Cherokee County, South Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Cherokee County, South Carolina ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
The county is named for Cherokee people who historically occupied this area. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Cherokee County Courthouse 110 Railroad Ave Gaffney, SC 26340 Telephone: 864-487-2560 Cherokee County Website

County Pronunciation .

History Timeline
Cherokee County is named for the Cherokee Indians Indians who originally inhabited much of South Carolina. After an 1895 Law required the approval of two thirds of the voters residing within the proposed county boundaries, a proponent for the creation of a new county speaking in Cherokee Township, then in York County, agreed to the name Cherokee County to curry favor from the local residents. The residents, who had been hesitant to vote for the creation of Cherokee County under the old proposed name, turned out in droves to vote for the creation of the Cherokee County. Learn more about the history of Cherokee County from the South Carolina State Library or from Carolana.com.

Cemeteries

 * To view a cemetery list see; Cherokee County, South Carolina Cemeteries.
 * National Cemetery Administration

Census Records

 * 1829-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images

Church Records
Cherokee County Churches identifies dozens of churches in the area, courtesy: South Carolina Genealogical Society.

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

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary Cherokee County, Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Public Index – index; courts include Circuit Court, Summary Court and Masters-in-Equity, records added periodically

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans United States African Americans South Carolina African Americans Known plantations, South Carolina Plantations:
 * Malone, Samuel Lorenzo and Ola Copeland. Black Families in Cherokee County, South Carolina, as Taken from 1910-1920 Federal Census. Spartanburg, S.C.: Reprint, 1993.
 * Fold
 * Henry Houser House - Grover - also called The Rock House
 * The Rock House - Grover - also called Henry Houser House
 * Whig Hill

Genealogies
General Surname indexes to Leonardo Andrea's Files | Folders | Resources are available online, courtesy: The Andrea Files: South Carolina Genealogical Research. Learn more.

Bibliography
 * Dennard - Dennard, Norris. Dennard Heritage. Houston, Texas: Dennard Heritage Foundation, 1985. ; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Mullinax - Mullinax, Jack D. The Mullinax Family of Northern South Carolina (York, Union and Cherokee Counties) and Southern North Carolina (Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln Counties). Chesnee, S.C.: Chesnee Hardware, 1983.
 * Whelchel - Mumford, Berniece Wynn. Thomas Chatman Whelchel, M.D., 1833-1900, the Man Who Went Down in History (Family History, of Course): and Allied Families [of] Alexander, Arbuckle, Bath, Bland, Butcher, Drerup, Farrar, Johnston, Kingery, Lugar, Maurer, McFadden, Mumford, Nagle, Olson, Paul, Sparks, Stockton, Wynn and Others. Carlsbad, N.M.: B.W. Mumford, 1978..
 * Williams Williams, Johnny Lee. Descendants of Edward Williams, Sr.: of Spartanburg County, South Carolina (nowCherokee County, South Carolina). Attalla, Ala.: J.L. Williams, 2000.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records The following charts show where you may best expect to find land records. Orignial deed books are located at the Spartanburg County Courthouse. Abstracted deeds in Spartanburg County/District, South Carolina, deed abstracts, books A-T, 1785-1827 (1752-1827), A.B. Pruitt
 * Records before 1772 may be found in North Carolina counties Tryon, Mecklenburg and Anson ** Some early Camden District records may be found in Kershaw County
 * Some early records may be found in North Carolina counties Anson, Mecklenburg, or Tryon
 * Some early records may be found in North Carolina counties Anson, Mecklenburg, or Tryon
 * Orignial deed books are located at the Union County Courthouse.
 * Abstacted deeds Union County, South Carolina deed abstracts, Brent Holcomb (Columbia, South Carolina SCMAR, 2000-c2007) 5 vols.
 * Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868 For information about the State Land Grants, see State Land Grants

Local Histories

 * Gorski, Eddie L., South Carolina Confederate Widows Pension Act of 1919 for Cherokee County (S.l. s.n., c1991), 54 Leaves. Abstracts from the files in the Probate Judges Office of the Cherokee County Courthouse, Gaffney, S.C. Includes full-name index. Contains information on all Civil War soldiers and widows for cherokee county. Book at and Other Libraries
 * Stevens, Robert J.Captain Bill the Records and Writings of Captain William Henry Edwards (and Others), Company A, 17th Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, Confederate States of America. (Richburg, South Carolina Chester District Genealogical Society, c1985) A History and Genealogy of Chester County, S.C. in Five Volumes. Contents: v. 1. Autobiography of Captain William Henry Edwards, his obituary, a condensed history of the seventeenth regiment including military records -- v. 2. Letters of genealogical and historical importance -- v. 3. Published writings, including obituaries, of the early 20th century -- v. 4. Genealogies of the Edwards, Culp, Edward McFadden &amp; Robert McFadden families; a bibliography.--v. 5. Miscellaneous, Epilogue. Books 1-3 at and Other Libraries

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Cherokee County for European settlers included:
 * Occaneechi Path pre-historic
 * Lower Cherokee Traders' Path pre-historic
 * Catawba and Northern Trail pre-historic
 * Upper Road about 1783 (overlapped Lower Cherokee Traders' Path in Cherokee County)

Military Records

 * Cherokee County - Military, SCGenWeb. Lists some names from most wars from the American Civil War to Vietnam.

Revolutionary War
 * "Battle of King's Mountain diagram, 1780," Pastmaster Journal of the Mountain Empire, June 2005, Volume 2, Issue 4. Ms Shelby Ireson Edwards Bristol, VA.
 * "Over Mountain Men at the Battle of Kings Mountain, 1780," Gaston County Historical Bulletin, 2003, Volume 49, Issue 2. Gaston County, North Carolina Historical Society Gastonia, NC.
 * "Battle of Kings Mountain," Sandy Valley Heritage, November 2000, Volume 19, Issue 4. Big Sandy Valley Historical Society Hagerhill, KY 41222.
 * "Events to Battle of Kings Mountain," Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, August 1985, Volume 119, Issue 7. Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine Washington, D.C. Book 973 B2dar.
 * "Battle of Cowpens," Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, November 1973, Volume 107, Issue 9. Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine Washington, D.C. Book 973 B2dar.

Civil War


 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 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)

Regiments. Cherokee County did not exist in the Civil War. It was created in 1897 from the counties of Spartanburg, York, and Union Counties. During the Civil War, men from the area of Cherokee County mostly would have served in various regiments recruited in those counties. Counties were called districts during the Civil War.

Other Resources
 * Gorski, Eddie L., South Carolina Confederate Widows Pension Act of 1919 for Cherokee County (S.l.: s.n., c1991), 54 Leaves. Abstracts from the files in the Probate Judges Office of the Cherokee County Courthouse, Gaffney, S.C. Includes full-name index. Contains information on all Civil War soldiers and widows for cherokee county. Book at and Other Libraries
 * Stevens, Robert J.Captain Bill the Records and Writings of Captain William Henry Edwards (and Others), Company A, 17th Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, Confederate States of America. (Richburg, South Carolina Chester District Genealogical Society, c1985) A History and Genealogy of Chester County, S.C. in Five Volumes. Contents: v. 1. Autobiography of Captain William Henry Edwards, his obituary, a condensed history of the seventeenth regiment including military records -- v. 2. Letters of genealogical and historical importance -- v. 3. Published writings, including obituaries, of the early 20th century -- v. 4. Genealogies of the Edwards, Culp, Edward McFadden &amp; Robert McFadden families; a bibliography.--v. 5. Miscellaneous, Epilogue. Books 1-3 at and Other Libraries
 * Cherokee County - Military, SCGenWeb

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry ($)

Historic The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Cherokee County, South Carolina on their Chronicling America website. For publication details, including dates of publication, frequency, preceding and succeeding titles, and to find out which libraries have holdings, click on the newspaper title.
 * Blacksburg Times (Blacksburg, S.C.) 1965-1968.
 * Blacksburg Times and Cherokee Report (Blacksburg, S.C.) 1968-1972.
 * Blacksburg Times and Cherokee Tribune (Blacksburg, S.C.) 1972-current.
 * Gaffney Carolinian (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1881-1884.
 * Gaffney City Trade Review (Gaffney, S.C.) 18??-1???.
 * The Blacksburg News (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1953-1954.
 * The Cherokee News (Gaffney, S.C.) 1903-1919.
 * The Cherokee Times (Gaffney, S.C.) 1922-1930.
 * The Gaffney Ledger (Gaffney, S.C.) 1907-current.
 * The Ledger (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1896-1907.
 * The Weekly Ledger (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1894-1896.

University of South Carolina Library Catalog
 * Historical Newspapers of South Carolina at University of South Carolina Libraries - not complete

Current
 * The Gaffney Ledger (Gaffney, S.C.) Online edition.

Periodicals
Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers new to their area may not encounter. Periodicals at various levels (county, region, and state) may carry articles useful to research in this area. For this county, see:
 * Eswau Huppeday..

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * Abstracts of Cherokee County, will book 1: from the files in the Probate Office in the Cherokee County Court House, Gaffney, S.C. FamilySearch Library
 * 1670-1980 South Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1670-1980 at Ancestry.com — index & images ($)
 * 1671-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1732-1964 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1782-1866 South Carolina, Will Transcripts 1782-1866 at Findmypast — index ($) — $, index
 * 1894-1962 Cherokee County WIll Books 1-6 ca. 1894-1962: with every name index of persons listed in the wills. Microfilm of originals loaned by Malinda Poole of Gaffney, South Carolina. FamilySearch Library
 * 1897-1915 Cherokee County Will Book 1897-1915: with every name index of persons listed in the wills. Microfilm of originals loaned by Malinda Poole of Gaffney, South Carolina. FamilySearch Library
 * 1980s-Current South Carolina Probate Index, Cherokee County at SouthCarolinaProbate.net - index; records added periodically

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
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * South Carolina Department of Archives and History tax lists for Cherokee County.

Birth

 * 1766-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 1915-1917 South Carolina, U.S., Births, 1915-1917 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Marriage
Online Marriage Records and Indexes
 * South Carolina Confederate Widows Pension Act of 1919 for Cherokee County by Eddie L. Gorski WorldCat - index
 * 1892-1911 South Carolina Proof of Marriages Prior to July 1, 1911 for Cherokee County by Eddie L. Gorski WorldCat - abstract
 * 1911-1952 Cherokee County, South Carolina Proofs of Marriage, 1892-1940; Marriage Registers &amp; Indexes, July 1911-Dec. 1952 - index and records
 * 1911-1950 Cherokee County, South Carolina Marriage Licenses, July 1911-1950 - records
 * There are several online marriage indexes containing miscellaneous marriage records found insome counties of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.
 * 1980s-Current South Carolina Marriage Index, Cherokee County at SouthCarolinaProbate.net - index; records added periodically

Death
Deaths - Indexes and Records
 * 1816-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1821-1969 South Carolina, U.S., Death Records, 1821-1969 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1915-1943 South Carolina, Deaths, 1915-1943 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
 * 1915-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * State-wide South Carolina Death Indexes. There are several online death indexes covering all of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Forest City North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Gaffney South Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Gastonia North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Spartanburg South Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * York South Carolina FamilySearch Center


 * Union County Carnegie Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Cherokee County Public Library
 * Main Branch 300 East Rutledge Avenue Gaffney, South Carolina 29340 Telephone: (864) 487-2711 FAX: (864) 487-2752 (fax) Email: [mailto:cherokeelib@spiritcom.net cherokeelib@spiritcom.net] Website Hours: Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.. Friday.9am to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m . to 4 p.m. The library has a genealogy/local history room that is open all hours that the main library is open. It is staffed from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM Monday-Friday by a genealogy assistant. They carry census records, microfilm copies of the longest-standing local paper, The Gaffney Ledger, dating back to its inception in 1894, an extensive Cherokee County collection (including family histories, cemetery records, church records, and plenty of other sources), DAR references, as well as South Carolina records and some out-of-state information.  The Heritage Room contains materials relating to the people and history of Cherokee County, South Carolina and other areas. The collection consists of books, pamphlets, census records, microfilm, newspapers, church and family records. Materials in the Heritage Room collection are unique, costly to replace or irreplaceable. When the room is not staffed it will be unavailable to the public.  Heritage Room hours beginning Tuesday, February 1, 2011 are: Monday to Thursday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am to 12:00 pm  The library itself offers access to two online genealogy databases, Heritage Quest and Ancestry Library. Heritage Quest is available remotely to Cherokee County Public Library card holders. Their catalogis online.
 * Blacksgurg Branch 201 S Rutherford Street Blacksburg, South Carolina 29702 Telephone: (864) 839-2630 FAX: (864) 839-2572 Hours: Monday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 10 a. m. to 5 p. m.

Museums
Cherokee County History &amp; Arts Museum Address: 301 College Drive Gaffney, S.C. 29340 Telephone: 864-489-3988 Located on the 1812 mustering ground of the South Carolina Militia and the site of the historic Central School building, the Cherokee County History &amp; Arts Museum is also home to the offices of its governing body, the Cherokee Historical &amp; Preservation Society. Phase I of the facility opened in May 2008 and renovations are currently underway on Phases II and III of the building. Upon completion, the History &amp; Arts Museum will house over 20,000sq. feet of exhibits, meeting spaces, and educational resources for Cherokee County residents and visitors.Website
 * The Cherokee Historical &amp; Preservation Society seeks to preserve historical sites in the county. Their email is: chaps@cherokeecountyhistory.org

Societies

 * Cherokee Historical and Preservation Society 301 College Drive Gaffney, SC 29340 864-489-3988 E-mail: [mailto:chaps@cherokeecountyhistory.org chaps@cherokeecountyhistory.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Cherokee County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Cherokee County, SCGenWeb.
 * Cherokee County Genealogy Trails
 * – 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.

Research Guides

 * South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Cherokee County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.