Gila County, Arizona Genealogy

United States &gt; Arizona &gt; Gila County

History
Gila County is located northeast of Maricopa and Pinal Counties in Arizona. It contains some of the early settlements in Arizona going back to the 1870s. Gila County is named for the Gila River that flows through portions of the southern part of the county.

Payson is the largest town today, its name came from a situation where the town needed a post office and a congressman was reported to have said that if they named the town Payson they would get a post office. The second town that took up the dare was Payson, Utah.

Other towns include Pine, Roosevelt, and Claypool. Defunct localities include 'Motel Point' where a motel once stood just yards northeast of the present-day Roosevelt Dam.

Parent County
1881--Gila County was created 8 February 1881 from Maricopa and Pinal Counties. County seat: Globe

Boundary Changes

 * 08 Feb 1881 Gila County was created by the Arizona Territorial Legislature from parts of Maricopa County and Pinal County. (Ariz. Terr. Laws 1881, 11th assy./ pp. 14-17)
 * 12 Mar 1885 Gila County exchanged property with adjacent Graham County. (Ariz. Terr. Laws 1885, 13th assy./ p. 215)
 * 21 Mar 1889 Gila County added a portion of Yavapai County. (Ariz. Terr. Laws 1889, 15th assy./ pp. 49-52)
 * 19 Mar 1891 Gila County gained additional land from Yavapai County. (Ariz. Terr. Laws 1891, 16th assy./ pp. 102-103)

Neighboring Counties

 * Coconino
 * Graham
 * Maricopa
 * Navajo
 * Pinal
 * Yavapai

Cemeteries
Arizona Cemetery Transcription and Photo Project

Church
LDS Ward and Branch Records: Globe, Hayden, Miami, Nephi and Pine.

Vital Records

 * Many early marriages are listed on the Western States Marriage Index.
 * Gila County, Arizona Obituary and Death Notices Collection From GenealogyBuff.com ~ Free. This collection is from Various Funeral Homes in the Payson, Globe, Miami, Winkelman, Hayden, and Dudleyville areas.

Societies and Libraries
Arizona Cornish Society P.O. Box 1 Claypool, Arizona 85532 Contact: Mrs Linda Carnahan Telephone: 925-473-2071 E-Mail: lyddy@cableone.net

Northern Gila County Historical Society PO Box 2532 Payson, AZ 85547 Telephone 928-474-3483

Gila County Historical Society  1330 N. Broad St. Globe, AZ 85502 Telephone 928-425-7385 Hours 10-4 M-F; 11-3 Sat.

Family History Centers
Introduction to Family History Centers

Globe Arizona 1701 Ensign St Globe, Gila, Arizona, United States Telephone: 928-425-9570

Payson Arizona 913 N Ponderosa St Payson, Gila, Arizona, United States Telephone: 928-468-0249

These are not mailing addresses. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Gila County, Arizona Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Gila County, Arizona Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)