Documented history of the Bluetick Coonhound is very limited, it is believed that the making of the bluetick coonhound is a mix of foxhound and some type of french hound. French hounds were used for big game hunting and had very cold noses. It is widely believed that George Washington received 5 french hounds from General Lafayette.  It is not clear the breeding of the french hounds that he received but at the time there were 2 breeds that were around during that time; the Grand Gascon Saintogeois (white hound) and the Grand Bleu de Gasconge (blue hound). One theory is that these two breeds were bred together and then breeders selectively bred for the blue ticking and other attributes, like the cold nose. One line of Blueticks, the Smokey River bred, can be traced back to the Grand Gascon Saintongeois.

In the 1920's, breeding the Bluetick became a passion for many across the country. Bill Green, the Lee brothers, O.O. Grant, Henry O. Smith, and Elbert Vaughn among others, were considered the foundation breeders for the breed. In 1924, the first field trials for coonhounds was held and was won by a bluetick from the Sugar Creek hounds known as “Blue Bones”

The Blueticks registry recognition was started from breeders wanting a dog that could run a track that was several days old, which separated them from the hotter nosed hound dogs at the time. Originally Blueticks were considered English Coonhounds until 1946, the UKC began separating the bluetick as its own breed at the request of Bluetick "fanciers", even though redtick (English) and bluetick puppies can be born in the same litter. Blueticks have a variety of color combinations. As long as white or liver is not the primary color, any combination of blue ticking, black (spots, saddle back, blanket back), with or without tan, is acceptable

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