Etowah County, Alabama Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Etowah County Courthouse 800 Forrest Avenue Gadsden, AL 35901 Phone: (256) 549-5429

Probate Judge has marriage divorce, probate and land records from 1867

Description
The County was named is from the Cherokee Indian language, which means "edible tree." The County has Gadsden as its seat and the County was created December 7, 1866. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

Parent County
1866--Etowah County was created 7 December 1866 from Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, DeKalb, Marshal and St. Clair Counties. It was formerly Baine County, which was abolished 3 December 1867, and re-etablished 1 December 1868. County seat: Gadsden

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 this county:

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

Neighboring Counties



 * Blount
 * Calhoun
 * Cherokee
 * De Kalb
 * Marshall
 * Saint Clair

Biographies

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

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


 * Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.

Census
State Census


 * 1866 - at FamilySearch — index

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


 * Gadsen

Directories

 * 1931 - Miller's Gadsden City Directory 1931. Digital version at - free.

Local Histories

 * Barnes, Joe. History of Hokes Bluff, Alabama, and Eastern Etowah County. n.d. Digital version at - free.

Maps

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)

Civil War
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)
 * 1907, 1921, 1927 - at FamilySearch — images

World War I

 * 1917-1919 - at FamilySearch — index

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1753 – 1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry $
 * 1809 – 1985 at FamilySearch

Vital Records
See also How to order Alabama Vital Records


 * Etowah County Vital Records at ALGenWeb - free.

Birth

 * 1881 – 1930 at  FamilySearch

Marriage

 * 1733-2013 - Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry $. 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.


 * 1860, 1879-1892, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry $. 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.


 * 1867–1900 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry $. 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


 * 1816 – 1957 at FamilySearch


 * 1800 – 1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry $


 * 1809 – 1920 Alabama Marriages, 1809-1920 (Selected Counties) at Ancestry $

Death

 * 1881-1952 - at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - free


 * 1881–1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry $. 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 $. 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


 * 1908 – 1974 at FamilySearch


 * 1881 – 1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry $


 * 1908 – 1959 Alabama Deaths, 1908-59 at Ancestry $

Voting Registers
Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Etowah County has one book.

Societies and Libraries
Etowah Historical Society P. O. Box 8131 Gadsden, AL 35902

Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society P. O. Box 8268 Gadsden, AL 35902 Publication: Northeast Alabama Settlers Publication

Etowah Historical Society P. O. Box 8131 Gadsden, AL 35902

Etowah Gadsden-Etowah County Public Library 256-549-4699 Etowah Gadsden-Etowah County Public Library Website

Nichols Memorial Library 205-549-4690


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


 * Etowah County, Alabama


 * Etowah Co. AL


 * United States Resources: Alabama


 * Al Gen Web

Libraries

 * Howard Gardner Nichols Memorial Library
 * Dwight &amp; Cabot Ave Gadsen, Etowah, Alabama 35902 Phone: 256-490-4683
 * Hours: Thur 10am-3pm; Open the 4th Sat of the month from 10am-3pm
 * Nichols Memorial Library is a genealogy library &amp; the home of the NorthEast Alabama Genealogical Society (NEAGS). See site at neags.com for more information.
 * Gadsden Public Library 254 College St. Gadsden, Alabama 35901 Telephone: 256-549-4699 Their collection includes local histories, newspapers, maps, online databases, and more.

Family History Center
Family History Centre Locator
 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Gadsden Alabama
 * 2001 Noccalula Rd Gadsden, Etowah, Alabama, United States Phone: 256-546-0746 Hours: W 3:30pm-6:30pm

Etowah County Alabama Genealogy Websites

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