Baker County, Florida Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for a judge and Confederate Senator James McNair Baker. Baker was the former Judge of the Fourth Judicial District of the state of Florida, which included the Baker County area at the time. It is the only place in Florida where a civil war battle occurred. The County is located in the Northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Baker County Courthouse 339 E MacClenny Avenue MacClenny, FL 32063-2100 Phone: 904-259-3121 Baker County Website

County Judge has marriage and probate records Circuit Court has divorce and court records from 1880

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:

History Timeline
The majority of the pre-civil war settlers who came to the area now known as Baker County were hunters and farmers. However, after the war, industries involving turpentine and logging brought a greater number of northern settlers because of the higher opportunity for employment. The county seat was first in Sanderson. After the burning of the Sanderson courthouse in 1877 and with pressure from Darbyville settlers, a vote was held to determine the county seat on February 22, 1886. With only a margin of 23 votes, Darbyville (currently known as Macclenny) became the county seat. The area began with farming cotton and corn as the main crops followed by sugar cane, sweet potatoes and lots of leafy vegetables. After the environmental disturbance or the boll weevil which destroyed the cotton, corn (selling mostly as moonshine) took the place as Baker's main crop. Sometime after, tobacco became the main cash crop. (History of Baker County).

Census Records

 * 1885 includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1935 1935 Florida State Census at MyHeritage - index ($))

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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


 * Sanderson

Funeral Homes

 * Blackburn-Curry Funeral Home in Macclenny
 * Ferreira Funeral Services in Macclenny
 * Forbes Funeral Home in Macclenny
 * Guerry Funeral Home in Macclenny

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1821-1997 Maps of Florida
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * Baker County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1885-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Florida State Archive Florida, Confederate Pension Applications Files
 * Florida State Archive A Guide to Civil War Records at the State Archives of Florida.

World War I
 * 1917-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War II
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Index to World War II Army Enlistment Records, Baker County, Florida (Genealogy Trails)
 * Baker County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)

Korean War
 * Korean War Casualties, Baker County (Genealogy Trails)

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Florida Digital Newspaper Library at George A. Smathers Libraries

Probate Records
Online Indexes and Records
 * 1784-1990 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1827-1950 Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1877-1960 (*); County Judge's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1889-1893 (*); Probate Court and County Judge at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Birth

 * 1880-1935 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

 * 1802-1998 Florida, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
 * 1822-1875 and 1927-2001 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1830-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1830-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1870-1900 Marriages - 1877-1900 at Southeasterngenealogy.com $
 * 1970-1999 Florida, Marriages, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($))

Death

 * 1877-1939 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1877-1998 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1900-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * 1927-2001 Florida, Divorce Index 1927-2001 at Ancestry $
 * 1970-1999 Florida, Divorces, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Voter Records

 * 1867-1868 Web: Florida, U.S., Voter Registration Rolls, 1867-1868 at Ancestry - index ($)

Family History Centers

 * Lake Butler Florida Family History Center
 * Lake City Florida Family History Center
 * MacClenny Florida Family History Center
 * Jacksonville Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Southern Genealogists Exchange Society - SGES - an affiliate library.

Societies
Baker County Historical Society 42 West McIver Avenue PO Box 856 Macclenny, FL 32063 Phone: 904-259-0587 Email: [mailto:historicalsociety@nefcom.net  historicalsociety@nefcom.net] Website Facebook

Websites

 * The Baker County FLGenWeb Project, a member of The FLGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Baker County FLGenWeb Project, Inc
 * Baker County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Baker County, Florida (Genealogy Trails)
 * Baker County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.