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Union County History and Information |
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Union
County was formed in 1850 from portions
of Anderson, Campbell, Knox, Claiborne and Grainger Counties. The
enabling legislation was initially
passed January 3, 1850, but due to
legal challenges and complications
the county was not formally created
until January 23, 1856. Shortly thereafter,
Union County began functioning as
a county, and county court minutes
and records have been kept from that
time.
The county name derives from two possible sources. Dr. Robert H. White, Tennessee
state historian from 1955 to 1970, believed that Union County was so named because
it was a union of five segments of adjoining counties. Former Union County Schools
Superintendent William H. Thomas suggested in 1961, however, that the name reflected
the area's support for the federal union in the political debates of the period
of the county's creation.
In 1850 a small community called Liberty was near the center of the proposed
new county and became the county seat. Due to the willingness of a young, brilliant
lawyer named Horace Maynard to successfully defend the county in the litigation
opposing the county formation, the town was renamed Maynardville. The county
high school bears the name Horace Maynard High School in his honor.
Newspapers were published in Maynardville. Scattered early issues are available from 1952, and a complete run begins in 1976. See Extended History for More information. There was a fire at the Union County courthouse
in 1869 and in the 1870s.
Union County is bordered by Claiborne County (north), Grainger County (east), Knox County (south), Anderson County (southwest) and Campbell County (northwest). Cities and Towns include Luttrell, Maynardville, Plainview. The Official County Website is located at http://www.unioncountytn.com/
Tennessee
State Library and Archives has Inventories of Union County Records on Microfilm. Click Here to Order County Microfilm Inventories and Reels. Early Union County Records. Newspaper Microfilms are loaned to Tennessee libraries. Individual reels may also be purchased. An Inventory of Newspapers on Microfilm at TSLA is available on our web site. . Union County, Tennessee History Books at Amazon.com .
- Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
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See Also Tennessee Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records
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PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. |
Union County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1864 and Probate Records from 1856 and is located at 901 Main Street, Maynardville, TN 37807; Phone: 865-992-8043 .
The County Clerk maintains Marriage & Divorce records. It also has jurisdiction over probate cases. Wills, administrations, and all other records pertaining to probate are recorded in the respective county clerk's office. If the will or administration was contested, the records of these actions may be filed in the circuit court or chancery court.
Union County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1856 and is located at Courthouse, P.O.
Box 395, 901 Main Street, Suite 108, Maynardville, TN 37807; Phone: 865-992-8024 - FAX 865-992-8025.
The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Union county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
Union County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1854 and is located at Courthouse, P.O.
Box 395, Maynardville, TN 37807-0395; Telephone:
(865) 992-5493 .
Circuit Court Clerks serve an important role in the operation of the court system in Tennessee. Chancery courts have jurisdiction over property disputes, and circuit courts oversee criminal cases, divorces, and adoptions. Early courts included courts of common pleas and quarter sessions.
Below is a list of online resources for Union County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Union County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Vital Records in Tennessee
Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!
Contact the Union County Clerk For County Marriage Divorce Records (See Union County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where Certificate was granted.
Tennessee State Vital Records, is located at Central Services Building,
1st Floor,
421 5th Avenue North,
Nashville, Tennessee 37243;
Phone (615) 741-1763,
FAX (615) 741-9860. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records registers and maintains the original certificates of births, deaths, marriages and divorces that occur in Tennessee. They have the following records:
- Birth Certificates: Records are available beginning with January 1914, for Nashville since June 1881, for Knoxville since July
1881, and for Chattanooga since January 1882. Records of some births that occurred in the major cities from 1881-1913 are also available. A certified photocopy of the original record may be obtained at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. For persons born from 1949 to the present, a certified copy produced by computer is also available at a fee of $7.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee
State Library and Archives Below.
- Death Certificates: Death records are available for the past 50 years (1957). The fee is $7.00 per certified copy. The cause of death is not normally included on a certified copy unless specifically requested and then is available only to certain family members or legal representatives. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
- Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage and divorce records are available for the past 50 years at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificate. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee
State Library and Archives Below.
Make certified checks and money orders should be made payable to "Tennessee Vital Records". Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services Please do not send cash or checks. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to: Tennessee State Vital Records, Central Services Building,
1st Floor,
421 5th Avenue North,
Nashville, TN, 37243.
Tennessee
State Library and Archives have the following records:
- Birth Records & "Delayed" Birth Certificates:
Tennessee began keeping birth records statewide in 1908. TSLA has statewide birth records for the years 1908-1912. To find a birth record, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known).
The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier birth records: Nashville (beginning in 1881); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1879); and Memphis (beginning in 1874). Only the early Nashville birth records are indexed. For birth records after 1912 or for "delayed" birth certificates filed for persons born after 1903, contact the Office of Vital Records above.
TSLA also has "delayed" birth certificates for persons born 1869 - 1903. These delayed certificates were filed at the request of the individual or that person's representative for legal reasons. To locate a delayed birth certificate, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known). E-mail TSLA and they can check thier index to the "delayed" birth records for a specified name. Please specify that you are requesting a "delayed" birth certificate.
There is a $20 fee to search for a birth record. If the record is found, they will mail a copy to you. If the record is not found, you will be notified by mail. The $20 fee is not refundable. Payment in advance by check, money order or credit card is required. Send your request to Tennessee State Library and Archives, Research Department, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville TN 37243-0312.
[GO TO FORMS PAGE]
- Death Records:
Tennessee began keeping death records statewide in 1908. TSLA has statewide death records for the years 1908-1912 and 1914-1955. To find a death record, we need the following information: name of individual, date of death (or three year range to search), county of death (if known) and name of spouse (if known). Please keep in mind that some deaths were not recorded, due to poor record-keeping by local officials.
For death records from 1956 to the present, contact theOffice of Vital Records above.
The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier death records: Nashville (beginning in 1874); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1872); and Memphis (beginning in 1848). Only the early Nashville and Memphis death records are indexed. TSLA can search the unindexed records for one year only; you must provide us with the name of individual, date of death, the city, and the name of the spouse (if known).
There is a $20 fee to search for a death record. If the record is found, they will mail a copy to you. If the record is not found, you will be notified by mail. The $20 fee is not refundable. Payment in advance by check, money order or credit card is required. Send your request to Tennessee State Library and Archives, Research Department, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville TN 37243-0312.
[GO TO FORMS PAGE]
Below is a list of online resources for Union County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Union County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Research In Census Records
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Union County, Tennessee are 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Union County, Tennessee are Industry and Agriculture Schedules available for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880.
See Also Statewide Records that exist for Tennessee
Below is a list of online resources for Union County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Union County Census Records by clicking the link below:
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Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Tennessee and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Union County Maps. Email us with websites containing Union County Maps by clicking the link below:
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See Also Military Records in Tennessee
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for Union County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Union County Military Records by clicking the link below:
- Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
- Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
- Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
- Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Tennessee units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
- Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
- Southern Claims Commission from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
- Union County, Tennessee Military Books at Amazon.com

- Tennessee
Society Daughters of the American Revolution
- Tennessee
Society Sons of the Revolution
- Tennessee Civil War Regimental Histories
- Tennessee, Civil War Confederate Pension Applications Index
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See Also Research In Tax Records
Tennessee 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. They usually do not provide other personal information.
The tax lists enumerated for Union County for the years: 1854-1868, 1873, 1874, 1893-1898 ; are available on microfilm at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. They are generally filed with each county's records, but some early lists are in a separate collection. To order a search of the records by mail, follow this link [EMAIL]
The 1796 Constitution levied taxes on every freeman of
the age of twenty-one years and upward possessing a freehold
in the county wherein he may vote, and being an inhabitant of
this State, and every freeman being an inhabitant of any one
county in the State six months immediately preceding the day
of the election, shall be entitled to vote....
Many early surviving tax records were published in an effort
to replace the missing federal censuses.
Original extant tax records are preserved in the respective
county courthouse as well as in the Tennessee
State Library and Archives, where a card index exists for tax records in its
collection pre-dating 1835, arranged by county, date, and district.
Original tax schedules for most Tennessee counties for 1836
through 1839 are available at the Tennessee
State Library and Archives.
The 1891 tax lists of male inhabitant voters in each county
were recently found. Available on microfilm at the Tennessee
State Library and Archives, these nine reels are arranged alphabetically
within each district in each county. Tax records from trustees
office in counties are available on microfilm as well.
Below is a list of online resources for Union County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Union County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Other Tennessee Genealogical Addresses
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Union County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Union County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
- Union
County Historical Society Inc., P.
O. Box 95,
Maynardville, TN 37807;
Ph (865) 992-2136
Sponsor of the "Roy Acuff Museum & Library"
Hours the museum and library are open is Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Monday and
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
- Local Tennessee Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
- Tennessee State Library and Archives, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37243-0312; Phone: (615) 741-2764 , Fax (615) 741-6471
- Tennessee Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 3343, 9114 Davies Plantation Rd, Brunswick, TN 38014, (901) 381-1447; [EMAIL]
- Tennessee Historical Society, 300 Capital Boulevard, Nashville 37243
- Tennessee Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
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See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Tennessee
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Click Here to Search Tennessee Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships. |
There are many churches and cemeteries in Union County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Union County Tombstone Transcription Project.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.
Although
few histories for Tennessee churches have been published, there
are church records for almost every county in the state.
Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist were the principal religions
of early settlers in the state, and documents from these
groups make up the largest number of records available. Other
representative religions include Lutheran, Church of Christ,
Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and Jewish. Most early Tennessee
churches only kept minutes and membership records.
Church records could, however, include records of baptism, marriage,
burial, membership, or removal, but it is rare to find all or
several of these categories maintained by one church. .
As with cemetery records, the DAR has collected church records
for Tennessee, available at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C.,
and through the FHL.
Many compilations of church records have been compiled and/or
published for the state. The Tennessee
State Library and Archives has records of over one hundred churches that pre-date 1900.
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There is a online Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records which contains over 25,000 records for the state of Tennessee for the years approximately 1720-1890. This includes marriages, births, deaths, and wills, etc., has been obtained from family bibles, church, court, and county records. |
A large collection of transcripts of Tennessee cemetery records has been compiled by members of chapters of the DAR. Records collection available at the Tennessee
State Library and Archives and through the FHL. The state library and archives has notebooks containing listings of cemetery records.
County genealogical and historical societies and local citizens have collected, compiled, and published numerous volumes of cemetery records.
Below is a list of online resources for Union County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Union County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Union County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Union County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
- Union County, Tennessee Family Books at Amazon.com

- Tennessee Valley Genealogy Meetup Group! - Meet other local Genealogists and people who are interested in Genealogy who live in the North Alabama and South Central Tennessee Areas. We welcome beginners and beginners classes will be held as soon as a location can be set up. For everyone else we gather to share tips, exchange information, talk shop, etc.!
- Search 60 Years Of Everton Data
: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
- Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
- Sites on USGenweb: [ Union County ] [ Tennessee ] [ Main Page ]
- [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
- Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
- Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
- Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
- Tennessee Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
- Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
- The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
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The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture © Tennessee Historical Society
Union County is bordered to the west by Anderson and Campbell Counties, to the
north by Claiborne County, to the east by Grainger County, and to the south by
Knox County. The county is approximately 223.6 square miles in size and has three
county census divisions--Luttrell, Maynardville, and Sharps Chapel--as well as
three municipalities--Luttrell, Maynardville, and Plainview.
The Norris Dam project and the impoundment of Norris Reservoir had a tremendous
impact on Union County. The project created jobs, trained people, and improved
living conditions; at the same time, however, it displaced many people whose
homes and property were lying below pool level or in the floodplain. Former Norris
Reservoir residents still meet annually and make pilgrimages to former homesites,
cemeteries, and landmarks that can be visited when the lake level is down.
Since the construction of Norris Dam, the population and economic conditions
have changed significantly. In 1930 most of the people lived and worked on farms;
most were subsistence operations that barely supported the operating family.
Over the next twenty years large numbers of people left the farms for nonfarm
jobs outside the county. The last twenty years have brought even greater change
as the county became more closely tied to the Knoxville metropolitan area. New
businesses brought new nonfarm jobs into the county, and more and more people
commuted to the Knoxville job market. For example, in 1990 ten new manufacturing
plants located in Union County. At present about 85 percent of the work force
commutes to jobs outside the county. The growth of these nonfarm jobs has produced
a substantial population growth; the county grew from 13,694 in 1990 to 17,808
in 2000--an increase of 30 percent.
The county is enriched by 263.6 miles of shoreline on Norris Lake. Big Ridge
State Park, one of TVA's initial tourism demonstration projects, is within the
county's borders. Tourism and recreation continue to strengthen the economy of
the county, yet the county remains poorer than most in Tennessee. The county
per capita income in 1999 was $14,796, ranking it ninety-first out of ninety-five
counties. In 1990 the proportion of the county's adult population that had attended
less than nine years of school was 37 percent--more than twice the state average
of 16 percent. During the 1990s, though, the number of high school graduates
increased from 106 in 1994 to 180 in 1998. The county's 1999 unemployment rate
was 3.6 percent.
Union has given the United States Congress two members: Lafayette Ledgerwood
and J. Will Taylor. Additionally, Union County is noted for its musical heritage;
four of its sons are now known throughout the world--Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins,
Carl Smith, and Kenny Chesney. Lois Johnson, Hilda Kitts Harrill, and Melba Kitts
Greene are among its best known women entertainers.
Community organizations such as the Union County Business and Professional Association
with more than one hundred members, Optimist Club, Friends of Maynardville Library,
Family Community Education Group, Boy and Girl Scouts, and Four-H clubs have
been formed in recent years and are bringing about affirmative change in Union
County.
The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1887
UNION COUNTY lies immediately north of Knox County, and is divided into two very nearly equal parts by the Clinch River. Powell River forms a part of its northern boundary. These streams, with their tributaries, afford an abundance of water and water power. The area of the county is about 220 square miles. The surface is generally broken, but there is a very large number of valleys, furnishing excellent soil. The county contains much valuable timber, but its greatest wealth lies in its mineral resource which are varied and abundant. It contains rich deposits of iron ore, which as yet have been worked to a very limited extent; vast beds of the finest marble; silver-bearing lead ore and zinc. The last named is abundant, and is worked quite extensively by the Edes Mixter & Heald Zinc Company. The first act providing for the erection of the county was passed on January 3, 1850, but not meeting with the requirements of the constitution it became necessary to amend it. This was done November 21, 1853. It provided for the formation of the new county from fractions of Knox, Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne an Grainger Counties, and appointed James W. Turner, William Needham, C. B. Howard and Allen Hurst, commissioners to hold the elections and organize the county. The elections were accordingly held and resulted in a vote of 368 to 100 in favor of organization. The county court was organized on February 6. 1854, at Liberty Meeting-house, in what is now Maynardsville. The magistrates present were Elijah Evans, John Lowry William Colvin, Goldman B. Carden, William Needham, Jesse G. Palmer, Jacob Turner, Calvin B. Howard and Enoch Branson. Soon after a bill was filed, enjoining further proceedings by the officers of Union County, and pending the decision of the courts, a period of nearly two years, no business was transacted. The bill was finally dismissed, and the complete organization of the county effected in 1856. The counsel on behalf of the county in the cause mentioned above was Horace Maynard, and in gratitude for the service rendered by him, the seat of justice was named in his honor. The first circuit court for Union County was begun and held at Liberty Meeting-house by Judge Robert H. Hynds. The grand jury empanelled at that term was as follows: Coleman Walton, Eli Ausley, Jacob Stooksberry, John Monroe, Jonathan Alexander, George Turner, William Hikle, Robert Dyer, Charles Skaggs, David Miller, Isaac Stooksberry, Isaac Sharp and William Bayless. The citizens of the county have ever been peaceable and law-abiding, and comparatively little litigation has ever taken place. The courts continued to be held ,in the meeting-house until 1858, when a brick courthouse was erected. The jail was built about a year previous.
The site of Maynardsville was formerly the property of Marcus Monroe, who donated to the county the lots north of Main Street, reserving the proceeds of the sale of the remainder for his own use. The first house erected was a stone building, erected in by A. L. Leinert, who still occupies it. Among the other merchants and professional men of the town prior to the war were Leinert, Huddleston & Co., D. F. Huddleston, merchants; Nicholas Ailor, attorney; J. W. Thornburgh, Monroe Harbison and R. I. Carr, physicians.
In 1858 Liberty Academy was built, and the institution incorporated with the following trustees: C. Monroe, W. P. Owens, J. M. Dinwiddie, A. L. Leinert and Harding Scaggs. It has since been well supported, and ranks among schools of its class.
Maynardsville is pleasantly situated, and has a population of about 200. The merchants at the present time are A. L. Leinert and J. W. Branson. A. W. Carr is engaged the drug business, and also keeps the hotel.
The attorneys resident in the county are Coram Acuff, the present representative to the legislature from Union and Campbell Counties; John P. Rogers, attorney-general of the Second Circuit; J. L. Ledgerwood, D. W. Gentry, J. S. Groves and John Williams.
The leading religious denomination in this county is the Baptist. It is doubtful indeed if in any other section of the State one denomination so far predominates as do the Baptists here. This being so brief a sketch of the two associations, which center in Union County, will not be out of place.
On the third Saturday in October, 1818, delegations from twelve churches, mainly m the Tennessee Association, met at Cedar Fork Church in Claiborne County, and organized Powell Valley Association. The churches and delegates were as follows: Hinds Creek (Union County), John Warwick, James Ishams, John Goss and Richard Newport; Gap Creek (Claiborne County), William Jones, Thomas Murray, Aaron Davis and Jacob Lowder; Cedar Fork (Claiborne County), Samuel Pitman and Absolom Hurst; Buffalo Creek (Grainger County), Josiah C. Bunch, John Ferguson, James Dyer and David Watson; Davis Creek (Claiborne County), John Sharp and Fred Bolinger; Glade Spring (Campbell County), Joshua Inglish; Powell River (Campbell County), Thomas Boydston; Big Barren (Claiborne County), William Cook and Samuel McBee; Head of Richland (Grainger County), John Kidwell and C. Rucker; Big Spring (Claiborne County), Richard Harper, Joab Hill and Hiram Hurst; Coal Creek (Anderson County), and War Creek. Thompson’s settlement in Virginia was also represented. Other churches were organized and added to the association as follows: Puncheon Camp (Grainger County), Rocky Spring, now Fall Creek, 1822; Mount Hebron (Union County), 1824; Blackwell Branch (Hancock County), 1825; Old Town Creek (Claiborne County), 1825; Clear Creek (Anderson County), 1826; Mouth of Barren, 1832; Blackwater, 1834; Mount Pleasant, 1834; Blue Spring (Union County), 1834; Powder Spring Gap (Grainger County), Lost Creek (Union County), 1835. In 1835 seven churches were dismissed to form Mulberry Association to include the territory previously covered by the eastern portion of Powell Valley Association. During the next year Mountain Creek (Claiborne County) and Zion were added to the latter association. At about this time the schism in the church in reference to missionary work and to “joining the societies of the day,” began to widen, and in 1839 five churches holding to the missionary doctrines withdrew to form a new association. Other churches were divided, the weaker faction usually withdrawing to organize a new congregation. The association as a whole, however, remained “anti-mission,” and received accessions from some of the adjoining associations which had joined the opposite faction. Among the new churches received after that time were Cane Creek (Anderson County), 1852; Hickory Creek (Campbell County), Salem (Grainger County), 1864; Pleasant Point (Claiborne County), 1865; Mossy Spring, (Union County), about 1865; Bean Creek (Grainger County), about 1870, and Concord (Grainger County), 1877. The association now numbers seventeen churches with a total membership of 585.
The five churches which withdrew from Powell Valley Association assembled at Glade Spring Meeting-house, in Campbell County, on November 29, 1839, and organized the “Northern Association of United Baptists.” The churches and delegates were as follows: Puncheon Camp Creek, John Clark, Anderson Acuff and William H. Odle; Powder Spring Gap, Marcus Monroe, William Huff, J. Beelor and William Peters; Blue Springs, George Sharp and Daniel H. Wright; Mount Pleasant, Jacob Whitman and Nathaniel Gray, and Clear Branch, C. H. Boatright and Joseph Kenney. The new association was prosperous, and its growth remarkably rapid. At the second meeting five churches, Zion Hill, Glade Spring, Cedar Ford, New Salem and Beech Fork were admitted, making the number of churches ten, and the total membership 579. Other churches were admitted as follows: Bethel, Powell’s River, Shady Grove and Clinton, 1841; Liberty and Jacksboro, 1842; Locust Grove, 1843; Milan and Hickory Valley, 1845; Zion, Chalybeate Spring and Poplar Creek, 1846; Indian Creek, Sulphur Spring, Macedonia and Union, 1847; Elm Spring, 1848; Big Valley, Beech Grove and Alder Spring, 1849; Head of Barren, 1850; Blowing Spring, 1851. In 1853 Clinton Association was formed of several churches in Anderson and Campbell Counties, having sixteen churches in the Northern Association. Since that time the churches admitted have been Providence and Cedar Grove, 1856; New Hope, 1857; Little Barren and Shady Grove, 1859; Nave Hill, 1867; Liberty, 1868; Warwick Chapel, Rock Castle, Gravestown, Cedar Creek, New Hope and Bethany, 1869; Chestnut Grove, 1870; Dutch Valley, Sugar Hollow, Gap Creek, 1871; Cedar Spring and Pleasant Point, 1872; Haynes’ Flat, Texas Valley and Carr’s Branch, 1873; Cedar Spring and Zion, 1877; Union, 1878; Crooked Creek, 1881; Spring Dale and New Prospect, 1882. The total number of churches in the association is now thirty-two, of which seventeen are in Union County. The aggregate membership is 2,960.
The following have been the officers of Union County since its organization:
Sheriffs--E. West, 1854-66; Jesse G. Palmer, 1856-60; A. J. Brock, 1860-62; Calvin Moore, 1862; James L. Ledgerwood, 1865-68; Christian Ousley, 1868-72; John Sharp, 1872-74; J. L. Ledgerwood, 1874-76; James M. Wilson, 1876-78; W. G. Monroe, 1878-W; William Oaks, 1880-84; William C. Sharp, 1886; F. M. Miller, 1886.
Clerks of the county court-William T. Carden, 1854--58; L. Huddleston, 185844; William Colvin, 1865-72; J. W. Turner, 1872-74; Coram Acuff, 1874-86; W. B. Morton, 1886.
Clerks of the circuit court--Allen Hurst, 1856-60; R. J. Carr, 1860; L. R. Carden, 1865-70-1 A. A. Snoderly, 1870-74; M. D. L. Kincaid, 1874-78; J. F. Huddleston.
Clerks and masters--0. W. Huddleston, A. McPheeters and J. W. Branson.
Registers--William P. Owens,-------Thomas D. Harding,-------JamesW. Turner, ------Isaac Snoderly, 1860-66; George Johnston, 1866-74; D. S. Turner, 1874-78. William Weaver, 1878-W; E. B. Morton, 1880-86; J. R. Snoderly, 1886.
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- 1880 Census, Union County, Tennessee (Sistler, 1996)
- Ailor Mortuary Records, 1933-1983 (Carter, 1994)
- Cemeteries and Tombstone Inscriptions Central Peninsula, Norris Reservoir, Union, and Campbell Counties TN (Hill & Hutton, 1985)
- County Court Minutes, Volume 1, 1854-1858 (WPA, 1940)
- Families of Norris Reservoir Area (Wilson, 1986)
- Footprints : Union County, Tennessee Cemeteries (Union County Historical Society, 1986)
- Tennessee Union County Marriage Applications and Licenses [1864-1900] (Hickle, 1983)
- Union County, Tennessee 1920 Federal Census (Carter, 1997)
- Union County, Tennessee Cemeteries : W.P.A. Records (Hayes, 199?)
- Union County, Tennessee Marriage Records, 1863-1877 (Pope, 1976)
- Union County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1914 through 1925 (Wiefering, 1994)
- Wills, Union County, Tennessee [2 vols.: Vol. A. 1856-1874, Administrative settlement index 1859-1899; Vol. B. 1875-1911] (Tharpe, 1983)
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