DeSoto County, Florida Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Hernando de Soto, a Spanish explorer. The County is located in the Southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
De Soto County Courthouse 115 Oak Street Arcadia, FL 33821 Phone: 863-993-4644 De Soto County Website County Judge has probate records from 1887. Clerk Ciruit Court has divorce, court and land records from 1887.

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:

Census Records

 * Desoto County Federal Census Index- -- website FLGenWeb Project,Inc.
 * 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
 * 1885 includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1935 1935 Florida State Census at MyHeritage - index ($))
 * 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 Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes Churches of Desoto County, Florida -- FLGenWeb Index
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
 * African American Griots Project-USGenWeb
 * Afrigeneas - African Genealogy

Funeral Homes

 * Ponger-Kays-Grady Funeral Homes and Cremation Services in Arcadia

Land and Property Records
Florida Territorial Land Records

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 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
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * DeSoto County Military Files (USGenWeb Project)
 * 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 - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1885-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War I
 * 1917-1918 - De Soto County, Florida Civilian Draft Registration (A-L) (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917-1918 - De Soto County, Florida Civilian Draft Registration (M-Z) (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War II
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Desoto County Army Enlistees, Names Albritton - Lastinger (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Desoto County Army Enlistees, Names Lattimore - Zetrouer (USGenWeb Archives)

Korean War
 * DeSoto County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict (Distant Cousin)

Vietnam War
 * DeSoto County Vietnam War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * US military Fatal Casualties of the Vietname War for Home-State-of-Record: Florida (Archives.gov)

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Florida Digital Newspaper Library at George A. Smathers Libraries
 * Early Florida Newspapers Florida State Library

Obituaries

 * FLGenWeb Project Desoto County Florida, Obituary Index
 * USGenWeb Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties Obituaries Project

Probate Records
Online Indexes and Records'' 
 * 1784-1990 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1827-1950 Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1887-1942 (*); County Judge at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1903-1929 (*); County Judge at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

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.

Birth

 * 1880-1935 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

 * 1802-1998 - Florida, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
 * 1822-1875 and 1927 - 2001 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1830-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1830-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Florida State Archives
 * 1970 - 1999 Florida, Marriages, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($))

Death

 * 1877-1939 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1877-1998 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1900-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * 1927-2001 - Ancestry.com $ Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001
 * 1970 - 1999 Florida, Divorces, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Voter Records

 * 1867-1868 Web: Florida, U.S., Voter Registration Rolls, 1867-1868 at Ancestry - index ($)

Family History Centers
Arcadia Florida Family History Center 630 Hanchey Road Wauchula Florida Phone: 863-990-4357 Email: [Mailto:FL_Arcadia@familyhistorymail.org FL_Arcadia@familyhistorymail.org] website

Societies
DeSoto County Historical Society, Inc. P.O. Box 1824 Arcadia, FL 34265 Telephone 863-266-5774 Email [mailto:desotocountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com desotocountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Genealogical Society of Sarasota, Inc. P.O. Box 1917 Sarasota, FL 34230-1917 Email: [mailto:gss@gssfl.org gss@gssfl.org] Website Facebook

Hernando de Soto Historical Society 605 17th Ave W Bradenton, FL 34205 Telephone 941-747-1998 Email: [mailto:info@desotoHQ.com info@desotoHQ.com] Website

Lemon Bay Historical Society 510 S. Indiana Ave. P.O. Box 1245 Englewood, FL 34293-1245 Telephone 305-504-7220 E-mail [mailto:info@lemonbayhistory.com info@lemonbayhistory.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * DeSoto County FLGenWeb
 * State of Florida
 * DeSoto County, USGenWeb Archives
 * De Soto County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Desoto County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc.
 * DeSoto County, Florida Genealogy Trails
 * DeSoto County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – 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.