Catawba County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Catawba County is located in the western portion of North Carolina and was named for the Catawba Indians.

County Courthouse
Catawba County Courthouse 100 A Southwest Blvd POBox 389 Newton, NC 28658-0389 Phone: 828-465-1573 Catawba County Website Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1843. Register of Deeds has marriage 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:

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 ($)

Church Records

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

Lutheran List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, near Startown, N.C. Organized before 1797. Originally located in Lincoln.
 * St. John's Lutheran Church, near Conover, N.C. Organized before 1798. Previously located in Lincoln.
 * St. Paul's Lutheran Church, near Conover, N.C. Organized before 1771. Previously located in Tryon and Lincoln counties.
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1843-1868 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1843-1922 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1880-1915 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1911-1923 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * The Catawba County Court of Pleas and Quarters, March Court, 1843-January Court, 1850. 1987. By Setzer, George; North Carolina County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions (Catawba County); Catawba County Genealogical Society (Hickory, North Carolina). Hickory, North Carolina : Catawba County Genealogical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

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

 * Allen Mitchell Funeral Home in Hickory.
 * Bass-Smith Funeral Home in Hickory.
 * Bennett Funeral Service in Conover and Newton.
 * Burke Mortuary and Crematory in Newton.
 * Caring Cremations in Hickory.
 * Catawba Memorial Park, Funerals and Cremations in Hickory.
 * Dirk M. Thompson Mortuary in Hickory.
 * Drum Funeral Home in Hickory.
 * Hickory Funeral Home in Hickory.
 * Jenkins Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Newton.
 * Willis-Reynolds Funeral Home in Newton.

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
 * 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 Catawba 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


 * - 12th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company A
 * - 4th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company C
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company E
 * - 8th Battalion, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company B

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 ($)
 * 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1663-1978 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1720-1960 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1735-1970 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1786-1966 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1843-1868 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1843-1922 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1843-1966 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1843-1966 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1849-1939 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1868-1928 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1966 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1871-1907 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1875-1948 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1894-1907 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * North Carolina Probate Records tips
 * Wills, Estates, 1845-68;1868-97;1892-1902. North Carolina Pioneers ($)
 * 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

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
 * 1842-1938 Catawba County Marriage Books 1-14 Index 1842-1938 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 $

FamilySearch Centers

 * Hickory North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Lake Norman North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Morganton North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Statesville North Carolina FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Catawba County Public Library 115 W C St Newton, NC 28658 Phone: 828-465-8669 Email: [mailto:mylibrary@catawbacountync.gov mylibrary@catawbacountync.gov] Facebook Website
 * Genealogical information in The Rhodes Room. Contact Alex Floyd, Associate Librarian, by email at [mailto:AFloyd@catawbacounty.gov AFloyd@catawbacounty.gov].

Hickory Public Library 375 3rd St NE Hickory, NC 28601 Phone: 828-304-0500 Facebook Website

Societies
Catawba County Genealogical Society PO Box 2406 Hickory, NC 28603-2406 Website Historical Association of Catawba County PO Box 73 Newton, NC 28658-0073 Phone: 828-465-0383 Email [mailto:cchasholbrook@gmail.com cchasholbrook@gmail.com] Facebook Website

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Catawba County NCGenweb Project, a member of The NCGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * – 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.