Columbia County, Florida Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Columbia County Courthouse 145 N Hernando St; PO Box 2069 Lake City, FL 32055 Phone: 386.758.1041

Clerk Circuit Court has birth records from 1943, marriage and land records from 1875, divorce and court recordsc from 1892 and probate records from 1895; Public Health Unit has birth, death and burial records

Parent County
1832--Columbia County was created 4 February 1832 from Alachua County. County seat: Lake City

Description
The County Seat is Lake City and the county was created February 4, 1832. The County is located in the North Central 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
1848, 1860, 1867, and 1874 -- Columbia County Courthouses were burned by arsonists in 1848, 1860, 1867, and 1874. Most early records were destroyed.

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


 * Burned Counties Research
 * http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/?p=2424

Neighboring Counties
Alachua • Baker •  Clinch County, Georgia •  Echols County, Georgia •  Gilchrist  Hamilton •  Suwannee •  Union •  Ware County, Georgia

African American

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

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


 * Interment.net Florida cemetery records

Census

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


 * Lake City

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

 * Columbia County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 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)
 * 1883 - Columbia County Pensioners on the Roll as of January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1885-1955 - at FamilySearch — images only

World War I

 * Index to Columbia County World War I Draft Registration - Scroll down to WWI. (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Columbia County World War I Casualty List (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1917-1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * Index to Columbia County World War II Army Enlistees - Scroll down to WWII. (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Columbia County World War II Casualty List (Genealogy Trails)
 * Columbia County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Korean War

 * Columbia County Korean War Casualty List (Genealogy Trails)
 * Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict

Vietnam War

 * Columbia County Vietnam War Casualty List (Genealogy Trails)
 * Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War

Newspapers

 * Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library

Obituaries

 * Florida Obituaries Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties - USGenWeb 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 - Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry.com $

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

Voters Registration
1845 voters registration list for Columbia County.

Societies and Libraries
Columbia County Historical Society 810 S. Seventh St. Lake City, FL 32055


 * 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

 * Lake City Florida Family History Center

Websites

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