Dallas County, Alabama Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Probate Judge has marriage records from 1818 Divorce Records from 1917 Probate Records from 1821 and land records from 1820

Description
The County was named for U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander J. Dallas of Pennsylvania. The County has Selma as its seat and the County was created February 9, 1818. The County is located in the south central area of the state.

Parent County
1818--Dallas County was created 9 February 1818 from Montgomery County and the Creek Cession of 1814. County seat: Selma

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Alabama county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Alabama County Boundary Maps" (1799-1980) 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

 * Autauga
 * Chilton
 * Lowndes
 * Marengo
 * Perry
 * Wilcox

African American

 * 1883-1893, 1925-1930 - in "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," at FamilySearch.org - free.
 * Slaves and their owners - Centre Ridge Presbyterian Church, 1842 - 1911.

Biography

 * Dallas County Biographies at The USGenWeb Archives Project - free.

Cemeteries
The following web site has additional information on Dallas county cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.


 * Additional Dallas County cemeteries are included in Alabama Cemetery Records at FamilySearch Books Online - free.

Census
State Census


 * 1866 - at FamilySearch — index

Baptist

 * Jackson, Walter M. The First Hundred Years: A History of the Selma Baptist Church of Christ, Commonly Known as the First Baptist Church of Selma. Selma, Ala., 1942. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Methodist

 * Fry, Anna M. Gayle. Memories of Old Cahaba. Nashville, Tenn.: Printed for the author by the Publishing House of the M.E. Church, 1908. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Directories
Dallas County, Alabama Online Historical Directories - identifies historical city, county, business and other directories available online on both free and pay-to-access websites.

Maps

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Dallas County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Dallas County.


 * - 2nd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company I
 * - 3rd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company D [formerly Jackson County Mounted Rifles]
 * - 3rd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company F[formerly Murphy's Independent Co.]
 * - 3rd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company I [formerly Lenoir County Cavalry]
 * - 3rd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company K
 * - 4th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A(Governor's Guard)
 * - 4th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C
 * - 5th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A [subsequently, Company F]
 * - 7th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H(Mounted)
 * - 8th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D "Independent Blues"
 * - 20th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B
 * - 28th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I
 * - 44th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A and G
 * - 51st Regiment, Alabama Partisan Rangers, Company I
 * - 58th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H

Online Records
 * 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)
 * 1871-1880 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1880-1930 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927 - at FamilySearch — images

Civil War Battle Fought in Dallas County

 * 1865 - April 2 = Selma

Battle information from Civil War Battle Summaries by State, by the Heritage Preservation Services.

Map showing Civil War battles in Alabama, by the Heritage Preservation Services.

World War I

 * 1917-1919 - at FamilySearch — index

Newspapers
Alabama Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both free and pay-to-access websites.

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1753 – 1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry $
 * 1809 – 1985 at FamilySearch.
 * 1821 – 1848 Images of Wills (and index). Southeastern Genealogy ($)

Taxation

 * 1865-1866 - U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Dallas County is in District 2.

Vital Records
See also How to order Alabama Vital Records

Birth

 * 1881 – 1930 at FamilySearch

Marriage

 * 1733-2013 - Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry $. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.


 * 1818-1929 - in "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," at FamilySearch.org - free.


 * 1818–1826, 1835–1839, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry $. This collection is comprised of indexes created by several agencies - the Alabama Center for Health Statistics, Jordan Dodd of Liahona Research, and Hunting For Bears.


 * 1818–1845 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920"at Ancestry $. This database is a collection of marriage records from the state. Researchers will find the names of both bride and groom along with the marriage date. The county where the ceremony was performed is also provided. Containing about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.


 * 1809 – 1950 at FamilySearch


 * 1816 – 1957 at FamilySearch


 * 1800 – 1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry $


 * 1809 – 1920 Alabama Marriages, 1809-1920 (Selected Counties) at Ancestry $

Death

 * 1881–1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry $. Volunteers extracted the details in this index from microfilmed copies of church, civil, family, and other records of Alabama deaths and burials. details vary depending on the original record. Note that the number of available records can vary widely by county, and this database does not necessarily represent a comprehensive set of death records for the state during this time.


 * 1908–1959 Index to Deaths recorded by the state of Alabama at Ancestry $. The index includes name of the deceased, county of death, date of death, and the state certificate number (volume and page).


 * 1908-1974 - FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - free


 * 1881 – 1952 at FamilySearch


 * 1908 – 1974 at FamilySearch


 * 1881 – 1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry $


 * 1908 – 1959 Alabama Deaths, 1908-59 at Ancestry $

Voting Registers
Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Dallas County lists six books, but books 4 and 6 appear to be duplicates of Volume 5.


 * Book 1
 * Book 2
 * Book 3
 * Book 5

Societies and Libraries
Black Belt African-American Genealogical and Historical Society P. O. Box 971 Selma, AL 36702 Publication: monthly newsletter/quarterly journal Black Belt African American Genealogical & Historical Society, Inc. Dallas County

Selma-Dallas County Historic Preservation Society P. O. Box 586 Selma, AL 36702-0586 Publication: Courier

Dallas Selma-Dallas Public Library 334-874-1725 Website


 * List of Alabama Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies


 * Dallas County Alabama Genealogy & Family History Resources


 * Online Resources


 * Dallas Co. AL


 * United States Resources: Alabama


 * Al Gen Web

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Family History Centre Locator

Websites

 * Dallas County, AL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project ~ contains record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
 * Dallas County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
 * Dallas County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Dallas County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)