DeSoto County, Florida Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
De Soto County Courthouse 115 Oak Street Arcadia, FL 33821 Phone: 862.993.4876

County Judge has probate records from 1887. Clerk Ciruit Court has divorce, court and land records from 1887.

Parent County
1887--DeSoto County was created 19 May 1887 from Manatee County. County seat: Arcadia

Description
The county was named for Hernando de Soto, Spanish explorer. The County Seat is Arcadia and the county was created May 1887. The County is located in the Southwest area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Florida county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Florida County Boundary Maps" (1821-1997) 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:

Neighboring Counties
Charlotte •  Glades  •  Hardee  •  Highlands  •  Manatee  •  Sarasota

African American

 * African American Griots Project -  USGenWeb
 * Afrigeneas - African Genealogy

Cemeteries
The following web sites may have additional information on DeSoto  County cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Florida cemetery records

Census
Desoto County Federal Census Index-FLGenWeb Project,Inc.


 * 1783 Spanish Census -  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1821 Census/Tax List Index -  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1823 Census/Tax List Index -  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos -  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * - Includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality.
 * Federal Census Information from National Archives -  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * State Census Information from Florida State Archives -  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service -  USGenWeb Archives Project

Church
Churches of Desoto Co

Land
Florida Territorial Land Records

Maps

 * Maps of Florida (1821-1997)
 * 1870 Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of State - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1882 Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of State -  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Exploring Florida, FCIT Maps, University of South Florida

Military

 * DeSoto County Military Files (USGenWeb Project)
 * Florida State Military Files - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Pension Transcriptions -  Florida state pension records from various wars  -  USGenWeb Pension Project

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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)
 * 1885-1955 - at FamilySearch — images only

World War I

 * 1917 - 1918 - De Soto County, Florida Civilian Draft Registration (A-L) (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917 - 1918 - De Soto County, Florida Civilian Draft Registration (M-Z) (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917 - 1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * Desoto County Army Enlistees, Names Albritton - Lastinger (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Desoto County Army Enlistees, Names Lattimore - Zetrouer (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Korean War

 * DeSoto County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict

Vietnam War

 * DeSoto County Vietnam War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * US military Fatal Casualties of the Vietname War for Home-State-of-Record: Florida (Archives.gov)

Newspapers

 * Early Florida Newspapers Florida State Library

Obituaries

 * FLGenWeb Project Desoto County Florida, Obituary Index


 * USGenWeb Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties Obituaries Project

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1784 – 1990 Florida Probate Records 1784-1990
 * 1810 – 1974 Ancestry.com $ Florida Wills and Probate Records 1810-1974

Birth Records

 * 1880 - 1935 - Florida, Births and Christenings, 1880-1935

Death Records

 * 1877 - 1939 - Florida, Deaths, 1877-1939
 * 1900 - 1921 - Florida, Deaths and Burials, 1900-1921
 * 1877 - 1998 - Florida, Death Index, 1877-1998

Divorce Records

 * 1927 - 2001 - Ancestry.com $ Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001

Marriage Records

 * 1802 - 1998 - Florida, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1837 - 1974 - Florida, Marriages, 1837-1974
 * 1830 - 1993 - Florida, Marriages, 1830-1993
 * 1830 - 1957 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1822 - 1875 and 1927 - 2001 - Florida, Marriage Index, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001


 * Florida State Archives

Societies and Libraries
DeSoto County Historical Society, Inc. PO Box 1824 Arcadia, FL 34265 Telephone Number: 863-993-3277 Website

Genealogical Society of Sarasota, Inc. PO Box 1917 Sarasota, FL  34230-1917 Website

Lemon Bay Historical Society PO BOx 1245 Englewood, FL 34293-1245 Telephone Number: 941-473-8491 E-mail:[mailto:info@lemonbayhistory.com info@lemonbayhistory.com]


 * Random Acts of Kindness List of Florida Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical Genealogical Societies
 * FamilySearch Find a Family History Center
 * Florida Historical Society
 * Florida State Genealogical Society

Family History Centers

 * Arcadia Florida Family History Center

Websites

 * DeSoto County, FL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Florida Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Florida Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * DeSoto County FLGenWeb
 * State of Florida
 * DeSoto County, USGenWeb Archives
 * De Soto County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Desoto County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc.
 * DeSoto County, Florida Genealogy Trails
 * DeSoto County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * DeSoto County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)