Chester County, Tennessee Genealogy
Chester County is located in West Tennessee, one of the state's
three "grand divisions."
Chester County was created in 1879 from Hardeman, Henderson, McNairy and Madison counties,
and named in honor of Robert I. Chester (1793-1892). The county seat is located at Henderson.
Chester County History
The treaty which opened West Tennessee for settlement was signed on October 19, 1818 by Isaac Shelby, Andrew Jackson and the leaders of the Chickasaw Indians. The Chickasaws were allowed to exclusively use the territory for hunting for two more years. Once settlers were allowed within the territory, progress was rapid, as evidenced by the fact that the area courts were organized in the Fall of 1823 and the first census was held in 1830.
The first settlers came from Virginia,
North Carolina, South
Carolina, North Alabama,
and, largely, Middle Tennessee. The first settlement in the area was Mifflin. Colonel J. Purdy migrated to the county from Pennsylvania;
the town of Mifflin was named after a town in his home state. Goodspeed's History of Tennessee
Area records prior to Chester County's 1879 founding can be found at the parent counties (Hardeman, Henderson, McNairy and Madison).
A Pictorial History of Chester County
This limited edition hardbound book has been published by the Chester County Historical Society, and
contains historical highlights and over a thousand old photos of the county since its
formation. Copies can be ordered from the publisher, Turner Publishing, for $39.95 + $6.00 shipping. 1-800-788-3350
Chester County Queries
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Post a Chester
County Query
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Join the Chester
County Mailing List (When the "mail-to" window pops up, type the single word "subscribe"
in the body of the message.)
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View
Posted Chester County Queries
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Surnames
being Researched in Chester County
Chester County Resources
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Chester County Public Library, 1012 E. Main Street, Henderson, TN 38340
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Chester County Historical Society, P.O. Box 721, Henderson, TN 38340-0721
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Local Historians
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Bobby Barnes, 241 Crook Avenue, Henderson, TN 38340
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Lewis Jones, P.O. Box #5, Jacks Creek, TN 38347
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Chester
County Genealogical Sources from the Tennessee State Library & Archives
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Chester County
Cemeteries (partial listing)
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Chester County
Confederate Pension Applications
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Chester County
World War I Veterans
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Chester County Records on
Microfilm
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Yesterday's Chester County
by David L. Donahue
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Goodspeed's History of Chester County
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A Brief History of Chester County by S. E. Reid
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1895 and Current Maps
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Letters from Forgotten Chester County Ancestors and
1875 Map
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The Hurst Nation of Chester and McNairy Counties
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Battle of Jacks Creek
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Cemetery Transcriptions
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Essary/Ussery Family of Chester County and Surrounding Area
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McNatt Family of Chester County and Surrounding Area
Chester County Links
Chester County Tourism
Freed-Hardeman University (Henderson, Tennessee)
Native Son Eddy Arnold
Other Helpful Links
Visit Our Neighboring Counties
Research other TN Counties
TNGenWeb Home Page
USGenWeb Home Page
For additional information about TNGenWeb contact the State
Coordinator, or go to About the TNGenWeb Project<
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This Page Copyright 2005 by Stephen Hughes
Page last updated Monday, November 17, 2008.