Lincoln County, North Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Lincoln County, North Carolina ancestry, family history, and genealogy 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 P O Box 218 Lincolnton, NC 28093 Phone: 704-736-8534 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

Register of Deeds Post Office Box 218 Lincolnton, NC 28093-0218 Phone: 704-736-8530 Fax:704-736-8830 Website

Clerk Superior Court P.O. Box 8 Lincolnton, NC 28093 Phone: (704) 742-7800

Parent County
1778--Lincoln County was created 14 April 1778 from Tryon County. Tryon County was abolished in 1779. County seat: Lincolnton

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating North Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation North Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1664-1965) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss

 * 1797 Fire in home, small record loss

Neighboring Counties

 * Burke
 * Catawba
 * Cleveland
 * Gaston
 * Iredell
 * Mecklenburg

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 County.
 * St. John's Lutheran Church, near Conover, N.C. Organized before 1798. Later located in Catawba County.
 * St. Paul's Lutheran Church, near Conover, N.C. Organized before 1771. Originally located in Tryon County; later located in Catawba County.

County Records

 * 1833-1970 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Land

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

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Lincoln County for European settlers included:


 * Catawba and Northern Trail pre-historic

Revolutionary War

 * 1779 - 1782 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and 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)
 * 1885 - 1953 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 11th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 11th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company I
 * - 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

World War I

 * 1917 - 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * 1940 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1660 - 1790 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1663 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1665 - 1998 - North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1735 - 1970 - at FamilySearch.org — images
 * 1760 - 1800 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry.com — index and images


 * Pre - 1790 - Pre-1790 Wills stored at the North Carolina State Archives are online - free. Website tips.


 * 1772 - 1964 - have been digitized by FamilySearch - free.
 * Images of Wills and Estates 1824-1838; 1843-1856; 1856-1868. North Carolina Pioneers ($)

Taxation

 * 1776 - Tax Lists, Tryon County, 1776 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry ($)

Birth

 * 1800 - 2000 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1866 - 1964 - at FamilySearch.org — index

Death

 * 1898 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1906 - 1930 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1908 - 2004 - North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1909 - 1975 - North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1931 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce

 * 1926 - 1975 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1958 - 2004 - North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriages

 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1851 - 1869 - Lincoln County Marriage Index 1851-1869. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1759 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1762 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1763 - 1868 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Societies and Libraries
Gaston-Lincoln Genealogical Society PO Box 584 Mt. Holly, NC 28120 Website

Broad River Genealogical Society PO Box 2261 Shelby, NC 28151-2261 Website

Lincoln County Historical Association 403 E. Main St. Lincolnton NC 28092 Website

Lincoln County Public Library 306 W. Main St. Lincolnton NC 28092 704-732-9040 Website

Gaston County Public Library 1555 E. Garrison Blvd. Gastonia NC 28054 (704) 868-2164, dial 2 refncc@gastonlibrary.org Website Collection focuses on Gaston, Lincoln and Tryon Counties.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Lincolnton North Carolina Family History Center (Hickory)

Websites

 * Lincoln County NCGenWeb
 * Lincoln County, NC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * 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
 * Lincoln County, NCGenWeb Archives - additional transcribed genealogical records all kinds