Tuscaloosa County, Alabama Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named in honor of the Choctaw chief Tuskaloosa. The county is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Tuscaloosa County Courthouse 714 Greensboro Avenue, 2nd Fl, #214 Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 Phone: 205-349-3870 Tuscaloosa County Website Probate Judge has marriage and probate records from 1823.

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

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

 * The Tuscaloosa Genealogical Society has been involved in a long-term project to preserve and digitize 19th Century Circuit Court records. Books dating from 1822 and loose records dating mostly from the 1870s to 1950s are added monthly to Seventh Floor Records. Indexes are also included on the site, Seventh Floor Records
 * 1824 Tuscaloosa County Alabama 1824 Subpoena Book. n.d. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans


 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Sellers, James B. Free Negroes of Tuscaloosa County Before the Thirteenth Amendment. Alabama Review. 23 April 1970: 110-27.
 * Sellers, James B.Slavery in Alabama. University, Alabama: University of Alabama Press, 1950. WorldCat
 * Hallowed Grounds: Race, Slavery and the University of Alabama

Land and Property Records
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Tuscaloosa County see:


 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2006. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes surname index..

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of Tuscaloosa County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- 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


 * - 2nd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company D
 * - 5th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company B
 * - 5th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H "Warrior Guards"
 * - 11th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G "North Port Rifles"
 * - 18th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E (Confederate Stars)
 * - 20th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company K
 * - 32nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I
 * - 36th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D and K
 * - 41st Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A, F and G
 * - 43rd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D, H, I and K
 * - 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F, formerly Company D, 2nd Battalion
 * - 51st Regiment, Alabama Partisan Rangers, Company G

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

Civil War Pensions

The Tuscaloosa Genealogical Society has been involved in a long-term project to preserve and digitize 19th Century Circuit Court records. Books dating from 1822 and loose records dating mostly from the 1870s to 1950s are added monthly to Seventh Floor Records. Indexes are also included on the site, Seventh Floor Records

Newspapers

 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
 * Alabama Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both and pay-to-access websites.
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Other Records
Voter Registration


 * 1834-1981  at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and some images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1753–1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1800-1930 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * 1809–1985  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1830-1976  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1830-1930 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * 1920-1950 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Tuscaloosa Genealogical Society has been involved in a long-term project to preserve and digitize loose records. Loose records dating mostly from the 1870s to 1950s are added monthly to Seventh Floor Records. Indexes are also included on the site, Seventh Floor Records

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.

Tax Records

 * 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Tuscaloosa County is in District 2.

Birth

 * 1881 – 1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1930   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1910-1922  Tuscaloosa County Birth Index 1910-1922 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Marriage

 * 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
 * 1800–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry $
 * 1809-1920 Alabama Marriages,1809-1920 (Selected Counties) 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
 * 1821-1833 Marriages, Vol. I at Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1821-1860, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry– ($)
 * 1823-1895 Tuscaloosa County Marriage Index 1823-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry– ($) Contains over 12,000 names.

Death

 * 1881–195  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry– ($) Copies of church, civil, family, and other records of Alabama deaths and burials. Varies depending on the original record. Incomplete
 * 1908-1922 - Tuscaloosa County Death Index 1908-1922 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1908-1959 Index to Deaths Recorded by the State of Alabama at Ancestry– ($)
 * 1908-1974  at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection. - How to Use this Collection; index

Divorce
The Tuscaloosa Genealogical Society has been involved in a long-term project to preserve and digitize 19th Century Circuit Court records. Books dating from 1822 and loose records dating mostly from the 1870s to 1950s are added monthly to Seventh Floor Records. Indexes are also included on the site, Seventh Floor Records Divorces can be found among these files.

Family History Centers

 * Tuscaloosa Alabama Family History Center

Libraries
Tuscaloosa Library 1801 Jack Warner Parkway Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401 205-345-5820 Website


 * Library collections include materials of local, state, and regional history as well as microfilms of the Tuscaloosa News. Limited research requests are honored; copy fees apply.

Societies
Tuscaloosa Genealogical Society P.O. Box 020802 Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401 Facebook Website

Websites

 * 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.
 * Tuscaloosa County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
 * Tuscaloosa 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.