Rhea County, Tennessee

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

Rhea County, Tennessee Facts

When was Rhea County, TN Created?

Rhea County was founded on December 3, 1807 from Roane County

What is the County Seat of Rhea County, TN?

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

What counties are adjacent to Rhea County, TN?

Bordering counties are Cumberland County, Roane County, Meigs County, Hamilton County and Bledsoe County .

Rhea County Courthouse and Government Records

Rhea County Courthouse

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

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

• Rhea County Clerk
  • Address: 375 Church St., Suite 101, Dayton, TN 37321
  • Phone: (423) 775-7808
  • Marriage Records: 1808
  • Probate Records: 1825
• Rhea County Register of Deeds
  • Address: 375 Church Street Suite 106, Dayton, TN 37321
  • Phone: (423) 775-7841
  • Land & Deed Records: 1808
• Rhea County Clerk of Circuit Court
  • Address: 1475 Market Street, Suite 104, Dayton, TN 37321
  • Phone: 423-775-7805
  • Chancery Court Minutes: 1823
  • Circuit Court Minutes: 1815
  • County  Court Minutes: 1823

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

Rhea 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 Rhea 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 Rhea County, TN census records are available?

Federal Population Schedules for Rhea County can be found for 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

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

• Rhea County Historical & Genealogical Society, 4211 Wolf Creek Road, Po Box 31 , Dayton, Tennessee 37321-0031
• Audrey Pack Memorial Library, 169 W. Rhea Ave., PO Box 382, Spring City, TN 37381 423-365-9757
• Bryan College, Library, 585 Bryan Drive, PO Box 7000, Dayton, TN 37321 423-775-7196
• Clyde W. Roddy Public Library, 371 First Ave., Dayton, TN 37321 423-755-8406
• W.G. Rhea Public Library, 400 West Washington Street, Paris, TN 38242 731-642-1702

Rhea County Genealogy Resources

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

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

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

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

Rhea 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)

Rhea Co. TN Court, Probate Land and Tax Records

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

Rhea Co. TN Census Records

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

Rhea Co. TN Cemeteries & Church Records

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

Rhea 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)

Rhea Co. TN General and History Websites

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

Rhea Co. TN Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

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

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