Welcome to Hamilton County!
Welcome to the home page of the original Hamilton County Tennessee Genealogy Society. The HCTGS is an Internet based society that was formed April 17, 2001 by a group of enthusiastic genealogists who wanted to share their knowledge of Hamilton County with others on the Internet and provide a forum for fellow researchers interested in the genealogy and history of Hamilton County Tennessee. There is a wealth of information on our website with more being continuously added. If you have Hamilton County information you would like to share on this site, please submit it to the address below. We hope you enjoy your visit and come back often.

Hamilton County Was Established in 1819
Hamilton County Tennessee was created by an act of the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee on October 25, 1819 with lands taken from Rhea County. Only lands north of the Tennessee River were included in its boundaries until the Treaty of 1835 added the Cherokee Nation, south of the river.

The county was named for Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury in the administration of George Washington. The first courthouse for Hamilton County was Poe’s Tavern at Poe’s Cross Roads. Later the farm of Asahel Rawlings was selected as the county seat and a log courthouse was erected. The county seat was originally known as “Hamilton County Courthouse” until it was given the name Dallas, in honor of Alexander James Dallas. Dallas remained the county seat until 1840 when it was moved to Vann’s Town and soon afterward to Harrison. In 1870 the county seat was moved to Chattanooga where it remains today.

Spotlight on Genealogy!

BIG MISTAKES IN GENEALOGY

All throughout our life, we make mistakes. Some are just goofs and do not amount to much and then sometimes we really mess up big time. The same is true of our genealogical research. We put down a "3" instead of the "8" that should be there. For someone that died two hundred years ago, it probably is a moot point. However, we should strive to be as correct as possible in our research. Following are some of those mistakes that can be little ones or big ones, it all depends on what, who, and why. 

using historical and genealogical societies for genealogy

Historical and genealogical societies come in all shapes and sizes. You'll find them at the local, county, state, and national levels. All of them offer a variety of activities and resources. This topic tells you how historical and genealogical societies may help you in your research. Click any of the topics listed in the last paragraph of this topic to see the addresses, phone numbers, and services offered by a variety of historical and genealogical societies.

USING CEMETERIES AND FUNERAL HOMES FOR GENEALOGY

Although you may not have guessed it, cemeteries can be excellent sources of genealogical information. This topic tells you how cemetery and funeral home records may help you in your research. Click any of the topics listed at the bottom of this topic to get more complete descriptions of what cemetery and funeral home records exist and where to find them. 

What's On This Web

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