Rutherford County, Tennessee Records

Rutherford County, Tennessee (Map It) was created on October 25, 1803 from Davidson County, Wilson County, Williamson County, and Sumner County. This Rutherford County was named in honor of Griffin Rutherford, chairman of the legislature of the Southwest Territory.

Rutherford County is bordered by Williamson County (north), Cannon County (east), Coffee County (southeast), Bedford County (south), Marshall County (southwest), Wilson County (west) and Davidson County (northwest) .

Rutherford County Cities and Towns include Eagleville, La Vergne, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Walterhill .

A Map of Rutherford County, Tennessee contains detailed information about roads and boundaries, these maps may include rural communities, churches, and cemeteries.

Rutherford County, Tennessee Courthouse Records

The Rutherford County Courthouse is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Clerk's Office DOES NOT DO RESEARCH. Most staff will assist people in finding the materials, but it is up to the individual to do the research.

The following dates indicates what vital, land, probate, and court records are in Rutherford county or in the Tennessee State Library & Archives. The date listed for each record is usually the earliest registration filed. The date does not indicate that there are alot records for that year and does not mean that all such events were actually filed with the clerk.

There was a tornado at the Rutherford County courthouse in 1832.

• Rutherford County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1804 and Probate Records from 1804.
• Rutherford County Register of Deeds has Land & Deed Records from 1804.
• Rutherford County Clerk of Circuit Court has Chancery Court Minutes from 1845, Circuit Court Minutes from 1849 and County  Court Minutes 1804.
• Rutherford County Property Assessor has Tax Records from 1809-1813, 1836, 1837, 1867, 1871, 1875, 1877-1881, 1883-1885, 1887-1900 and are located at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. 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.
• Rutherford County Health Department issues birth certificates and death certificates (deaths which occurred in that county within the past three years, and a few county health departments keep death records for longer periods of time).

Rutherford County, Tennessee Census Records

• Learn More: State of Tennessee Census Records
• U.S. Federal Population Schedules: 1810 (part), 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragmented), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940
• U.S. Census Reconstructed Records: 1660-1820
• U.S. Federal Census Slave Schedules: 1850 and 1860
• U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
• Selected U.S. Federal Census Agriculture Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
• Selected U.S. Federal Census Industry Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
• Union Veterans Schedules: 1890

Rutherford County, Tennessee Vital Records

• Learn More: State of Tennessee Vital Records
• Birth Records: from January 1914 to present, also for Nashville since June 1881, for Knoxville since July 1881, and for Chattanooga since January 1882
• Marriage, Divorce and Death Records: from the past 50 years to present.
• Locations: Tennessee Office of Vital Records, Tennessee State Library and Archives
• Vital Records Online: USAVital or Social Security Death Index
• Vital Records by Mail: Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate  Applications.
• In Person:  Tennessee Office of Vital Records, 1st Floor, Central Services Building, 421 Fifth Avenue, North, Nashville, TN 37243; PH: 615-741-1763

Rutherford County, Tennessee Resources

• State of Tennessee Archives and Societies
• Rutherford County Archives
• Rutherford County Historical Society
• Linebaugh Public Library, Historical Research Room, 105 W. Vine Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 615-893-4131
• Middle Tennessee State University, James E. Walker Library, Box 13, Murfreesboro, TN 37132 615-904-8503
• Oaklands Historic House Museum, Oaklands Association, Inc., 900 North Maney Avenue, PO Box 432, Murfreesboro, TN 37133 615-893-0022
• Sam Davis Home, 1399 Sam Davis Road, Smyrna, TN 37167 615-459-2341
• Smyrna Public Library, 400 Enon Springs Road, Smyrna, TN 37167 615-459-4884
• Stones River National Battlefield, National Park Service, 3501 Old Nashville Highway, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 615-893-9501
• RAOGK Volunteers for Tennessee
• Rutherford County, Tennessee Message Boards
• Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Rutherford County

Rutherford County, Tennessee External Links

• Tennessee Historical Newspapers - Newspapers.com
• Historical Newspapers from Tennessee (1795 - 1929 )
• Tennessee Newspaper List by County and City
• Rutherford County, Tennessee Books - Amazon
• Tennessee Real Estate Assessment Data Property Search
• Rutherford County Records on Microfilm - Order County Microfilm Inventories and Reels
• Early Rutherford County Records Available on Interlibrary Loan
• Rutherford Co., Tennessee - FindaGrave
• Rutherford County History and Culture
• Rutherford County, Tennessee Links - Cyndi's List
• Rutherford Co. TNGenweb
• Rutherford County, Tennessee Ancestry Database Collections
• Rutherford Co. D.O.T. County Highway Map
• Civil War battles were fought in Rutherford County
  •  Battle of Murfreesboro - July 13, 1862
  •  Battle of Stones River, aka Murfreesboro - December 31, 1862 - January 2, 1863
  •  Battle of Vaught's Hill,akaMilton - March 20, 1863
  •  Battle of Hoover's Gap - June 24-26, 1863
  •  Battle of Murfreesboro, also known as Wilson Pike or Cedars - December 5-7, 1864
• Rutherford County, Tennessee Military Records