Morgan County, Alabama Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Probate Judge has marriage and probate records from 1818

Description
The County was named after General Daniel Morgan, of Virginia. The County has Decatur as its seat and the County was created February 8, 1818. The County is located in the northcentral area of the state.

Parent County
1818--Morgan County was created 6 February 1818 from the Cherokee Turkeytown Cession. County seat: Decatur

Formerly Cotaco County. Name changed to Morgan 14 Jun 1821.

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
Morgan County had destructive courthouse fires in 1926, and 1938.

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 Morgan County:

Neighboring Counties

 * Cullman
 * Lawrence
 * Limestone
 * Madison
 * Marshall
 * Winston

African American

 * 1865-1932 - in "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," at FamilySearch.org - free. (skips 1910 and 1911)
 * Morgan County, Alabama, 1850 Federal Census. Compiled by Janet Baker Burks. - Hartselle, Ala. : Marine/Walls Historical Publication, c1984. - ii, 146p. : ill F332.M8 B87 1984  FHL book 976.193 X2b

Biography

 * Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. Digital version at . begins on page 62.


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

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


 * Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.


 * Douthat, James L. Wheeler Reservoir Cemeteries. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, at Mountain Press. $$

Census
State Census


 * 1866 - at FamilySearch — index

Directories
Morgan County, Alabama Online Historical Directories - identifies historical city, county, business and other directories available online on both free and pay-to-access websites.

Maps

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Morgan County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Morgan County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company C
 * - 5th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company D, F and G
 * - 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E "Decatur Sons of Liberty"
 * - 12th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H "Magnolia Rifles"
 * - 27th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H
 * - 54th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H (formerly Co. "I", 1st AL, TN, and MS Infantry)

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)
 * 1871-1880 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1880-1930 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927 - at FamilySearch — images

Civil War Battle Fought in Morgan County

 * 1864 - October 26-29 = Decatur (partly fought in Limestone County)

Battle information from Civil War Battle Summaries by State, by the Heritage Preservation Services.

Map showing Civil War battles in Alabama.

World War I

 * 1917-1919 - at FamilySearch — index

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Periodicals

 * Valley Leaves. 1966–. Published by the Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1568, Huntsville, Alabama 35807. . Website identifies articles relating to (click "Search by County").

Probate Records

 * Morgan County Will Abstracts at USGenWeb.org

Online Probate Records
 * 1753 – 1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1809 – 1985 at FamilySearch — images

Taxation

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

Vital Records
See also How to order Alabama Vital Records

Birth Records

 * 1881-1930 - at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - free.


 * There is a growing list of Morgan County Births that have been submitted by descendants found at ALGenWeb - free.


 * 1881 – 1930 at FamilySearch.org — index

Marriage Records

 * 1733-2013 - Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $


 * To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry – ($); Index. contains over 12,000 names. 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.


 * 1816-1957 - at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection. Incomplete. - free.


 * 1818-1860 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry – ($); Index. 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.


 * 1821-1952 - in "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," at FamilySearch.org - free.


 * 1821-1825, 1848-1853, 1856-1862, 1917, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry – ($); Index. 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.


 * Marriages at ALGenWeb - free.


 * 1809 – 1950 at FamilySearch.org — index/images


 * 1816 – 1957 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1800 – 1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1809 – 1920 [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4192 Alabama Marriages,


 * 1809-1920 (Selected Counties)] at Ancestry.com — index $

Death Records

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


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


 * March to September 1902 - Death Records Book C at ALGenWeb - free.


 * 1908–1959 Index to Deaths Recorded by the State of Alabama at Ancestry – ($); Index. 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.org — index


 * 1908 – 1974 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1881 – 1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1908 – 1959 [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5188 Alabama Deaths,


 * 1908-59] at Ancestry.com — index $

Vital Record Substitutes
A free collection of obituaries and death notices from various funeral homes in the Morgan County area has been put together by GenealogyBuffs.com:


 * Morgan County, Alabama Obituary and Death Notices Collection

Societies
Morgan County Genealogical Society 624 Bank Street NE Decatur, Alabama 35601-1608

Morgan County Archives 624 Bank Street Decatur, AL  35601 256-351-4726

Morgan County Historical Society 624 Bank Street Decatur, AL 35601

Hartselle Historical Society P.O. Box 852 Hartselle, AL 35640

Libraries
Decatur Public Library 504 Cherry St. NE Decatur, Alabama 35601 Telephone: 256-353-2993

The Alabama Room has local histories, microfilmed newspapers, census records, directories, family histories, and more.

Family History Center

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Decatur Alabama
 * 2006 Modaus Rd SW Decatur, Morgan, Alabama, United States Phone: 256-350-6586 Hours: W 6pm-8pm.

Family History Center 906 Fremont St SW Decatur 256-350-6586 Family History Center Locator


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

Websites

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