Highlands County, Florida Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Highlands County Courthouse 590 S Commerce Avenue Sebring, FL 33870 Phone 863.402.6565

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, probate and land records from 1921.

Parent County
1921--Highlands County was created 23 April 1921 from DeSoto County. County seat: Sebring

Description
The county was named for the terrain of the county. The County Seat is Sebring and the county was created April 23, 1921. The County is located in the South central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Florida county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Florida County Boundary Maps" (1821-1997) 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:

Neighboring Counties
Charlotte • DeSoto •  Glades •  Hardee •  Okeechobee •  Osceola •  Polk

Resources

 * USGenWeb African American Griots Project
 * Afrigeneas - African Genealogy

Cemeteries
The following web site may have additional information on Highlands County cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Florida cemetery records

Census

 * 1783 Spanish Census USGenWeb
 * 1821 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1823 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb
 * Federal Census Information from National Archives USGenWeb
 * State Census Information from Florida State Archives USGenWeb
 * Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service USGenWeb

Land
Florida Territorial Land Records

Maps

 * 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

Military

 * 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 — 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)
 * 1885 - 1955 - at FamilySearch — images only

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 — index and images

World War II

 * 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)
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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)
 * Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War distantcousin.com

Newspapers

 * Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library

Obituaries

 * Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library USGenWeb

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1784 – 1990 Florida Probate Records 1784-1990
 * 1810 – 1974 Ancestry.com $ Florida Wills and Probate Records 1810-1974


 * Florida State Archives $

Birth Records

 * 1880 - 1935 - at FamilySearch — index

Death Records

 * 1877 - 1939 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1900 - 1921 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1877 - 1998 - at FamilySearch — index

Divorce Records

 * 1927 - 2001 - Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry.com $

Marriage Records

 * 1802 - 1998 - Florida, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1837 - 1974 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1830 - 1993 - at FamilySearch.org — index/images
 * 1830 - 1957 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1822 - 1875 and 1927 - 2001 - at FamilySearch.org — index/images
 * Florida State Archives

Societies and Libraries
Sebring Historical Society 321 W Center Ave Sebring, FL 33870 Telephone Number: 863-471-2522 Website

Highlands County Genealogical Society c/o Lake Placid Library 47 Park Dr. Lake Placid, FL 33852

Highlands County Historical Society 430 S. Commerce Ave Sebring 33870


 * Random Acts of Kindness List of Florida Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical Genealogical Societies
 * FamilySearch Find a Family History Center
 * Florida Historical Society
 * Florida State Genealogical Society

Family History Centers

 * Sebring Florida Family History Center

Websites

 * Highlands County FLGenWeb
 * Highlands County, FL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Florida Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Florida Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * 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)
 * Highlands County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)