerk of the court that granted the divorce.

You can search online for DeKalb County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or can download an application for Tennessee Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificates to mail.

What DeKalb County, TN census records are available?

Federal Population Schedules for DeKalb County can be found for 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

DeKalb Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. DeKalb Co. Industry and Agriculture can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. DeKalb Co. Union Veterans Schedules is available for 1890. The Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. One can find free online and printable census forms to help you with your research.

What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for DeKalb County, TN?

• DeKalb County Genealogical Society, Justin Potter Library, 101 S. 1st St., Smithville, TN. 37166; We are located in the Justin Potter Library and have an extensive collection of Vertical files, Genealogical books, Census records and lots more.
• Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 3016, Nashville 37219-0016

DeKalb County Genealogy Resources

Where can I connect with other DeKalb County, TN Researchers through message boards and forums?

https://www.archives.gov/research/census
• Tennessee Genealogy Community (plus.google.com)
• Tennessee State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• DeKalb County, Tennessee Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in DeKalb County
• DeKalb County, Tennessee Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
• Genealogical “Fact Sheets” About DeKalb County (tn.gov) The purpose of these fact sheets is to help determine what sources are available for genealogical research about the people and places in DeKalb County. Although this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the possible places one might search, it does cover the major publications and microfilms available at TSLA on the DeKalb County.

What other genealogical resources are available in DeKalb County, TN?

The following are links to Family history and genealogy, Records and Resources relevant to DeKalb County. A majority of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business oriented Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some call for a payment. This is merely a collection which has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site over another. Feel free to suggest your own most popular DeKalb County genealogy or family history affiliated sites.

DeKalb Co. TN Books, Newspapers & Publications

• Tennessee Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
• Tennessee historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
• Historical Newspapers from Tennessee (1795 – 1929 ) (genealogybank.com) Rapidly find names and key phrases in over 450 million content articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements as well as other items written in over 2,800 old U.S. newspapers. Brand new articles and other content added every month!
• Tennessee Newspaper List by County and City (.state.tn.us)
• DeKalb County, Tennessee Books (amazon.com)
• Search Tennessee Obituaries (1990 to current) (genealogybank.com)

DeKalb Co. TN Birth, Marriage & Death Records

• Tennessee Vital Records Research Guide
• Order Hard Copies of Vital Records  (archives.com)
• Social Security Death Index (search.ancestry.com)

DeKalb Co. TN Court, Probate Land and Tax Records

• Tennessee Real Estate Assessment Data Property Search (assessment.state.tn.us)
• DeKalb County Records on Microfilm (tennessee.gov) – Order County Microfilm Inventories and Reels
• Early DeKalb County Records Available on Interlibrary Loan (tennessee.gov)
• BLM Land Records (glorecords.blm.gov)

DeKalb Co. TN Census Records

• Tennessee Census Records Research Guide
• DeKalb County, TN Census Records Links
• DeKalb County, TN Census QuickFacts

DeKalb Co. TN Cemeteries & Church Records

• DeKalb Co., Tennessee Graves (findagrave.com)
• DeKalb County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
• DeKalb Co., Tennessee Cemeteries (Internment.net)
• DeKalb Co., Tennessee Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
• DeKalb County, Tennessee Church Books (amazon.com)

DeKalb Co. TN Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

• Create a Free Family Tree (ancestry.com)
• 1911 Who’s Who in Tennessee: A Biographical Reference Book of Notable Tennesseans – (tngenweb.org)
• Nichols and Related Families (nicholsgenealogy.com)

DeKalb Co. TN General and History Websites

• DeKalb County Tennessee (genealogytrails.com)
• Goodspeed’s History of Dekalb County 1887 (tngenweb.org)
• DeKalb County History and Culture (tennesseeencyclopedia.net)
• DeKalb County, Tennessee Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
• DeKalb County, Tennessee Wiki (familysearch.org)
• DeKalb Co. TN Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
• Family History Library (familysearch.org)
• DeKalb County – American History and Genealogy Project (usgennet.org)
• DeKalb County, Tennessee (linkpendium.com)
• Cyndi’s List – United States – Tennessee – Counties – DeKalb (cyndislist.com)
• DeKalb Co. TNGenweb (tngenweb.org)
• DeKalb County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
• DeKalb Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)

DeKalb Co. TN Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

• See Also Map of Tennessee Links and Information
• DeKalb Co. D.O.T. County Highway Map
• 1895 DeKalb County Map (livgenmi.com)

DeKalb Co. TN Military Records

• Tennessee Military Records Research Guide
• Tennessee Military Records (Fold3.com) delivers access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the Tennessee both women and men that served. Great for DeKalb County genealogists, researchers, historians plus much more.