Smithville’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold just one old photo of Smithville. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story so far
from Wikipedia & the U.S. CensusSmithville is a city in DeKalb County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,004 at the 2020 census, up from 3,994 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of DeKalb County. Smithville is home to the Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree, which it has hosted annually since 1972.
Smithville was established in 1838. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 4,530 to 5,004 (+10%). Half of its homes were built before 1976.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Smithville yet — the old photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Intro from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Population and housing: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Smithville’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Smithville’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewTenn. - Smithville - Hanging of P…, 1872: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Smithville
See all 5 →
Smithville, decade by decade
2 historic places in Smithville
2 places in Smithville are on the National Register of Historic Places, the country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Tenn. - Smithville - Hanging of Presswood in courthouse square (1872) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (4) and the National Register (2). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.