Highlands County, Florida Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for the terrain of the county. The County is located in the Southcentral area of the state.

County Courthouse
Highlands County Courthouse 590 S Commerce Avenue Sebring, FL 33870 Phone: 863-402-6565 Highlands County Website Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, probate and land records from 1921.

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:

Census Records

 * 1783 - Spanish Census USGenWeb
 * 1821 - Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1823 - Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1880 - Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb
 * 1885 includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1935 1935 Florida State Census at MyHeritage - index ($))
 * Federal Census Information from National Archives USGenWeb
 * State Census Information from Florida State Archives USGenWeb
 * Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service USGenWeb

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
 * USGenWeb - African American Griots Project
 * Afrigeneas - African Genealogy

Land and Property Records
Florida Territorial Land Records

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1821-1997 - Maps of Florida
 * 1870 - Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
 * 1882 - Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
 * Exploring Florida, FCIT Maps University of South Florida
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * Highlands County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Florida State Military Files USGenWeb
 * Florida state pension records from various wars Pension Transcriptions USGenWeb

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1885-1955 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War I
 * 1917-1918 - Highlands County Civilian Draft Registration (Abbott - Cox) (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917-1918 - Highlands County Civilian Draft Registration (Craft - Hensted) (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917-1918 - Highlands County Civilian Draft Registration (Herbert - McKnight) (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917-1918 - Highlands County Civilian Draft Registration (McLain - Skrobich) (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917-1918 - Highlands County Civilian Draft Registration (Slater - Zimmerman) (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917-1920 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War II
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Highlands County Army Enlistees, Names Adams - Haynie (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Highlands County Army Enlistees, Names Heacock - Scott (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Highlands County Army Enlistees, Names Sebring - Young (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Highlands County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (FLGenWeb Project)

Korean War
 * Highlands County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict distantcousin.com

Vietnam War
 * Highlands County Vietnam War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Distantcousin.com Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Florida Digital Newspaper Library at George A. Smathers Libraries
 * Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library

Probate Records
Online Indexes and Records
 * 1784-1990 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1827-1950 Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950 at Ancestry ($)

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.

Birth

 * 1880-1935 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

 * 1802-1998 - Florida, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
 * 1822-1875 and 1927 - 2001 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1830-1957 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1830-1993 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837-1974 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Florida State Archives
 * 1970 - 1999 Florida, Marriages, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($))

Death

 * 1877-1939 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1877-1998 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1900-1921 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * 1927-2001 - Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry $
 * 1970 - 1999 Florida, Divorces, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Voter Records

 * 1867-1868 Web: Florida, U.S., Voter Registration Rolls, 1867-1868 at Ancestry - index ($)

Family History Centers

 * Sebring Florida Family History Center

Societies
Avon Park Historical Society 3 North Museum Ave Avon Park, FL 33825 863-453-3525 Website

Highlands County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 1282 Sebring, FL 33870-9998 Email: [mailto:hcgenealogy@yahoo.com hcgenealogy@yahoo.com] Website

Sebring Historical Society 321 W Center Ave Sebring, FL 33870 863-471-2522 Email: [mailto:info@sebringhistoricalsociety.org v] Website

Websites

 * Highlands County FLGenWeb
 * State of Florida
 * Highlands County, USGenWeb Archives
 * Highlands County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Highlands County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc
 * Highlands County, Florida Genealogy Trails
 * Highlands County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – 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.