Coahoma County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for "Coahoma" which is a Choctaw word meaning "red panther." The county is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Coahoma County Courthouse 115 1st Street P.O. Box 98 Clarksdale, MS 38614 Phone: 662-624-3000 Coahoma County Website Clerk Circuit Court has marriage and court records from 1848 and voter records from 1949. Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, probate and land records.

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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Cemeteries

 * Coahoma County Cemeteries (Coahoma County MSGHN)
 * Coahoma County Cemeteries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Newspaper Scrapbooks and Mississippi River Collection of Carnegie Public Library, Clarksdale, Mississippi, on 3 microfilm reels at the Family History Library, contains cemetery data
 * Funeral Homes (GenWeb)

Census Records
Federal Census


 * 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry $
 * 1850  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1850 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1860 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

State Census
 * 1792-1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry $
 * 1805-1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry $
 * 1840 1840 Census of Coahoma County, Mississippi
 * 1841, 1845, 1870 State Census Returns (1841, 1845, 1870) - Coahoma County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * Coahoma County, Mississippi Largest Slaveholders from 1860 Slave Census Schedules and Surname Matches for African Americans on 1870 Census (Tom Blake)

Church Records

 * 1910-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places


 * Churches (GenWeb)
 * Coahoma County Churches (Coahoma County MSGHN)

Court Records
The County Clerk of the Circuit Court in Clarksdale has court records from 1839.


 * Court Minutes (3 microfilm reels, 1856-1892) at Family History Library
 * Final Record of Court Cases, 1856-1885 (3 microfilm reels) at Family History Library
 * Index to Adoptions, Direct &amp; Reverse (1 microfilm reel) at Family History Library
 * Index to Chancery Court Docket (1 microfilm reel) at Family History Library
 * Probate and Chancery Court Docket, 1860-1873 (1 microfilm reel) at Family History Library

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 


 * 1863-1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription
 * Coahoma County, Mississippi Largest Slaveholders from 1860 Slave Census Schedules and Surname Matches for African Americans on 1870 Census (Tom Blake)

Funeral Homes

 * Funeral Homes (GenWeb)

Land and Property Records
The Chancery Court Clerk for Coahoma County, in Clarksdale, has land records from 1839.


 * Land Ownership Map, 1872 (on 2 microfiches) at Family History Library
 * U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office (search for online copies of Coahoma County land patents; generates 35 pages of listings for Coahoma County)

Local Histories

 * Catchings, Troy, and Homer Hill. An Oral History with Mr. Troy Catchings, 1994 March 15. Mississippi Oral History Program of the University of Southern Mississippi (series), Vol. 659 (archival manuscript). WorldCat page
 * Coahoma County Memories: A Pictorial History. Clarksdale, MS: Clarksdale Press Register, 1999. WorldCat page
 * Howerton, Joe D. The Howerton Family in Coahoma County, 1837-1850. Corpus Christi, TX: Philip Howerton, [1934?]. WorldCat page
 * Keys, Vernon J., and Homer Hill. An Oral History with Ms. Vernon J. Keys, 1994 March 19. Mississippi Oral History Program of the University of Southern Mississippi (series), Vol. 662 (archival manuscript). WorldCat page
 * Murray, Nicholas Russell. Coahoma County, Mississippi, 1868-1900. Hammond, LA: Hunting for Bears, [1982?]. WorldCat page
 * Weaver-Zercher, David L., and William H. Willimon, eds. Vital Christianity: Spirituality, Justice, and Christian Practice. New York: T&amp;T Clark, 2005, section titled "The Legacy of Economic Unrighteousness in the Mississippi Delta" (specifically about Coahoma County), pp. 217-224. Google Books preview
 * Weeks, Linton. Clarksdale &amp; Coahoma County: A History. Clarksdale, MS: Carnegie Public Library, 1982. Amazon page | Family History Library | Google Books page | WorldCat page
 * Work, John W., Lewis Wade Jones, and Samuel C. Adams, Jr. Lost Delta Found: Rediscovering the Fisk University-Library of Congress Coahoma County Study, 1941-1942. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2005. Amazon page | WorldCat page

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)
 * Coahoma County Maps &amp; Geography (GenWeb)
 * General Highway Map, 1957, at Family History Library
 * Land Ownership Map, 1872 (on 2 microfiches) at Family History Library
 * Libre Map Project (includes detailed topographical maps of Coahoma County)

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1812-1951 Military grave registrations - Coahoma County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1837 Register of Military Commissions - Coahoma County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * Index to Discharged Members Armed Forces (1 microfilm reel) at Family History Library

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 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
 * 1889-1942  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1900-1974  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1936-1939 Civil war records a Memorial list of those that served in the Civil War -  Coahoma County Collection at FamilySearch - images only - very few

Companies formed in Coahoma County:


 * Company B (Coahoma Invincibles), 11th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company B (Mississippi Swampers), 44th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company K (Alcorn Rebels), 23rd Regiment, Mississippi Infantry

Civil War links:


 * 11th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry (includes Company B, Coahoma Invincibles)
 * 23rd Mississippi Infantry (includes Alcorn Rebels)
 * 44th Mississippi Infantry AKA Blythe's Regiment (includes Mississippi Swampers)
 * Army of 10,000 (includes Alcorn Rebels)
 * Coahoma and Civil War (GenWeb)
 * Coahoma Invincibles (Civil War Message Board)
 * Monument to the 11th Mississippi Infantry Regiment (includes Coahoma Invincibles, in Stone Sentinels)

World War I
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Coahoma WWI Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)

World War II 
 * Coahoma County, Mississippi World War II Casualties Army and Air Force (Access Genealogy)
 * Coahoma County World War II Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Coahoma WWII Military Records (USGenWeb Archives) - scroll down

Newspapers

 * Clarksdale Banner, established 1884 or 1888 (sources differ), ceased publication in 20th century
 * Clarksdale Challenge, established 1896, ceased publication in 20th century
 * Clarksdale Journal, an African-American newspaper established 1899
 * The Clarksdale Press-Register (currently in operation)
 * Clarksdale Register, established 1902 or 1904 (sources differ)
 * Coahoma County, MS Newspaper Titles (Chronicling America at the Library of Congress)
 * Newspaper Data (Genealogy Trails)
 * Newspaper Scrapbooks and Mississippi River Collection of Carnegie Public Library, Clarksdale, Mississippi, on 3 microfilm reels at the Family History Library

Obituaries

 * Index, Obituary Scrapbook, Carnegie Public Library, Clarksdale, Mississippi (manuscript, 4 vols., 1914-1977) at Family History Library

Other Records
 State Archives
 * 1820-1951   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete - Topics covered: Ex Slave Narratives, list of military veterans,  Military grave registrations, Naturalizations and some Land records.

VOTER List
 * 1871-1967 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images


 * 1853 Register of Commissions (Genealogy Trails)


 * Minutes, 1873, 1896, Coahoma County Board of Supervisors (2 microfilm reels) at Family History Library

Probate Records
Online Records

The Chancery Court Clerk for Coahoma County in Clarksdale has probate records dating from 1856.


 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry $
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1839-1880 Final Probate Records, 1839-1880 (6 microfilm reels) at Family History Library
 * 1839-1880 Index to Estates of Decedents, Minors, Lunatics and Convicts...(1839-1880) (1 microfilm reel) at Family History Library
 * 1841-1930 Will Records; 1841-1930, Probate Indexes (2 microfilm reels) at Family History Library
 * 1845-1870 Court Minutes, Probate Court (3 microfilm reels, 1845-1870) at Family History Library
 * 1850-1950 Estate and divorce files (mixed together), Coahoma County, Mississippi, 1850-1950 (76 microfilm reels)
 * 1860-1873 Probate and Chancery Court Docket, 1860-1873 (1 microfilm reel) at Family History Library
 * 1873-1879 Administrators, Guardians and Executors Record, 1873-1879 (1 microfilm reel) at Family History Library
 * 1892-1943 Petitions &amp; Letters of Guardianship (2 microfilm reels, 1892-1943) at Family History Library

School Records

 * 1850-1892; 1908-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and 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

 * 1838-1899 County Tax rolls (1838-1899) -  Coahoma County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Birth

 * Births

Marriage
The County Clerk of the Circuit Court in Clarksdale has marriage records from 1849.


 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1849-1917 Coahoma County Marriage Books 1-17 Index 1849-1917 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1849-1917 Marriage Records, First District, 1849-1917 (20 microfilm reels) at
 * 1858-1979 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - for various counties
 * 1868-1900 Murray, Nicholas Russell. Coahoma County, Mississippi, 1868-1900: Computer Indexed Marriage Records. Hammond, LA: Hunting for Bears, [1982?]. WorldCat
 * 1892-1917 Marriage Records, Second District, 1892-1917 (10 microfilm reels) at
 * Coahoma County Marriages (Coahoma County MSGHN)

Death

 * 1822-1921 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1912-1943 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index
 * Deaths in Coahoma County
 * 1912-1943 Reclaim the Records: Mississippi Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Divorce

 * 1850-1950 Estate and divorce files (mixed together), Coahoma County, Mississippi, 1850-1950 (76 microfilm reels)

Libraries

 * Carnegie Public Library 114 Delta Avenue Clarksdale, MS 38614 Website

Websites

 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Coahoma County Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Coahoma County Genealogy Queries (Cousin Connect)
 * Coahoma History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education (e-Reference Desk)
 * Coahoma County, Mississippi (Histopolis Collaborative Genealogy &amp; History)
 * Coahoma County, Mississippi (official site)
 * Coahoma County, Mississippi (The Political Graveyard)
 * Coahoma County, Mississippi (Wikipedia) Includes history
 * Coahoma County, Mississippi Genealogy Links (Genealogy Links.net)
 * Coahoma County, Mississippi USGenWeb Archives
 * Coahoma County, MS (RootsWeb)
 * Coahoma County, MS Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Coahoma County MSGenWeb Site
 * Coahoma County MSGHN (Mississippi Genealogy &amp; History Network)
 * Coahoma County, MS Genealogy and History (Genealogy Trails)
 * Coahoma Message Board (RootsWeb)
 * Profile for Coahoma County, MS (ePodunk)
 * – 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.