One of the best overviews of the Sequatchie Valley you will find on-line is Knoxville’s WBIR-TV’s Heartland Series feature from the 1980’s.
Category: About Bledsoe County Page 9 of 10
Bledsoe is divided into three distinct areas by nature…the Cumberland Plateau, Walden’s Ridge and the Sequatchie Valley.
The Cumberland Plateau was named for the Duke of Cumberland by Dr. Thomas Walker, a Virginian. Sequatchie/Sequachee is of Cherokee origin and means “hog trough” or possibly opossum. There are two stories of the naming of Walden’s Ridge. One story supposes it is named for a hunter, John Walling who died there; the other suggests it was named for Elisha Walden.
Many early settlers were farmers. The rich fertile land around the Sequatchie River provided the perfect environment for corn crops that were the mainstay of the settlers.
The Bledsoe County Historical & Genealogical Society has published two hardback volumes of local photos.
For information, please contact BCHGS.
If you are a Tennessee resident, you can access many resources on-line through the Tennessee Electronic Library. Some of these resources require individual subscriptions, but access is free for Tennessee residents.
Click here to visit the TEL site for genealogy research.
Sample resources
The Tennessean (1812 – 2002)
Digitized pages of The Tennessean (1812-2002) provide unique historical insight into the regional issues and concerns, such as local government, industrialization, prohibition, and racial struggles. Audience: Middle School, High School, College/Research, Public, Genealogy
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Search America’s historic newspaper pages from 1789-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present including 125 newspapers from Tennessee. Audience: Public, Genealogy
Digital Library of Tennessee
The Digital Library of Tennessee provides free access to unique materials from museums, libraries, and archives across the state. Audience: Public, Genealogy
Digital Public Library of America
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. Audience: Public, Genealogy
HeritageQuest Online
Collection of genealogical and historical sources, with coverage dating back to the 1700s. Search U.S. census records, full-text family and local history books, Freedman’s Bank records and more. Audience: High School, College/Research, Public, Genealogy
Tennessee Records on Ancestry.com
Tennessee records, including birth, death, and tax lists are available online thru a partnership with Ancestry.com. While other Ancestry.com resources require a subscription; these records are free for Tennesseans. Audience: High School, College/Research, Public, Genealogy
Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA)
Digital repository of Tennessee history and culture featuring historical records, photographs, documents, maps, postcards, film, audio and other original materials of enduring value. Audience: Public, Genealogy
Bledsoe County Historical & Genealogical Society
Contact by snail-mail only: P. O. Box 465, Pikeville, TN 37367
Tennessee Society, Daughters of the American Revolution
Sequatchie Valley Chapter, Pikeville
Crab Orchard Chapter, Crossville
Tennessee Society Sons of the American Revolution
Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association
UCGA is an active group that covers multiple counties that were historically related to Bledsoe County. Click here to visit the Web site.
East Tennessee Historical Society (Knoxville)
ETHS covers the 35-county region of East Tennessee, location of Bledsoe and its parent counties, and is active on multiple social media platforms. Click here for the Web site.
Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society
Most of the Cumberland Plateau, west of the Sequatchie Valley, falls geographically in Middle Tennessee. Click here for the Web site.
Tennessee Genealogical Society
The Tennessee Genealogical Society encompasses the entire state. Click here for the Web site.
Miss Elizabeth Parham Robnett
Contact by snail-mail only:
Route One, Box 234, Pikeville, TN 37367
Miss Robnett has published books on Bledsoe County history. Click here for a listing.
Elizabeth Parham Robnett has served as Bledsoe County Historian for more than 40 years. Born and raised in Pikeville, her deep sense of the past, led her not only to become a teacher of history but also to publish the excellent books mentioned elsewhere on this page. The first TNGenWeb Bledsoe County Coordinator, Nancy Cole, wrote, “I am deeply indebted to Ms. Robnett for much of the historical information presented here.”
The full listing of Tennessee County Historians is maintained by the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Click here to view it.
If you can add to this list, please click the button in the sidebar and e-mail the county coordinators!
Local
The Bledsonian-Banner newspaper Facebook page
Bledsoe County Senior Center Facebook page
Pikeville-Bledsoe County Chamber of Commerce Facebook page
Things to do in Pikeville Facebook page
Bledsoe County Courthouse Facebook page
Bledsoe County Weather Facebook page
Regional
Marion Co. TN Genealogy Chat Facebook group
Topical
Abandoned Tennessee Facebook group
Exploring Tennessee Facebook group
Tennessee Historic Structures Facebook group
Bledsoe County History Museum
Located in the Ross House
108 Frazier St, Pikeville, TN 37367
Ross House Medical Museum
The site is most widely known as the place where Dr. James A. Ross operated his medical practice in a small building behind the house. Both the circa 1872 house and the office building are being restored. In the 1940’s, the house served as the county’s second hospital. The committee is searching for the names of the Bledsoe “Boomers” who were born there.
108 Frazier St, Pikeville, TN 37367
Betty Dunn Nature Center
Natural history museum located in Van Buren County
10821 Park Rd, Pikeville, TN 37367
Dunlap Coke Ovens Museum
The Dunlap coke ovens are the remnants of a coke production facility near Dunlap. National Register of Historic Places site.
Mountain View Cir, Dunlap, TN 37327
Burritt College Museum
Located in Spencer, Van Buren County
Pioneer Hall Museum
Pioneer Hall is a historic school building in Pleasant Hill in Cumberland County. It was built for the American Missionary Association from 1887 to 1889 and designed by Reverend Benjamin Dodge, a Congregationalist from Maine. National Register of Historic Places site.
Rhea County Court House Landmark and Museum
Historical exhibits primarily related to the Scopes trial in 1925.
1475 Market St, Dayton, TN 37321
Cumberland Homesteads and CCC Museum
96 Highway 68, Crossville, TN 38555
White County Heritage Museum
144 S Main St, Sparta, TN 38583
Palmer Miner’s Museum
2115 Main St, Palmer, TN 37365
The Archives is maintained as part of the Bledsoe County Public Library.
Click here for location, hours, and contact information. Click here to view the Tennessee State Library and Archives’ directory listing for the Bledsoe Archives.
The Bledsoe County Public Library is recognized by the Tennessee State Library and Archives as the Bledsoe County Archives and Historical Records Repository. Our genealogy and Tennessee history collection includes research materials for the Sequatchie Valley as well as adjoining counties. Library Director Carolyne Knight is a Certified Archives Manager.
The library maintains many published family histories and a family histories file. Also of interest are the Cherokee and Melungeon books and files, and the Soldiers’ Pension Lists of 1792-1795, 1812, 1820 and 1890.
The library archives and special collections contain many items of interest, including the following:
- Bledsoe County Chancery Court Loose Papers, 1840-1940.
- Bledsoe County Circuit Court Minute and Docket Books, 1853-1912.
- Bledsoe County Board of Education Minute Books, 1919-1928.
- Bledsoe County Warrant Book, 1856-1872.
- Farmers Union Telephone Company Directors and Stockholders Book, 1912-1915.
- Quarterly Conference Records, Methodist, Pikeville Circuit, 1866-1874.
- First Families of Bledsoe County Files (courtesy of the Bledsoe County Historical and Genealogical Society)
- Civil War Soldiers from Bledsoe County Pension and Record Files.
- John A. Murrell File and Book Collection
- Early area maps
- Early Bledsoe County births, deaths and marriage records (compiled from official sources)
- Bledsoe County Eleventh Census Special Schedule – 6th Civil District 1890
- Letters and Broadsides 1882-1893
County Structure: Traditional
The most basic and widely used form of county government in Tennessee is one with a popularly elected county executive, entitled county mayor (T.C.A. § 5-6-101), who is the administrative head of the county, and a popularly elected county legislative body, which the General Assembly has formally entitled board of county commissioners and which is commonly referred to as the county commission. Members are generally referred to as county commissioners. T.C.A. § 5-5-102(f). This is the constitutionally required form of county government unless a county has followed the provisions provided by the Tennessee Constitution and implemented by statute a consolidated form of government with one or more of the county’s municipalities, or an alternate form of government. Of course a consolidated government will have a legislative body of some type, but the size limitation of 25 does not apply. Tenn. Const., art. VII, § 1.
Development District: Southeast Tennessee Development District
Judicial District: 12
2020 Population: 14,913
2020 Population per Square Mile: 36.23
2010 Population: 12,876
County Road Miles: 495.00
Number of Parcels: 11,651
Incorporated Cities or Towns: Pikeville (pop. 1608)
Source: http://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/county/bledsoe