Lake County, Tennessee

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

Lake County, Tennessee Facts

When was Lake County, TN Created?

Lake County was founded on June 24, 1870 from Obion County.

What is the County Seat of Lake County, TN?

The County Seat of government is located in Tiptonville also, the county government website is www.lakecountytn.com/ .

What counties are adjacent to Lake County, TN?

Bordering counties are Fulton County, Kentucky, Obion County, Dyer County, Pemiscot County, MO and New Madrid County, MO .

Lake County Courthouse and Government Records

Lake County Courthouse

The following indicates what vital, land, probate, and court records are in Lake county or in the Tennessee State Library & Archives.  The dates indicated below are the first known records for each county. The staff in Lake County Court House is not adequate to handle personal requests. Mail received by them requesting genealogy information is forwarded to the County Historian

• Lake County Clerk
  • Address: 116 S Court Street, Tiptonville, TN 38079
  • Phone: 731-253-7582
  • Marriage Records: 1883
  • Probate Records: 1871
• Lake County Register of Deeds
  • Address: 229 Church Street Box 5, Tiptonville, TN 38079
  • Phone: (731) 253-7462
  • Land & Deed Records: 1870
• Lake County Clerk of Circuit Court
  • Address: 229 Church Street, Box 11, Tiptonville, TN 38079
  • Phone: 731-253-7137
  • Chancery Court Minutes: 1896
  • Circuit Court Minutes: 1892
  • County  Court Minutes: 1870

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

Lake 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 Lake 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 Lake County, TN census records are available?

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

Lake Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1870 and 1880. Lake Co. Industry and Agriculture can be obtained for 1870 and 1880. Lake Co. Union Veterans Schedules is available for 1890. 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 Lake County, TN?

•  Lake County Historical Society, 122 LeDuke Street, Tiptonville, TN 38079
• County Historian, Abigail Rice Hyde, 303 Lake Street, Ridgely, TN 38080; (901) 264-5841

Lake County Genealogy Resources

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

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

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

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

Lake 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)

Lake Co. TN Court, Probate Land and Tax Records

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

Lake Co. TN Census Records

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

Lake Co. TN Cemeteries & Church Records

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

Lake 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)

Lake Co. TN General and History Websites

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

Lake Co. TN Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

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

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