Tennessee became a state in 1796.

Overton County was formed in 1806 from Jackson County, TN.

Jackson County was formed in 1801 from Smith County.

Smith County was formed in 1799 from Sumner County, which was formed in 1796.

Several counties were then formed from Overton County. In 1823,  Fentress County was formed in part from Overton. In 1842, Putman County was formed in part from Overton. In 1870, Clay County was formed in part from Overton. In 1879, Pickett County was formed from Overton and Fentress Counties.

During the Civil War, the courthouse in Overton County was burned. Many of the early county documents were destroyed. The deed books were not in the courthouse and did not burn. Some early court minutes survived also. Wills, marriages, and other important documents are scattered throughout these early deed books. All available early record books can be seen in the Courthouse Annex on University Street or on microfilm at the Overton County Library, just off East Main Street in Livingston, TN.

If you are looking for information before 1806, you should realize Jackson County Courthouse burned in 1872.  Nearly all local records, except for some court minutes, were lost.  Chancery Court, circuit court, and county court minutes exist from 1839. There are miscellaneous records from 1810, a petition from 1806, and tax records for 1802-3 and 1836.

Records prior to 1801 might be in Smith County, since Jackson was formed from Smith that year.

Before 1799 when Smith County was formed, look in Sumner County records.

Depending on the time period and the location of the property, you might find records in Kentucky because of the Walker Line dispute.  Click here for information about the boundary contention.

Please note that not all of Jackson County records burned in 1872. 

If property was obtained through a land grant, you may be able to verify that through land grant records.  Click here to view details about that process at the TNGenWeb Lands of our Ancestors special project.

Overton County Formation Tree

County names are hyperlinked to connect you to those counties’ TNGenWeb Project sites.

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Fentress County 1823 / Putnam County 1842 / Clay County 1870 / Pickett County 1879