Lauderdale County, Alabama Genealogy

Guide to Lauderdale 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 and probate records

Description
The County was named in honor for Colonel James Lauderdale of Tennessee. The County has Florence as its seat and the County was created 6 February 1818. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

Parent County
1818--Lauderdale County was originally included in Houston County created by land speculators in 1784, then made a part of Elk County by the Mississipi territorial legislature before 1817. The present county was created 6 February 1818 from the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw Cession of 1816. County seat: Florence

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 Lauderdale County:

Neighboring Counties

 * Colbert
 * Giles County, Tennessee
 * Hardin County, Tennessee
 * Lawrence
 * Lawrence County, Tennessee
 * Limestone
 * Tishomingo County, Mississippi
 * Wayne County, Tennessee

Biography

 * Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. Digital version at . begins on page 90.


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

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


 * Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.


 * Douthat, James L. Pickwick Landing Reservoir Cemeteries. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free surname index and publisher's bookstore at Mountain Press.


 * Additional Lauderdale County cemeteries maybe included in Alabama Cemetery Records, , and at FamilySearch Digital Library - free.

Census
State Census


 * 1866 - at FamilySearch — index

Court Records

 * County Circuit Court record book for 1843-50 - can be viewed online at the website of the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library website.

Land and Property
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of see:


 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Lauderdale County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2006. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes free surname index..

Maps

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Civil War
Civil War service men from Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale County.


 * - 4th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry (Roddy's), Company F "The Rebel Troopers"
 * - 4th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry (Roddy's), Company H
 * - 4th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H(Lauderdale Volunteer Dragoons)
 * - 7th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company K(Florence Guards)
 * - 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I "Calhoun Guards"
 * - 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D "Lauderdale Rifles"
 * - 16th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C
 * - 27th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C, E and K
 * - 35th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A and I
 * - 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H, formerly Comapnies D/B, 2nd Battalion

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

World War I

 * 1917-1919 - at FamilySearch — index

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Obituaries

 * 1952-1975 - Florence Herald Obituaries, by Billy Joe Sledge at Natchez Trace Genealogical Society website.

Periodicals

 * Valley Leaves. 1966–. Published by the Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1568, Huntsville, Alabama 35807. . Website identifies articles relating to (click "Search by County").

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1753 – 1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1809 – 1985 at FamilySearch — images

Taxation

 * 1865-1866 - U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Lauderdale County is in District 3.

Vital Records
See also How to order Alabama Vital Records

Birth Records

 * 1881-1930 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1881-1930 - at FamilySearch — index

Marriage Records

 * 1733-2013 - Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $


 * To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry – ($); Index. contains over 12,000 names. 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.


 * 1818–1902, 1910, 1923,1935–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry – ($); Index. 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.


 * 1818-1857 - Crew, Robin and Betty Womble. Marriage Records: Lauderdale County, Alabama 1818-1857. n.d. Digital version at - free.


 * 1820-1857 - McClain, Mrs. W.E. Lauderdale County, Alabama Marriages 1820-1857. n.d. Digital version at - free. Transcripts of Marriage Books 1-6.


 * 1820-1929 - Lauderdale County Marriage Books 1-33 Index 1820-1929 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.


 * 1833–1900 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry – ($); Index. 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.org — index/images


 * 1816 – 1957 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1800 – 1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1809 – 1920 [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4192 Alabama Marriages,


 * 1809-1920 (Selected Counties)] at Ancestry.com — index $

Death Records

 * 1881–1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry – ($); Index. 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 – ($); Index. The index includes name of the deceased, county of death, date of death, and the state certificate number (volume and page).


 * 1908-1974 - at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - free


 * 1881 – 1952 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1908 – 1974 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1881 – 1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1908 – 1959 [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5188 Alabama Deaths,


 * 1908-59] at Ancestry.com — index $

Societies and Libraries
Natchez Trace Genealogical Society P. O. Box 420 Florence, AL 35360 Publication: Natchez Trace Traveler Natchez Trace Newsletter Website

Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society P. O.  Box 1568 Huntsville, Alabama 35807 Publication: Valley Leaves Website

Tennessee Valley Historical Society P. O. Box 149 Sheffield, AL 35660 Publication: Journal of Muscle Shoals History Website

Heritage Preservation PO Box 2836 Florence, AL 35630


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

Libraries
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library 350 N. Wood Ave. Florence, Alabama 35630 Telephone: 256-764-6564 or 256-764-6629


 * The Genealogy and Local History Room offers local histories, family files, newspapers, yearbooks, maps, photographs, and more.

Family History Center
Family History Centre Locator
 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Florence Alabama
 * 1828 Broadway Blvd Florence, Lauderdale, Alabama, United States Phone: 256-768-7845 Hours: M 9am-12pm; W 6pm-8pm

Lauderdale County Alabama Genealogy Websites

 * Lauderdale 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.


 * Lauderdale County ALGenWeb~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.




 * Lauderdale County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)


 * Lauderdale County Genealogy (Alabama Genealogy)


 * Lauderdale Co. AL


 * United States Resources: Alabama


 * Al Gen Web