The Franz Weinhappel Room of Local History and Genealogy features materials related to the historical and cultural development of Hohenwald and Lewis County. All materials are non-circulating and cannot be checked out.
This collection includes selected histories of the area, published family histories, microfilmed newspapers, research material for genealogists, and how-to books related to the same subject. Although Lewis County is the primary focus of this collection, materials on parent counties and areas from which Tennesseans lived before settling in Tennessee are also available.
Download a list of materials housed in the Franz Weinhappel Room.
Lewis County Virtual Archive
Items within this online collection are digitized items from the manuscript and photograph collections at the Lewis County Public Library and Archives. Please note that only a small subset of our collections have been digitized.
To visit the Lewis County Virtual Archive, please visit: https://archive.org/details/@lewislibrary.
Photocopies
A fee will be charged for photocopies. Please note that not all materials are available for reproduction. All photocopies are subject to U. S. Copyright Law (Title 17, United States Code).
Please credit the Lewis County Public Library and Archives if you use any reproductions of materials for public use (including social media).
Reference Help
Library and Archives staff are happy to search (15 minutes) for a specific, limited request for information. For example, if you provide the name and death date, the staff will search for the obituary. However, due to staff limitations, in-depth research requests cannot be honored.
Other Online Resources
The following external resources also provide free access to historical and genealogical research material for library and archive cardholders and/or Tennessee residents:
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Search America’s historic newspaper pages from 1789-1963, including several newspapers from Tennessee.
Digital Library of Tennessee
Provides free access to unique materials from museums, libraries, and archives across the state.
Heritage Quest
Search U.S. census records, full-text family and local books, Revolutionary War pension applications, Freedman’s Bank record,s and more.
Genealogy eBooks
Library and archives cardholders have access to genealogy eBooks through Tennessee READS.
Knoxville News Sentinel Newspaper
The Knoxville News Sentinel is a daily newspaper founded in Knoxville, Tennessee. It covers the news in Knoxville and the surrounding area from the 1880s to today.
Lewis County TNGenWeb
Includes obituaries, cemetery transcriptions, photographs, bible records, and more.
Memphis Commercial Appeal Newspaper
The Memphis Commercial Appeal is a daily newspaper founded in Memphis, Tennessee. It covers news in Memphis and the surrounding area from the 1840s to today.
Newspapers.com Southeast Edition
Newspapers.com Southeast Edition provides online access to historical newspapers from the southeast United States including over 2000 historic and recent newspapers in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Tennessean (1812-2002) Newspaper
Access articles from the Nashville newspaper from 1812 to 2002. The Tennesseean ran many articles covering Middle Tennessee communities, including Lewis County.
Recent Tennessean (2010-Current) Newspaper
Full-text articles from The Tennessean newspaper, covering the Nashville and Middle Tennessee areas.
Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
Free, comprehensive reference work featuring over 1,500 entries on the Volunteer State, including Lewis County-related articles.
Tennessee Records on Ancestry.com
Tennessee records, including birth, death, and tax lists are available online through a partnership with Ancestry.com. While other Ancestry.com resources require a subscription, these records are free for Tennesseans.
TEVA (Tennessee Virtual Archive)
Digital repository for the Tennessee State Library and Archives featuring historical records, photographs, documents, maps, postcards, and other original materials of enduring value.
Volunteer Voices
A statewide digitization project that provides access to primary sources documenting Tennessee’s rich history and culture.
