Oconee County, South Carolina Genealogy

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy court records, deeds, maps, immigration, maps, military records, newspapers, obituaries, plantations, probate records, slaves, local archives, libraries, museums, churches, cemeteries, and Civil War records.

South Carolina Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named from the Cherokee word "Ae-quo-nee" meaning "land beside the water." Oconee was a local Cherokee town that was situated on the main British/Cherokee trading path between Charleston and the Mississippi River in the early 18th century. The County is located in the northwest location of the state.

County Courthouse
Oconee County Courthouse 205 W. Main Street Walhalla, SC 29691

Clerk of Court P.O. Box 678 Walhalla, SC 29691 Phone: 864-638-4280 Court records

Register of Deeds 415 South Pine Street Walhalla, SC 29691 Phone: 864-638-4285 Land records

Probate Court 415 South Pine Street Walhalla, SC 29691 Phone: 864-638-4275 Probate and marriage records

Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday

Historical Facts
Oconee is a Cherokee word meaning "Land Beside the Water".

Parent County
29 January 1868 - Oconee County was created from Pickens County.

County Pronunciation

 * 1) Hear it spoken

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating South Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation South Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1682-1987) 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:

African Americans
United States African Americans South Carolina African Americans


 * Megginson, W.J. Black Soldiers in World War I: Anderson, Pickens and Oconee Counties, South Carolina; with a Discussion of Pensions for Civil War Slave Labor. Seneca, S.C.: Oconee County Historical Society, 1994.

Known plantations South Carolina Plantations:


 * Florideville
 * Seneca
 * Westville

Cemeteries

 * To view a cemetery list, see Oconee County, South Carolina Cemeteries.
 * National Cemetery Administration
 * Cemetery GPS Mapping

Census

 * 1829-1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Federal
1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Oconee County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see South Carolina Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than online nationwide indexes.

For 1890, see: United States Census 1890

See South Carolina Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

See Oconee County, SC census assignments, including links to transcribed files The USGenWeb Census Project®

Baptist

 * Shoal Creek - records (1796-1853) available on microfilm at University of NC Davis Library (Serial 1-1274).

Presbyterian
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * The Old Stone Church, Oconee County, South Carolina. Columbia, S.C.?: Old Stone Church and Cemetery Association with cooperation of the Andrew Pickens and Cateechee Chapters, D.A.R., 1905. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Oconee County has court records from 1868 that are held in the office of the Clerk of Court. Since Oconee County was formed from Pickens County the records of this county may also be searched.

The South Carolina Archives and History Center has court records available on microfilm for Oconee County.

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Charleston County residents. FamilySearch has not independently verified the lineages of those tested.

Genealogy

 * [Ballenger] Knox, John Ballenger. The Ballenger Family of Oconee County, South Carolina. Seneca, S.C.: Grady Woodfin Ballenger, [1956].
 * [Beck] Koyle, Susan Lewis and Patricia Lewis Cramer. Ancestors and Descendants of Colonel Samuel Beck and Tabitha Langston. 1997. ; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * [Cain] Malone, James T. and Royleta Clopton Malone. William Cain Sr. and His Descendants 1795-2000: With Allied Lines of Murdock, Gibson, Cole and Others, in the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Oklahoma. Hemet, Calif.: J.T. Malone, 2001.
 * [Davis] Mentzel, Laura W. Davis Families of the Savannah River Valley: Containing a Record of the Descendants of Van and Harmon Davis from 1725-1978, Covering the Counties of Newberry, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee Counties of South Carolina; Habersham, Franklin, Hart, Stephens, Polk, Paulding, Gwinnett Counties of Georgia. Salt Lake City, Utah: Hobby Press, 1978.
 * [Gilmer] Walker, Robert B. Our Family Genealogy. Typescript. Microfilmed 1960.
 * [Grant] Grant, Bishop Franklin (Mrs.). Grant Family of South Carolina. Typescript.
 * [Hair] Hair, Thomas Lee. The Long Journey, a Family History, 1687-1991: Embracing an Account of the Arrivals, Movements, and Ultimate Dispersal of the Southern Branches and Descendants of Eleven Allied Families: Adams, Ballenger, Cleveland, Duke, Hair, Harbin, Lewis, Lyles, O'Kelley, Trail, Ward. Spartanburg, S.C.: Reprint Company Publishers, 1992.
 * [Hunter] Hunter, Raymond E. The Hunters and Related Families in the Southeastern United States. Augusta, Ga.: R.E. Hunter, 1990.
 * [Queen] Russell, Jerry Franklin. Red-Redd, Russell, Powell. MSS., 1989. Item 13
 * [Shedd] Campbell, A.G. Those Other Trapps: Including Some Allied Persons. [Alpine, Calif.]: A.G. Campbell, 1992.

History

 * History of old Pendleton District with a genealogy of the leading families of the district


 * 1913 version
 * 1978 version


 * The settlement of Pendleton District, 1777-1800

Land and Property
Because of South Carolina’s history as an agricultural state many residents owned land. For more information about types of land records see South Carolina Land and Property.

Tracing records through South Carolina county and district changes can be difficult. In general, for earliest records begin by searching the Charleston District, then your ancestor’s residential district, then neighboring districts, then the residential county, then neighboring counties. Not all districts and counties kept records. The following chart shows where you may best expect to find land records for Oconee County:

* Anderson County deeds include the records of former Pendelton District/County

Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868 For information about the State Land Grants, see State Land Grants


 * Abstracts of deeds: Pendleton District, SC, books IJ, K, and L (1807-1812),
 * Abstracts of deeds : Pendleton District, SC, books O and P (1818-1822),
 * Abstracts of deeds Pendleton District and Anderson District, SC: books Q, R, and S (1822-1830),
 * The settlement of Pendleton District, 1777-1800,

Maps

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Oconee County for European settlers included:, and William E. Myer, Indian Trails of the Southeast, 12-14, and the book's pocket map "The Trail System of the Southeastern United States in the early Colonial Period" (1923). ▲


 * Savannah River pre-historic
 * Old Cherokee Path pre-historic
 * Lower Cherokee Traders' Path pre-historic
 * Coosa-Tualoo Indian Warpath
 * Tugaloo-Apalachie Bay Trail
 * Augusta and Cherokee Trail in Georgia 1740s
 * Old South Carolina State Road 1747
 * Charleston-Ft. Charlotte Trail about 1765
 * Fort Charlotte and Cherokee Old Path about 1777
 * Upper Road about 1783
 * Unicoi Trail or Turnpike 1813

French and Indian War

 * "Garrison at Ft. Prince George, 1756, Keowee," Tulsa Annals, January 1973, Volume 8, Issue 1. Tulsa Genealogical Society: Tulsa, OK.

War of 1812

 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. ; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. See Vol. 5, South Carolina, Oconee County, p. 187. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

South Carolina State Militia

 * Holder, Frederick C.; South Carolina (State) Militia, 2nd Regiment; South Carolina (State) Militia, 5th Regiment; Oconee County Historical Society (Oconee County, South Carolina). The Bailey A. Barton Muster Roll Book of Pickens District, South Carolina [1858]. Seneca, S.C.: Oconee County Historical Society, 1990. Book 975.723 M2b; Film 1697757 item 12. Reviewed in The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 91, No. 4 (Oct. 1990):280-281. Digital version of review at JSTOR ($). Covers present Pickens and Oconee counties.

Civil War
Online Records


 * 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)

Regiments. Oconee County was created in 1868, three years after the Civil War ended. During the Civil War, the area of Oconee County was part of Pickens District (later Pickens County). Men living in the area of what is now Oconee County may have served in regiments from Pickens District/County.


 * - 1st Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company F
 * -1st Regiment, South Carolina Rifles (Orr's), Company A (also known as Kowee Riflemen), Company C (also known as Mountain Boys), Company E (also known as Oconee Riflemen), and Company F (also known as Blue Ridge Rifles)
 * - 2nd Regiment, South Carolina Rifles, Company B and Company C
 * - 10th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company B

Other Resources
 * Bell, Louise Matheson. Rebels in Grey: Soldiers from Pickens District, 1861-1865 ( Seneca, S.C.: Greys of Oconee Chapter No. 1783, United Daughters of the Confederacy, ©1984), 172 pages. Concerns Pickens and Oconee Counties..

Native American

 * Seaborn, Margaret Mills. From 1730 through 1776, Cherokee Indian Towns of Oconee County, South Carolina: With Principal Paths. n.p.: n.p., 1974. Map.

Newspapers
Historic

The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Oconee County, South Carolina on their Chronicling America website. For publication details, including dates of publication, frequency, preceding and succeeding titles, and to find out which libraries have holdings, click on the newspaper title.


 * Farm and Factory (Seneca, S.C.) 1903-1929.
 * Historical Newspapers of South Carolina at University of South Carolina Libraries - not complete
 * Keowee Courier (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current.
 * The Journal and Tribune (Seneca, S.C.) 1952-1985.
 * The Journal/Tribune (Seneca, S.C.) 1985-current.
 * The Messenger (Seneca, S.C.) 1954-current.
 * The New Carolinian (Seneca, S.C.) 1897-1898.
 * The Oconee News (Walhalla, S.C.) 1901-1911.
 * The Seneca Journal (Seneca, S.C.) 1930-1952.
 * The Westminster News (Westminster, S.C.) 1953-current.
 * Tugaloo Tribune (Westminster, S.C.) 1909-1952.
 * Walhalla Banner (Walhalla, S.C.) 185?-1???.

Periodicals
Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers new to their area may not encounter. Periodicals at various levels (county, region, and state) may carry articles useful to research in this area. For this county, see:


 * Old Pendleton District Newsletter

Probate
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.” Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. For further information see probate records in South Carolina Probate Records.

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has microfilms or typescripts of wills, inventories, bills of sale, power of attorneys, bonds, notes, administrations, judgments, and sales records. Archival records include estate papers from 1790-1893 from the court of ordinary and probate court records, along with other corollary papers. Statewide Will Transcriptions, 1782 to 1855, database is available online with a searchable index by name. Images are available.

Probate records for the county are available in probate court, court of ordinary, and court of equity. Early probate records may be found in Pendleton District. See probate index for these early records at:


 * Judy Chandler Ballard. W.P.A. will transcripts of Pendleton District ; Anderson County, S.C., 1790-1857. Walterboro, South Carolina : J.C. Ballard, (1995?).

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1670-1980 - South Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1670-1980 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1671-1977 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1732-1964 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1782-1866 - South Carolina, Will Transcripts 1782-1866 at findmypast — $, index

Taxation
Tax-related records are kept by the offices of the county Assessor, Auditor, Sheriff, and Treasurer. Taxes were levied on real and personal property and can help establish ages, residences, relationships, and the year an individual died or left the area. They can be used as substitutes for missing or destroyed land and census records.


 * South Carolina Department of Archives and History tax lists for Oconee County.

Published abstracts

 * 1864 - Internal Revenue Assessment, 1864, Old Pendleton District Newsletter, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Mar. 2009).

To see how the Civil War financially impacted residents of Oconee County, South Carolina, compare values of real and personal estates on the 1860 Census, with 1866-1867 tax records:


 * 1866-1867 - Rich, Peggy Burton and Margarette Gibbs Ogle. Pickens District, South Carolina 1866 Tax List, January 1, 1866- January 1, 1867. n.p.: South Carolina Genealogical Society. Old Pendleton Chapter, 1991.

Vital Records
Birth, marriage, and death records were not recorded by South Carolina until the 1900s, thus leaving a lack of vital records. Substitute records, when available, are used to obtain this information. These substitute records including newspapers, court records have been added to this section, when applicable.

Birth
State-wide birth registration began in 1915. For a copy of a birth from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Oconee County Health Department also has copies but they provide only an abbreviated form with limited information. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.


 * 1766-1900 - at FamilySearch — images

Birth Substitutes - Indexes


 * 1849-1949 - Keowee Courier Newspaper by Oconee County, South Carolina USGenWeb - index, incomplete

Marriage
In South Carolina, marriage licenses were not required by local governments until 1 July 1911. However, in the 1700s, the Church of England parish churches were required to record all marriages - even if the couple were not members of the denomination. Not all churches recorded these marriages and some have not survived. See South Carolina Vital Records for more information.

The Oconee County probate court holds marriage licenses issued from 1 July 1911 to the present. Statewide registration of marriages began in July 1950 and the South Carolina Division of Vital Records has copies of licenses issued after 1 July 1950 through November 2009.

Newspapers are used as a substitute to locate marriage information. See South Carolina Newspapers.

Marriages and Marriage Substitutes - Indexes and Records


 * 1826-1848; 1857-1871 - Abstract of Marriages and Deaths from the Pendleton Messenger, 1826- 1848, the Keowee Courier, 1857-1871, - index
 * 1849-1868 - The Keowee Courier, 1849-1851, 1857-1861 and 1865-1868 by Colleen M. Elliot, - missing years, index
 * 1849-1949 - Keowee Courier Newspaper by Oconee County, South Carolina USGenWeb - index, incomplete
 * 1911-1950 - Marriage Licenses, 1911-1950 - records
 * There are several online marriage indexes containing miscellaneous marriage records found in some counties of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Death
State-wide death registration began in 1915. For a copy of the death certificates from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Oconee County Health Department only has copies for deaths occurring in the last 5 years. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Deaths and Death Substitutes - Indexes and Records
 * 1816-1990 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1826-1848; 1857-1871 - Abstract of Marriages and Deaths from the Pendleton Messenger, 1826- 1848, the Keowee Courier, 1857-1871, - index
 * 1849-1868 - The Keowee Courier, 1849-1851, 1857-1861 and 1865-1868 by Colleen M. Elliot, - missing years, index
 * 1915-1965 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * State-wide South Carolina Death Indexes. There are several online death indexes covering all of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Libraries
Oconee County Public Library The library has a South Carolina History/Local Genealogy collection housed at the main library in Walhalla. Holdings include family histories, historical maps, cemetery listings and indexes, biographies of noted South Carolinians, and the local newspapers on microfilm.

Items in the collection cannot be circulated or loaned to other libraries.The Library lacks sufficient staff to do research, nor do they respond to letters from persons requesting such services. Names and addresses of persons in the area who do research for a fee can be provided when such a person is known, However, staff may do limited searching when good information is provided. Costs to cover photocopying and postage are $5.00 per name searched.


 * Walhalla Main Library Address: 501 West South Broad Street Walhalla, SC 29691 Telephone: 864-638-4133 FAX: 864-638-4132 Hours: Monday/Tuesday 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Wednesday - Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Sundays (Sept. - May) 2 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
 * Salem Library Address: 5-B Park Avenue Salem, SC 29676 Telephone: 864-944-0912 Hours: Monday 10:00 a.m. - 6 p.m., Tuesday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday &amp; Sunday CLOSED
 * Seneca Library Address: 300 E. S. Second Street Seneca, SC 29678 Telephone: 864-882-4855 Hours: Mondays and Thursdays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday CLOSED
 * Westminster Library Address: 112 W. North Avenue Westminster, SC 29693 Telephone: 864-647-3215 Hours: Monday 11:30 a.m. - 8 p.m., Tuesday - Friday 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Sunday CLOSED

Family History Centers

 * Seneca South Carolina Family History Center

Museums
Oconee Heritage Center Address: 123 Browns Square Drive P.O. Box 395 Walhalla, SC 29691 Telephone: (864) 638-2224 Email: [mailto:info@oconeeheritagecenter.org info@oconeeheritagecenter.org] Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 5pm (and by special Appointment). The Oconee Heritage Center (OHC) brings history back to life through museum exhibits, educational programs, festivals ,and more. Among other things visitors explore the history of Native Americans, Immigration, Railroads, New Deal Programs, Textile Mills, and Agriculture as it relates to Oconee County.

Research Guides

 * South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Oconee County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
 * Inventory of county archives of South Carolina no. 37, Oconee County (Walhalla)

Societies

 * Old Pendleton District SCGS Chapter P.O. Box 603 Central SC 29630-0603 E-mail: [mailto:claytonroom@swi.edu claytonroom@swi.edu] Old Pendleton District includes Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties.


 * Oconee County Genealogical Society 247 Cross Hill Road Easley SC 29640 source: Society Hill

Websites

 * Oconee County, SC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * Oconee County, SCGenWeb
 * Oconee County, USGenWeb Archives
 * Oconee County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * OPDGS Research Center
 * OPDGS Mainpage