Lincoln County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Lincoln County is located in the southwestern portion of North Carolina and was named for Revolutionary War general Benjamin Lincoln, who was appointed by George Washington to receive Lord Charles Cornwallis's sword when the British commander surrendered at Yorktown.

County Courthouse
Lincoln County Courthouse 115 W Main Street PO Box 218 Lincolnton, NC 28093 Phone: 704-736-8534 Lincoln County Website Register of Deeds has birth, marriage, death and burial and land records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce and court records from 1920, and probate records from 1869.

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:

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images Also at: Ancestry ($)

Church Records

 * 1700-1970 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Baptist


 * Catawbo River. Constituted 1785.

Lutheran


 * Daniels Church, near Lincolnton, N.C. Organized 1774.
 * Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, near Startown, N.C. Organized before 1797. Later located in Catawba.
 * St. John's Lutheran Church, near Conover, N.C. Organized before 1798. Later located in Catawba.
 * St. Paul's Lutheran Church, near Conover, N.C. Organized before 1771. Originally located in Tryon; later located in Catawba.

List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1862-1870   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1863-1872   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

Land and Property Records

 * Deed records 1769-present. Deed records available online from the Lincoln County Register of Deeds.

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 Lincoln County for European settlers included:


 * Catawba and Northern Trail (pre-historic)

Military Records
Revolutionary War 
 * 1778-1833 Delamar Transcripts of Revolutionary War Petitions at North Carolina Genealogical Society - index ($)
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1885-1953  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1885 and 1901 1885 and 1901 Confederate Pension Applications at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images


 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company D
 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry,usually known as the Bethel Regiment, Company K
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company C
 * - 4th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company K
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company E
 * - 11th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 11th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company I

World War I 
 * 1914-1918 World War I Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II 
 * 1939-1945 World Ward II Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC

Other Records
Voter Registration


 * 1868-1898 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records

 * North Carolina Probate Records tips

Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
 * 1720-1960  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1735-1970  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $
 * 1772-1964  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * Pre-1790 Pre-1790 Lincoln County, North Carolina Genealogy Wills (North Carolina State Archives)
 * Images of Wills and Estates 1824-1838; 1843-1856; 1856-1868. North Carolina Pioneers $

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.

Tax Records

 * 1868-1924 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; random records; index and images. (incomplete); Also at: Ancestry ($)


 * 1776 - Tax lists, Tryon County, 1776 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, at Ancestry $
 * 1778-1840 - Tax lists online at NCGenWeb.
 * 1784-1886 - Tax lists, undated; tax lists, 1784-1785, 1789, 1792, 1805-1806, 1817-1822, 1825-1844, 1846-1853, 1856-1886. Images online at FamilySearch.

Vital Records

 * 1800-2000 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
 * 1741-2004 North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1759-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1851-1869 Lincoln County Marriage Index 1851-1869. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1892-1916 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; random records; index and images. (incomplete); Also at: Ancestry ($)

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images  Also at:  MyHeritage ($)
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1931-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Divorce

 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Lincolnton North Carolina Family History Center

Libraries

 * Lincoln County Public Library 306 W. Main St. Lincolnton, NC 28092 Phone: 704-732-9040 Website
 * Gaston County Public Library 1555 E. Garrison Blvd. Gastonia, NC 28054 Phone: 704-868-2164, dial 2 Website Collection focuses on Gaston, Lincoln and Tryon Counties.

Societies

 * Broad River Genealogical Society PO Box 2261 Shelby, NC 28150-2261 Email: [mailto:brgs1145@gmail.com brgs1145@gmail.com] Website Facebook


 * Eastern Lincoln Historical Society 4353 N Highway 16 Denver, NC 28037 Website Facebook


 * Gaston-Lincoln Genealogical Society PO Box 584 Mt. Holly, NC 28120 Website


 * Lincoln County Historical Association 403 E. Main St. Lincolnton, NC 28092 (704) 748-9090 Email: [mailto:LincolnCountyHistoryNC@gmail.com LincolnCountyHistoryNC@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Lincoln County NCGenWeb
 * USGenWeb Project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Lincoln County, NCGenWeb - Many records &amp; research sources
 * Lincoln County, NCGenWeb Archives - additional transcribed genealogical records all kinds
 * – 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.
 * Piedmont Trails Many records & research sources with family surnames and much more.