Columbus County, North Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Columbus County, North Carolina ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.



Description
Columbus County is located in the south-central portion of North Carolina and shares a border with South Carolina. It was named for explorer Christopher Columbus.

County Courthouse
Columbus County Courthouse 612 North Madison Street Whiteville, NC 28472 Phone: 910-640-6225 Columbus County Website Register of Deeds has birth and death records from 1913, marriage records from 1867 and land records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce and court records from 1868, probate records from 1817.

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:

History Timeline
The county has several important geographical features including Lake Waccamaw, the largest natural lake between New York and Florida, the Waccamaw and Lumber Rivers which link this area to South Carolina and the coastal town of Georgetown, and the Cape Fear River which provides access to the port city of Wilmington.

Cemeteries

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

Church Records

 * 1700-1970 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Baptist
 * White Marsh Established about 1765. Previously located in Bladen.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Dulah
 * Tabor City Branch
 * Whiteville Branch
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1862-1870   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1863-1872   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

Genealogies
Bibliography 
 * Lewis Lewis, J.D. My Neck of the Woods: The Lewis Families of Southeastern North Carolina and Northeastern South Carolina. Little River, S.C.: J.D. Lewis, 2002.

Land and Property Records

 * Columbus County Register of Deeds 125 Washington St., Suite B PO Box 1086 Whiteville, NC 28472 Phone: 910-640-6625 The Register of Deeds Office records all land transactions, birth, deaths, and marriages that occur in Columbus County.
 * Columbus County Online Real Estate Lookup Search

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
Revolutionary War 
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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
 * 1885-1953  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images


 * - 7th Battalion, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company B
 * - 8th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Captain David Callihan's Company
 * - 8th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Captain Neill McNeill's Company

World War I 
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II 
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC
 * 1799-1893 Columbus County marriages, may be included throughout Carrie Broughton's 6-volume index of the Raleigh Register &amp; State Gazette newspaper (1799-1893). Marriages are listed by year and PDF files are searchable. Available on the North Carolina Digital Collections website.
 * Columbus County deaths. County area deaths reported in various newspapers; dates range from late 1700s to 1900s. (NCGenWeb)

Obituaries

 * Columbus County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Other Records
County Records
 * 1833-1970  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images. (incomplete)

Voter Registration
 * 1868-1898 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
 * 1720-1960  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1735-1970  at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $
 * 1808-1908  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)

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.

Vital Records

 * 1800-2000 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
 * 1741-2004 North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1759-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1850-1900 Columbus County Marriages 1850s-1900 at USGenWeb
 * 1851-1967 Columbus County Marriage Index 1851-1967 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;index and images
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1914-1981 Columbus County Coroners' Inquest, 1914-1968, 1981 (NC State Archives)
 * 1931-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Misc. Columbus County Deaths (NCGenWeb)
 * Columbus County Deaths (USGenWeb Archives)

Divorce

 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

Societies

 * Old New Hanover Genealogical Society PO Box 2536 Wilmington, NC 28402-2536 Facebook

Websites

 * USGenWeb Project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * NCGenWeb Columbus County
 * – 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.