County boundaries changed frequently in the early years of the state. And continued to change, with Loudon, Monroe, McMinn, Sumner, Macon, Haywood and Tipton all experiencing changes in the second half of the twentieth century. There are several websites, including the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, the TNGenWeb Project and Map of Us, that are excellent resources for tracking boundary changes through time.
In order to locate records, it is critical to know the correct county for the time period you are searching. One of our clients was looking for an ancestor from Hillsdale, TN. Today, Hillsdale is in Macon County; but when her ancestor lived there, the area was part of Smith County. Knowing that, we were able to find the information she was looking for.
In order to locate records, it is critical to know the correct county for the time period you are searching. One of our clients was looking for an ancestor from Hillsdale, TN. Today, Hillsdale is in Macon County; but when her ancestor lived there, the area was part of Smith County. Knowing that, we were able to find the information she was looking for.
