The 1880 Census

The 1890 Census and the 1891 Male Enumeration

The 1900 - 1930 Censuses

Soundex

Fee-Based Microfilm Lending Programs

 

 

The 1880 Census

The Tennessee State Library and Archives has a published index to the 1880 census of Tennessee.  The index is divided into three volumes:  east, middle and west Tennessee.  The index lists only the name, age & county of residence of the head of household, and a citation to the original census record.  Write and request a copy of the entries for your surname by mail.

In some cases, the 1880 census for a county has been transcribed and published. If you know the county of residence for the family you seek, check the genealogical fact sheet for the county to determine whether such a publication is available. If so, you can write and request a copy of the entries for your surname by mail.

If neither of these options works for you, you need to search the 1880 Soundex, a census index on microfilm. The State Library and Archives staff cannot search the Soundex for you, as such searches are often time-consuming and require analysis on the part of the researcher. A library in your area may have this microfilm. If not, your local librarian can assist you in borrowing Soundex microfilm from one of the fee-based microfilm lending programs.

Please be aware that the 1880 Soundex is limited by the fact that it indexes only households with children aged 10 and under.

The 1890 Census and the 1891 Male Enumeration

The 1890 census was destroyed in a records warehouse fire before microfilm was invented. There are no Tennessee census records for 1890. See the National Archives article "First in the Path of the Firemen: The Fate of the 1890 Population Census" for additional details.

There is, however, a list of male voters in each county in 1891. Some of these voter lists include ages, but no other personal or family information is provided. These lists are not alphabetical, and not all have been indexed. We cannot search for a record if the county has not been indexed. Published indexes are available for the following counties: Anderson, Benton, Blount, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Clay, Cumberland, Dickson, Dyer, Fentress, Gibson, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Lewis, Loudon, Macon, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Putnam, Roane, Scott, Sevier, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan, Trousdale, Unicoi, Washington, Wayne, Wayne, Weakley, and Williamson.

Contact us by e-mail for more information about searching these voter lists.

The 1900 - 1930 Censuses

There are no published statewide indexes to Tennessee census records 1900-1930.

In some cases, the 1900, 1910, 1920 or 1930 census for a county has been transcribed and published. If you know the county of residence for the family you seek, check the genealogical fact sheet for the county to determine whether such a publication is available. If so, you can write and request a copy of the entries for your surname by mail.

If neither of these options works for you, you need to search the Soundex, a census index on microfilm. The State Library and Archives staff cannot search the Soundex for you, as such searches are often time-consuming and require analysis on the part of the researcher. A library in your area may have this microfilm. If not, your local librarian can assist you in borrowing Soundex microfilm from one of the fee-based microfilm lending programs.

Please be aware that the 1910 Soundex has a peculiar arrangement, whereby the index for people living in the metropolitan areas is on separate reels from those living in the rest of the state.

 

Soundex

The Soundex is a card-index to households in census records from 1880-1930. The cards have been microfilmed, and can be found at many libraries or borrowed through a fee-based lending program. Instead of being arranged alphabetically, the Soundex converts every surname to a number and indexes by the sound of the name. For example, the names Henson and Hansen would have the same Soundex number. With a little practice, the Soundex can be easy to use and a valuable genealogical research tool.

 

Fee-Based Microfilm Lending Programs

Contact the NARA Census Microfilm Rental Program or Heritage Quest for more information about these programs.

 

 

Updated November 20, 2007