The Society was organized to bring together people interested in history and genealogy. The Society helps preserve the past of our community by discovering an collecting any materials that may help to establish or illustrate the history of Macon County.
Our county court has had two courthouse fires with most of the early records of the county being destroyed. Because of these fires, the Society is looking for any old deeds, ledgers, diaries, bible records and church minutes to preserve as invaluable sources.
The membership of the Society is approximately 225. We have members from all over the United States along with many Macon Countians. Monthly meetings are held the first Saturday of the month at 9 a.m. at the Macon County Welcome Center, located at 685 Hwy 52 West, Lafayette, TN.
Projects the Society are currently involved in are:
(i) Macon County Veterans of W.W.II
(ii) Revisiting and updating the over 430 cemeteries in the county
(iii) 1920 Macon County Census
(iv) 1930 Macon County Census
(v) Military Men of Macon County
The Society has published and has for sale:
1850-1860 Macon County, TN Census
1870-1880 Macon County, TN Census
1900-1910 Macon County, TN Census
History of Macon County, TN
Macon County, Tennessee: History & Families
12” X 18” Historical markers (ideal for marking cemeteries or historic sites)
Macon County, TN map with cemeteries located and listed
5” X 10” Granite tombstone marker (complete with names and dates)
We are proud to announce that we have a new location to research your family genealogy. It is located at 202 County Courthouse, Lafayette, TN. Our phone number is 615-688-MCHS (6247). If you have any questions e-mail us at makinhistory@nctc.com. For further information or to browse into the past, visit us at our web site at www.rootsweb.com/~tnmchs.
Macon County Cemeteries
There are over 430 cemeteries in Macon County; they range from only one burial to over 1800 burials. Some are so neglected they are inaccessible and others are unmarked. Are your ancestors buried here? You can help mark these by contacting the Macon County Historical & Genealogical Society.
A cemetery is one of the best places to research your ancestors. You not only find the name, birth, and death date, but you may find a marriage date, church affiliation, war data, state or county of origin and even a picture on some monuments.
In the past, burials were made close to the home place of the deceased, thus creating family graveyards. Ever notice a clump of trees surrounded by pasture-probably a burial site. Be careful if you are going to have bulldozer work done on your property. Check with the county tax assessor office and be sure there is not a grave or cemetery in the undergrowth. Penalties are severe for destroying a burial site and there are several laws to punish those that disturb these sacred resting places.
If you are researching your ancestors these cemeteries area good place to start. You may want to spend a quiet afternoon gathering information from these serene places in Macon County.






