Alleghany County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Alleghany County is located in the northwest portion of North Carolina and shares a border with Virginia. It was named for an Indian tribe, and the name is derived from a corruption of the Delaware Indian name for the Allegheny River and is said to have meant "a fine stream".

County Courthouse
Alleghany County Courthouse Main Street PO Box 186 Sparta, NC 28675 Phone: 336-372-4342 Alleghany County Website Clerk Superior Court has birth death records from 1914 Court records from 1869 &amp; land records from 1860

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
In 1776 settlers in what would eventually become Tennessee successfully petitioned North Carolina to recognize the Washington District. The District included all of modern Tennessee except two small settlements (North-of-Holston, Fincastle (VA) County, and Pendleton, Washington (VA) County) in the far northeast that were considered part of Virginia at the time. Washington (old) was created from Washington District by North Carolina in 1777 as the western county of North Carolina.

In August 1784 delegates from Washington (TN) and two other western North Carolina counties which had split off from Washington (all now in Tennessee), declared their Independence from North Carolina because of perceived neglect, and misuse by North Carolina’s legislature. By May 1785 they had petitioned to be admitted to the United States as the new State of Franklin. The Franklin statehood request was denied. By 1789 the hopes for a State of Franklin faded. North Carolina refused to recognize several counties created by Franklin out of Washington County.

North Carolina was admitted to the Union in 1789 and ceded her western counties to the United States. The United States made these western counties into the Southwest Territory. In 1792 North Carolina divided Washington (old) County and annexed some of its land that would later become Alleghany, Ashe, and Watauga counties in North Carolina to Wilkes County, North Carolina. In 1796 the remainder of Washington County became part of the new State of Tennessee.

North Carolina created Ashe County out of Wilkes County in 1799, and in 1859 erected Alleghany County out of Ashe County.

For a detailed assessment of Alleghany records and their availability, see:


 * Alleghany County (U.S. GenWeb Archives)

Bible Records

 * Bible Records at North Carolina Digital Archives - index and images

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * Alleghany County Cemetery Records North Carolina (Interment.net)

Census Records

 * Census (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
 * Census Records (GenWeb)

Church Records

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

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Alleghany County Churches (GenWeb)
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1848-1929 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1862-1868 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1862-1928 (*); State Department of Archives and History at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1862-1948 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1869-1909 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1872-1879 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1877-1912 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Alleghany County, NC, Courtat USGenWeb Archives

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

Funeral Homes

 * Thomas Family Funeral Service in Sparta.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * North Carolina Land Grants at NC Historical Records Online - index, requires free account to view images
 * Deeds (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
 * Land Records (GenWeb)
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * Military (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
 * Military Records (GenWeb)

Revolutionary War 
 * 1778-1833 Delamar Transcripts of Revolutionary War Petitions at North Carolina Genealogical Society - index ($)
 * 1779-1782 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War 


 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch.org - 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
 * 1885 and 1901 1885 and 1901 Confederate Pension Applications at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images


 * - 4th Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry and Infantry) (Confederate). Company B.
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Detailed Men, Company F
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company B
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company F

World War I 
 * 1914-1918 World War I Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II 
 * 1939-1945 World Ward II Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1940-1948 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * Newspapers (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
 * North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC

Obituaries

 * Alleghany North Carolina GenWeb Obituaries
 * Obituaries (U.S. GenWeb Archives)

Other Records
County Records
 * 1833-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; random records; index and images. (incomplete); Also at: Ancestry ($)

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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1663-1978 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1663-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1720-1960 at FamilySearch.org How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1735-1970 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1833-1970 North Carolina, U.S., County Records, 1833-1970 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
 * 1862-1948 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1869-1940 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1870-1927 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1887-1929 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1911-1918 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1911-1934 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Alleghany County NC Loose Estates Index, 1663-1979
 * Wills (GenWeb)
 * Wills and Estates (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records
Yearbooks 
 * Alleghany County students at NC colleges - a list via the NCGenWeb Yearbook Index

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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Vital Records

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

Birth

 * 1800-2000 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1866-1964 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1913-1922 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Alleghany County Birth Records

Marriage

 * 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at Findmypast
 * 1741-2004 - North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1759-1979 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1762-1979 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1763-1868 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1922 - Alleghany County Marriage Index 1861-1922 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * Marriages (U.S. GenWeb Archives)

Death

 * 1833-1970 North Carolina, U.S., County Records, 1833-1970 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)
 * 1898-1994 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1906-1930 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection;index and images. Also at MyHeritage ($)
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1931-1994 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at MyHeritage ($)
 * Alleghany County, North Carolina GenWeb
 * Deaths GenWeb Archives

Divorce

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

Voter Records

 * 1833-1970 North Carolina, U.S., County Records, 1833-1970 at Ancestry.com - index & images ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Boone North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Mount Airy North Carolina FamilySearch Center


 * Ashe County Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Watauga County Library - an affiliate library

Museums
Alleghany Historical Museum 45 N Main St Sparta, NC 28675 Phone: 336-372-2115 Facebook

Societies
Alleghany Historical and Genealogical Society PO Box 817 Sparta, NC 28675-0817 Phone: 336-372-2115 Email: [mailto:info@ahgs.org info@ahgs.org] Facebook

Websites

 * Alleghany County, North Carolina (New River Notes)
 * Alleghany County, North Carolina (Wikipedia)
 * Alleghany County, North Carolina GenWeb (NCGenWeb)
 * Alleghany County, North Carolina GenWeb Archives (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
 * – 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.