Genealogical Resources

Ancestry Library Edition is a comprehensive online source of information for conducting genealogical research. It includes searchable images of U.S. federal census records, the Social Security Death Index, and a variety of vital, church, court, and immigration records. This database is for in-library use only.

HeritageQuest Online is one of America's favorite tools for researching genealogy. Click HERE to use HeritageQuest on a computer outside of the library. You will need to enter your library card number.

Tennessee Records are available through the State Library and Archives. You will need to create a free account with Ancestry.com to view images. Only these records can be viewed outside the library on Ancestry.com. The following data collections are included:

City Birth Records, 1881-1915

City Death Records, 1872-1923

Death Records, 1908-1958

Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909

Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895

Enumeration of Male Voters, 1891

Click HERE to access the digital archives of the Daily News Journal, the Carrier's Courier (Sewart Air Force Base newspaper 1949-1968), the Rutherford Courier newspaper (1931-2005), the Morning Press (also called Murfreesboro Press) (1978-1983), and the Murfreesboro Post (2006-2018). This resource is for in-library use only.

Newspapers.com--Southeast Edition

Read historic and current newspapers from all around the southeastern region of the United States. 1766 - present

ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Nashville Tennessean (1812-current)

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is pleased to announce that Tennesseans will have free online access to the full run of The Tennessean (1812 to today) through the Tennessean Electronic Library (TEL). Sourced from the collection of Tennessee State Library and Archives. Reproduced with permission. (From outside the library, use Login ID: linebaughpl and password: 37130).

Digital Library of Tennessee (DLTN) brings together more than 80,000 unique cultural heritage resources from libraries, archives, and museums in the state of Tennessee. DLTN highlights historical narratives, such as the state’s pivotal role in the ratification of the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution which gave women the right to vote; and primary source formats, including maps, musical performances, photographs, newspapers, postcards, and oral histories.

The website centralizes access to rich, hard-to-find resources in Tennessee and is intended for everyone: K-12 educators, scholarly researchers, local historians, and the general public.

The Historical Research Center (HRC), is located within the Rutherford County Archives building at 435 Rice Street, Murfreesboro. The collection features Rutherford County materials and Tennessee genealogical resources. The HRC is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. The materials in the room are a reference and research collection and are for in-house use only.

The Historical Research Center collection includes:

• More than 10,000 books covering the Eastern, Southern, and Midwest regions of the U.S. and nearly 4,000 rolls of microfilm - including the large L.W. Anderson that was donated to our historical collection in 1998.
• Access to Ancestry Library Edition (in-library use only) and HeritageQuest Online. Visit our Research Genealogy page for more information. Click here to use HeritageQuest on a computer outside of the library; you will need to enter your library card number.
• Access to digitized Rutherford County newspapers through cooperation with Newspapers.com (in-library use only)
• A microfilm reader/printer, computer access, photo scanner, and a Bookscribe copier.
• Our Rutherford County and Tennessee sources include:
  • Newspapers from Murfreesboro are on microfilm from 1931 to the present. From 1820 to 1930 only scattered issues have survived and are available on microfilm.
  • Murfreesboro city directories for 1925, 1934, 1940, 1947, 1950, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969-89, and 1991-present
  • Murfreesboro telephone directories for 1940 and 1951 to present
  • Rutherford County Court Records on microfilm for 1804-1999
  • Rutherford County Historical Society publications
  • An index compiled from Daily News Journal obituaries from 1931 to present
  • The Tennessee Death Index for 1908-1956 and some death certificates on microfilm for Rutherford County
  • Tennessee Confederate soldier pension records on microfilm
  • Collection of many local school yearbooks
  • Books by Rutherford County authors

Research assistance may be requested by completing the HRC Mail-in Research Request.

If you have questions or need more information about the HRC collection, please email hrc@rclstn.org.

The Linda S. Smith Genealogical Group meets the 4th Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. at the Historical Research Center (HRC) at 435 Rice Street, Murfreesboro. All are welcomed.

The Smyrna Genealogical Group meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 1 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

The Albert Gore Research Center is a manuscripts repository dedicated to preserving and making available for research primary source materials related to Tennessee history; located at MTSU.

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society - MTGS serves the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee, hosting genealogical seminars and publishing the Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy & History.

Rutherford County Archives seeks to preserve and protect the written documents, past and present, generated by the government offices of Rutherford County.

Rutherford County Historical Society's purpose is to discover, procure, and preserve the facts, articles, or documents that related to the history of Rutherford County.

TNGenWeb is a volunteer project to create a source location for online genealogical research for every county in Tennessee.

Tennessee State Library & Archives - Collection of records, manuscripts, and other documents related to Tennessee history and genealogy; located in Nashville.

Tennessee Vital Records - How and where to obtain copies of birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates.