DeKalb County, Tennessee Records

DeKalb County, Tennessee (Map It) was created on December 1837 from Cannon County, Warren County and White County. This DeKalb County was named in honor of Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), a German-born baron who assisted the Continentals during the American Revolutionary War.

DeKalb County is bordered by Putnam County (northeast), White County (east), Warren County (south), Cannon County (southwest), Williamson County (west) and Smith County (northwest) .

DeKalb County Cities and Towns include Alexandria, Dowelltown, Liberty, Smithville .

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

DeKalb County, Tennessee Courthouse Records

The DeKalb County Courthouse is located in Smithville, 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 DeKalb 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.

• DeKalb County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1848 and Probate Records from 1846.
• DeKalb County Register of Deeds has Land & Deed Records from 1838.
• DeKalb County Clerk of Circuit Court has Chancery Court Minutes from 1844, Circuit Court Minutes from 1860 and County  Court Minutes 1838.
• DeKalb County Property Assessor has Tax Records from 1839, 1857-1870, 1889-1891, 1893-1895, 1897, 1899 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.
• DeKalb 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).

DeKalb County, Tennessee Census Records

• Learn More: State of Tennessee Census Records
• U.S. Federal Population Schedules: 1800 (part), 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
• State Territory Census: 1770-1790 Census of the Cumberland Settlements
• 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

DeKalb 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

DeKalb County, Tennessee Resources

• State of Tennessee Archives and Societies
• DeKalb County Genealogical Society, Justin Potter Library, 101 S. 1st St., Smithville, TN. 37166;
• Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society
• RAOGK Volunteers for Tennessee
• DeKalb County, Tennessee Message Boards
• Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About DeKalb County

DeKalb County, Tennessee External Links

• Tennessee Historical Newspapers - Newspapers.com
• Historical Newspapers from Tennessee (1795 - 1929 )
• Tennessee Newspaper List by County and City
• DeKalb County, Tennessee Books - Amazon
• Tennessee Real Estate Assessment Data Property Search
• DeKalb County Records on Microfilm - Order County Microfilm Inventories and Reels
• Early DeKalb County Records Available on Interlibrary Loan
• DeKalb Co., Tennessee - FindaGrave
• Goodspeed's History of Dekalb County 1887
• DeKalb County History and Culture
• DeKalb County, Tennessee Links - Cyndi's List
• DeKalb Co. TNGenweb
• DeKalb County, Tennessee Ancestry Database Collections
• DeKalb Co. D.O.T. County Highway Map
• DeKalb County, Tennessee Military Records