Union County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Union County is located in the South-Central portion of North Carolina and shares a border with South Carolina. Democrats wanted to name the county for one of their leaders (Andrew Jackson) and Whigs for one of theirs (Henry Clay), so "Union" was chosen as a compromise.

Union County, North Carolina Record Dates


Union County Courthouse Physical Address 400 North Main Street Monroe, NC 28112

Mailing Address PO Box 5038 Monroe, NC 28111-5038 (704) 296-4600

Register of Deeds has birth, marriage and death records and burial records Clerk Court has divorce, probate, military court naturalization records and land records

Register of Deeds PO Box 248 Monroe, NC 28111 Phone: 704-283-3794 Fax: 704-283-3569 Website

Clerk Superior Court PO Box 5038 Monroe, NC 28111-5038 Phone: (704) 698-3100

History
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.

Parent County
1842--Union County was created from Anson and Mecklenburg Counties. County seat: Monroe

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating North Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation North Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1664-1965) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
Some of the early records are missing.

Populated Places

 * City of Monroe
 * Town of Indian Trails

Neighboring Counties

 * Anson
 * Cabarrus
 * Chesterfield County, South Carolina
 * Lancaster County, South Carolina
 * Mecklenburg
 * Stanly

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch — index and images

County Records

 * 1833-1970 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Land
The Union County Register of Deeds has land records starting from 1842. Included are deeds, deeds of trust, plats and miscellaneous documents related to real estate. There office is:

Register of Deeds 500 N. Main St., 2nd Floor Monroe, NC 28111

The Registry maintains a database for an online Deed Search for records from 1842 - 2004:

Union County Deeds Search

Local Histories

 * History of Monroe and Union County

Revolutionary War

 * 1779 - 1782 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 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)
 * 1885 - 1953 - at FamilySearch — 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 — index and images

World War II

 * 1940 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1660 - 1790 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1663 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1665 - 1998 - North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1735 - 1970 - at FamilySearch.org — images
 * 1760 - 1800 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry.com — index and images
 * 1841 - 1867 - has been digitized by FamilySearch - free.
 * Images of Wills and Estates: 1842-1858 and 1869-1897. North Carolina Pioneers ($)

The Union County Clerk of the Superior Court has Court records from 1843 and Probate records (wills &amp; estate records) from 1837, if they have not been transferred to the NC State Archives. Please check with the office to find out if the record you are looking for is available.

Union County Clerk of Superior Court 400 North Main Street Monroe, NC 28112 (704) 698 -3100

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 by visiting their website, however if you've never done so before, please read the following to give you some tips on what to expect and what to ask for:

Contacting the State Archives

Vital Records
The Union County Register of Deeds has Birth and Death records starting from 1913; Marriage records start from 1842.

Contact the office as follows:

Register of Deeds 500 N. Main St., 2nd Floor Monroe, NC 28111

Births

 * 1800 - 2000 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1866 - 1964 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1869 - 1968 - Union County Birth Index 1869-1968. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Death

 * 1898 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1906 - 1930 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1908 - 2004 - North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1909 - 1975 - North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1931 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce

 * 1926 - 1975 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1958 - 2004 - North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriages

 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1759 - 1979 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1762 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1763 - 1868 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1843 - 1938 - Union County Marriage Index 1843-1938 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1958 - 2004 - North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $

Societies and Libraries
Union County Historical Society PO Box 397 Monroe, NC 28111 Telephone Number: 704-289-6737 website

Carolinas Genealogical Society PO Box 397 Monroe, NC 28111 Website


 * Union County Public Library Has a number of online genealogy databases for researchers

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

 * Union County, NC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * 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
 * Union County Government website