Alabama County Resources

From Rootsweb
Jump to: navigation, search

This entry was originally written by Robert S. Davis and Mary Bess Paluzzi for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

This article is part of
Alabama sil.png
the Alabama Family History Research series.
History of Alabama
Alabama Vital Records
Census Records for Alabama
Background Sources for Alabama
Alabama Maps
Alabama Land Records
Alabama Probate Records
Alabama Court Records
Alabama Tax Records
Alabama Cemetery Records
Alabama Church Records
Alabama Military Records
Alabama Periodicals, Newspapers, and Manuscript Collections
Alabama Archives, Libraries, and Societies
Alabama Immigration
African Americans of Alabama
Native Americans of Alabama
Alabama County Resources
Map of Alabama
County Map of Alabama


County level records have been microfilmed and are available at the Alabama Department of Archives and History and the FHL. County records vary widely from county to county in both quality and quantity. Some have been carefully preserved while others have been much abused and neglected. Some records have simply disappeared. Other scattered records are now preserved by the Alabama Department of Archives and History, the University of Alabama Library, and the Samford University Library.

North Alabama counties of Blount, Cullman, Lawrence, Madison, Morgan, and St. Clair have local archives. See Marcia K. Smith Collier's Alabama County Data and Resources (see Background Sources for Alabama). The Genealogical Society of Utah is now microfilming 'loose papers' in Alabama counties for researching through the FHL.

Ten Alabama counties have had significant destruction of records by fire. These 'burned' counties and counties that have had less destructive fires are indicated on the chart. However, not all records were lost.

Between 1935 and 1945 the Historical Records Survey conducted a preliminary inventory of fifteen county archives; see Alabama Historical Records Survey, Inventory of the County Archives of Alabama (Birmingham: Alabama Historical Records Survey, 1838'1942). Each county's volume contains a historical sketch of the county followed by a description and history of each county office as well as an inventory of each office's records. The counties that were surveyed include Clay, Colbert, Conecuh, Cullman, Greene, Hale, Lauderdale, Lowndes, Madison, Marengo, Sumter, Talladega, Wilcox, and Winston. Unfortunately, the inventory has never been updated, revised, or expanded to include counties not originally surveyed. The University of Alabama Library's special collections department also has inventories of the DeKalb and Cherokee county courthouse holdings compiled in 1979.

In the chart that follows, former names of counties are indicated and the addresses listed are for county courthouses. Court records are at the circuit court at the county seat, although no survey has been completed for all counties. Land and probate records come in a variety of forms for each county. Many are on microfilm (see discussion in those sections above). Three counties have two county seats. Record availability on the chart is drawn from the Alabama Archives and History's information on county records. To keep current with county record changes and holdings, check www.archives.state.al.us/referenc/procount.html.





Map County County Address Date Formed Parent County(ies) Birth Marriage Death Land Probate Court
F4 Autauga 176 W. Fifth St., Prattville 36067 1818 Montgomery 1908 1839 1908 1819 1824 ?
Baine 1866 (abolished 1867) Blount/Calhoun/Cherokee/DeKalb/Marshall/St. Clair
Baker 1868 (renamed Chilton, 1874)
K2 Baldwin P.O. Box 459, Bay Minette 36507 1809 Washington/ 1886 1810 1886 1809 1809 ?
H7 Barbour/Clayton Division 1 Court Sq., Clayton 36016 and Barbour/Eufaula Division, Broad St. Eufaula 36027 1832 Creek cession/Pike/Bullock/Russell 1881 1838 1881 1833 1820 ?
Benton 1832 (renamed Calhoun, 1858)
E4 Bibb 8 Courthouse Sq. West, Ste. A, Centreville 35042 1818 Monroe/Montgomery(Cahawba) 1900 1818 1900 1818 1818 ?
Blaine 1868 (renamed Etowah)
B5 Blount 220 Second Ave., Rm 106, Oneonta 35121 1818 Creek cession 1820 1818 1829 ?
G6 Bullock 217 N. Prairie St., Rm 106, Union Springs 36089 1866 Barbour/Macon/Montgomery/Pike 1867 1867 1867 ?
H4 Butler 700 Court Sq., Greenville 36037 1819 Conecuh/Monroe 1894 1853 1894 1853 1853 ?
Record loss, 1853.
C6 Calhoun 1702 Noble St., Ste. 102, Anniston 36201 1832 Creek cession(Benton, 1858) 1919 1834 1919 1832 1891 1835
Record loss, 1861 and 1865.
E7 Chambers Court Sq., Lafayette 36862 1832 Creek cession 1853 1833 1833 ?
B7 Cherokee 100 Main St., Centre 35960 1836 Cherokee cession 1899 1882 1882 1882 ?
Record loss, 1882 and 1895.
E4 Chilton 2nd Ave./P.O. Box 501 , Clanton 35045 1868 Autauga/Bibb/Perry/Shelby (Baker) 1908'19 1870 1908'19 1868 1887 ?
Record loss, 1870.
G1 Choctaw 117 S. Mulberry, Butler 36904 1847 Sumter/Washington 1881'93 1871 1881'93 1871 1871 ?
Record loss, 1859 and 1871.
H2 Clarke P.O. Box 548, Grove Hill 36451 1812 Washington 1908 1814 1908 1812 1813 ?
D6 Clay Courthouse Sq./P.O. Box 1120, Ashland 36251 1866 Randolph/Talladega 1920 1872 1920 1875 1876 1876
Record loss, 1875.
C7 Cleburne 406 Vickery St., Heflin 36264 1866 Calhoun/Randolph/Talladega 1867 1867 ?
J6 Coffee/Elba Division 230 N. Court St., Elba 36232 1841 Dale 1908 1866 1920 1851 1862 ?
Record loss, 1851 and 1863
J6 Coffee/Enterprise Division N. Edward St., Enterprise 36330 1907 1907 1907
A2 Colbert 201 N. Main, Tuscumbia 35674 1867 reorganized 1869(Franklin) 1881 1867 1881 1867 1861 1867
J4 Conecuh Court Sq./P.O. Box 149, Evergreen 36401 1818 Monroe 1881 1866 1881 1866 1866 1881
Record loss, 1868, 1875, 1885, 1895.
E5 Coosa P.O. Box 218, Rockford 35136 1832 Creek cession 1878 1834 1920 1832 1834 ?
Record loss, 1900.
Cotaco 1818 (renamed Morgan, 1821)
J5 Covington 1 Court Sq./P.O. Drawer 789, Andalusia 36420 1821 Henry 1889 1895 1909 1881 1882 ?
H5 Crenshaw Glenwood Ave., Luverne 36049 1865 Butler/Coffee/Pike/Covington/Lowndes 1882 1868 1871 ?
Record loss, 1898.
B4 Cullman 500 2nd Ave. S.W./P.O. Box 237, Cullman 35055 1877 Blount/Morgan/Winston 1877 1877 1887 1877 1877 ?
H7 Dale P.O. Box 580, Ozark 36361 1824 Covington/Henry 1919 1884 1920 1895 1895 ?
Record loss, 1869, 1884.
F4 Dallas 105 Lauderdale St., Selma 36701 1818 Montgomery 1922 1818 1922 1818 1821 ?
A6 DeKalb 301 Grand Ave. S.W., Ste. 200, Fort Payne 35967 1836 Cherokee cession 1885 1836 1885 1835 1848 ?
F5 Elmore P.O. Box 280, Wetumpka 36092 1866 Autauga/Coosa/Montgomery/Tallapoosa 1884 1867 1927 1867 1867 ?
J3 Escambia Belleville Ave./P.O. Box 557, Brewton 36427 1868 Baldwin/Conecuh 1909 1879 1909 1868 1868 ?
Record loss, 1868.
B6 Etowah 800 Forrest Ave., Gadsden 35901 1868 (as Blaine; renamed 1868 Blount/Calhoun/Dekalb/Marshall/St. Clair 1894 1867 1898 1867 1867 ?
C2 Fayette 113 Temple Ave./P.O. Box 509, Fayette 35555 1824 Marion/Pickens/Tuscaloosa 1884 1866 1899 1824 1851 ?
Record loss, 1866 and 1916.
A2 Franklin 410 Jackson St./P.O. Box 70, Russellville 35653 1818 Cherokee and Chickasaw cession 1916 1897 1890'1930 1890 1890 ?
Record loss, 1890.
J6 Geneva P.O. Box 430, Geneva 36340 1868 Dale/Henry/Coffee 1912 1898 1912 1898 1883 ?
Record loss, 1898.
E2 Greene Main and Prairie/P.O. Box 790, Eutaw 35462 1819 Marengo/Tuscaloosa 1912 1823 1909 1819 1820 1867
Record loss, 1868.
E2 Hale 1001 Main St., Greensboro 36744 1867 Greene/Marengo/Perry 1881 1867 1881 1867 1867 1865
Hancock 1850 (renamed Winston, 1858)
H7 Henry P.O. Box 457, Abbeville 36310 1819 Conecuh 1931 1823 1930 1819 1822 ?
J7 Houston 100 North Oates St., Dothan 36302 1903 Dale/Geneva/Henry 1908 1903 1908 1903 1903 ?
A6 Jackson Courthouse Sq./P.O. Box 128, Scottsboro 35768 1819 Cherokee cession 1851 1819 1866 ?
Record loss, 1864, 1920.
C4 Jefferson 716 N. 21st St., Birmingham 35203 and 1801 Third Ave. N., Bessemer 35020 1819 Blount 1881 1823* 1881 1819 1819 ?
*Also for Bessemer starting in 1916; record loss, 1870
Jones 1867 (renamed Sanford, 1868; renamed Lamar, 1877)
C2 Lamar Pond St./P.O. Box 338, Vernon 35592 1867 Marion/Fayette/Pickens(Jones) (Sanford) 1867 1867 1867 ?
A3 Lauderdale South Court St./P.O. Box 1059, Florence 35631 1818 Cherokee and Chickasaw cession 1880 1820 1890 1818 1818 1858
A3 Lawrence 14330 Court St., Moulton 35650 1818 Cherokee and Chickasaw cession ------ 1818 ------ 1818 1818 ?
F7 Lee 215 Ninth St./P.O. Box 2266, Opelika 36803 1866 Chambers/Macon Russell/Tallapoosa 1916 1867 1916 1863 1861 ?
A4 Limestone Courthouse Sq./P.O. Box 1145, Athens 35611 1818 Cherokee and Chickasaw cession 1881 1832 1881 1818 1818 ?
Record loss, 1862.
G4 Lowndes P.O. Box 5, Hayneville 36040 1830 Butler/Dallas/Montgomery 1881 1830 1881 1830 1830 1830
F6 Macon Courthouse Sq., Tuskegee 36083 1832 Creek cession 1928 1834 1928 1837 1834 ?
A5 Madison 100 Northside Sq., Huntsville 35801 1808 Cherokee and Chickasaw cession 1881 1809 1881 1810 1818 1820
G2 Marengo 101 E. Coats Ave. P.O. 48066, Linden 36748 1818 Choctaw cession 1881 1819 1906 1820 1818 1917
Record loss, 1848, 1965.
B2 Marion Military St., Hamilton 35570 1818 Tuscaloosa 1902 1887 1902 1887 1887 1917
Record loss, 1887.
A5 Marshall 425 Gunter Ave., Guntersville 35976 1836 Blount/Jackson/Cherokee cession 1836 1836 1836 ?
K2 Mobile 109 Government St./P.O. Box 7, Mobile 36601 1812 Mississippi Territory 1871 1813 1820 1812 1814 ?
Record loss, 1823, 1840, 1872.
H3 Monroe P.O. Box 665, Monroeville 36460 1815 Creek cession/Washington 1881 1833 1908 1833 1833 ?
Record loss, 1833.
G5 Montgomery 251 S. Lawrence St./P.O. Box 223, Montgomery 36104 1816 Monroe 1908 1817 1908 1816 1819 ?
A4 Morgan 302 Lee St. N.E./P.O. Box 848, Decatur 35602 1818 (as Cotaco;renamed, 1821) Cherokee cession 1983 1821 1893 1818 1818 ?
F3 Perry P.O. Box 478, Marion 36756 1819 Montgomery 1908 1820 1908 1819 1821 ?
D2 Pickens 100 Phoenix Ave./Box 370, Carrollton 35447 1820 Tuscaloosa 1903 1876 1903 1876 1876 ?
Record loss, 1864 and 1876.
H6 Pike Church Street, Troy 36081 1821 Henry/Montgomery 1881 1833 1881 1830 1830 ?
Record loss, 1828.
D7 Randolph Main Street/P.O. Box 249, Wedowee 36278 1832 Creek cession 1886 1896 1886 1897 1897 ?
Record loss, 1896.
F7 Russell P.O. Box 700, Phenix City 36868 1832 Creek cession 1934* 1934* 1934* 1832 1837 ?
*Also births, marriages, and death for Seale'1913, 1934, 1913 respectively.
C5 St. Clair 129 Fifth Ave., Ashville 35953 and Cogswell Ave. Pell City 35125 1818 Shelby 1893 1819 1818 1819 ?
Births, marriages, and deaths for Pell City-1916, 1903, 1896 respectively.
Sanford 1867 (as Jones; renamed Sanford, 1868; renamed Lamar, 1877)
D5 Shelby Main St., Columbiana 35051 1818 Montgomery 1819 1819 ?
F2 Sumter Marshall St., Livingston 35470 1832 Choctaw Cession 1888 1833 1881 1825 1828 1876
Record loss, 1901.
D5 Talladega P.O. Drawer 755, Talladega 35160 1832 Creek Cession 1897 1834 1897 1833 1833 1833
E6 Tallapoosa 125 N. Broadnax St., Dadeville 36853 1832 Creek Cession 1834 ------ 1832 1838 ?
D3 Tuscaloosa 714 Greensboro Ave./P.O. Box 67, Tuscaloosa 35402 1823 Cherokee and Choctaw Cession 1880 1823 1880 1823 1821 ?
C3 Walker 19th St./P.O. Box 502, Jasper 35502 1823'77 Marion/Tuscaloosa 1929 1877 1890 1877 1877 ?
Record loss, 1865, 1877, 1896, 1932.
J1 Washington P.O. Box 549, Chatom 36518 1800 Mississippi Territory/Baldwin 1908 1826 1908 1786 1820 ?
G3 Wilcox P.O. Box 688, Camden 36726 1819 Monroe/Dallas 1905 1820 1905 1820 1820 ?
B3 Winston P.O. Box 27, Double Springs 35553 1850 Walker 1889 1891 1912* 1891 1891 1892
*Also Haleyville 1920.