CENSUS RECORDS 

• Census on microfilm for Rutherford County:  1810-1880, 1900-1930
• State-wide census index:  1830-1880
• State-wide census index on microfilm  (Soundex):  1880,  1900-1930
• Rutherford County census records in book form:  1810, *1820, *1840, *1850, *1860, 1870, *1880, 1900, 1910, 1920

SELECTED COUNTY HISTORIES

• *Arbors to Bricks : A Hundred Years of African American Education in Rutherford County, Tennessee, 1865 to 1965 (Jarmon, 1994)
• Brawley Creek : Sketching a History of the Early and Latter Times (Bush, 1997)
• Duck River Valley in Tennessee and Its Pioneers (Jacobs, 1968)
• Exploring Rutherford County (1979)
• Glimpse of News Past : The Courier, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 1830-1832 (Lynch, 1999)
• *Griffith! : A Bicentennial Publication : Rutherford County, Tennessee (Pittard, 1976)
• Heart of Tennessee : The Story & Images of Historic Rutherford County (Weeks, 1992)
• History of Rutherford County (Middle Tennessee State College, 1939)
• *History of Rutherford County (Sims, 1947)
• History of Rutherford County in Pictures (Pittard, 1990)
• History of Rutherford County's African American Community (Hughes, 1996)
• History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present : Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson (Goodspeed, 1988)
• *Images of 19th Century Rutherford County, It's Homes and People (Lamb, 2007)
• Rutherford County (Pittard, 1985)
• *Rutherford County, Tennessee, History & Families (Rutherford County Historical Society, 2002)

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

PUBLISHED LOCAL RECORDS

• 1810 Census [Rutherford County] (Houston, 19??)
• *1840 Census of Rutherford County, Tennessee (Rutherford County Historical Society, 1974)
• 1860 Census, Rutherford County, Tennessee (Phillips, 1970)
• *1880 Census, Rutherford County, Tennessee (Sistler, 1998)
• Bible and Family Records, Tombstone Inscriptions, Miscellaneous Records (WPA, 1938)
• Census Records of Rutherford County, Tennessee, 1870-1920 [4 vols.] (Walkup, 2000)
• County Court Minutes, 1804-1830 [15 vols.] (WPA, 1936-1941)
• Death Certificates of Rutherford County, Tennessee, 1914-1925 (Mendez, 2003)
• *Deed Abstracts on Stones River : From Deed Books A, B, C, D, E, F, of Davidson County, Tennessee 1784-1806 (Jones, 2000)
• Fellowship Baptist Church, Rutherford County, Tennessee, Minutes [2 vols.] (Partlow, 1983)
• *First Quarter Century of Advent Evangelical Lutheran Church of Murfreesboro, Tennessee and it's [sic] Extended Ministry in Lebanon, Robert O. Neff, Jr. (Neff, 1982)
• *Hearthstones : The Story of Rutherford County Homes (Hughes, 1993)
• Historical Sketch, Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 1858-1918 (WPA, 1938)
• *Index to Rutherford County, Tennessee Wills & Administrations, 1804 to 1861 (Sistler, 1990)
• J. Percy Priest Reservoir Project : Cemetery Relocation, Davidson, Wilson and Rutherford Counties, Tennessee (United States. Army. Corps of Engineers, 1966)
• *Land Deed Genealogy of Rutherford County, Tennessee: 1804-1813 Earliest Land Grants on Stones, Duck & Elk Rivers [vol. 1 1804-1813; vol. 2 1814-1819; vol. 3 1819-1823] (Marsh, 2001)
• Marriage Record, 1804-1845 [vol. 1 1804-37; vol. 2 1838-45] (WPA, 1937-1938)
• *Marriages of Rutherford County, Tennessee, 1804-1872 (Whitley, 1981)
• Marriages [sic] Licenses of Rutherford County, Tennessee, 1873-May 10, 1889 [vol. 1 1873 - May 10, 1889; vol. 2 May 13, 1889 - January 27, 1907] (Mendez, 2002)
• Name Index to History of Tennessee ... : Together with ... Sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall Counties (Marsh, 1971)
• *Pioneers of Rutherford County, Tennessee : Abstract of County Court Minutes 1804 - 1810 (Wells, 1989)
• Private Acts of Rutherford County, Tennessee (McIntyre, 1995)
• Roll of Honor : Names of Soldiers who Died in Defence of the American Union, Interred in the National Cemeteries at Chattanooga, Stone's River, and Knoxville [vol. 3] (United States. Quartermaster's Dept., 1866)
• *Rutherford County, Tenn. Cemeteries [vol. 1 Northwest third of county; vol. 2 Eastern third of county; vol. 3 Southwest third of county] (Rutherford County Historical Society, 1975)
• Rutherford County, Tennessee, 1850 Census (Porch, 1967)
• Rutherford County, Tennessee, Abstracts of Record Books 1-7, 1803-1829 (Daniel, 19??)
• Rutherford County, Tennessee, Chancery Court Minutes, 1845-1867 (Partlow, 1999)
• *Rutherford County, Tennessee, County Court Minutes, 1811-1815 (Wells, 1994)
• *Rutherford County, Tennessee, Deed Abstracts [1804-1810] (Wray, 19??)
• Rutherford County, Tennessee, Deeds [1804-1808] (Simmons & Willis, 1996)
• Rutherford County, Tennessee, General Index to Deeds, Book 1, 1804-1842 (WPA, 1939)
• Rutherford County, Tennessee, History, Minutes, and Register of the Smyrna Presbyterian Church, 1820-1935 (WPA, 1938)
• Rutherford County, Tennessee Marriage Records, 1851-1872 (Daughters of the American Revolution, 1975?)
• Rutherford County Tennessee Pioneers Born Before 1800 (Daniel, 2003)
• *Rutherford County, Tennessee, Population Schedules of the United States Census, 1820 (Presley, 1970?)
• Rutherford County, Tennessee, Record Book A, no. 1, 1804-1814 (WPA, 1938)
• *Rutherford County, Tennessee Record Book A, no. 1, 1804-1814 (Lynch, 1980)
• Salem Methodist Church, Rutherford County, Tennessee, 1812-1975 (Muse, 1976)
• *Some Rutherford County, Tennessee, Cemetery Records (Garrett & McClain, 1971)
• Smyrna/La Vergne, Tennessee, City Directory (R.L. Polk & Co., 1994-95)
• Tax Lists [vol. 1 1809-1813; vol. 2 1849] (WPA, 1938-1939)
• Tombstone Inscriptions of Evergreen Cemetery, Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Porch, 1965)
• *Wills and Inventories of Rutherford County, Tennessee [vol. 1 1804-1828; vol. 2 1828-1840] (Marsh, 1998)
• Wills, Inventories, Settlements, etc., 1804-1832 [vols. 2-8] (WPA, 1936-1938)

LOCAL RECORDS ON MICROFILM 

An inventory of microfilmed Rutherford County records is available for purchase from the Preservation Services section of TSLA.  Individual reels of microfilm may also be purchased.

Earliest records include:

• marriages from 1804
• wills from 1804
• deed index from 1804
• chancery court minutes from 1845
• county court minutes from 1804
• circuit court minutes from 1849
• tax books from 1809

The following reels are available on interlibrary loan:

• *Deed Index -- 1804-1890 (#103, 1 reel)
• *Marriage records -- 1804-1881 (#243, 1 reel)
• *WPA Records, Rutherford County (Record Group #107, Roll 71, 1 reel) Roll includes Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions, Minutes, Vol. A-K (1804-1817), County Court Minutes, Vols. L-S (1817-1824).
• *WPA Records, Rutherford County (Record Group #107, Roll 72, 1 reel) Roll includes County Court Minutes, Vols. T-W (1824-1830), Marriage Records, Vol. 1 (1804-1842), Marriage Records, Vol. 2 (1838-1845), General Index to Deed Book I (1804-1842), Tax Lists (1809-1813, 1849) and Wills, Inventories, Settlements, Vols. II-IV (1804-1820).
• *WPA Records, Rutherford County (Record Group #107, Roll 73, 1 reel) Roll includes Wills, Inventories, Settlements, Vols. V-VIII (1804-1820), Record Book A (1804-1814), History, Minutes & Register of the Smyrna Presbyterian Church (1887-1912), Church Records (undated) and Bible, Family & Tombstone Records, Misc. Records (undated).

NEWSPAPERS ON MICROFILM 

Newspapers were published in Murfreesboro and Smyrna.  Scattered early issues are available from 1820, and a complete run begins in 1931.  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.

• *Barton-Taylor Family Papers, 1771-1935  (Microfilm Manuscript #451, 1 reel)
• *Bedford and Rutherford County Scrapbooks, 1900-1968  (Microfilm Manuscript #266, 1 reel)
• Betty Family Papers, 1835 - 1935 
• *Beulah Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Records. Rutherford County, 1889-1927  (Microfilm Manuscript #768, 1 reel)
• *Bradley’s Creek Baptist Church Records. Rutherford County, 1819-1904  (Microfilm Manuscript #1469, 1 reel)
• *Charity Circle Records. Murfreesboro, 1910-1929 and 1941-1979  (Microfilm Manuscript #650, 1 reel)
• *Dr. Chesley Williams Papers, 1856-1927  (Microfilm Manuscript #1377, 4 reels)
• *Dr. Harry Mustard Photographic Album. Rutherford County, 1925-1930  (Microfilm Manuscript #1253, 1 reel)
• *Dyas Collection - John Coffee Papers, 1770-1917  (Microfilm Manuscript #814, 10 reels)
• Edmondson Family Papers, 1848-1885 
• *First Cumberland Presbyterian Church Records. Murfreesboro, 1899-1975  (Microfilm Manuscript #509, 2 reels)
• *First Presbyterian Church Records. Murfreesboro, 1812-1967  (Microfilm Manuscript #502, 3 reels)
• *Florence Baptist Church Records. Rutherford County, 1915-1970  (Microfilm Manuscript #518, 1 reel)
• *Florence Presbyterian Church Records. Rutherford County, 1913-1928  (Microfilm Manuscript #616, 1 reel)
• *Francis Jackson Account Book, 1819-1820, 1864  (Microfilm Manuscript #385, 1 reel)
• *Hilary Ewing Howse Scrapbook, 1909-1963  (Microfilm Manuscript #398, 1 reel)
• *J. D. Hall Account Book, ca. 1881-1899  (Microfilm Manuscript #618, 1 reel)
• *James Knox Polk Papers, 1780-1972  (Microfilm Manuscript #805, 3 reels)
• *John Sumner Russwurm Papers, 1786-1914  (Microfilm Manuscript #1197, 2 reels)
• *LaVergne Presbyterian Church Records. Rutherford County, 1887-1972  (Microfilm Manuscript #415, 1 reel)
• *Locks Methodist Episcopal Church, South Records. Rutherford County, 1850-1983  (Microfilm Manuscript #759, 1 reel)
• *MacLaughlin Family Papers, 1779-1883  (Microfilm Manuscript #1269, 1 reel)
• *Margaret Travis Gray Genealogical Materials: Travis Ancestors of Emmett Alexander Travis, 1790-(1860-1988)-1996 (Microfilm Manuscript #1778)
• *Margaret Travis Gray Genealogical Materials: Travis and Related Familes, 1790-2001 (Microfilmed Manuscript #1779)
• *National Bank of Smyrna Records. Rutherford County, 1911-1913  (Microfilm Manuscript #619, 1 reel)
• *Overall Forks Baptist Church (Rutherford County, Tenn.) Records, 1814-1874  (Microfilm Manuscript #1304, 1 reel)
• *Patterson Baptist Church Records. Rutherford County, 1902-1983  (Microfilm Manuscript #772, 1 reel)
• *Ransom Family Papers, 1833-1957  (Microfilm Manuscript #1255, 8 reels)
• *Rehobeth Methodist Church Records. Rutherford County, 1843-1976  (Microfilm Manuscript #767, 1 reel)
• *Robert B. Freeman Diaries, 1876-1877, 1885-1886  (Microfilm Manuscript #457, 1 reel)
• *Rock Spring Church of Christ Records. Rutherford County, 1835-1860  (Microfilm Manuscript #170, 1 reel)
• *Smyrna Methodist Episcopal Church South Records. Rutherford County, 1823-1914  (Microfilm Manuscript #1323, 1 reel)
• *Travis Windrow Papers, 1808-1899  (Microfilm Manuscript #1424, 3 reels)
• *Travis Windrow & Azariah R. Dyer Store Ledger, Windrow's Campground, 1866-1888 (Microfilm Manuscript #1783, 1 reel)
• *Walter Hoover Collection, 1786-1926  (Microfilm Manuscript #61, 1 reel)
• *Windrow General Store Account Books. Rutherford County, 1848-1855  (Microfilm Manuscript #633, 1 reel)

*  Indicates this title may be borrowed on Interlibrary Loan.