The US GenWeb Project

Proud to be part of
The USGenWeb Project

Union County, TNGenWeb

Welcome to the Union County TNGenWeb site.

adoptableClick to learn more!

This site is currently available for adoption. Please get in contact with the TNGenWeb State Coordinator if you are interested in adopting the site.

UNION COUNTY is one of Tennessee’s later counties, being first authorized in 1850, however, the final organization of the county offices was not completed until 1854. Maynardville is the county seat. When Union County was erected, its various parts were taken from these counties; Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger, and Knox.

mobile optimized
Maynardville Bank - photo by Seth Gaines

Current cities & towns in Union County include: Big Ridge, Braden, Luttrell, Maynardville, Plainview & Sharp’s Chapel. In the 1930’s, town such as Loyston and Lost Creek were flooded out with the building of Norris Dam. Union County is divided by the waters of the Clinch River. In the late 1930s, the United States government through its Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dammed the Clinch just downriver from Union County. Before the waters backed up into Union County, people were forced to evacuate the low lands and grave yards were relocate. A rural county from the start, it has gone through that period of disruption only to become a major recreation area for the Knoxville urbanites. Beautiful Norris Lake attracts water loving visitors by the thousands.

Famed country musicians Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, and Carl Smith were born in Union County.