The Family Tree Sourcebook: The Essential Guide To American County and Town Sources

INTRODUCTION

illustration THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. It's the place to find your ancestors. Today's genealogist is so accustomed to heading straight to the web for information about their ancestors that they often forget the wealth of information in the local courthouse.

Only a fraction of historical records are online. Records galore are waiting to be discovered in hundreds of brick-and-mortar sites across the nation. For example, here's just a sampling of the documents you might find in the county courthouse or town hall:

illustration adoptions

illustration apprenticeships and indentures

illustration bills of sale

illustration birth and death records

illustration bonds

illustration business and professional licenses

illustration civil court proceedings

illustration coroner's files and inquests

illustration criminal court records

illustration divorce petitions, cases, and decrees

illustration estate inventories

illustration insanity and commitment hearings

illustration jury lists

illustration justice of the peace records

illustration land deeds

illustration licenses and permits

illustration manumissions

illustration marriage bonds, licenses, and certificates

illustration military service discharges

illustration minute books

illustration name changes

illustration naturalization records

illustration oaths of allegiance

illustration prenuptial agreements

illustration relief, welfare and public assistance records

illustration subpoenas

illustration tax rolls

illustration voter registrations

illustration warrants

illustration wills and probate documents

illustration wolf-scalp bounties

Courthouse records are among the most richly detailed documents you'll find. And the best part? Most courthouse records are available to you even without making a trip to your ancestor's county. You can write to the county clerk to request copies of many documents, or you can find them on microfilm. We'll detail these options — as well as how to plan a visit — in the next section, How to Use This Book.

And don't stop there: You'll also want to explore the resources of the libraries, state archives, historical societies and published sources listed in the chapter for each state, as well as in the National Resources section on page 742. Finally, because there is great information online, we've listed the best websites for research in each state on page 739. So get ready for a whole new world of genealogical discovery!

» BY SHARON DEBARTOLO CARMACK

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

For each state, you'll find an article featuring genalogy advice, a map of the state showing each county, fast facts such as statehood date and capital, a listing of state repositories and a listing of other resources for statewide records.

Following that, you'll find a directory of county, parish or town record-keeping offices. Here's an example:

Suppose you have an ancestor who was married in Teller County, Colo., in 1895. Turning to that county's listing in this book, you'll learn this county wasn't created until 1899, the same year marriage records began. You'll need to look in Teller's parent county of El Paso for your ancestors' marriage record. Turning to that page, you'll learn that El Paso marriage records began in 1861. To obtain the marriage record, you can see if it's online, search for microfilm at the Family History library or another repository, write to the courthouse at the address provided, or visit in person.

Look online: Not many courthouse records have been digitized and posted online, but it's worth checking. Try running a Google <google.com> search on the county name and court records. Study the county clerk's website for a link to historical or genealogical records. Also try the FamilySearch Pilot Record Search Site . Examine the database lists of subscription sites such as Ancestry.com and Footnote.com (your local library may offer free access to institutional versions of these sites; inquire at the reference desk).

Search for microfilm: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Family History Library (FHL) <www.familysearch.org> in Salt Lake City has microfilmed records at thousands of courthouses and town halls across the county. (Some records may be on microfiche, which is flat film rather than on a roll.) You can rent FHL microfilm by visiting one of the FHL's thousands of branch Family History Centers (FHCs). Follow these steps to find your film:

1 Go to the FHL online catalog <www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlc/frameset_fhlc.asp> and click Place.

2 Type the county name (don't include the word county). Type the state in the Part Of field. Click Search.

3 Scan the list of result headings for the records you need. For example, click Vital Records if you're looking for a marriage record.

4 You'll get a list of microfilm titles. Click each one to learn more about the records on that roll. If the title is a series, click the View Film Notes button for a list of microfilms within that series.

5 Print the catalog record or note the film numbers of microfilm rolls you'd like to rent. Take your list to the nearest FHC (search for one at <www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhc/frameset_fhc.asp>), where a volunteer can help you request the roll from the FHL.

6 Staff will contact you when your film is available for viewing at the FHC

Most microfilm and microfiche readers have instructions, but ask a staff member for help if you're having trouble.

You also might find microfilmed courthouse records at state libraries and archives, and some large public libraries. Search each repository's online catalog or contact the reference desk to find out whether it has the microfilm you need. (This book focuses on county and state records, but for microfilm of federal records — such as censuses and military service papers — you'll start with the National Archives and Records Administration <www.archives.gov>.)

Write to the county clerk: An old-fashioned letter is still a good way to obtain records when the ones you need haven't been microfilmed or digitized. Be specific in your request, as the county clerk is busy and responding to letters from genealogists may not be high on her list of things to do. Provide only enough information so the clerk can help you.

Let's say you want to see if Great-great-grandpa William Shough, who died in 1878, left a will in Alleghany County, Va. First, turn to page 673 in this book and find the listing for that county. It will give you the year Orange County probate records begin, what court holds the records and the address for the clerk's office. You might word your letter like this:

Alleghany County Clerk of Circuit Court

266 W. Main St.

Covingtonn, VA 24426

To Whom it May Concern,

I am seeking the will of William Shough, who died in your county in 1878. Could you please check your index (please also check under the spelling Show), and let me know if you have a will recorded for him and what the cost would be to obtain a copy of the full record? Thank you for your assistance. I am enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope for your reply.

Sincerely,

If you've consulted courthouse record indexes on microfilm or in a book, you'll make the clerk's job easier by including the volume and page number of the record, or even a photocopy of the index.

You may prefer to include a check for, say, $5, and say in the letter that you will send any additional fee. Keep in mind that most clerks will search only for what you ask. Although William Shough may have died in 1878, his will might not have been recorded until several years later, so it's a good idea to include a five- to 10-year search span. Also include common spelling variations of the name.

If you get a negative response, you may wonder how thorough the clerk's search was. This might be an item to recheck should you ever be able to visit the courthouse in person. Or you could hire a local genealogist to search for you; see a directory on the Association of Professional Genealogists website <www.apgen.org>.

Visit the courthouse or town hall: If you're lucky enough to visit your ancestral courthouse in person, you'll be able to scour the records to your heart's content. Note, though, that assisting genealogists isn't the primary duty of county and town clerks. When asking for help, it's best not to go into detail about your research. Give only enough information so that staff can help you find what you're looking for. Be as pleasant and friendly as possible.

Some researchers go the extra mile when they have a particularly helpful clerk and send a thank-you note. Next time, the clerk is likely to be even more helpful.

In some courthouses you'll be allowed to search the indexes and records yourself; in others, a clerk will do it for you. If the records have been transferred to the state archives or an off-site storage facility, you may be relegated to viewing records on microfilm. If you call ahead, the staff might have records brought to the courthouse or town hall for your use.

Visit the courthouse website or call prior to your visit to check on research hours and any special closures. Find answers to these questions:

illustration Is a photocopier available for public use?

illustration How much does it cost to obtain a certified and uncertified copy of a record?

illustration Can researchers take in briefcases and laptop computers?

illustration Is there a particular person I need to see about looking at a particular record?

illustration Does the office close for lunch?

illustration Are any records stored off site, and how can I get access to them?

Bring plenty of change for photocopiers, and make sure you have directions, parking information and an idea of where to get lunch. Take care when handling historical documents and records. Never tear, erase, mark or remove any document, book or microfilm.

ALABAMA

» BY EMILY ANNE CROOM

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

Alabama's history is culturally diverse. Indians long inhabited the region and the Spanish explored there in the 16th century. France established the first permanent white settlement near Mobile Bay in 1702 as part of Louisiana. At the end of the French and Indian War (1763), France ceded to Britain lands east of the Mississippi River, including Alabama, as part of West Florida. However, Spain occupied coastal Alabama in 1780. At the end of the American Revolution, the 1783 Treaty of Paris gave the United States land north of the present Alabama-Florida boundary, the 31st parallel of latitude; Spain kept the Mobile Bay area as part of Spanish West Florida.

The US portion became part of Mississippi Territory in 1798, with most non-Indian residents living in Washington County. Although claimed by Georgia until 1802, the northern portion of the present state remained Indian lands. The Mobile Bay area was disputed territory after the Louisiana Purchase (1803), and US troops took the Spanish garrison at Mobile during the War of 1812. When Mississippi attained statehood in 1817, Alabama became a separate territory and two years later (1819) became the 22nd state.

Between 1805 and 1838, the US forced most Indians West and opened former Indian lands to white settlement. The land lured thousands of settlers, largely from Tennessee and Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia. Numerous immigrants into central and southern Alabama used the Federal Road that stretched from Athens, Ga., to New Orleans.

Settlers found grasslands, forests and abundant wildlife, hills and plateaus in north and central counties, and coastal plains in the south. Agriculture, especially cotton and corn crops, dominated the economy until the 20th century.

research tips

Until 1850, probate courts were called orphans courts.

Some probate courts have packets of loose case papers; many older probate records have been microfilmed.

Ancestors reportedly born in Mississippi before 1817 or West Florida before 1813 may have been born in what is now Alabama.

Alabama's federal censuses date from 1830.

Much of Perry County's 1890 census survives.

Explore resources in the Alabama Department of Archives and History (<www.archives.state.al.us>), Birmingham Public Library, Samford University, and the University of Alabama.

CENSUS RECORDS

Federal census population schedules: 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930

State census: 1820, 1855, 1866

Mississippi territorial census: 1810, 1816

Federal mortality schedules for counties in existence: 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880

Federal slave schedules: 1850, 1860 (schedules name slaveholders but rarely name slaves)

Most of Alabama's navigable rivers eventually empty into Mobile Bay or the Gulf of Mexico, but the Tennessee River dips across northern Alabama before heading north to the Ohio River. Early planters in northern counties shipped cotton to New Orleans via the Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers; those in central and southern counties, used the port of Mobile for exporting crops and importing supplies. These factors and the lack of north-south roads kept the northern part of the state fairly isolated from central and southern Alabama and helped create regional and political differences. Many Alabama farmers, planters, and townspeople were slaveholders. By 1860, of Alabama's nearly one million people, 55 percent were white and 45 percent were black, of whom less than 1 percent were free. Foreign-born people were about 1 percent. Ninety-five percent of the state's population was rural. Not until 1960 did the state's urban population surpass its rural population.

After Alabama seceded from the Union in January 1861, Montgomery was briefly the capital of the Confederate States of America. Confederate troops held Mobile almost until the end of the war, but the state saw about 200 engagements. Although most Alabamians supported the Confederate cause, a considerable number served in Union forces.

Left with widespread poverty after the war, Alabama didn't experience significant recovery until the 1900s. By the mid-20th century, the state's economy had diversified to include livestock, mining and steel, commercial forestry and related manufacturing, and production of consumer goods.

RECORD HIGHLIGHTS

The state health department <www.adph.org/vitalrecords> maintains birth and death records from 1908, marriage records from August 1936, and divorce records from 1950. Some county probate courts hold pre-1908 birth and death records. Before 1865, the state legislature had jurisdiction over most divorces.

A significant number of Alabama counties have lost records in courthouse disasters — few of which occurred during the Civil War. Since fires or storms rarely destroy everything, check for surviving records. Consult records in parent and neighboring counties, as well as colonial, local, state, and federal jurisdictions. Also use libraries, local historical societies, and the state archives.

Alabama is a federal land state. Its federal land patents are searchable at the Bureau of Land Management website <www.glorecords.blm.gov>. Subsequent land transactions between individuals were recorded at county courthouses.

Alabama-specific resources include territorial censuses; state censuses (1820, 1855, 1866); censuses of Confederate veterans (1907, 1921) and widows (1927); territorial militia and civil service appointments; state militia records; Confederate pensions; 1862 salt allotment lists; 1867 voter registrations; Mobile Municipal Archives; state legislative acts involving individuals and families; territorial and state tax records; Territorial Papers of the United States and Territorial Papers of the United States Senate; pre-1817 territorial records at the Mississippi State Archives; and records of depositors of the two Alabama branches of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company (FHL microfilm 928571-72).

illustration EARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, AND SOCIETIES

Alabama Department of Archives and History

624 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36130, (334) 242-4435, <www.archives.state.al.us>

Alabama Department of Public Health Center for Health Statistics

Box 303017, Montgomery, AL 36103, <www.adph.org/vitalrecords>

Alabama Genealogical Society

Samford University Library, AGS Depository and Headquarters, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Box 2296, Birmingham, AL 35229, <algensoc.org>

Alabama Historical Association

Alabama Department of Archives and History, 624 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36130, <www.archives.state.al.us/aha/aha.html>

Andalusia Public Library

212 S. Three Notch St., Andalusia, AL 36420, (334) 222-6612, <www.andylibrary.com>

Anniston Liles Memorial Library

Box 308, Anniston, AL 36202, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alabgs>

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile

Chancery Office, Box 1966, Mobile, AL 36633, (334) 434-1583

Auburn University Ralph Brown Draughton Library

231 Mell St., Auburn, AL 36849, (800) 446-0387, <www.lib.auburn.edu>

Autauga Genealogical Society

Box 680668, Prattville, AL 36068, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alags>

Barbour County Genealogy Group

Eufala Carnegie Library, 217 N. Eufala Ave., Eufala, AL 36027

Birmingham Genealogical Society

Box 2432, Birmingham, AL 35201, <www.birminghamgenealogy.org>

Birmingham Public Library

2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203, (205) 226-3610, <www.bplonline.org>

Birmingham-Southern College Charles Andrew Rush Library

900 Arkadelphia Rd., Birmingham, AL 35254, (205) 226-4740, <library.bsc.edu>

Bullock County Historical Society

Box 563, Union Springs, AL 36089

Butler County Historical and Genealogical Society

Box 561, Greenville, AL 36037, (334) 383-9564

Central Alabama Genealogical Society

Box 125, Selma, AL 36702

Chattahoochee Valley Historical Society,

3419 20th Ave., Valley, AL 36854, <www.cvhistoricalsociety.org>

Choctaw County Genealogical Society

4224 County Rd. 43, Butler, AL 36904, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alccgs>

Coosa County Historical Society

Box 388, Rockford, AL 35136

Cullman County Public Library

200 Clark St., NE, Cullman, AL 35055

Dale County Genealogical and Historical Society

Ozark-Dale County Public Library, 416 James St., Ozark, AL 36360, (334) 774-5480, <www.odcpl.com>

Dekalb County Genealogical Society

Box 681087, Fort Payne, AL 35968, <dekalbsociety.freeservers.com>

Florence-Lauderdale Public Library

350 N. Wood Ave., Florence, AL 35630, (256) 764-6564, <www.flpl.lib.al.us>

Genealogical Society of East Alabama

Box 2892, Opelika, AL 36803

Hueytown Historical Society

Box 3313, Hueytown, AL 35023, <www.hueytown.com/historical/index.html>

Huntingdon College Houghton Memorial Library

1500 E. Fairview Ave., Montgomery, AL 36106, (334) 833-4421, <library.huntingdon.edu>

Huntsville Public Library

The Heritage Room, 915 Monroe St., Huntsville, AL 35801, (256) 532-5969, <hmcpl.org/hhr>

Jackson County Historical Association

Box 1494, Scottsboro, AL 35768

Lamar County Genealogical Society

Box 357, Vernon, AL 35592, <www.fayette.net/carruth/genealogysociety.htm>

Lawrence County Historical Commission

County Archives, Box 728, Moulton, AL 35650, <www.lawrencecoarchives.com>

Limestone County Historical Society

Box 82, Athens, AL 35611

Lowndes County Historical and Genealogical Society

5935 County Rd. 4, Minter, AL 36761,

Marion County Genealogical Society

Box 360, Winfield, AL 35594

Mary Wallace Cobb Memorial Library

110 First Ave. NW, Vernon, AL 35592, (205) 695-6123

Mobile Genealogical Society

1400 Joyce Rd., Mobile, AL 36618, (251) 414-1995, <www.mobileroots.org>

Montgomery County Historical Society

Box 1829, Montgomery, AL 36102, (334) 264-1837, <www.montgomeryhistorical.org>

Montgomery Genealogical Society

Box 230194, Montgomery, AL 36123 <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~almgs>

Natchez Trace Genealogical Society

Box 420, Florence, AL 35631, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alntgs>

National Archives, Southeast Region

5780 Jonesboro Road, Morrow GA 30260, (770) 968-2100, <www.archives.gov/southeast>

North Central Alabama Genealogical Society

Box 13, Cullman, AL 35056

Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society

Box 8268, Gadsden, AL 35902

Ozark-Dale County Public Library

416 James St., Ozark, AL 36360, (334) 774-5480, <www.odcpl.com>

Pea River Historical and Genealogical Society

Box 310628, Enterprise, AL 36331, (334) 393-2901, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alprhgs>

Pike County Historical and Genealogical Society

<www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mspike/pikemain.html>

Samford University Harwell Goodwin Davis Library

800 Lakeshore Dr., Birmingham, AL 35229, (205) 726-2748, <www.library.samford.edu>

Shelby County Historical Society

Box 457, Columbiana, AL 35051, (205) 669-3912, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alshelby/schs.html>

Southeast Alabama Genealogical Society

Box 246, Dothan, AL 36302

Steward University System Library

RFD 5, Box 109, Piedmont, AL 36272

Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society

Box 1568, Huntsville, AL 35807, <www.tvgs.org>

Tennessee Valley Historical Society

Box 149, Sheffield, AL 35660

Tuscaloosa Genealogical Society

Box 020802, Tuscaloosa, AL 35402

University of Alabama, William Stanley Hoole Special Collections Library

University Libraries, Box 870266, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, (205) 348-0500, <www.lib.ua.edu/libraries/hoole>

Walker County Genealogical Society

Box 3408, Jasper, AL 35502

Wallace State College Library

Box 2000, 801 Main St. NW, Hanceville, AL 35077 (256) 352-8000, <www.wallacestate.edu/library.html>

Washington County Historical Society

Box 456, Chatom, AL 36518

Wilcox Historical Society

Box 464, Camden, AL 36726, (334) 682-9825, <www.wilcoxwebworks.com/history>

Winston County Genealogical Society

Box 112, Double Springs, AL 35553, <wcgs.ala.nu/wcgs.htm>

illustration GENERAL RESOURCES

Alabama Bible Records by Jeannette Holland Austin (J.H. Austin, 1987)

Alabama: The History of a Deep South State William Warren Rogers, et al. (University of Alabama Press, 1994)

Alabama, Her History, Resources, War Record, and Public Men, from 1540 to 1872 by Willis Brewer (Clearfield Co., 1995)

Alabama Research Outline by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (online at <www.familysearch.org/eng/search/RG/guide/alabama.asp>)

The Federal Road Through Georgia, the Creek Nation, and Alabama, 1806–1836 by Henry deLeon Southerland Jr. and Jerry Elijah Brown (University of Alabama Press, 1989)

The Formative Period in Alabama, 1815–1828 by Thomas Perkins Abernethy (University of Alabama Press, 1990)

History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography , 4 vols., Thomas McAdory Owen (Reprint Co., 1978)

Index to Colonel James Edmons Saunders' Early Settlers of Alabama by Lloyd F. Oliver (Genealogical Publications, 1978)

Indian Place Names in Alabama , revised edition, by William A. Read (University of Alabama Press, 1984)

Notable Men of Alabama: Personal and Genealogical, with Portraits edited by Joel Campbell DuBose (Reprint Co., 1976)

Place Names in Alabama by Virginia O. Foscue (University of Alabama Press, 1989)

Some Early Alabama Churches (Established Before 1870) compiled by Mabel Ponder Wilson, Dorothy Youngblood Woodyerd, and Rosa Lee Busby (Alabama Society, Daughters of the American Revolution)

Tracing Your Alabama Past by Robert Scott Davis (University Press of Mississippi, 2003)

illustration CENSUS RECORDS

1907 Alabama Census of Confederate Soldiers , 5 vols., from the Alabama Department of Archives and History (Gregath, 1982)

Alabama Census Returns, 1820, and an Abstract of Federal Census of Alabama, 1830 edited by the Department of Archives and History and Marie Bankhead Owen, (Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967)

Alabama Mortality Schedule 1850 by Marilyn Davis Hahn (Southern Historical Press, 1983)

Alabama Mortality Schedule 1860 by Marilyn Davis Hahn (Southern Historical Press, 1987)

Census of Confederate Veterans Residing in Southeast Alabama in 1907 compiled by Homer T. Jones (Pioneer Pub., 1998)

illustration IMMIGRATION RECORDS

Declarations of Intention, Naturalizations, and Petitions, 1855–1960 from the US District Court, Southern District of Alabama

Lists of Ships' Passengers, Mobile, Alabama , 2 vols., compiled by Lucille Mallon Connick (L.M. Connick, 1988)

Naturalization Records, Mobile, Alabama, 1833–1906 by Clinton P. King and merrem A. Barlow (Gateway Press, 1986)

illustration LAND RECORDS

English Land Grants in West Florida: A Register for the States of Alabama, Mississippi, and Parts of Florida and Louisiana, 1766–1776 by Winston DeVille (W. De Ville, 1986)

Old Cahaba Land Office Records and Military Warrants, 1817–1853 by Marilyn Davis Hahn (Old South Print & Publishing Co., 1981)

Old Huntsville Land Office Records and Military Warrants, 1810–1854 compiled by Marilyn Davis Barefield (Southern Historical Press, 1985)

Old Land Records of Colbert County, Alabama by Margaret Matthews Cowart (M.M. Cowart, 1985)

Old Land Records of Franklin County, Alabama by Margaret Matthews Cowart (M.M. Cowart, 1986)

Old Land Records of Jackson County, Alabama by Margaret Matthews Cowart (M.M. Cowart, 1980)

Old Land Records of Lauderdale County, Alabama by Margaret Matthews Cowart (M.M. Cowart, 1996)

Old Land Records of Lawrence County, Alabama by Margaret Matthews Cowart (M.M. Cowart, 1991)

Old Land Records of Limestone County, Alabama by Margaret Matthews Cowart (M.M. Cowart, 1984)

Old Land Records of Madison County, Alabama by Margaret Matthews Cowart (M.M. Cowart, 1979)

Old Land Records of Marshall County, Alabama by Margaret Matthews Cowart (M.M. Cowart, 1988)

Old Land Records of Morgan County, Alabama by Margaret Matthews Cowart (M.M. Cowart, 1981)

Old Sparta & Elba Land Office Records & Military Warrants, 1822–1860 by Marilyn Davis Hahn (Southern Historical Press, 1983)

Old St. Stephen's Land Office Records & American State Papers, Public Lands, Vol. I, 1768–1888 by Marilyn Davis Hahn (Southern Historical Press, 1983)

Old Tuscaloosa Land Office Records & Military Warrants, 1821–1855 compiled by Marilyn Davis Barefield (Southern Historical Press, 1984)

Private Land Claims, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida by Fern C. Ainsworth (F. Ainsworth, 1978)

Robert Armstrong's Survey Book of Cherokee Lands: Lands Granted from the Treaty of 27 February 1819 by James L. Douthat and Robert Armstrong (Institute of Historical Research, 1993)

illustration MAPS

Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, Alabama edited by John H. Long, and compiled by Peggy Sinko, compiler (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1996)

Dead Towns of Alabama by W. Stuart Harris (University of Alabama Press, 1977)

Handbook of Alabama, 2nd edition, by Saffold Berney (Reprint Co., 1975)

Historical Atlas of Alabama by Donald B. Dodd (University of Alabama Press, 1974)

A List of Nineteenth Century Maps of the State of Alabama by Sara Elizabeth Mason (Birmingham Public Library, 1973)

Yesterday's Faces of Alabama: A Collection of Maps, 1822–1909 edited by Society of Pioneers of Montgomery and John H. Napier III (Brown Print Co., 1978)

illustration MILITARY RECORDS

Compendium of the Confederate Armies, 11 vols., by Stewart Sifakis (Facts on File, 1992–1995)

First Tennessee and Alabama Independent Cavalry, 1863–1864, Roster: Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H compiled by John L.T.N. Potter and the US Army Alabama and Tennessee Cavalry, 1st, Vidette Cavalry (Mountain Press, 1995)

An Index to Alabama Society Sons of the American Revolution, Members and their Ancestors, 1903–1996 compiled by Clifford D. Black and the Sons of the American Revolution, Alabama (C.D. Black, 1996)

Law's Alabama Brigade in the War Between the Union and the Confederacy by J. Gary Laine and Morris M. Penny (White Mane Pub. Co., 1996)

Revolutionary Soldiers in Alabama by Thomas McAdory Owen and the Alabama Department of Archives and History (Genealogical Publishing Co., 1975)

Volunteer Soldiers in the Cherokee War, 1836–1839 by James L. Douthat (Mountain Press, 1995)

World War II: A Family Historian's Guide by Debra Johnson Knox (MIE Publishing, 2003)

illustration PROBATE RECORDS

Index to Alabama Wills, 1808–1870 compiled by the Daughters of the American Revolution, Alabama Society (Genealogical Publishing Co., 1977)

illustration VITAL RECORDS

Alabama Marriages Early to 1825: A Research Tool compiled by Liahona Research, Inc., Jordan R. Dodd and Norman L. Moyes (Precision Indexing, 1991)

Alabama Notes, 4 vols. by Flora Dainwood England (Genealogical Pub. Co., 1977–1989)

Bible and Cemetery Records , 2 vols., from the Birmingham Genealogical Society (1962–1966)

Divorces Copied from Printed Acts of Alabama, 1818–1864 by Donald F. Watson (Alabama Department of Archives and History, 1971)

Marriage Certificates, 1936–1992; Index, 1936–1959 from the Alabama Department of Health (filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1993)

Marriage & Death Notices from Alabama Newspapers and Family Records, 1819–1890 compiled by Helen S. Foley (Southern Historical Press, 1981)

Marriage, Death, and Legal Notices from Early Alabama Newspapers, 1819–1893 compiled by Pauline Jones Gandrud (Southern Historical Press, 1981)

illustration COUNTY DETAILS illustration

AUTAUGA

134 N. Court St. Suite 106, Prattville, AL 36067, (334) 361-3725 <www.autauga.org>

• INCORPORATED: Nov. 21, 1818

• PARENT COUNTY: Montgomery

• LAND RECORDS: start in 1809, kept by Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1810, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1831, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Marriage records from 1829–1898, birth from 1871–1928 (delayed birth certificates), and death from March 1908-February 1916.

BAINE

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 7, 1866

• PARENT COUNTIES: Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, DeKalb, Marshall, St. Clair

• NOTES: Abolished Dec. 3, 1867. Became Etowah County Dec. 1, 1868.

BAKER

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 30, 1868

• PARENT COUNTIES: Autauga, Bibb, Perry, Shelby

• NOTES: See Chilton County. Name changed to Chilton Dec. 17, 1874.

BALDWIN

1 Court Sq., Box 459, Bay Minette, AL 36507, (251) 937-0399, <www.co.baldwin.al.us>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 21, 1809

• PARENT COUNTIES: Washington, West Florida

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1908, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1819, Probate Court

• DEATH: 1908, Department of Health

• LAND: 1809, Probate Court

• PROBATE: 1810, Probate Court

• COURT: 1811, Circuit Court

BARBOUR

1800 Fifth Ave. N., Box 398, Clayton, AL 36016, (334) 775-8371, <www.archives.state.al.us/counties/barbour.html>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1832

• PARENT COUNTIES: Pike County, Original Territory

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1838, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1832, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1833, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1832, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Birth records from 1891–1899 and 1906–1923 and Death records from 1906–1923

BENTON

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1832

• PARENT COUNTY: Creek Cession of 1832

• NOTES: See Calhoun County. Name changed to Calhoun Jan. 29, 1858.

BIBB

Centreville, AL 35042, (205) 926-4747 <www.archives.state.al.us/counties/bibb.html>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 7, 1818

• PARENT COUNTIES: Monroe, Montgomery

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1818, kept by County Clerk

• LAND: 1818, County Clerk

• PROBATE: 1830, County Clerk

• COURT: 1830, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Formerly Cahawba County. Name changed to Bibb Dec. 2, 1820.

BLOUNT

220 Second Ave., E., Room 208, Oneonta, AL 35121, (205) 625-4153, <www.hometownchronicles.com/al/blount/index.html>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 6, 1818

• PARENT COUNTIES: Montgomery County and land acquired from the Creek Cession of 1814.

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1820, kept by County Archivist

• LAND: 1818, County Archivist

• PROBATE: 1829, County Archivist

• BURIAL: 1820, County Archivist

• NOTES: Clerk of Circuit Court has court records 1829–1852/1872.

BULLOCK

Box 71, Union Springs, AL 36089, (334) 738-2250, <www.archives.state.al.us/counties/Bullock.html>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 5, 1866

• PARENT COUNTIES: Barbour, Macon, Montgomery, Pike

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1819, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1809, County Commissioner

• PROBATE: 1810, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1811, Circuit Court

BUTLER

700 Court Sq., Box 756, Greenville, AL 36037, (334) 382-3512 <theusgenweb.org/al/butler>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 13, 1819

• PARENT COUNTIES: Conecuh, Montgomery

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1853, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1853, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1853, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1853, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Courthouse burned 1853. County Health Department has birth records 1886-May 1891, March 1894-November 1919, delayed birth certificates 1870–1930, death records 1894–1919.

CAHAWBA

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 7, 1818

• PARENT COUNTIES: Monroe, Montgomery

• NOTES: See Bibb County. Name changed to Bibb Dec. 4, 1820.

CALHOUN

1702 Noble St., Suite 102, Anniston, AL 36201, (256) 236-8231 <www.calhouncounty.org>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1832

• PARENT COUNTY: Creek Cession of 1832

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1834, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1832, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1850, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1891, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Formerly Benton County. Name changed to Calhoun Jan. 29, 1858.

CHAMBERS

Court Square, Lafayette, AL 36862, (334) 664-1224, <www.chambersco.com>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1832

• PARENT COUNTY: Creek Cession of 1832

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1833, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1833, Probate Office

• LAND: 1833, Probate Office

• PROBATE: 1833, Probate Office

• COURT: 1833, Circuit Court

CHEROKEE

102 W. Main St., Centre, AL 35960, (256) 927-3363, <www.cherokeecounty-al.gov>

• INCORPORATED: Jan. 9, 1836

• PARENT COUNTY: Cherokee Cession 1835

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1882, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1882, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1882, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1882, Circuit Court

• MILITARY: 1882, Probate Judge

• NOTES: Records burned in 1882.

CHILTON

Box 557, Clanton, AL 35045, (205) 755-1555, <www.chiltoncounty.org>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 30, 1868

• PARENT COUNTIES: Autauga, Bibb, Perry, Shelby

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1870, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1868, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1887, Circuit Court

• COURT: 1843, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Formerly Baker County. Name changed to Chilton Dec. 17, 1874.

CHOCTAW

117 S. Mulberry Ave., Butler, AL 36904, (205) 459-2417, <www.archives.state.al.us/counties/Choctaw.html>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 29, 1847

• PARENT COUNTIES: Sumter, Washington

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1873, kept by County Clerk

• LAND: 1873, County Clerk

• PROBATE: 1873, County Clerk

• COURT: 1871, Circuit Court

• NOTES: County Health Department has delayed birth records 1870–1900 and death records 1881–1893.

CLARKE

117 Court St., Box 548, Grove Hill, AL 36451, (334) 275-3251, <www.clarkecountyal.com>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 10, 1812

• PARENT COUNTY: Washington

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1908, kept by Health Clinic

• MARRIAGE: 1814, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1908, Health Clinic

• LAND: 1812, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1810, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1813, Circuit Court

CLAY

Box 187, Ashland, AL 36251, (256) 354-2198, <www.archives.state.al.us/counties/Clay.html>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 7, 1866

• PARENT COUNTIES: Randolph, Talladega

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1872, kept by Probate Court

• LAND: 1875, Probate Court

• PROBATE: 1876, Probate Court

• COURT: 1875, Circuit Court

• NOTES: County Court has death records 1920–1940; County Health Department has birth records from 1920 and death records from 1920, and voting registry 1906–1936.

CLEBURNE

406 Vickery St., Heflin, AL 36264, (256) 463-5655, <www.archives.state.al.us/counties/cleburne.html>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 6, 1866

• PARENT COUNTIES: Calhoun, Raldolph, Talladega

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1819, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1809, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1810, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1811, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Probate Judge has birth and death records 1911–1921, and County Health Department has birth/death records from 1908.

COFFEE

230 Court St., Elba, AL 36323, (334) 897-2211, <www.coffee.us>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 29, 1841

• PARENT COUNTIES: Dale

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1866, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1887, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1811, Circuit Court

COLBERT

201 N. Main St., Tuscumbia, AL 35674, (256) 386-8500, <www.colbertcounty.org>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 6, 1867

• PARENT COUNTY: Franklin

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1881, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1867, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1881, Department of Health

• LAND: 1867, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1867, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1867, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Abolished same year created, re-established 1869.

CONECUH

Box 347, Evergreen, AL 36401, (334) 578-2095, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alconecu>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 13, 1818

• PARENT COUNTY: Monroe

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1881, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1866, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1881, Department of Health

• LAND: 1866, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1881, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1881, Circuit Court

COOSA

Box 218, Rockford, AL 35136, (256) 362-5721, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alcoosa>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1832

• PARENT COUNTY: Creek Indian Treaty of Cusseta

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1878, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1834, Probate Records

• DEATH: 1920, Department of Health

• DIVORCE: 1834, Probate Court

• LAND: 1832, Probate Court

• PROBATE: 1834, Probate Court

• COURT: 1834, Circuit Court Office

• MILITARY: 1834, Probate Records

• NOTES: Probate Court has a few birth and death records 1920–1945.

COTACO

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 6, 1818

• PARENT COUNTY: Cherokee Turkeytown Cession

• NOTES: See Morgan County. Name changed to Morgan June 14, 1821.

COVINGTON

Court Square, Andalusia, AL 36420, (334) 428-2520, <covingtoncountyal.org>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 7, 1821

• PARENT COUNTY: Henry

• COURT RECORDS: unknown start, kept by Circuit Court

• NOTES: Record loss in 1895. Probate Judge has marriage, land, and probate records 1895–1896. Clerk of Circuit Court has divorce records 1895–1896.

CRENSHAW

Box 227, Luverne, AL 36049, (334) 335-6568, <www.archives.state.al.us/counties/crenshaw.html>

• INCORPORATED: Nov. 24, 1866

• PARENT COUNTIES: Butler, Coffee, Covington, Lowndes, Pike

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1889, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1895, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1909, Department of Health

• LAND: 1896, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1896, Probate Judge

CULLMAN

500 Second Ave. SW, Cullman, AL 35055, (256) 739-3530, <www.co.cullman.al.us>

• INCORPORATED: Jan. 24, 1877

• PARENT COUNTIES: Blount, Morgan, Winston

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1877, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1877, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1877, Department of Health

• DIVORCE: 1877, Probate Judge

• LAND: 1877, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1877, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1877, Probate Judge

DALE

1702 Hwy. 123 S., Box 246, Ozark, AL 36361, (334) 774-6025, <www.dalecountyal.org>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 22, 1824

• PARENT COUNTIES: Covington, Henry

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1919, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1884, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1920, Department of Health

• DIVORCE: 1885, Circuit Court

• LAND: 1884, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1895, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1884, Circuit Court

• NOTES: 1885 courthouse fire destroyed all records.

DALLAS

Box 997, Selma, AL 36702, (334) 874-2500, <www.prairiebluff.com/algenweb/dallas>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 9, 1818

• PARENT COUNTIES: Montgomery, Monroe

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1818, kept by Probate Judge

• DIVORCE: 1917, Probate Judge

• LAND: 1818, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1821, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1821, Circuit Court

• NOTES: County Health Department has birth records 1880–1930 (delayed birth certificates) and death records 1882–1888.

DEKALB

111 Grand Ave. SW, Fort Payne, AL 35967, (256) 845-8525, <www.dekalbcountyal.us>

• INCORPORATED: Jan. 9, 1836

• PARENT COUNTY: Cherokee Cession of 1835

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1885, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1836, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1885, Department of Health

• LAND: 1836, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1836, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1836, Circuit Court

ELMORE

Box 280, Wetumpka, AL 36092, (334) 567-1138, <elmoreco.org>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 15, 1866

• PARENT COUNTIES: Autauga, Coosa, Montgomery, Tallapoosa

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1867, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1867, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1867, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1876, Circuit Court

• MILITARY: 1919, Probate Judge

• NOTES: Probate Judge has birth and death records 1909–1913; County Health Department has birth records from 1884 and death records from 1927.

ESCAMBIA

Box 848, Brewton, AL 36427, (251) 867-0208, <www.co.escambia.al.us>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 10, 1868

• PARENT COUNTIES: Baldwin, Conecuh

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1879, kept by Probate Court

• LAND: 1868, Probate Court

• PROBATE: 1868, Probate Court

• COURT: 1882, Circuit Court

• NOTES: There was a record loss in 1868.

ETOWAH

800 Forrest Ave., Gadsden, AL 35901, (256) 546-2821, <www.etowahcounty.org>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 7, 1866

• PARENT COUNTIES: Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, DeKalb, Marshall, St. Clair

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1894, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1867, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1898, Department of Health

• LAND: 1867, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1867, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1867, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Formerly Baine County, abolished Dec. 3, 1867. Reestablished as Etowah County Dec. 1, 1868.

FAYETTE

Box 509, Fayette, AL 35555, (205) 932-4519, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alfayett>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 20, 1824

• PARENT COUNTIES: Marion, Pickens, Tuscaloosa

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1850, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1824, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1851, Probate Judge

• MILITARY: 1919, Probate Judge

• NOTES: Probate Judge has birth records 1884–1941 and death records 1899–1941. There were record losses in 1866 and in 1916.

FRANKLIN

410 N. Jackson St., Russellville, AL 35653, (256) 332-1210, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alfrankl>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 6, 1818

• PARENT COUNTIES: Cherokee and Chickasaw Cession of 1816

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1890, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1818, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1890, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1890, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Records burned 1890.

GENEVA

Box 430, Geneva, AL 36340, (334) 684-9300, <www.genevacounty.net>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 26, 1868

• PARENT COUNTIES: Dale, Henry, Coffee

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1898, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1868, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1888, Probate Judge

• MILITARY: 1930, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1898, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Probate Judge has birth records 1909–1918 and death records 1909–1941. There was a record loss in 1898.

GREENE

Box 656, Eutaw, AL 35462, (205) 372-3349, <www.archives.state.al.us/counties/greene.html>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 13, 1819

• PARENT COUNTIES: Marengo, Tuscaloosa

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1823, kept by Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1881, Department of Health

• LAND: 1821, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1820, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1821, Circuit Court

• NOTES: County Health Department has birth records 1881–1896.

HALE

1001 Main St., Box 396, Greensboro, AL 36744, (334) 624-8740, <www.archives.state.al.us/counties/hale.html>

• INCORPORATED: Jan. 30, 1867

• PARENT COUNTIES: Greene, Marengo, Perry, Tuscaloosa

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1867, kept by Probate Judge

• DIVORCE: 1868, Probate Judge

• LAND: 1867, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1867, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1867, Probate Judge HANCOCK

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 12, 1850

• PARENT COUNTY: Walker

• NOTES: See Winston County. Name changed to Winston Jan. 22, 1858.

HENRY

101 W. Court Sq., Suite A, Abbeville, AL 36310, (334) 585-3257, <www.henrycountyalabama.org>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 13, 1819

• PARENT COUNTY: Conecuh

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1823, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1819, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1822, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1822, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Probate Judge has birth records 1895–1922 and death records 1895–1906. County Health Department has birth and death records from 1931.

HOUSTON

Box 6406, Dothan, AL 36302, (334) 677-4700, <www.houstoncounty.org>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 9, 1903

• PARENT COUNTIES: Dale, Geneva, Henry

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1908, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1903, Probate Office

• DEATH: 1908, Department of Health

• DIVORCE: 1903, Reg. in Chancery

• LAND: 1903, Probate Office

• PROBATE: 1903, Probate Office

• COURT: 1903, Circuit Court

JACKSON

Box 397, Scottsboro, AL 35768, (256) 574-9320, <www.jacksoncountyal.com>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 13, 1819

• PARENT COUNTY: Cherokee Cession of 1816

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1851, kept by Probate Judge

• DIVORCE: 1895, Circuit Court

• LAND: 1819, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1866, Probate Judge

• NOTES: Record losses in 1860 and 1920.

JEFFERSON

716 N. 21st St., Birmingham, AL 35263, (205) 325-5300, <jeffconline.jccal.org>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 13, 1819

• PARENT COUNTY: Blount

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1818, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1819, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1819, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1826, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Birth and death records are from 1871 and 1882 (partial).

JONES

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 4, 1867

• PARENT COUNTIES: Marion, Fayette

• NOTES: Abolished Nov. 13, 1867. Reestablished as Sanford County Oct. 8, 1868. Name changed to Lamar Feb. 8, 1877.

LAMAR

Box 338, Vernon, AL 35592, (205) 695-9119, <theusgenweb.org/al/lamar>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 4, 1867

• PARENT COUNTIES: Marion, Fayette

• LAND RECORDS: start in 1967, kept by Probate Office

• PROBATE: 1967, Probate Office

• COURT: 1967, Circuit Clerk

• NOTES: Formerly Jones County. Abolished Nov. 13, 1867 and reestablished as Sanford County Oct. 8, 1868. Name changed to Lamar Feb. 8, 1877.

LAUDERDALE

Box 1059, Florence, AL 35631, (256) 760-5800, <lauderdalecountyonline.com>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 6, 1818

• PARENT COUNTIES: Cherokee and Chickasaw Cession in 1816

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1818, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1818, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1818, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1821, Circuit Court

LAWRENCE

Courthouse, Moulton, AL 35650, (256) 974-0663, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allawren>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 6, 1818

• PARENT COUNTIES: Cherokee and Chickasaw in 1816

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1828, kept by Probate Judge

• DIVORCE: 1810, Probate Judge

• LAND: 1810, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1818, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1828, Circuit Court

LEE

215 S. Ninth St., Box 666, Opelika, AL 36801, (334) 749-7141, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allee>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 5, 1866

• PARENT COUNTIES: Chambers, Macon, Russell, Tallapoosa

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1867, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1867, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1861, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1867, Circuit Court

• MILITARY: 1919, Probate Judge

LIMESTONE

310 W. Washington St., Athens, AL 35611, (256) 233-6404, <www.co.limestone.al.us>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 6, 1818

• PARENT COUNTIES: Cherokee and Chickasaw Cession in 1806 and 1816

• NOTES: County Archives has birth and death records 1881–1913. County Health Department has birth and death records from 1881; land, probate and court records 1818–1900; divorce records 1896–1947; marriage records 1832–1900; tax records 1861–1900. Record loss in 1862.

LOWNDES

Box 65, Hayneville, AL 36040, (334) 548-2331, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allownde>

• INCORPORATED: Jan. 20, 1830

• PARENT COUNTIES: Butler, Dallas, Montgomery

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1830, kept by Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1832, Probate Judge

• LAND: 1830, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1830, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1830, Circuit Court

• MILITARY: 1919, Probate Judge

• NOTES: Birth records from 1881–1904, delayed birth certificates 1879–1911 are held by County Health Deparment.

MACON

101 E. Northside St., Tuskegee, AL 36083, (334) 727-1800, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~almacon>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1832

• PARENT COUNTY: Creek Cession of 1832

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1832, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1832, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1834, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1862, Circuit Court

MADISON

100 North Side Sq., Huntsville, AL 35801, (256) 532-3330, <www.co.madison.al.us>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 13, 1808

• PARENT COUNTIES: Cherokee and Chickasaw Cession of 1806

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1881, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1809, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1881, Department of Health

• LAND: 1810, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1818, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1808, Circuit Court

MARENGO 101 E. Coats Ave., Linden, AL 36748, (334) 295-2210, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~almareng>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 6, 1818

• PARENT COUNTY: Choctaw Cession of 1816

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1881, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1818, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1906, Department of Health

• LAND: 1820, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1818, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1819, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Record loss in 1848 and 1965.

MARION

Box 460, Hamilton, AL 35570, (205) 921-3172, <www.marioncountyalabama.org>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 13, 1818

• PARENT COUNTY: Tuscaloosa

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1902, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1887, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1902, Department of Health

• LAND: 1887, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1887, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1887, Circuit Court

• MILITARY: 1920, Probate Judge

• NOTES: Courthouse fire in 1883 destroyed all records.

MARSHALL

424 Blount Ave., Guntersville, AL 35976, (256) 571-7701, <www.marshallco.org/index.php>

• INCORPORATED: Jan. 9, 1836

• PARENT COUNTIES: Blount, Cherokee Cession of 1836, Jackson

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1920, kept by Probate Judge

• MARRIAGE: 1836, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1920, Probate Judge

• LAND: 1836, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1843, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1836, Probate Court

MOBILE

109 Government St., Mobile, AL 36602, (334) 690-8502, <www.mobilecounty.org>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1812

• PARENT COUNTIES: West Florida, Baldwin

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1820, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1814, Probate Judge

• LAND: 1812, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1814, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1814, Circuit Court

MONROE

Box 8, Monroeville, AL 35461, (334) 575-3778, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~almonroe>

• INCORPORATED: June 29, 1815

• PARENT COUNTY: Creek Cession 1814

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1881, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1833, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1908, Department of Health

• LAND: 1833, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1833, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1833, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Courthouse fire destroyed records prior to 1833. 1816 Monroe County census published by Monroe Journal.

MONTGOMERY

Box 223, Montgomery, AL 36101, (334) 832-4950, <www.mc-ala.org>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 6, 1816

• PARENT COUNTY: Monroe

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1917, kept by Probate Judge

• DIVORCE: 1852, Clerk/Board/Revenue

• LAND: 1819, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1819, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1811, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Alabama Department of Archivists and History has marriage records 1817–1928.

MORGAN

302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601, (256) 351-4600, <www.co.morgan.al.us>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 6, 1818

• PARENT COUNTY: Cherokee Turkeytown Cession of 1818

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1893, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1818, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1893, Department of Health

• LAND: 1818, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1818, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1817, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Formerly Cotaco County. Name changed to Morgan June 14, 1821.

PERRY

Box 478, Marion, AL 36756, (334) 683-2210, <www.usgennet.org/usa/al/county/perry>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 13, 1819

• PARENT COUNTIES: Montgomery, Creek Cession of 1814

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1908, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1820, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1908, Department of Health

• LAND: 1819, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1823, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1821, Circuit Court

PICKENS

Box 370, Carrollton, AL 35447, (205) 367-2010, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alpicken/pcpage.htm>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 20, 1820

• PARENT COUNTY: Tuscaloosa

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1903, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1876, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1903, Department of Health

• LAND: 1876, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1876, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1876, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Record losses in 1864 and 1876, all records destroyed.

PIKE

Box 1008, Troy, AL 36081, (334) 566-1246, <www.genrecords.net/alpike>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 17, 1821

• PARENT COUNTIES: Henry, Montgomery

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1830, kept by Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1881, Department of Health

• LAND: 1830, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1830, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1830, Circuit Court

• NOTES: County Health Department has birth records from 1886. Courthouse fire in 1830, destroyed all records.

RANDOLPH

Box 249, Wedowee, AL 36278, (256) 357-4933, <www.randolphcountyalabama.gov>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1832

• PARENT COUNTY: Creek Cession 1832

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1886, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1897, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1886, Department of Health

• LAND: 1897, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1897, Probate Judge

• NOTES: 1897 courthouse fire 1897, destroyed probate records. Probate Judge has military pensions 1904–1909.

RUSSELL

Box 969, Phenix City, AL 36868, (334) 298-7979, <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alrussel>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1832

• PARENT COUNTY: Creek Cession 1832

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1893, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1928, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1893, Department of Health

• LAND: 1832, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1832, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1832, Circuit Court

SANFORD

• INCORPORATED: Oct. 8, 1867

• PARENT COUNTY: Jones

• NOTES: See Lamar County. Formed from Jones County. Name changed to Lamar Feb. 8, 1877.

SHELBY

Box 1810, Columbiana, AL 35051, (205) 669-3760, <www.shelbycountyalabama.com>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 7, 1818

• PARENT COUNTY: Montgomery

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1819, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1819, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1819, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1819, Circuit Court

ST. CLAIR

Box 397, Ashville, AL 35953, (205) 594-5114, <www.stclairco.com>

• INCORPORATED: Nov. 20, 1818

• PARENT COUNTY: Shelby

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1893, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1819, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1908, Department of Health

• LAND: 1818, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1818, Probate Judge

• COURT: unknown, Circuit Court

SUMTER

Box 70, Livingston, AL 35470, (205) 652-2731 <www.archives.state.al.us/counties/sumter.html>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1832

• PARENT COUNTY: Choctaw Cession of 1832

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1888, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1833, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1881, Department of Health

• LAND: 1825, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1828, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1876, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Probate Judge has a few birth records 1888–1918.

TALLADEGA

Box 755, Talladega, AL 35160, (256) 362-4175, <www.talladegacountyal.org>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1832

• PARENT COUNTY: Creek Cession of 1832

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1897, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1834, Probate Court

• DEATH: 1897, Department of Health

• LAND: 1833, Probate Court

• PROBATE: 1833, Probate Court

• COURT: 1833, Circuit Court

• MILITARY: 1930, Probate Court

• NOTES: Chancery Court has Divorce records 1888–1892.

TALLAPOOSA

125 N. Broadnax St., Dadeville, AL 36853, (256) 825-4266, <www.tallaco.com>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 18, 1832

• PARENT COUNTY: Creek Cession of 1832

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1834, kept by Probate Judge

• LAND: 1832, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1838, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1835, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Tallapoosa and Coosa counties swapped 90 acres in 1963. Probate Judge has a few birth and death records 1881–1991.

TUSCALOOSA

714 Greensboro Ave., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, (205) 349-3870, <www.tuscco.com>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 6, 1818

• PARENT COUNTIES: Cherokee and Choctaw Cession 1816

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1880, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1823, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1880, Department of Health

• LAND: 1823, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1821, Probate Judge

WALKER

Box 1447, Jasper, AL 35502, (205) 384-7230, <www.walkercounty.com>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 26, 1823

• PARENT COUNTIES: Tuscaloosa, Blount, Jefferson

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1877, kept by Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1877, Department of Health

• LAND: 1877, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1877, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1877, Circuit Court

• NOTES: All court records burned in 1877.

WASHINGTON

Box 549, Chatom, AL 36518, (334) 847-2208, <www.archives.state.al.us/counties/washingt.html>

• INCORPORATED: June 4, 1800

• PARENT COUNTIES: Mississippi Territory

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1908, kept by Probate Judge

• MARRIAGE: 1802, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1908, Probate Judge

• LAND: 1786, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1820, Probate Judge

• MILITARY: 1919, Probate Judge

WILCOX

Box 668, Camden, AL 36726, (334) 682-4883, <www.prairiebluff.com/algenweb/wilcox>

• INCORPORATED: Dec. 13, 1819

• PARENT COUNTIES: Monroe, Dallas

• BIRTH RECORDS: start in 1905, kept by Department of Health

• MARRIAGE: 1820, Probate Judge

• DEATH: 1905, Department of Health

• LAND: 1820, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1820, Probate Judge

WINSTON

Box 27, Double Springs, AL 35553, (205) 489-5219, <www.winstoncountyalabama.org>

• INCORPORATED: Feb. 12, 1850

• PARENT COUNTY: Walker

• MARRIAGE RECORDS: start in 1891, kept by Probate Judge

• DIVORCE: unknown, Circuit Court

• LAND: 1891, Probate Judge

• PROBATE: 1891, Probate Judge

• COURT: 1892, Circuit Court

• NOTES: Formerly Hancock County. Name changed to Winston Jan. 22, 1858. Probate records lost in 1891 courthouse fire.

ALASKA

» BY DAVID A. FRYXELL

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

Although Alaska didn't become part of the United States until 1959, joining as the 49th state, it was home to the very first Americans. Asians from Siberia crossed the Bering Strait between 21,000 and 42,000 years ago. Those who stayed became the precursors of Alaska's native peoples — the Athabascans, Haida, Tlingit and Inuit (often called Eskimos). Native American records include a collection of Genealogical Records of Barrow Eskimo Families and Juneau Area Agency records (1905–1964), both on microfilm at the Family History Library (FHL), and the Oregon Province Archives of the Society of Jesus Alaska Mission Collection (1853–1960) at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., also on FHL microfilm.

The first Europeans came to Alaska from Russia with Vitus Bering's expedition in 1741, and sea-otter hunters arrived soon after. The Russian Orthodox church came to Kodiak in 1795, and remained dominant until the 20th century. Archives for the Diocese of Alaska were given to the Library of Congress in 1927; translated and microfilmed, these are available through the FHL.

Although the $7.2 million US purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 became known as Seward's Folly, the Russians — strapped for cash after the Crimean War — knew the area was rich in gold, already found in 1861 near Telegraph Creek. A series of subsequent strikes sparked the Alaska Gold Rush, which brought 50,000 fortune-seekers between 1897 and 1920. Gold miners founded Nome in 1899 and Fairbanks in 1902. After a period under the jurisdiction of the War Department (1867–1877) and the Treasury Department (1877–1884), Alaska became a US District in 1884 and a territory in 1912.

World War II brought a fresh wave of migration to Alaska with 140,000 US military stationed there, some of whom stayed. Not long after statehood, Alaska's black gold rush began with oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968. Even so, the largest state geographically remains the least densely populated.

RECORD HIGHLIGHTS

Unlike most states, Alaska has no counties; 14 municipalities and boroughs and 13 native corporations were formed post-statehood. Census takers from 1880 to 1900 created enumeration districts, and enumerators in 1910 used the four federal judicial districts. The 1870 census skipped newly acquired Alaska, and the 1880 and 1890 censuses have been lost. Various pre-territory local censuses are indexed in Alaskan Census Records, 1870–1907, edited by Ronald Vern Jackson and Gary Ronald Teeples (Accelerated Indexing Systems, ca. 1976). There are also 1870 and 1880 territorial censuses for Sitka. Federal census coverage begins with 1900.

research tips

It's crucial to understand the state's geography and history, including the dates of the various gold rushes.

The National Archives in Anchorage has a large collection of records generated by the federal government since statehood (1959). Prior to statehood, the collections are divided between it and the state library and archives.

Visit the Alaska and Polar Regions Department, Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Fairbanks <library.uaf.edu>. The site links to the Alaska and Polar Periodical Index, which is an index to periodicals containing articles about Alaska and Alaskans.

CENSUS RECORDS

Federal census 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930

Territorial census: Sitka, 1870, 1880, 1881

Although Alaska didn't begin official recording of births, marriages and deaths until 1913, churches previously kept such records. The Bureau of Vital Statistics has microfilmed these church records and created delayed birth certificates. Note that in the absence of counties, vital records are kept almost entirely on the state level.

Until statehood created the superior court, probate records were kept at the district courts in Juneau and Ketchikan (First District), Nome (Second District), Anchorage (Third District), and Fairbanks (Fourth District). Records are now at the state archives, as are many territorial court records.

Land records can offer clues. These are mostly at the Bureau of Land Management in Washington, DC, and the National Archives Pacific-Alaska Region in Anchorage. Mining claims are at the Department of Natural Resources in Fairbanks. You can also search for Gold Rush ancestors in the state archives' records from the Pioneers' Homes, state institutions in Sitka, Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, Ketchikan, and Palmer.

Cemetery records can be hard to find for Alaska, given the remoteness of their locations. The Sitka National Cemetery has been indexed, however, as has the Clay Street and Birch Hill Cemetery in Fairbanks, which is online at Ancestry.com. The FHL has microfilm of remote Alaska cemeteries and those on the Kenai Peninsula.

Professional researcher Connie Malcolm Bradbury, coauthor with David Albert Hales of Alaska Sources: A Guide to Historical Records and Information Resources (Heritage-Quest, 2001), emphasizes the importance of understanding the state's history and vast geography. If you're seeking a lost relative from the gold rush period, she says, know the dates of the strikes — and remember that the Klondike is in Canada, not Alaska. The Klondike Stampede started in Alaska only because that is where the people disembarked from the ships bringing them north. Their destination was the Dawson, Yukon Territory, Canada area. As gold was prospected for on the creeks, some of the creeks extended to Alaska and the miners followed the creeks.

Whatever you're after in Alaska records, Bradbury says, you need to know exactly what you're looking for. The National Archives branch in Anchorage has a large collection of records generated by the federal government since statehood. Prior to statehood, the collections are divided between it and the state library and archives. The Alaska State Library History Department has a wonderful collection, Bradbury adds. "They have good coverage of southeast Alaska but also have collections that are statewide or cover other areas. They have a website <www.library.state.ak.us/hist/hist.html> that will be helpful. The Alaska State Archives is a marvelous repository of records generated by the state government. The University of Alaska in both Anchorage and Fairbanks has archives. The Alaska and Polar Regions Department, Elmer E. Rasmusun Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks has the largest manuscript collection in the state, an excellent rare book collection, and a large Alaskana Collection of books. They also have an excellent website ."

The site links to the Alaska and Polar Periodical Indexto periodicals containing articles about Alaska and Alaskans — a great place to start your search.

illustration ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, AND SOCIETIES

Alaska Historical Society

Box 100299, Anchorage, AK 99510 (907) 276-1596, <www.alaskahistoricalsociety.org>

Alaska Moravian Church

3512 Robin St., Anchorage, AK 99504 (907) 868-3177

Alaska State Library and Historical Collections

Box 110571, 8th Floor, Juneau, AK 99811, (907) 465-2910, <www.library.state.ak.us>

Anchorage Genealogical Society

Box 242294, Anchorage, AK 99524, <anchoragegenealogy.org>

Anchorage Museum of History and Art

121 W. Seventh Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501, (907) 343-4326, <www.anchoragemuseum.org>

Anchorage Superior Courts

825 W. Fourth Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501, <www.state.ak.us/courts/home.htm>

Archdiocese of Fairbanks, Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska

1316 Peger Rd., Fairbanks, AK 99709 (907) 374-9500, <www.cbna.info>

Bethel Moravian Church

Box 312, Bethel, AK 99559, (907) 543-3174

Department of Health and Social Services, Bureau of Vital Statistics

Box 110675, Juneau, AK 99801, (907) 465-3391, <health.hss.state.ak.us/dph/bvs>

Eagle Historical Society and Museum

Box 23, Eagle, AK 99738, (907) 547-2325, <www.eagleak.org>

Elmer E. Rasmuson Library

310 Tanana Loop, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA 99775, (907) 474-7481, <library.uaf.edu>

Fairbanks Genealogical Society

Box 60534, Fairbanks, AK 99706, <fairbanksgenealogicalsociety.com>

Gastineau Genealogical Society

3270 Nowell Ave., Juneau, AK 99801 (907) 586-3695, <home.gci.net/~westjuneau/ggs/ggshome.htm>

Genealogical Society of Southeastern Alaska

Box 6313, Ketchikan, AK 99901

Kenai Totem Tracers

Kenai Community Library, 163 Main St. Loop, Kenai, AK 99611, <www.kenailibrary.org/Totemtracers_new.htm>

National Archives, Pacific-Alaska Region

654 W. Third Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501 (907) 261-7820, <archives.gov/pacificalaska/anchorage>

Palmer Historical Society

Box 1925, Palmer, AK 99645, (907) 745-3703, <www.palmerhistoricalsociety.org>

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage

225 Cordova St., Anchorage, AK 99501 (907) 297-7700, <www.archdioceseofanchorage.org>

Roman Catholic Diocese of Juneau

415 Sixth St., Suite 300, Juneau, AK 99801 (907) 586-2227, <www.dioceseofjuneau.org>

St. Herman's Theological Seminary, Russian Orthodox Church

414 Mission Rd., Kodiak, AK 99615 (907) 486-3524, <www.sthermanseminary.org>

Sisters of Providence Archives

4800 37th Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98126, (206) 937-4600, <www.providence.org/phs/archives/default.htm>

Sitka National Cemetery

803 Sawmill Creek Rd., Sitka, AK 99835 For information, contact Fort Richardson National Cemetery, (907) 384-7075.

State of Alaska Archives and Records Management

141 Willoughby Ave., Juneau, AK 99811 (907) 465-2270, <www.archives.state.ak.us>

US District Court, Anchorage Office

222 W. Seventh Ave., Rm. 229, Anchorage, AK 99513, (866) 243-3814, <www.akd.uscourts.gov/default.htm>

US District Court, Fairbanks Office

101 Twelfth Ave., Rm. 332, Fairbanks, AK 99701, (866) 243-3813, <www.akd.uscourts.gov/default.htm>

US District Court, Juneau Office

Box 020349, Juneau, AK 99802