Winston County, Alabama Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named in honor of John A. Winston, a Governor of Alabama. The county is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Winston County Courthouse 25166 Highway 195 PO Box 309 Double Springs, AL 35553 Phone: 205-489-5533 Fax: 205-489-5140 Winston County Website Probate Judge has marriage, probate, land records from 1891; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and Court Records

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.

Census Records
State Census


 * 1855   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records

 * 1831-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

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


 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Winston County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2008. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes surname index..

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of Winston County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Alabama Maps and Blueprints Collection at Alabama Department of Archives and History – maps can be browsed by location or subject

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * ca.1918-ca.1962  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
 * 1861-1865 Civil War Service Database at Alabama Department of Archives and History - index
 * 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
 * 1871-1880  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1930  at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History

World War I
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Service Records at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Gold Star Files at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

World War II
 * 1940-1945  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1940-1966 Alabama Active Military Service Reports at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

Newspapers

 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History

Other Records
Voter Registration Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Winston County has two books:
 * 1834-1981  at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and some images


 * Book 1
 * Book 2

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1753– 1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry
 * 1809–1985  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1830-1976  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and 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.

Tax Records

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

Birth

 * 1881–1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1888–1918 Winston County Birth Index 1888-1918 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * Winston County Births at ALGenWeb

Marriage

 * 1733–2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
 * 1800–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry $
 * 1809–1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1816–1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1818-1936 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry– ($) Contains over 12,000 names.
 * 1891–1895 Winston County Marriage Books 1 and 2 Index 1891-1895. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1891–1900 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry– ($)  Containing about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.
 * 1891–1901, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry– ($)
 * Winston County marriages at ALGenWeb

Death

 * 1881–1952 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881–1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry– ($);.
 * 1888, 1901–1918 - Winston County Death Index 1888 and 1901-1918 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1908–1959 Index to Deaths Recorded by the State of Alabama at Ancestry– ($)
 * 1908–1974 - at FamilySearch.- How to Use this Collection; index
 * Wilcox County Deaths at ALGenWeb

Archives
Winston County Archives P.O. Box 27 Double Springs, Alabama 35553 Website

Libraries
Carl Elliott Regional Library] 98 18th St E Jasper, AL 35501 Phone: 205-221-2568 Website
 * Includes the following libraries in Winston County:


 * Arley Public Library P.O. Box 146 Arley, Alabama 35541 205-387-0129
 * Double Springs Public Library P.O. Box 555 Double Springs, Alabama 35553 205-489-2412
 * Haleyville Public Library 913 20th Street Haleyville, Alabama 35565 205-486-7450

Societies
Winston County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 112 Double Springs, Alabama 35553 Website Facebook

The society helps to staff the Winston County Archives which includes the Society's holdings.

Websites

 * 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.
 * Winston County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
 * Winston County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * – 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

 * Inventory of the County Archives of Alabama: Winston County. Birmingham, Ala.: The Survey, 1941. Digital version at Ancestry