The Tennessee Legislature enacted a requirement for each county to lay off civil districts in 1835.  Until that time, residents were grouped by company under militia officers.

The Civil District map reproduced above was drawn and approved in 1836. This map was created by Billie McNamara in 1995.

Legislative Act to Establish
Civil Districts in Tennessee Counties

In 1835 the Twenty-first General Assembly of Tennessee provided that each county be laid off into civil districts for the purpose of electing constables and justices of the peace.  Five commissioners from each county were appointed to make the divisions, after which two copies were to be made, one to be placed in the county court clerk's office and the other in the secretary of state's office in Nashville where it was to be "carefully preserved."  This means that even though the county court clerk's copy may have been lost in a fire, a copy should still be available from the state.  Evidently, someone did not live up to his charge, because the copies for a few counties cannot be found.  However, the names of the commissioners appointed in each county are listed in the Public Acts of the State of Tennessee.

Included in the next section are portions of the act most pertinent to understanding how the civil district divisions were made.