Rhea County, on the banks of the Tennessee River, was created in 1807 from Roane County. In 1819, Hamilton County was cut from Rhea. Rhea County was a stopping point for families intending to settle, travelers spending a season of two before heading west, and renters hoping eventually to buy their own farms. A dearth of material about early Rhea County makes these circuit court minutes useful to genealogists. Besides the names of residents and transients, names of people in other counties and other states appear in the minutes. The information in this volume has been abstracted from microfilm of the handwritten minute books. Typically, each session begins by naming the presiding judge, sheriff, deputy and jurors. This is followed by the cases in order of their appearance, with names of plaintiffs, defendants and witnesses. Most of the cases involve unpaid leases, but other business includes deeds, divorces, powers of attorney and criminal offences. Records are presented in chronological order; and the text includes an every-name index.
