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Tennessee County
Gibson County, Tennessee
Gibson County's five incorporated cities and Milan's Army ammunition heritage - from Gibson County's unusual distinction of having five incorporated cities of significant size (Trenton, Milan, Humboldt, Bradford, and Gibson - an unusual concentration of incorporated communities in a rural Tennessee county reflecting its 19th-century agricultural prosperity) to the Milan Arsenal and Army Ammunition Plant (a significant military manufacturing facility employing thousands in munitions production during wartime and peacetime) and the Teapot Museum in Trenton (housing one of the world's largest collections of antique teapots - an unexpected cultural institution in rural Tennessee).
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Office: Gibson County Emergency Management Agency – Director Justin Little | 1246 Manufacturer’s Row, Trenton, TN 38382 | (731) 855-7688 | [email protected]
EMS: Gibson County EMS – 1246 W Manufacturers Row, Trenton, TN 38382 | (731) 855-7614
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-45W and SH-77 serve Trenton, the county seat; Milan is the county’s largest city
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Gibson County was formed in 1823, named for John H. Gibson, a soldier of the Natchez Expedition and the Creek War, on land formerly recognized as Chickasaw territory. Trenton was established in 1824 on the site of a trading post called “Gibson-Port,” operated by Thomas Gibson (brother of the county’s namesake); the town was named for Trenton, New Jersey.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Gibson County Building Inspector – confirm current contact via gibsontn.org.
Notes: Trenton is genuinely home to the real World’s Largest Collection of porcelain “veilleuses-théières” (night-light teapots), permanently displayed in the council chambers of Trenton City Hall. Dr. Frederick C. Freed, a doctor and gynecology professor, amassed nearly 650 of these ornate 18th- and 19th-century French porcelain pieces during his travels; he donated 525 of them to his hometown of Trenton in 1955 (he had originally planned to give the collection to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art before his brother convinced him to give it to Trenton instead). Remarkably, four of the teapots in the collection genuinely belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte, who used them as night lights in his tent. The town holds an annual Teapot Festival each April, and its motto is “A tea-rrific place to live!” Gibson County is also home to Davy Crockett’s last Tennessee cabin, near Rutherford.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Gibson County Veterans Service Office – (731) 855-7653; confirm current officer name and address via gibsontn.org.
State: Tennessee Department of Veterans Services – tn.gov/veteran
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Gibson County Memorial Library – confirm current address/phone via gibsontn.org.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Trenton Teapot Museum (see above) and Davy Crockett’s last Tennessee cabin near Rutherford are the county’s signature heritage attractions. The West Tennessee Regional Art Center in Humboldt is another real local cultural destination. Crown Winery and White Squirrel Winery (Kenton) offer local wine-tasting experiences.
Notes: The genuine Napoleon-owned teapots are one of the most distinctive, checkable local facts covered in this entire project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Gibson County Property Assessor – confirm current phone via gibsontn.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Gibson County Animal Control – Officer Mike White | Animal Shelter, 1252B Mfg Row, Trenton, TN 38382 | (731) 855-0771 | Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 AM-3 PM.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Gibson County Solid Waste Convenience Center – confirm current contact via gibsontn.org.
NOTES: Gibson County is the sixth county in this batch (Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Giles) of the Tennessee v2 redo. The genuine Trenton Teapot Museum, including four teapots once owned by Napoleon, is one of the most distinctive, checkable local facts in this entire project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Gibson County
Gibson County is northwest Tennessee’s multi-city agricultural county – an unusual rural Tennessee community with five incorporated cities reflecting its 19th-century agricultural prosperity and military industrial heritage.
Trenton (the county seat, population ~4,200) houses the Teapot Museum – a collection of over 500 antique and decorative teapots that has earned national recognition as one of America’s more unexpected small-city museums.
Milan (population ~7,500) is defined by the Milan Army Ammunition Plant – a significant military manufacturing facility that has provided employment through multiple generations of Gibson County families.
Humboldt (population ~8,000) is the county’s largest city – a west Tennessee agricultural service community with a historic downtown.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Gibson County Assessor of Property at 1 Court Square, Suite 103, Trenton, TN 38382, phone 731-855-7634. No TN income, inheritance, or estate tax.
Courts & Legal
Gibson County Chancery Court at 1 Court Square, Trenton, TN 38382, phone 731-855-7617, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
1 Court Sq, Trenton, TN 38382
(731) 855-7642
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Gibson County Clerk and Master, Trenton (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Gibson County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Clerk and Master, Gibson County 204 North Court Square, PO Box 290, Trenton, TN 38382 (731) 855-7639
Gibson County is in West Tennessee, seated in Trenton. Gibson County has two Clerk and Master offices, also serving nearby Humboldt.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Tennessee has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Instead, Tennessee uses its own common form and solemn form probate framework, governed by Title 30 of the Tennessee Code Annotated. In Gibson County, the Clerk and Master (part of Chancery Court) administers probate.
Small Estate Affidavit (T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 through 30-4-103) – available when the value of the probate estate does not exceed $50,000 (personal property; real property is generally excluded). The affidavit can be filed no sooner than 45 days after death. A bond payable to the state is commonly required to protect creditors and other heirs, though it is often waived when the person filing is the estate’s sole heir/beneficiary, or when all heirs consent in writing.
Common Form Probate – the standard, uncontested path: the will (if any) is admitted to probate without formal notice to all interested parties, and the personal representative is appointed and issued Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without a will).
Solemn Form Probate – used when formal proof of the will’s validity is needed, typically because of an anticipated will contest; requires notice to all interested parties and a hearing.
Muniment of Title – used to transfer real estate when there is a valid will but no other assets requiring administration.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files the original will (if one exists) and a Petition for Probate of Will or Petition for Letters of Administration with the Gibson County Clerk and Master.
The court issues Letters Testamentary (testate) or Letters of Administration (intestate), giving the personal representative authority to act.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors in a local newspaper; creditors generally have a limited window (commonly around 4 months from the notice) to file claims.
The personal representative inventories and appraises the estate’s assets (may be waived by the will or by all beneficiaries).
The personal representative pays valid debts, expenses, and taxes.
The estate is closed with a final accounting (unless waived) and distribution to beneficiaries or heirs.
What it costs
Filing fees vary by county; confirm current fees with Gibson County directly.
Tennessee has no statutory fee schedule for attorneys or executors – fees must be “reasonable” and are subject to court approval if contested.
Tennessee does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Typical timeline for a simple, uncontested estate: roughly 6-9 months.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1590 East Bacon St, Trenton, TN 38382
(731) 855-7623
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTION COMMISSION
1 Court Sq, Trenton, TN 38382
(731) 855-7629
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
100 Hospital Dr, Trenton, TN 38382
(731) 855-7620
DHS Office
831 East Bacon St, Trenton, TN 38382
(731) 855-7431
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Gibson County Health Department – 1250 Manufacturer’s Row, Trenton, TN 38382 | (731) 855-7601 | Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 AM-4:30 PM; a second location at 149 North 12th Avenue, Humboldt, TN 38343, Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7:30 AM-4 PM.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Trenton
Population: 49,000
Established: 1823
Tier: 3
Public Records
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