Articles & News

Historical notes, events, and genealogy columns imported from the original site — ready to expand with fresh research content.

• Start Tennessee research with the year, not the modern county featured
  August 1, 2026
  Parent counties, territorial labels, and burned courthouses make year-first method non-negotiable.
• East, Middle, and West: why grand divisions change research strategy featured
  July 31, 2026
  Migration corridors, land offices, and repository strengths differ across Tennessee’s three grand divisions.
• Burned-courthouse playbook for Tennessee counties featured
  July 30, 2026
  Fires remove books, not neighbors. Rebuild identity with FAN clubs and free stacks first.
• Tax lists before (and between) census years featured
  July 28, 2026
  Tax lists place people when census years gap or burn.
• FAN clubs across Tennessee county lines featured
  July 27, 2026
  Witnesses and bondsmen often live next door—in the next county.
• Parent-county checklist for Tennessee formations featured
  July 26, 2026
  A short checklist before you search the modern county only.
• Parent counties — research method note featured
  July 24, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: parent counties.
• Probate without a will in Tennessee featured
  July 24, 2026
  Administrations and sales rebuild kinship.
• Burned courthouses — research method note featured
  July 23, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: burned courthouses.
• The 1870 bridge year for African American Tennessee research featured
  July 23, 2026
  Work both directions from 1870 with estates, churches, and Bureau files.
• Tax lists — research method note featured
  July 22, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: tax lists.
• City directories for Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga featured
  July 21, 2026
  Directories catch renters deeds miss.
• Enslaver-cluster method (respectful overview) featured
  July 21, 2026
  Neighbors and estates before surname guesses.
• Census FAN clubs — research method note featured
  July 20, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: census FAN clubs.
• Year-first method — research method note featured
  July 19, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: year-first method.
• Land abstracts — research method note featured
  July 19, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: land abstracts.
• Probate without wills — research method note featured
  July 18, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: probate without wills.
• Marriage bonds — research method note featured
  July 16, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: marriage bonds.
• Middle Tennessee plantation edges and towns featured
  June 26, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Middle Tennessee plantation edges and towns.
• Cumberland settlements and early land claims featured
  June 26, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Cumberland settlements and early land claims.
• Nashville ward maps and directory decades featured
  June 25, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Nashville ward maps and directory decades.
• State of Franklin place-label traps featured
  June 24, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: State of Franklin place-label traps.
• Southwest Territory paper before 1796 featured
  June 24, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Southwest Territory paper before 1796.
• Memphis river commerce and state-line kin featured
  June 23, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Memphis river commerce and state-line kin.
• Chickasaw cession and West Tennessee openings featured
  June 23, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Chickasaw cession and West Tennessee openings.
• Knoxville railroad and industrial surnames featured
  June 22, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Knoxville railroad and industrial surnames.
• Chattanooga campaign caution for civilian cites featured
  June 21, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Chattanooga campaign caution for civilian cites.
• East Tennessee mountain migration corridors featured
  June 21, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: East Tennessee mountain migration corridors.
• Burned-county tax list strategy featured
  June 19, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Burned-county tax list strategy.
• Guardian bonds naming minors featured
  June 18, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Guardian bonds naming minors.
• Reading Tennessee marriage bonds vs. returns featured
  May 24, 2026
  Parity-depth editorial for Tennessee: Reading Tennessee marriage bonds vs. returns.
• Using TeVA images as place context only featured
  May 24, 2026
  Parity-depth editorial for Tennessee: Using TeVA images as place context only.
• Southern Claims Commission neighbors in Middle Tennessee featured
  May 22, 2026
  Parity-depth editorial for Tennessee: Southern Claims Commission neighbors in Middle Tennessee.
• TSLA manuscript catalogs for family papers featured
  May 22, 2026
  Parity-depth editorial for Tennessee: TSLA manuscript catalogs for family papers.
• County seat newspapers vs. market-town weeklies featured
  May 21, 2026
  Parity-depth editorial for Tennessee: County seat newspapers vs. market-town weeklies.
• Abstracting every name on a Tennessee tax page featured
  May 20, 2026
  Parity-depth editorial for Tennessee: Abstracting every name on a Tennessee tax page.
• How mill village directories hide maiden names featured
  May 19, 2026
  Parity-depth editorial for Tennessee: How mill village directories hide maiden names.
• When civil districts renumber without migration featured
  May 18, 2026
  Parity-depth editorial for Tennessee: When civil districts renumber without migration.
• Coal camp employment lists as residence proof featured
  May 17, 2026
  Parity-depth editorial for Tennessee: Coal camp employment lists as residence proof.
• Reconstruction-era registration paper in Tennessee featured
  May 16, 2026
  Parity-depth editorial for Tennessee: Reconstruction-era registration paper in Tennessee.
• Using TSLA and TeVA before paid databases
  July 29, 2026
  Free stacks first: catalogs, microfilm, and digital collections.
• Nashville urban genealogy: directories, wards, and Davidson overlays
  July 27, 2026
  City research needs directories and newspapers alongside county clerks.
• East Tennessee border families: Virginia and North Carolina edges
  July 26, 2026
  State lines rarely match family networks—search both sides.
• Civil War records for Tennessee families (without treating battles as vitals)
  July 25, 2026
  Service files and occupation layers densify identity—cite carefully.
• Using the McClung Historical Collection (Knoxville)
  July 25, 2026
  East Tennessee’s flagship local history collection.
• Railroad towns and surname appearance/disappearance
  July 25, 2026
  New place-names do not mean a move across the continent.
• Memphis state-line research (AR/MS edges)
  July 24, 2026
  FAN clubs ignore state lines.
• Legal notices in Tennessee newspapers
  July 24, 2026
  Estate sales and land sales hide in weeklies.
• Church substitutes — research method note
  July 22, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: church substitutes.
• Spelling variants and mountain names in Tennessee
  July 22, 2026
  Search variants before declaring a negative.
• What to pack for a Tennessee research trip
  July 22, 2026
  Call ahead; film first; abstract fully.
• Newspapers legal notices — research method note
  July 21, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: newspapers legal notices.
• State-line FAN clubs — research method note
  July 21, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: state-line FAN clubs.
• City directories — research method note
  July 19, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: city directories.
• Military pensions — research method note
  July 19, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: military pensions.
• Railroad towns — research method note
  July 18, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: railroad towns.
• WWI draft cards — research method note
  July 17, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: WWI draft cards.
• Delayed births — research method note
  July 17, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: delayed births.
• East Tennessee corridors — research method note
  July 17, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: East Tennessee corridors.
• 1870 bridge year — research method note
  July 16, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: 1870 bridge year.
• Cemetery surveys — research method note
  July 16, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: cemetery surveys.
• Soundex variants — research method note
  July 15, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: soundex variants.
• Negative search logs — research method note
  July 15, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: negative search logs.
• Middle Tennessee metro — research method note
  July 15, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: Middle Tennessee metro.
• West Tennessee openings — research method note
  July 15, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: West Tennessee openings.
• Enslaver clusters — research method note
  July 14, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: enslaver clusters.
• Neighbor counties — research method note
  July 14, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: neighbor counties.
• Occupation-era clerks — research method note
  July 13, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: occupation-era clerks.
• Guardian bonds — research method note
  July 13, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: guardian bonds.
• Mountain place-names — research method note
  July 13, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: mountain place-names.
• Daughter counties — research method note
  July 13, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: daughter counties.
• Apprenticeship — research method note
  July 12, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: apprenticeship.
• River settlements — research method note
  July 12, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: river settlements.
• Territorial labels — research method note
  July 12, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: territorial labels.
• Parole lists — research method note
  July 11, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: parole lists.
• Formation tables — research method note
  July 11, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: formation tables.
• State of Franklin traps — research method note
  July 11, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: State of Franklin traps.
• Southern Claims — research method note
  July 10, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: Southern Claims.
• Jury lists — research method note
  July 10, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: jury lists.
• Freedmen’s Bureau — research method note
  July 9, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: Freedmen’s Bureau.
• Road orders — research method note
  July 9, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: road orders.
• TSLA film order — research method note
  July 9, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: TSLA film order.
• Plat maps — research method note
  July 9, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: plat maps.
• Cumberland settlements — research method note
  July 8, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: Cumberland settlements.
• Mill villages — research method note
  July 8, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: mill villages.
• Grantor-grantee indexes — research method note
  July 7, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: grantor-grantee indexes.
• Chickasaw cession chronology — research method note
  July 7, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: Chickasaw cession chronology.
• Cohabitation records — research method note
  July 7, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: cohabitation records.
• Militia rolls — research method note
  July 6, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: militia rolls.
• School censuses — research method note
  July 6, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: school censuses.
• Coal towns — research method note
  July 6, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: coal towns.
• Loose papers — research method note
  July 5, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: loose papers.
• Voter lists — research method note
  July 5, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: voter lists.
• Plantation edges — research method note
  July 5, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: plantation edges.
• Urban wards — research method note
  July 5, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: urban wards.
• Chancery-like equity — research method note
  July 4, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: chancery-like equity.
• Confederate service files — research method note
  July 4, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: Confederate service files.
• Federal courts — research method note
  July 3, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: federal courts.
• Union service files — research method note
  July 3, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: Union service files.
• Obituary kin lists — research method note
  July 3, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: obituary kin lists.
• Bible records — research method note
  July 3, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: Bible records.
• Rural free delivery addresses — research method note
  July 3, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: rural free delivery addresses.
• Hospital registers — research method note
  July 2, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: hospital registers.
• Funeral home books — research method note
  July 2, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: funeral home books.
• Endogamy cautions — research method note
  July 1, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: endogamy cautions.
• Pension depositions — research method note
  July 1, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: pension depositions.
• Migration corridors — research method note
  June 30, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: migration corridors.
• Bounty land — research method note
  June 30, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: bounty land.
• Prisoner records — research method note
  June 30, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: prisoner records.
• Sexton records — research method note
  June 30, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: sexton records.
• Border AL research — research method note
  June 29, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: border AL research.
• Home-front newspapers — research method note
  June 29, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: home-front newspapers.
• Church minutes — research method note
  June 28, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: church minutes.
• Railroad employment — research method note
  June 28, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: railroad employment.
• Market town papers — research method note
  June 28, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: market town papers.
• Circuit rider notes — research method note
  June 27, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: circuit rider notes.
• River commerce — research method note
  June 27, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: river commerce.
• Border MS research — research method note
  June 27, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: border MS research.
• Border VA research — research method note
  June 26, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: border VA research.
• DNA cluster mapping — research method note
  June 25, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: DNA cluster mapping.
• Apprenticeship and poorhouse records
  June 24, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Apprenticeship and poorhouse records.
• Border NC research — research method note
  June 24, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: border NC research.
• Border KY research — research method note
  June 23, 2026
  Practical method note for Tennessee researchers: border KY research.
• Circuit rider Methodist notes
  June 22, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Circuit rider Methodist notes.
• Delayed birth certificates
  June 22, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Delayed birth certificates.
• Baptist association minutes
  June 21, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Baptist association minutes.
• WWI draft cards for identity
  June 21, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: WWI draft cards for identity.
• Presbyterian session books
  June 20, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Presbyterian session books.
• Civil War parole and hospital paper
  June 20, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Civil War parole and hospital paper.
• Watercourse names in deeds
  June 19, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Watercourse names in deeds.
• Plat and survey attachments
  June 18, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Plat and survey attachments.
• Cemetery sexton vs. marker gaps
  June 18, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Cemetery sexton vs. marker gaps.
• Revolutionary pension depositions
  June 17, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Revolutionary pension depositions.
• Urban vs rural place-name shifts
  June 17, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Urban vs rural place-name shifts.
• Funeral home registers
  June 17, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Funeral home registers.
• Federal land and bounty warrants
  June 16, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Federal land and bounty warrants.
• Loose papers and order books
  June 16, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Loose papers and order books.
• Bible records as vital substitutes
  June 16, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Bible records as vital substitutes.
• Grantor-grantee index discipline
  June 15, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Grantor-grantee index discipline.
• Equity-style disputes in local courts
  June 15, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Equity-style disputes in local courts.
• Railroad stop renaming without migration
  June 15, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Railroad stop renaming without migration.
• DNA clusters with documentary anchors
  June 14, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: DNA clusters with documentary anchors.
• Newspaper estate sales
  June 14, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Newspaper estate sales.
• Coal town employment lists
  June 14, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Coal town employment lists.
• Mill village directories
  June 14, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Mill village directories.
• Endogamy cautions in mountain counties
  June 13, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Endogamy cautions in mountain counties.
• Metes-and-bounds neighbor chains
  June 13, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Metes-and-bounds neighbor chains.
• Border VA research from Upper East TN
  June 12, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Border VA research from Upper East TN.
• TeVA digital collections for place context
  June 12, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: TeVA digital collections for place context.
• Legal notices and runaway ads context
  June 12, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Legal notices and runaway ads context.
• FAN club mapping worksheets
  June 12, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: FAN club mapping worksheets.
• FamilySearch catalog filters that save time
  June 11, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: FamilySearch catalog filters that save time.
• Market-town weekly coverage
  June 11, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Market-town weekly coverage.
• City directory columns decoded
  June 11, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: City directory columns decoded.
• Negative search logs that matter
  June 11, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Negative search logs that matter.
• Border NC research from East TN
  June 10, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Border NC research from East TN.
• When to stop and widen neighbors
  June 9, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: When to stop and widen neighbors.
• Border KY research from Middle TN
  June 9, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Border KY research from Middle TN.
• On-site courthouse packing list
  June 9, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: On-site courthouse packing list.
• Census enumerator path reconstruction
  June 9, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Census enumerator path reconstruction.
• Border AL/MS research from West TN
  June 8, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Border AL/MS research from West TN.
• Camera policies and citation photos
  June 8, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Camera policies and citation photos.
• 1850–1860 slave schedule pairing
  June 7, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: 1850–1860 slave schedule pairing.
• Occupation-era clerk continuity
  June 7, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Occupation-era clerk continuity.
• How to abstract a deed page completely
  June 7, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: How to abstract a deed page completely.
• 1870 free schedule bridge year
  June 6, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: 1870 free schedule bridge year.
• Postwar registration and recovery paper
  June 6, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Postwar registration and recovery paper.
• Using TSLA catalogs efficiently
  June 6, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Using TSLA catalogs efficiently.
• School censuses and voter lists
  June 5, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: School censuses and voter lists.
• Rural Free Delivery address traps
  June 5, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Rural Free Delivery address traps.
• How to abstract an estate inventory
  June 5, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: How to abstract an estate inventory.
• How to read a marriage bond packet
  June 5, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: How to read a marriage bond packet.
• Freedmen’s Bureau locality files
  June 4, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Freedmen’s Bureau locality files.
• Township and civil district numbering
  June 4, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Township and civil district numbering.
• Bondsmen as network proof
  June 3, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Bondsmen as network proof.
• USCT service and pension trails
  June 3, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: USCT service and pension trails.
• Jury lists as residence evidence
  June 3, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Jury lists as residence evidence.
• Formation acts and daughter counties
  June 3, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Formation acts and daughter counties.
• Southern Claims Commission angles
  June 2, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Southern Claims Commission angles.
• Road orders and neighborhood networks
  June 2, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Road orders and neighborhood networks.
• Parent county search order
  June 2, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Parent county search order.
• Surname spelling variants in mountain clerks
  June 1, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Surname spelling variants in mountain clerks.
• Mill seats and industrial waterpower
  June 1, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Mill seats and industrial waterpower.
• Multi-county estates straddling lines
  June 1, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Multi-county estates straddling lines.
• Given-name swaps and middle initials
  May 31, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Given-name swaps and middle initials.
• Household composition shifts after war
  May 31, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Household composition shifts after war.
• When two same-name men share a district
  May 30, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: When two same-name men share a district.
• Widows and remarriage paper trails
  May 30, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Widows and remarriage paper trails.
• Plantation naming vs. civil place names
  May 30, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Plantation naming vs. civil place names.
• Published abstracts vs. film verification
  May 30, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Published abstracts vs. film verification.
• Women’s dower and release language
  May 29, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Women’s dower and release language.
• Step-kin and blended households
  May 29, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Step-kin and blended households.
• Citation formats that survive review
  May 28, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Citation formats that survive review.
• Witness panels as kinship graphs
  May 28, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Witness panels as kinship graphs.
• Building a decade timeline per person
  May 28, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Building a decade timeline per person.
• Linking sister network sites for border families
  May 27, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Linking sister network sites for border families.
• Correlating age drift across censuses
  May 27, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Correlating age drift across censuses.
• Enslaver neighbor clusters without surname guessing
  May 27, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Enslaver neighbor clusters without surname guessing.
• Avoiding battle books as vital substitutes
  May 26, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Avoiding battle books as vital substitutes.
• Occupation changes as migration clues
  May 26, 2026
  Editorial method depth for Tennessee researchers: Occupation changes as migration clues.