Lincoln County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Lincoln County is located in the southwestern portion of North Carolina and was named for Revolutionary War general Benjamin Lincoln, who was appointed by George Washington to receive Lord Charles Cornwallis's sword when the British commander surrendered at Yorktown.

County Courthouse
Lincoln County Courthouse 115 W Main Street PO Box 218 Lincolnton, NC 28093 Phone: 704-736-8534 Lincoln County Website Register of Deeds has birth, marriage, death and burial and land records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce and court records from 1920, and probate records from 1869.

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:

Bible Records

 * Bible Records at North Carolina Digital Archives - index and images
 * Lincoln County Family Web Sites and Family Records at NCGenWeb

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

Baptist


 * Catawbo River. Constituted 1785.

Lutheran


 * Daniels Church, near Lincolnton, N.C. Organized 1774.
 * Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, near Startown, N.C. Organized before 1797. Later located in Catawba.
 * St. John's Lutheran Church, near Conover, N.C. Organized before 1798. Later located in Catawba.
 * St. Paul's Lutheran Church, near Conover, N.C. Organized before 1771. Originally located in Tryon; later located in Catawba.

List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1769-1779 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1769-1782 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1771-1923 (*); Superior Court and Superior Court Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1772-1778 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1772-1919 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Superior and County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1779-1868 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1812-1868 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1816-1868 (*); Superior Court of Law and Equity at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1842-1964 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1858-1941 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1874-1901 (*); Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

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

 * Burke Mortuary and Crematory in Maiden.
 * Ebony and White’s Funeral Service in Lincolnton.
 * E. F. Drum Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Lincolnton.
 * Goodin-Drum Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Maiden.
 * Good Samaritan Funeral Home in Denver.
 * Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Denver.
 * Warlick Funeral Home in Lincolnton.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Deed records 1769-present. Deed records available online from the Lincoln County Register of Deeds.
 * North Carolina Land Grants at NC Historical Records Online - index, requires free account to view images
 * 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

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Lincoln County for European settlers included:


 * Catawba and Northern Trail (pre-historic)

Military Records
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 - 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
 * 1885 and 1901 1885 and 1901 Confederate Pension Applications at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images


 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company D
 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry,usually known as the Bethel Regiment, Company K
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company C
 * - 4th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company K
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company E
 * - 11th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 11th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company I

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

 * 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 ($)
 * 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1663-1978 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1663-1978 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1720-1960  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1735-1964 (*); Superior Court and County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1735-1970  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1765-1779 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1772-1964  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1790 Pre-1790 Lincoln County, North Carolina Genealogy Wills (North Carolina State Archives)
 * 1829-1873 (*); Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1831-1964 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1868-1954 (*); Superior Court Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1869-1964 (*); Superior Court Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * (*); Superior Court Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Images of Wills and Estates 1824-1838; 1843-1856; 1856-1868. North Carolina Pioneers ($)
 * North Carolina Probate Records tips
 * Will of Bostian Cline, The Little Bit : The Official Publication of the Family of Captain Daniel Little, Esqire, Inc. 1992. By Family of Captain Daniel Little, Esq., Lawrence L. Little. Conover, North Carolina : Family of Captain Daniel Little, Esq.. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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

Tax Records

 * 1868-1924 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; random records; index and images. (incomplete); Also at: Ancestry ($)


 * 1776 - Tax lists, Tryon County, 1776 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, at Ancestry $
 * 1778-1840 - Tax lists online at NCGenWeb.
 * 1784-1886 - Tax lists, undated; tax lists, 1784-1785, 1789, 1792, 1805-1806, 1817-1822, 1825-1844, 1846-1853, 1856-1886. Images online at FamilySearch.

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
 * 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
 * 1851-1869 Lincoln County Marriage Index 1851-1869. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1892-1916 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; random records; index and images. (incomplete); Also at: Ancestry ($)

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 $

FamilySearch Centers

 * Lake Norman North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Lincolnton North Carolina FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Charles R. Jonas Library Lincoln County Public Library 306 W Main St Lincolnton, NC 28092 Phone: 704-732-9040 Facebook Website Gaston County Public Library 1555 E Garrison Blvd Gastonia, NC 28054 Phone: 704-735-8044 Email: [mailto:help@gastonlibrary.org help@gastonlibrary.org] Facebook Website
 * Collection focuses on Gaston, Lincoln and Tryon Counties. There are nine branches in the system.

Societies
Broad River Genealogical Society 1145 County Home Rd PO Box 2261 Shelby, NC 28150-2261 Email: [mailto:brgs1145@gmail.com brgs1145@gmail.com] Facebook Website Eastern Lincoln Historical Society 4353 N Highway 16 Denver, NC 28037 Email: [mailto:melisa_springs@yahoo.com melisa_springs@yahoo.com] Facebook Gaston-Lincoln Genealogical Society PO Box 584 Mount Holly, NC 28120-0584 Website Lincoln County Historical Association 403 E Main St Lincolnton, NC 28092 Phone: 704-748-9090 Email: [mailto:LincolnCountyHistoryNC@gmail.com LincolnCountyHistoryNC@gmail.com] Facebook Website

Websites

 * Lincoln County NCGenWeb
 * USGenWeb Project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Lincoln County, NCGenWeb - Many records &amp; research sources
 * Lincoln County, NCGenWeb Archives - additional transcribed genealogical records all kinds
 * Piedmont Trails Many records & research sources with family surnames and much more.
 * – 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.