Limestone County, Alabama Genealogy

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

Description
Limestone County was created on 6 February 1818 and was named for Limestone Creek, a local stream. Its county seat is Athens. It is located in the northern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Limestone County Courthouse 200 West Washington Street Athens, AL 35611 Phone: 256-233-6406 Fax:  256-232-0764 Limestone County Website County Archives has birth and death records 1881-1913, marriage records 1832-1900, divorce records 1896-1947, land and court records 1818-1900, tax records 1861-1900, newspapers 1868-1985. Probate Judge has marriage, probate, and land records from after 1900. Clerk Circuit Court has court records after 1900 and divorce records after 1947.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.

Bible Records

 * Limestone County Bible Records at USGenWeb Archives

Biographies

 * Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library. Limestone County begins on page 71.
 * Limestone County Biographies at The USGenWeb Archives Project

Census Records
State Census


 * 1855   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records

 * 1831-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1818-1911 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1819-1952 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1820-1917 (*); Chancery and Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1841-1904 (*); Commissioners' Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only


 * 1866-1939 History of Negroes of Limestone County, From 1866-1939. 1939. by Walter Cotton. Mexia, TX: Dr. J.A. Chatman and S.M. Merriwether. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Funeral Homes

 * Ardmore Chapel Funeral Home in Ardmore
 * Limestone Chapel Funeral Home in Athens
 * McConnell Funeral Home in Athens
 * Spry Funeral Home in Athens

Land and Property Records
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Limestone County see:


 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Limestone County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2007. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes surname index..

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Early History of Limestone County, Alabama. By Capt. R.A. McClellan. Limestone, AL: Limestone Democrat, 1927. Online at:' FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Limestone County after Appomattox, 1865-1870. By Faye Acton Axford. n.p.:n.p. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. Pg. 71. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of Limestone County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Alabama Maps and Blueprints Collection at Alabama Department of Archives and History – maps can be browsed by location or subject

Military Records
Mulatipal Wars
 * ca.1918-ca.1962  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
 * 1861-1865 Civil War Service Database at Alabama Department of Archives and History - index
 * 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
 * 1871-1880  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History


 * - 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F "Limestone Troopers"
 * - 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H "Limestone Grays"
 * - 35th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D and G
 * - 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B, formerly Company C, 2nd Battalion
 * - 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E, formerly Companies B/G, 2nd Battalion "Limestone Rebels"
 * - 54th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B (formerly Co. "A", 40th TN Infantry)
 * - 54th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H (formerly Co. "I", 1st AL, TN, and MS Infantry)

Civil War Battles The following Civil War battles were fought in Limestone County:
 * January 26, 1864 - Athens.
 * October 26-29, 1864 - Decatur.
 * Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.

World War I
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Service Records at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Gold Star Files at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

World War II
 * 1940-1945  at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1940-1966 Alabama Active Military Service Reports at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

Newspapers
Abstracts of The Limestone County News (1859), The Union Banner (1860), and The Athens Post (1865-1870) were published in:
 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1859-1870 Caver, Larry E. Abstracts from Alabama Newspapers, Volume II: Limestone County, Madison County, Marshall County, Jackson County Carrollton, Miss.: Pioneer Publishing Co., 2007. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
 * 1931, 1941, 1942, 1944-1949, 1968 The Alabama Courier (Athens, Ala.) at Ancestry $

Other Records
Voter Registration
 * 1834-1981: at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection, index and images

Periodicals

 * Valley Leaves. Huntsville, AL: The Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society, 1966-.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1753-1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1809-1985 (*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1825-1943 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1826-1831 Images of Wills 1826-1831 at Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1830-1976 (*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 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

 * 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry $. Limestone County is in District 3.

Birth

 * 1881-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1896-1898 Limestone County Birth Index 1896-1898. Batch at FamilySearch

Marriage

 * 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
 * 1800-1969 Alabama, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1969 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1802-1825 Alabama, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1802-1825 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1809-1920 Alabama, U.S., Compiled Marriages from Selected Counties, 1809-1920 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1809-1950  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1816-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1818-1936 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1832-1928 Limestone County Marriage Books A-G Index 1832-1928 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1881-1952  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1974 Alabama, U.S., Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1959 Alabama, U.S., Death Index, 1908-1959 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1974  at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - How to Use this Collection; index

Archives
Alabama Department of Archives and History 624 Washington Ave PO Box 300100 Montgomery, AL 36104 Phone: 334-242-4435 Email: [mailto:mark.palmer@archives.alabama.gov mark.palmer@archives.alabama.gov] Website Facebook Friends of the Limestone Archives PO Box 658 Athens, AL 35612 Phone: 256-233-6404 Email: [mailto:limestonefoa@gmail.com limestonefoa@gmail.com] Website Facebook Limestone County Archives 102 West Washington Street Athens, AL 35611 Phone: 256-233-6404 Email: [mailto:archives@limestonecounty-al.gov archives@limestonecounty-al.gov] Website Facebook

FamilySearch Centers

 * Athens Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Byrd Springs Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Decatur Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Huntsville Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Madison-Harvest Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Florence-Lauderdale Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Athens-Limestone Public Library 603South Jefferson Street Athens, AL 35611 Phone: 256-232-1233 Email: [mailto:jbaxter@alcpl.org jbaxter@alcpl.org] Website Facebook

Societies
Limestone County Historical Society PO Box 82 Athens, AL 35612 Email: [mailto:mail@limestonecountyhistoricalsociety.org mail@limestonecountyhistoricalsociety.org] Website

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project. Record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
 * Limestone County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * – 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.