Carter County, Tennessee

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

Carter County, Tennessee Facts

When was Carter County, TN Created?

Carter County was founded on April 9, 1796 from Washington County.

What is the County Seat of Carter County, TN?

The County Seat of government is located in Elizabethton also, the county government website is www.cartercountytn.com .

What counties are adjacent to Carter County, TN?

Bordering counties are Sullivan County, Johnson County, Avery County, NC, Mitchell County, NC, Unicoi County and Washington County .

Carter County Courthouse and Government Records

Carter County Courthouse

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

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

Carter County Clerk

• • Address: 801 Elk Avenue, Elizabethton, TN 37643
  • Phone: 423-542-1862
  • Marriage Records: 1790
  • Probate Records: 1794
• Carter County Register of Deeds
  • Address: 801 East Elk Ave., Elizabethton, TN 37643
  • Phone: (423) 542-1830
  • Land & Deed Records: 1796
• Carter County Clerk of Circuit Court
  • Address: Courthouse Annex 900 East Elk Avenue, Elizabethton, TN 37643
  • Phone: 423-542-1835
  • Chancery Court Minutes: 1854
  • Circuit Court Minutes: 1848
  • County  Court Minutes: 1804
• Carter County Property Assessor is responsible for the evaluation of all real property, the cadastral mapping of the county, valuation of all business personal property and maintaining ownership records. The property assessor prepares the tax rolls for the trustee and all the municipalities. Tax lists can be used to locate families, document historic properties and study community history. Early tax lists generally include all white males over 21 and indicate whether they owned land or slaves.
  • Address: 801 East Elk Avenue, Elizabethton, TN 37643
  • Phone: (423) 542-1806
  • Tax Records:1796-1800, 1860-1872, 1875-1886

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

Carter 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 Carter 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 Carter County, TN census records are available?

Federal Population Schedules for Carter County can be found for 1790-1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

Carter Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Carter Co. Industry and Agriculture can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Carter 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 Carter County, TN?

• East Tennessee Historical Society, P.O. Box 1629, Knoxville 37901
• Carter County & It’s People 1796-1993, P.O. Box 176, Elizabethton 37643
• Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library, 201 North Sycamore Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643 423-547-6360
• Milligan College, Welshimer Memorial Library, Blowers Blvd., PO Box 600, Milligan College, TN 37682 423-461-8703

Carter County Genealogy Resources

Where can I connect with other Carter 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)
• Carter County, Tennessee Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Carter County
• Carter County, Tennessee Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
• Genealogical “Fact Sheets” About Carter 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 Carter 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 Carter County.

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

The following are links to Family history and genealogy, Records and Resources relevant to Carter 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 Carter County genealogy or family history affiliated sites.

Carter 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)
• Carter County, Tennessee Books (amazon.com)
• Search Tennessee Obituaries (1990 to current) (genealogybank.com)

Carter 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)

Carter Co. TN Court, Probate Land and Tax Records

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

Carter Co. TN Census Records

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

Carter Co. TN Cemeteries & Church Records

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

Carter 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)

Carter Co. TN General and History Websites

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

Carter Co. TN Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

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

Carter 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 Carter County genealogists, researchers, historians plus much more.