The County Historical Society was founded in 1969 by a group of individuals who sought to preserve and record the history of the county and its people. The Society has met on a bi-monthly basis since its beginning and the meetings have generally had programs designed around a specific topic relating to the history, genealogy, folklore and archaeology of the county. The Society usually meets at its office and research room in the historic Coffee County Courthouse, 101 West Fort Street (on the square) in Manchester, Tennessee. Occasionally we meet at some other local historic place of interest. (See Events page for information about meetings.)
The Society began publication of the “Coffee County Historical Society Quarterly” in March of 1970. The publication has recently been renamed the “Coffee Chronicle” and is distributed to all members of the Society. Copies of these, as well as occasional additional “special publications” are also available for viewing at the Historical Society office, the Manchester Public Library, Tullahoma Public Library and at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville. Many are also available at the LDS Library in Salt Lake City. The Society also maintains an exchange program with several other societies and organizations throughout the United States. These exchange journals are kept on file at the Society office in the Courthouse as a permanent repository.
You are welcome to view any of these publications as well as county and family histories, microfilm, cemetery information, printed census records from 1840 through 1880, and numerous other publications regarding Coffee County and Tennessee state history. If you have any historical or research items (family Bible, pictures, letters, etc.) that you would like to share with the Historical Society, please do so. Also, please send a copy of your family group sheet and information you are seeking. We would certainly love to have YOU as a new member, but member or not, your family information will be kept safely in a PUBLIC access file, so anyone searching the same lines can contact you. Just send your information by e-mail or post office to the address below.
The office is currently manned by volunteer workers on Tuesdays through Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and at other times by appointment.
Membership (see Membership page for details) is open to anyone interested in the history, genealogy, folklore and archaeology of Coffee County, Tennessee. Annual membership runs from January through December and includes all “Coffee Chronicles” published during the year, a bi-monthly newsletter, and a 20% discount on purchases of any past publications. If you are interested in membership in the Society, please contact:
Coffee County Historical Society
101 West Fort Street, Box 2
Manchester, TN 37355-7502
Phone: 931-728-0145
E-mail: [email protected]