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Putnam County


Updated:  November 22, 2005

Putnam County was formed in 1854 from
Fentress, Jackson, Overton, Smith and White counties.

The county seat is Cookeville.

There were fires at the Putnam County courthouse
in the 1860s and in 1898.

 

CENSUS RECORDS 

  • Census on microfilm for Putnam County:  1860-1880, 1900-1930
  • State-wide census index:  1860-1880
  • State-wide census index on microfilm  (Soundex):  1880,  1900-1930
  • Putnam County census records in book form:  *1860,  *1870,  1880,  1900,  1910, *1930

 

SELECTED COUNTY HISTORIES

  • *1930 Census, Putnam County, Tennessee (Gann, 2005)
  • Algood Story, 1857-1935 (Algood Extension Homemaker Club History Committee, 1986)
  • *Brassell Hangings of Putnam County, Tennessee (Spurlock, 1981)
  • *History of Putnam County, Tennessee (McClain, 1925)
  • Putnam County, Tennessee, 1850-1970 (DeLozier, 1979)
  • *Railroading in Putnam County (Cookeville Depot Museum, 1987)
  • *Siftings from Putnam County, Tennessee : Towns Communities People (Hopson, 1991)
  • Social Survey of Putnam County, Tennessee (Thompson, 1920)
  • Stray Leaves From Putnam County History : Pioneer Families, Sights and Sounds From the Past, Old School Groups, Civil War Soldiers (Hopson, 1993)

Additional county and community histories can be found at the Bibliography of Tennessee Local History Sources:  Putnam County.  The items in the bibliography may not all be available at TSLA.

 

PUBLISHED LOCAL RECORDS

  • *1862 Tax List, Putnam County, Tennessee (Tate, 1996)
  • *1870 United States Census of Putnam County, Tennessee (McGee, 1989)
  • 1880 Census Putnam County, Tennessee (Sistler, 1990)
  • 1880 United States Census of Putnam County, Tennessee (McGee, 1989)
  • 1900 Putnam County Census (Wilkerson, 1994)
  • Cookeville-Crossville, Tennessee, Polk City Directory : Including: Putnam and Cumberland Counties (1997)
  • Cookeville-Sparta Tennessee Polk City Directory : Including the following communities : Baxter, Bloomington Springs, Buffalo Valley, Cookeville (2002)
  • Cumberland Co., Tennessee, Fentress Co., Tennessee, Jackson Co., Tennessee, Loudon Co., Tennessee, Morgan Co., Tennessee, Overton Co., Putnam Co., [1891 enumeration of male voters] (Reed, 1990)
  • Marriage Records of Putnam County, Tennessee, 1878-1882 (Smith, 1996)
  • Polk's Cookeville (Putnam County, Tenn.) City Directory Including Algood (1961)
  • Private Acts of Putnam County, Tennessee (McIntyre, 1984)
  • Putnam County marriages (Parsley & Gilbert, 1998)
  • Putnam County, Tennessee, 1910 Census (Wilkerson, 1992)
  • Putnam County, Tennessee Cemeteries (Patton & Gilbert, 1995)
  • Putnam County, Tennessee, Circuit Court Minutes, 1842-1856 (WPA, 1941)
  • Putnam County, Tennessee Death Records : 1914-1925 (Goolsby & Freeman, 200?)
  • Putnam County, Tennessee Death Records, 1926-1935 (Freeman, 2003)
  • Putnam County, Tennessee Death Records, 1936-1945 (Freeman, 2004?)
  • *Putnam County, Tennessee, Miscellaneous Records (Garrett & Porter, 1998)
  • Putnam County, Tennessee, Tax Book, 1854-55 (WPA, 1936)
  • Tennessee, Records of Putnam County : Family Records Including Carlen, Jared, Huddleston, Hargis, Maddux and Richmond Families (WPA, 1937)
  • Tennessee, Records of Putnam County : Miscellaneous Records (Diaries, Letters, Wills, Indentures, Etc.) (WPA, 1936)
  • Tennessee, Records of Putnam County : Richard F. Cooke's Survey or Plat Book, 1825-1839 (WPA, 1939)
  • *US Census Putnam County, Tennessee, 1860 (McComb, 1989)

 

LOCAL RECORDS ON MICROFILM 

An inventory of microfilmed Putnam County records is available on our web site.  Individual reels of microfilm may also be purchased.  

Earliest records include:

  • marriages from 1879
  • wills from 1876
  • deed index from 1854
  • chancery court minutes from 1895
  • county court minutes from 1894
  • circuit court minutes from 1842
  • tax books from 1893

 

The following reels are available on interlibrary loan:

  • Deed Index -- 1854-1911 (#7, 1 reel)
  • WPA Records, Putnam County  (Record Group #107, Roll 65,  1 reel)    Roll includes Circuit Court Minutes (1842-1856),  Tax Book (1854-1855),  Family Records (undated),  Miscellaneous Records (undated) and Richard F. Cooke's Survey of Plat Book (1825-1839)

 

NEWSPAPERS ON MICROFILM 

Newspapers were published in Cookeville.  Scattered early issues are available from 1858, and a complete run begins in 1899.  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.

 

SELECTED MANUSCRIPTS MATERIAL

 

*  Indicates this title may be borrowed on Interlibrary Loan.

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