Shelby County, Tennessee Records
Shelby County, Tennessee (Map It) was created on November 24, 1819 from Chickasaw Nation lands acquired through the Jackson Purchase. This Shelby County was named in honor of Isaac Shelby (1750–1826), commander at Kings Mountain, first governor of Kentucky, and negotiator of the purchase of the western district from the Chickasaws.
Shelby County is bordered by Tipton County (north), Fayette County (east), Marshall County, Mississippi (southeast), DeSoto County, Mississippi (south) and Crittenden County, Arkansas (west) .
Shelby County Cities and Towns include Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Cordova, Eads, Fisherville, Germantown, Lakeland, Memphis, Millington .
A Map of Shelby County, Tennessee contains detailed information about roads and boundaries, these maps may include rural communities, churches, and cemeteries.
Shelby County, Tennessee Courthouse Records
Shelby County, TN Courthouse
The Shelby County Courthouse is located in Memphis, 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 Shelby 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.
- Shelby County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1820 and Probate Records from 1820.
- Shelby County Register of Deeds has Land & Deed Records from 1821 .
- Shelby County Clerk of Circuit Court has Chancery Court Minutes from ?, Circuit Court Minutes from 1828 and County Court Minutes ?.
- Shelby County Property Assessor has Tax Records from 1837, 1838, 1846, 1847, 1849, 1850, 1852, 1856-1863, 1865, 1867-1880, 1883, 1891-1900 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.
- Shelby 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).
Shelby County, Tennessee Census Records
- Learn More: State of Tennessee Census Records
- U.S. Federal Population Schedules: 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
Shelby 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
Shelby County, Tennessee Resources
- State of Tennessee Archives and Societies
- Memphis & Shelby County Archives, 150 Washington Ave., Suite 205, Memphis , TN 38103; Phone: (901) 545-4356
- City of Germantown Municipal Archives, 1930 S. Germantown Rd., Germantown , TN 38138; Phone: (901) 757-7260
- History and Travel Department (Genealogy), 1850 Peabody Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104, (901) 725-8821
- Memphis-Shelby County Health Dept, Division of Vital Records, 814 Jefferson Ave., Memphis, TN 38105
- Memphis/Shelby County Public Library Archives
- West Tennessee Historical Society, PO Box 111046, Memphis, TN 38111 901-678-8242
- Bartlett Historical Society, Bartlett Museum, Gotten House, 2969 Court Street, Bartlett, TN 38134 901-373-8433
- Center for Southern Folklore, Archives, 119 S. Main Street, Suite 106, PO Box 226, Memphis, TN 38101 901-525-3655
- Mississippi River Museum at Mud Island, Mud Island Park, City of Memphis, 125 N. Front Street, Memphis, TN 38103 901-576-7230
- LeMoyne-Owen College, Hollis F. Price Library, 807 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN 38126 901-942-7381
- Rhodes College, Burrow Library, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112 901-323-9063
- Christian Brothers University, Brother O'Donnell Archives, 2455 Avery Ave., Memphis, TN 38104 901-278-0100
- Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee, 692 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38105 901-476-7079
- Historical Foundation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1978 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104 901-276-8602
- Temple Israel Archives, (Jewish Historical Society of Memphis & Midsouth), 1376 East Massey, Memphis, TN 38120 901-761-3130
- RAOGK Volunteers for Tennessee
- Shelby County, Tennessee Message Boards
- Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee External Links
- Tennessee Historical Newspapers - Newspapers.com
- Historical Newspapers from Tennessee (1795 - 1929 )
- Tennessee Newspaper List by County and City
- Shelby County, Tennessee Books - Amazon
- Tennessee Real Estate Assessment Data Property Search
- Shelby County Records on Microfilm - Order County Microfilm Inventories and Reels
- Early Shelby County Records Available on Interlibrary Loan
- Shelby Co., Tennessee - FindaGrave
- Shelby County History and Culture
- Shelby County, Tennessee Links - Cyndi's List
- Shelby Co. TNGenweb
- Shelby County, Tennessee Ancestry Database Collections
- Shelby Co. D.O.T. County Highway Map
- Shelby County, Tennessee Military Records