Butler County, Alabama Genealogy

Guide to Butler 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 Captain William Butler, who was born in Virginia, fought in the Creek War, and who was killed by native Americans near Butler Springs on the morning of 20 March 1818. The county is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Butler County Courthouse 700 Court Square, Greenville, AL 36037 Phone: 334-382-7166 Butler County Website Probate Judge has birth and death records 1894-1919, Marriage, probate and land records

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

Biographies

 * Biographies of many notable residents of Butler County were published in Memorial Record of Alabama (1893). Digital version at . Begins on page 551.
 * Little, John Buckner. The History of Butler County, Alabama: From 1815 to 1885: With Sketches of Some of Her Most Distinguished Citizens and Glances at Her Rich and Varied Resources. Cincinnati: Elm St. Print. Co., 1885. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Butler County Biographies at The USGenWeb Archives Project

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

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

The following have information concerning African American research.Both should be used:
 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
 * Alabama Minorities has information specific to Alabama African Americans.

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


 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Butler 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. Website includes  surname index..

Local Histories

 * Little, John Buckner. The History of Butler County, Alabama 1815 to 1885. Cincinnati, Ohio: Elm St. Printing, 1885. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Little, John Buckner. The History of Butler County, Alabama: From 1815 to 1885: With Sketches of Some of Her Most Distinguished Citizens and Glances at Her Rich and Varied Resources. Cincinnati: Elm St. Print. Co., 1885. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of Butler 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 — index and images - 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


 * - 1st Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company E "J. Powell's Dragoons"
 * - 1st Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company H "Sandy Williams' Guards"
 * - 1st Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company I
 * - 2nd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company E
 * - 7th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F
 * - 8th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F "Greenville Guards"
 * - 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G "Jeff Davis Rangers"
 * - 17th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B and K
 * - 17th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C (Butler Rifles)
 * - 18th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F (Tom Watts Rifles)
 * - 33rd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C, D and H
 * - 58th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E
 * - 59th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H and I
 * - 60th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H
 * - 61st Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C

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

Newspapers

 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
 * 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 images

Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. For Butler County see Register.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1753-1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1806-1921 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * 1809-1985  at FamilySearch  - [[Alabama Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]; index and images
 * 1830-1976  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1853-1929 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * 1853-1933 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * 1853-1938 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.

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 ($). Butler County is in District 1.

Vital Records
Vital Record Substitutes
 * A collection of obituaries and death notices from various funeral homes in the Butler County area has been put together by GenealogyBuffs: Butler County, Alabama Obituary and Death Notices Collection at ALGenWeb

Birth

 * 1881-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1930 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1894-1920 Butler County Marriage Index 1894-1920 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
 * 1816-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1818-1936 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry– ($); Index. contains over 12,000 names.
 * 1853-1870 Alabama Marriages, 1809-1920at Ancestry– ($); Index. Contains about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.
 * 1853-1870, 1913, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry– ($); Index.
 * 1853-1929 Butler County Marriage Books 1-6, K-O Index 1853-1929 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1881-1952 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry– ($); Index.
 * 1894-1920 Butler County Marriage Index 1894-1920 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1906-1910 Greenville Death Index 1906-1910. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 1908-1914 Greenville Death Index 1908-1914. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 1908-1959 Index to Deaths recorded by the state of Alabama at Ancestry– ($); Index. The index includes name of the deceased, county of death and date, and state certificate number (volume and page).
 * 1908-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Archives

 * Alabama Department of Archives and History P.O. Box 300100 624 Washington Ave Montgomery, AL 36130 Phone: 334-242-4435 Website

Libraries

 * Greenville-Butler County Public Library 309 Fort Dale Street Greenville, AL 36037 Phone: 334-382-3216 Website

Societies

 * Butler County Historical and Genealogical Society Inc. 309 Fort Dale Road P.O. Box 561 Greenville, AL 36037 Phone: 334-383-9564 Email: [mailto:historyroom@camelliacom.com historyroom@camelliacom.com] Website

Websites

 * Alabama Genealogical and Historical Resources on the Net
 * 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.
 * Butler County ALGenWeb~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
 * Butler County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Web Sites at RootsWeb - Butler AL
 * – 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.