Union County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Union County is geographically located in the southwestern-Piedmont region of North Carolina (NC). Union County, N.C., borders both Lancaster and Chesterfield counties of South Carolina. During the founding of Union County, there was a debate between the Democratic Party and the Whig Party, concerning the County's designated name; the Democrats were in favor of honoring one of their leaders, former President Andrew Jackson, while the Whigs preferred to honor one of their leaders, Henry Clay. The name of "Union", was chosen as a compromise between the two parties.

County Courthouse
Union County Courthouse 400 North Main Street Monroe, NC 28112 Phone: 704-296-4600 Union County Website Register of Deeds has land and marriage records starting from 1842, birth and death records from 1913, and burial records. Clerk Superior Court has probate records from 1837, court records from 1843, divorce, military, naturalization and land records; some records may have been transferred to the NC State Archives.

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
Union County was established in 1842 from parts of Mecklenburg and Anson counties, and named "Union" as a compromise to settle a dispute between local Whigs and Democrats over whether the new county should be named "Clay" or "Jackson." Both of those names were subsequently used for new counties in the extreme southwestern part of the state.

Mecklenburg County and the large city of Charlotte are to the northwest. Charlotte's suburban areas include areas of Union County.

Anson County was one of the largest counties in NC at one time, and its territory covered the southwest quadrant of the state.

Monroe is the county seat for Union County. Other cities and towns are: Fairview, Hemby Bridge, Indian Trail, Lake Park, Marshville, Marvin, Mineral Springs, Stallings, Unionville, Waxhaw, Weddington, Wesley Chapel, and Wingate.

Townships are Goose Creek, Jackson, Marshville, Monroe, New Salem, Vance, Buford, Lanes Creek, Sandy Ridge.

Bible Records
Some Bible Records can be found at the Heritage Room, located in the Old Historic Courthouse in downtown Monroe, NC. Call 704-289-6737 for more information.

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images Also at: Ancestry ($)

Church Records

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

List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

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

Land and Property Records

 * Union County Deeds are located at the Register of Deeds office located in the Government Center Building. http://www.unionconcrod.org/welcome.asp
 * The above link will introduce you to the types of land records currently online. You will notice a index to deeds from 1842 - 2004. Older deeds are not online at the county level, but some are found at FamilySearch.
 * Deeds, 1843 - 1870; grantee index to deeds, 1842 - 1891at FamilySearch

Local Histories

 * History of Monroe and Union County

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War 


 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War 


 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - 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


 * - 12th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company L
 * - 15th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, formerly the 5th Volunteers, Company B
 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Detailed Men, Company G
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company F
 * - 4th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company I
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company E

World War I 
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II 
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC

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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - 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 - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $
 * 1841-1867  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1842-1858 Images of Wills and Estates: 1842-1858 North Carolina Pioneers $
 * 1869-1897 Images of Wills and Estates: 1869-1897North Carolina Pioneers $
 * The North Carolina State Archives has microfilm of the Union County Record of Wills, 1842-1968, and the Cross Index to Wills, 1842-1968. Copies of materials can be ordered from the Archives (Contacting the State Archives).

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.

Vital Records

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

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1869-1968 Union County Birth Index 1869-1968. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
 * 1741-2004 North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1759-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1843-1938 Union County Marriage Index 1843-1938 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch - 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 - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Divorce

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

Family History Centers
The Carolinas Genealogical Society at the Heritage Room research room, located at the Old Historic Courthouse in downtown Monroe, N.C., is an affiliate library of FamilySearch. Call 704-289-6737 for hours of operation.


 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Libraries

 * Union County Public Library Website Has a number of online genealogy databases.

Societies

 * Carolinas Genealogical Society PO Box 397 Monroe, NC 28111 (704) 289-6737 Email: [mailto:(704) 289-6737 (704) 289-6737] Website

Websites

 * NCGenWeb Union County
 * USGenWeb Project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * USGenWeb, Union County Archives
 * Union County Government website
 * – 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.