Palm Beach County, Florida Genealogy

Guide to Palm Beach County, Florida ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
Palm Beach County Courthouse 301 N Olive Ave; West Palm Beach, FL 33401-4705 Phone: 561.355.2754

County Judge has marriage and probate records. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, court and land records.

History
Like a mighty Banyan: contribution of Black people to the history of Palm Beach County. editor, Vivian Reissland Rouson-Gossett ; associate editor, C. Spencer Pompey. - Palm Beach County, FLA.: Palm Beach Junior College, [1982]. - 96 p. F317.P2 L54 1982

History Palm Beach
Index page at the Palm Beach FLGenWeb

Parent County
1909--Palm Beach County was created 30 April 1909 from Dade County. County seat: West Palm Beach

Description
The county was named for Palm Beach, Florida. The county seat is West Palm Beach and the county was created April 30, 1909. The County is located in the Southeast area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Florida county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Florida County Boundary Maps" (1821-1997) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Neighboring Counties

 * Broward
 * Glades
 * Hendry
 * Martin
 * Okeechobee

African American

 * USGenWeb Florida African American Griots Project
 * Afrigeneas - African Genealogy

Cemeteries
The following web site may have additional information on Palm Beach County cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Florida cemetery records

Census
FLGenWeb Palm Beach
 * 1783 Spanish Census USGenWeb
 * 1821 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1823 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb
 * Federal Census Information from National Archives USGenWeb
 * State Census Information from Florida State Archives USGenWeb
 * Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service USGenWeb

Church
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Palm Beach W.

Cities and Towns
FLGenWeb, Palm Beach County Cities and Towns

Directories
1923 Palm Beach FLGenWeb 1954 FLGenWeb 1956 American-Finish FLGenWeb 1978 Phone Book FLGenWeb

Land
Land Grants of Palm Beach Co FLGenWeb

Local Histories
Hurricanes, The Case of the Disappearing Ancestor; Palm Beach Co, FLGenWeb

Immigration
NARA Ships Passenger Lists These passenger lists cover: 1834 - 1897 Immigration of Russians to the United States 1/12/1846 -12/31/1851 Irish Famine 1850 - 1897 Germans to the United States 1855 - 1900 Italians to the United States

Maps

 * Maps of Florida (1821-1997)


 * 1821-1997 Maps of Florida
 * 1870 Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
 * 1882 Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
 * Exploring Florida, FCIT Maps University of South Florida

Military

 * Palm Beach County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Palm Beach County Military Records (FLGenWeb Project)
 * Florida State Military Files USGenWeb
 * Florida state pension records from various wars Pension Transcriptions USGenWeb

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1885-1955 - at FamilySearch — images only

World War I

 * 1917 - 1918 - Palm Beach County Civilian Draft Registration (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917 - 1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Palm Beach County Army and Air Force Casualties - World War I - Scroll down to World War I. (FLGenWeb Project)

World War II

 * Index to Palm Beach County World War II Army Enlistees - Scroll down to WWII. (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Palm Beach County Army and Air Force Casualties - World War II - Scroll down to World War II. (FLGenWeb Project)
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Korean War

 * Palm Beach County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict distantcousin.com

Vietnam War

 * Palm Beach County Vietnam War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War distantcousin.com

Newspapers
Current Newspapers of Palm Beach Co FLGenWeb

Courtesy of The Boca Raton Historical Society Archives:


 * 1948-1993 Boca Raton Historical Society Archived Newspapers
 * Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library USGenWeb

Obituaries

 * 1980-2010 Area Deaths (Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County)
 * Obituary Index of Palm Beach Co FLGenWeb
 * U.S. Hidden Ancestors Obituaries
 * USGenWeb Obituaries Project Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1784 – 1990 Florida Probate Records 1784-1990
 * 1810 – 1974 Ancestry.com $ Florida Wills and Probate Records 1810-1974
 * Florida State Archives $

Vital Records
Vital Records of the Palm Beach Co, FLGenWeb

Birth Records

 * 1880 - 1935 - at FamilySearch — index

Death Records

 * 1877 - 1939 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1900 - 1921 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1877 - 1998 - at FamilySearch — index

Divorce Records

 * 1927 - 2001 - Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry.com - index ($)

Marriage Records

 * 1802 - 1998 - Florida, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1837 - 1974 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1830 - 1993 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1830 - 1957 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1822 - 1875 and 1927 - 2001 - at FamilySearch — index

Family History Centers

 * Boca Raton Florida Family History Center
 * Jupiter Florida Family History Center
 * Palm Beach Florida Family History Center
 * Wellington Florida Family History Center


 * Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County PO Box 17617 3650 Summit Boulevard West Palm Beach, FL 33416 Phone: 561-616-3455 Website
 * Jewish Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County, Inc. PO Box 7796 Delray Beach, FL 33482-7796 Phone: 561-450-9577 Website
 * Palm Beach County Library 3650 Summit Boulevard West Palm Beach, FL 33406 Phone: 561-233-2600 Website

Websites

 * Florida Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Florida Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Palm Beach County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Palm Beach County (FLGenWeb Project)
 * Palm Beach County, Florida (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Palm Beach County, Florida (Genealogy Trails)
 * Palm Beach County, FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * Palm Beach County, FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)