The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is May 2026)
Practical solutions for real genealogy research problems. Explore the new Field Guides
The Ancestor Hunt has been cataloging and listing links to free online genealogy collections in over 24 different record categories since 2014. These are available for you to view and use via the Resources tab above.
There is a massive amount of genealogy and historical material that can help us researchers as we discover who belongs in our family tree, and more importantly, what is their life story. But much of this genealogical and historical material doesn’t fit nicely into a specific genealogy record category.
As researchers, we should avail ourselves of the types of materials listed below. They definitely will help us in our genealogy and family history research These online resources are available generally at state libraries and archives, larger public libraries, and college and university digital collections. Hence the creation of these lists of links to free online digital archives for the state. I hope they prove useful to you in your pursuit
Types of Information Available in Digital Archives
- Scrapbooks
- Diaries
- Family Papers, Biographies, and Other Collections
- Letters
- Oral Histories
- Maps
- Bulletins and Newsletters
- Corporate Collections
- Local Community and County Histories
- Photographs and Postcards
- Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Government Publications and Documents
- And yes, Genealogy Record Collections and Indexes
The Free Online Digital Archives for the state are listed below:
Tennessee Archives
- A Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU)
- Access Genealogy – Tennessee
- Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
- American History & Genealogy Project – Tennessee
- Ancestry Free Index Collections
- Anderson County Archives
- Appalachian Digital Heritage Project
- Archives of Appalachia
- Austin Peay State University Archives & Special Collections
- Austin Peay State University Digital Collections
- Belmont University Digital Collections
- Blount County Genealogical & Historical Society
- Blount County Public Library
- Bristol Public Library
- Carson–Newman University Archives
- Chattanooga History Center
- Chattanooga Public Library – Digital Collections
- Chattanooga Public Library – Genealogy
- Christian Brothers University Digital Archives
- Chronicling America – Tennessee
- Civil Rights Digital Library – Tennessee Collections
- Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database
- Cleveland Bradley County Public Library – History Branch
- Collierville TN Government – Genealogy Resources
- Columbia State Community College Library
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Digital Archive
- Cumberland University Digital Collections
- Cyndi’s List – Tennessee
- David Rumsey’s Historical Maps
- Dead Fred
- Death Indexes – Tennessee
- Dig Memphis – The Digital Archive of Memphis Public Libraries
- Digital Commons Collections
- Digital Library of Appalachia
- Digital Library of Tennessee
- Digital Library of Tennessee (DLTN / Tenn-Share Consortium)
- Digital Public Library of America – Tennessee
- Digital Tennessee – Tennessee State Library & Archives
- Documenting the American South
- East Tennessee Historical Society
- East Tennessee State University Archives of Appalachia – Digital Collections
- East Tennessee State University Digital Collections
- FamilySearch
- FamilySearch – Tennessee Online Genealogy Records
- FamilySearch Catalog
- FamilySearch Wiki – Tennessee
- FindAGrave
- Fisk University Digital Collections
- Franklin County Historical Society
- Freed-Hardeman University Digital Collections
- Freedmen’s Bureau Online – Tennessee
- Genealogy Trails – Tennessee
- Google Books – Tennessee
- Great Smoky Mountains Regional Project
- Greene County Heritage Trust
- Hathitrust – Tennessee
- Henry County Archive & Genealogy Library
- Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee & Southwest Virginia
- I Dream of Genealogy
- Interment.net – Tennessee
- Internet Archive – Tennessee
- Jackson-Madison County Library
- Johnson City Public Library – Local History
- Kingsport Public Library – Archives of the City
- Knox County Archives
- Knox County Public Library – Digital Collections
- Knox County Public Library Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection Digital Collection
- Knoxville Civil War Roundtable – Digital Resources
- Knoxville History Project
- LDS Genealogy – Tennessee
- Library of Congress Digital Collections
- Linkpendium – Tennessee
- Maury County Archives
- McMinn County Living Heritage Museum
- Memphis Heritage
- Memphis Public Libraries
- Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society
- Middle Tennessee State University Digital Collections
- Monroe County Archives
- Montgomery County Archives
- Montgomery County Public Library – Genealogy Room
- Nashville Metro Archives
- Nashville Public Library Digital Collections
- National Archives and Records Administration
- National Archives at Atlanta
- National Archives Online Exhibits
- National Archives Resources for Genealogists
- Nationwide Gravesite Locator
- New Horizons Genealogy – Tennessee
- Oak Ridge Public Library Digital Collections
- PastPerfectOnline Collections
- Rhodes College Digital Archives
- Rutherford County Archives
- Sanborn Maps – Tennessee
- Sevier County Library
- Smithsonian Digital Library
- Stewart County Public Library
- Sumner County Archives
- T. Elmer Cox Genealogical & Historical Library
- Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area
- Tennessee Electronic Library
- Tennessee Electronic Library (Genealogy)
- Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture (Public & Academic Collaboration)
- Tennessee Genealogical Society
- Tennessee Genealogy – TennesseeGenealogy.org
- Tennessee Heritage Center Portal (Humanities Tennessee Project)
- Tennessee Historical Society
- Tennessee Library Association – Special Collections Directory
- Tennessee Oral History Project
- Tennessee State Library & Archives
- Tennessee State Library & Archives – Researchers & Genealogists
- Tennessee State Museum – Digital Collections
- Tennessee State University Digital Collections
- Tennessee State University Library – Digital Collections
- Tennessee Technological University Digital Collections
- Tennessee Virtual Archive
- Tennessee Wesleyan University Library
- The Official Land Records Site
- The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History & Culture
- Tipton County Museum
- United States Social Security Death Index
- University of Memphis Digital Collections
- University of Tennessee – Chattanooga Digital Collections
- University of Tennessee – Knoxville Digital Collections
- University of Tennessee – Martin Digital Collections
- University of Tennessee Libraries – Digital Collections
- University of the South Digital Collections
- US GenWeb – Tennessee
- US GenWeb Archives – Tennessee
- Vanderbilt University Digital Collections
- Volunteer Voices
- Washington County Archives
- West Tennessee Heritage Study Center (WTHSC)
- West Tennessee Historical Society
- Williamson County Archives & Museum
- Williamson County Public Library – Digital Resources
- Williamson County Public Library Genealogy and Local History