Decatur County, Georgia Genealogy

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



Description
The County was named for the United States Navy Commodore Stephen Decatur, a hero of the War of 1812. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Decatur County Courthouse 1400 E Shotwell Street PO Box 735 Bainbridge, GA 31717-0735 Phone: 229-248-3030 Decatur County Website Probate Court has marriage records from 1823 and probate records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce, court and land records from 1823.

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:

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Land and Property Records

 * 1735-1866 Georgian Colonial and Headright Plat Index, 1735-1866 at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - alpha index
 * 1783-1909 Headright and Bounty Plats, 1783-1909 at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
 * 1805-1833 District Plats of Survey at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images organized by county and district
 * Colonial Plats and Warrants at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * 1740s-? Historic Map File at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
 * 1866 - 1935 County Map File at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
 * Maps of Georgia (1758-1932)

Military Records

 * Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project

Civil War 

Online Records
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 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)
 * 1861-1865 Confederate Enlistment Oaths and Discharges at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images and alphabetical index
 * 1861-1865 Confederate Muster Rolls at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images; filter by commanding officer, service branch and regiment
 * 1861-1865 Confederate Pension Application Supplements - images and alphabetical index; filter by county
 * 1864 Militia Enrollment Lists, 1864 - images; filter by county
 * 1867-1868  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1879-1920  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1879-1960 Confederate Pension Applications - images and alphabetical index; filter by county


 * - 1st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Ramsey's) (Confederate), Company G
 * - 5th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company H
 * -17th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company D
 * - 31st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company I
 * - 50th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company F
 * - 59th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company A


 * Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Decatur County). 1961. Muster roll of the First Regiment of Georgia Volunteers, 1861. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah.
 * Hageness, MariLee Beatty. 1995. Confederate soldiers and their units, Decatur County, Georgia. [Anniston, Alabama]: MariLee Beatty Hageness. Google Book $

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 Spanish-American War Service Summary Cards - images and alphabetical index; filter by residence, muster location and unit

World War I World War II
 * 1914-1918 World War I Casualties Scrapbooks - images and alphabetical index
 * 1920-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1940-1942 Georgia World War II Draft Registration Cards 1940-1942 at findmypast - index ($))

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Georgia Historic Newspapers at Digital Library of Georgia

Other Records
Voting Records 
 * 1867-1868  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1856-1909 - at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1733-1753 Colonial Wills at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
 * 1742-1990 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1742-1992 Georgia Wills and Probate Records 1742-1992 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1754-1776 Colonial Will Books at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
 * 1817-1913 (*); Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Decatur County) at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1824-1900 (*); Georgia. Inferior Court (Decatur County) at FamilySearch Catalog — partial index and images
 * 1828-1833 Index to Appraisements, Sales, 1828-1833 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1828-1838 Index to Will Book A 1828-1838 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1828-1838 Wills 1828-1838 (abstracts) Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1828-1838 Wills 1828-1838 (digital images). See names of Testators Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1828-1925 (*); Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Decatur County) at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1829-1931 (*); Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Decatur County) at FamilySearch Catalog — partial index and images
 * 1829-1837 Index to Vouchers, Returns 1829-1837 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1834-1848 Index to Journal (estates) 1834-1848 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1835-1850 Index to Annual Returns 1835-1850 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1839-1865 Wills 1839-1865 (digital images). See names of Testators. Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1839-1873 Index to Will Book B 1839-1873 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1873-1913 Index to Will Book C 1873-1913 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * Index to Minute Books A and B (includes some wills) Georgia Pioneers ($)

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 — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

 * 1787-1900 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection, index and images

Birth

 * 1870-1960  at FamilySearch — index, and some images — How to Use this Collection

Marriage

 * 1560-1993 Georgia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index ($)
 * 1699-1944 Georgia Marriages 1699-1944 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1754-1960  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1785-1950  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1787-1962  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1808-1967 Georgia Marriages 1808-1967 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1824-1841 Index to Decatur County Marriage Licenses 1824-1841(Grooms) Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1824-1841 Decatur County Marriage Book AA Index 1824-1841. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1828-1978 Georgia Marriage Records from Select Counties 1828-1978 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1837-1869 Index to Decatur County Marriage Licenses 1837-1869 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1837-1869 Decatur County Marriage Book A Index 1837-1869. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1868-1895 Decatur County Marriage Book B Index 1868-1895. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1868-1896 Index to Decatur County Marriage Licenses 1868-1896 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1885-1886 (from newspapers) Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1895 Decatur County Marriage Book D Index 1895. Batch  at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1870-1960  at FamilySearch — index, and some images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1914-1927  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1919-1998 Georgia Deaths 1919-1998 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1919-1930 Georgia Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - index and images
 * 1928-1930 Georgia Non-Indexed Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
 * 1928-1942  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1933-1998  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection

Voter Records

 * 1856-1941 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection, index and images

Family History Centers

 * Bainbridge Georgia Family History Center

Societies
Decatur County Genealogical Society  PO Box 682 127 E Water St Bainbridge, GA 39818-0682 Phone: 229-248-1719 Email: [mailto:dchistory3@gmail.com dchistory3@gmail.com] Decatur County Genealogical Society Decatur County Historical and Genealogical Society Facebook

'''Historic Chattahoochee Commission. ''' LaGrange, GA 30240 Phone: 706-845-8440 Historic Chattahoochee Commission Facebook

Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society PO Box 4672 Albany, GA 31706 Phone: 712-472-8530 Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society

Dougherty County Public Library 300 Pine Avenue Albany, GA 31701 Phone: 229-420-3218 Dougherty County Public Library Dougherty County Public Library Facebook

Websites

 * Georgia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * US GenWeb Decatur County, Georgia project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * GAGenWeb Archives
 * Decatur County, Georgia Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Georgia Pioneers Georgia Pioneers $
 * - 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