hawkins County, Tennessee

»Tennessee State Library and Archives

This office provides a safe home for the records and provides a cost-effective way to make inactive records open to the public for inspection according to law.

A public record is a document in any medium that is used to do the work of government. It belongs to the people, and it is held in trust by a municipal, county, state or national government. Permanent records are records that must be kept intact, in their original form and medium, as long as possible (for centuries rather than decades) for public inspection. Inactive permanent records are usually kept in archives. Tennessee has an open public records law, which applies to county and municipal records, as well as to state records.


Public records are instruments of government, kept to:

• Protect the rights of citizens;
• Assure the continuity of government;
• Account for official actions; or
• Document state and local historical experience.


Public records must be open to the public with the exception of confidential records. Call or write the archives for additional information not listed.


Hawkins County Archivist, Jack Goins, retired from AFG Industries in 1999 after 37 years of service. In 2000 he published a book “Melungeons and Other Pioneer Families” and was presented the Research Excellence Award from East Tennessee Historical Society for researching the Melungeons and East Tennessee history. In 2004, Goins was appointed County Genealogist on Records Commission by the Hawkins County Commission. In 2005 he was appointed County Archivist and formed a group of volunteers known as Friends of Hawkins County Archive Project. This group was organized to restore the old county records. In 2006 “Friends” was chartered by the State as a non-profit organization and was awarded “Society Of The Year” by the East Tennessee Historical Society.

 
The following court cases and indexes are in the archive. Circuit Court records are also available on microfilm:

1795-1930 Circuit Court records - 6,156 cases
1795-1930 Circuit Court Criminal records - 7,032 cases 1820-1915 Hawkins County Elections - 484
1960-1969 Chancery Court Records, 1795-1927 Chancery Court records - 5,180 cases 1804-1950 Chancery Court records - 356 cases 1868 Civil War Rebel claims - 81
1788-1930 Various Hawkins County Court records - 4,107 cases
1794-1930 Miscellaneous and misplaced court records - 1,154 cases
1789-1964 Marriages, indexed by both bride and groom - 16,548
1832-1912 Hawkins County road orders - 906 1812-1930 Grand Jury lists - 323
1865-1973 Hawkins County Tax Assessments - 3,572
1813-1930 Hawkins County oaths and bonds - 1,570
1931-1950 Hawkins County Court - 630 cases
1931-1950 Hawkins County Circuit Criminal - 1,541 cases
1787-1974 Hawkins County Wills
1926-1939 Hawkins County School records - 530