Winston County, Alabama Genealogy

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

Description
Winston County was created on 12 February 1850 and named for John A. Winston, a Governor of Alabama. Its county seat is Double Springs. It is located in the northwestern 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.

Bible Records

 * Bible Records at Free State of Winston
 * Winston County, Alabama Bible Records at Access Genealogy
 * Winston County, Bible Records at Alabama Genealogy
 * Winston County Bible Records at USGenWeb Archives Project

Biographies

 * Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.

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

Court Records

 * 1821-1900 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

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

Funeral Homes

 * Nichols Funeral Homes in Addison and Double Springs

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..

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1891-1902Winston County, Alabama, deeds, 1891-1902; index to deeds and mortgages, 1891-1910 FamilySearch Catalog
 * Inventory of publicly owned lands for Winston County, Alabama Montgomery : Alabama State Planning Commission, 1940 FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of Winston County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - 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
 * 1893-1907Confederate pension records, 1893-1907, Winston County, Alabama FamilySearch Catalog

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
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

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; images
 * 1830-1976 (*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Winston County, Alabama probate minutes, (1891-1928); will records, (1891-1958); estate case files (1891-1915), 1891-1958 FamilySearch Catalog
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

 * 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Winston County is in District 3.
 * 1903-1918 Poll Tax records,1903-1918, Winston County, Alabama

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 ($)
 * 1800-1969 Alabama, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1969 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1802-1825 Alabama, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1802-1825 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1809-1920 Alabama, U.S., Compiled Marriages from Selected Counties, 1809-1920 at Ancestry ($)
 * 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
 * 1891–1895 Winston County Marriage Books 1 and 2 Index 1891-1895. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * Winston County marriages at ALGenWeb

Death

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

Archives
Alabama Department of Archives and History 624 Washington Ave PO Box 300100 Montgomery, AL 36104 Phone: 334-242-4435 Email: [mailto:mark.palmer@archives.alabama.gov mark.palmer@archives.alabama.gov] Website Facebook Winston County Archives 25515 AL-195 PO Box 27 Double Springs, AL 35553 Phone: 205-489-5035 Website


 * Inventory of the county archives of Alabama, no. 67, Winston County. Alabama : Historical Records Survey, 1939-1941. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Cullman Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Decatur Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Lawrence County Archives - an affiliate library
 * Wallace State College - an affiliate library

Libraries
Carl Elliott Regional Library 98 18th St East Jasper, AL 35501 Phone: 205-221-2584 Email: [mailto:contact@carlelliottregionallibrary.com contact@carlelliottregionallibrary.com] Website Facebook Includes the following libraries in Winston County:
 * Arley Public Library 6788 Highway 41 PO Box 146 Arley, AL 35541 Phone: 205-387-0129 Facebook
 * Double Springs Public Library 637 Blake Drive PO Box 555 Double Springs, AL 35553 Phone: 205-489-2412 Facebook
 * Haleyville Public Library 913 20th Street Haleyville, AL 35565 Phone: 205-486-7450 Facebook

Societies
Winston County Genealogical Society PO Box 112 Double Springs, AL 35553 Website Facebook

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project. 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