Fayette County, Tennessee Genealogy & History

A Partial Bibliography
(updated 12/30/2002)

Census Records:

Sistler, Byron. 1830 Census - West Tennessee. Evanston, Illinois: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1971
("Transcription of the original schedules, with detail on sex and age groups, and a single area-wide index in the back. In addition to the usual West TN Counties, several Middle TN Counties were included: Stewart, Humphreys, Perry, Wayne, Hickman, Dickson, Montgomery, and Lawrence. Softcover ". See their website for ordering information: http://www.mindspring.com/~sistler/ )

Jackson, Ronald V. et al. Tennessee 1840 Census Index. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1976.

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1840 Census - Tennessee. Nashville: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1986.
(Note: "A statewide alphabetical listing of all household heads,
with statistical detail showing composition of the family by sex and age groups. About 107,000 names. 600 pp. Softcover. See their website for ordering information: http://www.mindspring.com/~sistler/ )

Jackson, Ronald V. Tennessee 1850 Census Index. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1981.

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1850 Census - Tennessee (4 vols.). Nashville: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1974-6; reprinted in 1991.
(Note: "Arranged by head of household, with names and ages of all family members included, with county of residence, household, and schedule page numbers and place of birth of the first 2 members of each household " See their website for ordering information: http://www.mindspring.com/~sistler/ )

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1860 Census - Tennessee (5 vols.). Nashville: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1981.
(Note: "A statewide transcription arranged by head of household, with names and ages of all family members, county of residence, and page numbers from the original schedules. Persons whose surnames differed from that of the household head are included in the index under their own surnames." See their website for ordering information: http://www.mindspring.com/~sistler/ )

Jackson, Ronald V.] Tennessee 1860 Census Index (4 vols.). Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Syst., 1982.

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1870 Census - Tennessee (2 vols.). Nashville: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1985.
(Note: " A statewide head of household index with age, sex, race, county of residence and schedule page number. Includes many individuals with surnames different from that of the household head. 835 pp." See their website for ordering information: http://www.mindspring.com/~sistler/ )

Sister, Barbara and Byron Sistler. (1984). TENNESSEE MORTALITY SCHEDULES 1850, 1860, 1880.
(Note: "A statewide alphabetical listing of these 3 schedules combined (1870 schedules were lost). Includes name of deceased, age, sex, color, slave or free, marital status, birthplace (for 1880, birthplaces of parents also), month of death, occupation and cause of death. 363 pp. Softcover. See their website for ordering information: http://www.mindspring.com/~sistler/ )

Transcribed (and indexed) U.S. census records by Cargill and Rosser (located in binders at the Fayette County Library; for internal use only):
"1860 Census Fayette Co, TN"
"1900 Census Fayette Co, TN (white)"
"1900 Census Fayette Co., TN (black)"

Churches:

Cargill, Bernice T. and Joy G. Rosser. (1994) Obituaries, Marriages, News Items extracted from The Nashville Christian Advocate 1869-1873.
(Note: "Covers items pertaining to Extreme West Tennessee and the Surrounding Area. It was Apparent that this newspaper carried very limited news and information of the Memphis Conference during these years: It looks as if the Memphis Christian Advocate merged on June 18, 1870, and became the “Western Methodist.” Abstracted and indexed for Anne R. Phillips, Archivist for the Memphis Conference, Lambuth University Library, Jackson, Tennessee. From Microfilmed reels held in the library. April, 1994. Bernice T. Cargill and Joy G. Rosser.")

Jones, Jimmie T. (2002). Register of the Jones Chapel M. B. Church, 1870-2001

Methodist Records. Abstracts of Minutes. Wesley and Stanton Circuit, Somerville and Brownsville Districts, Memphis Conference. 1866-1885.
(note of front – “Mrs. Marcelle Wilder of Longtown arranged for the Minutes to be microfilmed by the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee. The Archives provided the Somerville Library a copy of the microfilm. Abstracted from the microfilm by Joy G. Rosser of Somerville, TN and indexed by Bernice T. Cargill of Piperton, TN).

Newell, Herbert Moses (1968) History of Fayette County Baptist Association : formerly New River Baptist Association, 1870 to 1966. Banner Press.

Historical Record of the Mt. Zion Methodist Episcopal Church, South and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Gallaway, Fayette County, Tennessee 1867-1879. Record, courtesy of Mrs. Marcelle Wilder of Longtown, Tennessee. Transcribed 1992 by Joy G. Rosser and Bernice T. Cargill. Located in the Fayette Co. Library.

Rosser, Joy G. and Bernice T. Cargill ( ). Minutes of the Ladies Aid Society of the Presbyterian Church, Somerville TN, 1887-1900.
(Note: word-processing document bound in blue binder. Available at the Fayette Co. library).

Rosser, Joy G. and Bernice T. Cargill (1991). Baptist Extracts Vols I-V . Extracts from The Tennessee Baptist newspaper published in Nashville. Covers items related to Fayette, Shelby, Tipton, Haywood, Hardeman, Madison Counties (TN); Marshal and DeSoto Counties (MS). Also includes some information from Middle and East TN, AR and AL items.
(Note: Each volume is indexed; volumes are word-processing documents bound in blue press board covers. Vol I: 1844-1853; Vol II: 1853-1856; Vol III: 1857-1862; Vol IV: 1867-1877 [partial]; Vol V: 1877-1890. Abstracted from microfilm --- see TSLA holdings).

Rosser, Joy G. and Bernice T. Cargill (1991) Methodist Extracts from the Nashville Christian Advocate And the Nashville and Louisville Christian Advocate (1846-1851).

Smith, Jonathan K. T. Memoir Abstracts. Memphis Conference Methodist Episcopal Church 1866-1930

Smith, Jonathan K. T Obituary Data from the Western Methodist

Smith, Jonathan K. T Death Notices From the Christian Advocate. Nashville, Tennessee

Worthen, Mary Frances Clement (1984). Family Records from Old Trinity-In-The-Fields Parish Register, Mason, Tennessee.

County & Community Histories:

Fayette County Historical Society (1986). History of Fayette County, Tennessee.
(Note: This book is out print and there are no plans to republish it. This book includes many biographies of Revolutionary War veterans, pioneer and modern Fayette Countians; this is in addition to those found in the Goodspeed's index).

Fayette County Historical Society Bulletin (April, 1976 to April, 1994).
(Note: Notebook located at Fayette Co. Public Library: white 3-ring notebook titled, "Fayette County Historical Society Papers " )
Fayette County Sesquicentennial, Inc. (Sept, 1974). 150 Years in Fayette County, Tennessee 1824-1974.
The Goodspeed Histories of Fayette and Hardeman Counties of Tennessee (1887).
Marshall, John Walker (1991). Mason: A Glimpse into the Past.

McNamee, Sarah Rhea (1993). A History of Joyner's Camp Meeting, Joyner's Campground (1893-1993).
(Note: Joyner's Campground is located 9 miles north of Somerville).

Morton, Dorothy Rich (1975). Moscow: "Queen City of the Wolf River Valley" A Brief History.
Morton, Dorothy Rich (1974). Nineteenth Century Homes of Fayette County. Self-published.

Morton, Dorothy Rich (1989). Tennessee County History Series: Fayette County (edited by Charles W. Crawford). Memphis, TN: Memphis State University Press.

Sims, H.C. (1979). Between Two Rivers: The Story of Moscow, Tennessee (1828-1978).

Court Records:

Cargill, Bernice T. and Joy G. Rosser (July, 1996). Marriage Notices: Extracts from Newspapers from 1835-1860. (Covers persons in Fayette, Haywood, Hardeman, Shelby, Tipton Counties, TN; Marshall and DeSoto Counties, MS; and some AR).
(Note: also includes scattered divorce petitions from this period. Appears to be a single copy for Fayette Co. library patrons only).

Cargill, Bernice T. and Joy G. Rosser (1990). Index to Marriage Records, Fayette County Tennessee (1838-1859).
(Note: Marriage records lost for : 1824-1837; 1857-1859)

Day, Lucie and Mary N. Gilmore (WPA, 1939). Fayette County Marriages Book A (1838-1859).

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler (1989). Fayette County, Tennessee Marriages, 1838-1871

Swenson, Helen Smothers and Frances Ingmire (c1981). Fayette County Marriages 1838-1857.

West, Jean Alexander (1983). Fayette County Tennessee County Court Minute Book B (1840-1844).

Young, Mrs. Maggie (WPA, 1938). Tennessee Records of Fayette County: Minute Book A (1824-1829).

Ethnic Roots:

Hamburger, Robert (1973). Our Portion of Hell: Fayette County, Tennessee: An Oral History of the Struggle for Civil Rights.

Walls, Dwayne E. (1969). Fayette County, Tennessee: Tragedy and Confrontation.

Family Histories:

Hamilton, Hance H. (1998). The Genealogy of The IVY/IVEY Family of Hickory With, Tennessee. Biographies by Maxine VunKannon Barton

Irwin, Frank Lewis (July, 1986). The IRWINS and their kinfolk the ALEXANDERS and CRAWFORDS who were early settlers (1837) in Fayette County, Tennessee
(Note: "Based on extensive genealogical research done in the 1940’s by my father, Percy Crawford Irwin (born 1870 in Fayette County, Tennessee) "   Red loose-leaf notebook with handwritten title page, located in the Fayette Co. Library).

McCraw, Carol J., Rushing, Joy and Joyce AuBuchon (1998). It is McCraw Not McGraw Bountiful, Utah: Family History Publishers, Inc.

Moore, Elizabeth Allen (1980). The Allens of Fayette County, Tennessee and related families.

Rogers, Robert W. (1982). Rogers Genealogy with Ancestry of Rogers Families at Belmont; District 4, Fayette County, Mason, Tennessee.    (located in the Fayette Co. Library).

Shaw, Dan (1995). Mange and Jennie Jordan Jones : the saga of a Fayette County couple

Funeral Home & Cemetery Records:

Cargill, Bernice T. and Joy G. Rosser. (1994) Obituaries, Marriages, News Items extracted from The Nashville Christian Advocate 1869-1873.
(Note: "Covers items pertaining to Extreme West Tennessee and the Surrounding Area. It was Apparent that this newspaper carried very limited news and information of the Memphis Conference during these years: It looks as if the Memphis Christian Advocate merged on June 18, 1870, and became the “Western Methodist.” Abstracted and indexed for Anne R. Phillips, Archivist for the Memphis Conference, Lambuth University Library, Jackson, Tennessee. From Microfilmed reels held in the library. April, 1994. Bernice T. Cargill and Joy G. Rosser.")

Cemetery Association of LaGrange, TN (c.1957). The LaGrange Cemetery.

DAR-Zachariah Davies Chapter (c.1958). Genealogical Records Report, 1957-1958. Inscriptions from 248 Gravestones.

Love, Grace McIntyre (1959). Cemetery Inscriptions, Crockett, Fayette, and Shelby County, Tennessee.

Morton, Dorothy Rich (1974). Cemetery Records from Fayette County, Tennessee.

Pulliam, Lavern (WPA Project). Fayette County Obituary Record.
(Note: Transcribed from obituaries appearing in the Fayette Falcon, ? mostly 1930's . Record found in green 3-ring notebook at the Fayette County Library).

Rosser, Joy G. (1994). Obituaries from Fayette County, Tennessee (Vol I: 1840-1920; Vol II: Fayette Falcon 1921-1938; Vol III: 1939-1953).

Smith, Jonathan Kennon Thompson (2000). Obituary Data from the Western Methodist at Little Rock, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee (1880-1882).

Historical Sites:

Morton, Dorothy Rich (1974). Nineteenth Century Homes of Fayette County (illustrated by Susan Davis). Self-published. (Note: Covers the history of 52 homes in Fayette County).

Madonna Circle, Memphis (c196_). Welcome to "LaBelle Village", LaGrange, Tennessee: An Ante-bellum Afternoon.

Lawyers, Merchants & Others:

Rosser, Joy G. (1994). Transcription of the 1869 Diary of Mrs. Louisa Kerr Dancy.
(Note: John Dancy was an undertaker in Fayette Co; there are more than 30 funerals listed in this book. ).

Cargill, Bernice T. and Joy G. Rosser (1992). Exerpts from the 1892 Diary kept by Reverend Thomas Leachman Boswell, Methodist Minister Residing Macon, Tennessee.
(Note: This diary was given by Sarah Jane Duncan Blalock to her brother, Robert Duncan, and was given by Robert’s wife, Inez Duncan of Whiteville, TN. To Charles E. Harvey of Somerville, the present owner. The “cousin Betty McKinstry”, referred to in the diary, was Charles E. Harvey’s grandmother. She was a Boswell, and Thomas Leachman Boswell performed the marriage ceremony when she married William Hemphill McKinstry in 1875. The diary was loaned for transcribing by Charles E. Harvey. Transcribed 1992 by Bernice T. Cargill and Joy G. Rosser.)

Methodist Extracts From the Journal of Reverend James Perry, Wesley Circuit, Memphis Conference 1851-1886.
(Note: Taken from a copy of the original Journal owned 1991 by Reverend James D. Roper, P.O.. Box 295, Tyronza, Arkansas72386.Prepared for Ann R. Phillips, Memphis Conference Archives, Lambuth University, Jackson, Tennessee. Prepared 1991 by Joy G. Rosser and Bernice T. Cargill)

Maps:

Pueta, C. J. ( ). TENNESSEE COUNTY MAPS
(Note: "Each of the 95 Tennessee counties separately set forth on 16" x 11" pages,
allowing detail unavailable on statewide maps. Includes the tiniest communities, roads and natural features. 144 pp. Softcover." May purchase through Sistler & Associates -- see their website for ordering information: http://www.mindspring.com/~sistler/ )

Tennessee State Highway Department (1938). General highway and transportation map, Fayette County, Tennessee (size: 46x61 cm).

Tennessee State Highway Department (1970). General highway map, Fayette County, Tennessee (size: 44x50 cm).

Marriage Records:

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler, (1989). FAYETTE COUNTY, TN MARRIAGES 1838-1871
(Note: "About 4300 marriages copied from original marriage books and arranged alphabetically by bride and groom. Softcover." See their website for ordering information: http://www.mindspring.com/~sistler/ )

Miscellaneous:

Historic Front Pages : Historic Pages of Memphis, the Nation and the World (1841-1991). Memphis: The Commercial Appeal (newspaper).

Laws, Forrest 1975). The Railroad comes to Tennessee: The building of the LaGrange and Memphis Railroad.
(Note: This was a term paper for History 7960 @ Memphis State University; paper is located in the Memphis/Shelby County Library's 'MEMPHIS ROOM' collection)

Tennessee Sate Library and Archives (1974). Biographical Directory [of] Tennessee General Assembly, 1796-1969: Fayette County [and] Hardeman County.

West Tennessee Historical Society Papers Vol I (1947) - Vol 35 (1981).

Williams, Samuel Cole (1930). Beginnings of West Tennessee: In the Land of the Chickasaws (1541-1841).
Rosser, Joy G. (1999). Somerville Democrat Newspaper 1856-1859 (Extracts). Deaths, Estate, Marriages, Items of Interest.
(Note: "Mr. Charles Cooley owns the original newspapers and allowed them to be microfilmed by the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee. A copy of microfilm is at the Somerville Library. Prepared February, 1999 by Joy G. Rosser").

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