Highlands County, Florida Genealogy
Guide to Highlands County, Florida ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for the terrain of the county. The County is located in the Southcentral area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Highlands County Courthouse
590 S Commerce Avenue
Sebring, FL 33870
Phone: 863-402-6565
Highlands County Website
Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, probate and land records from 1921. [3]
Highlands County, Florida Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1899 | 1921 | 1899 | 1921 | 1921 | 1921 | 1830 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Ghost towns | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1930 | 9,192 | — |
| 1940 | 9,246 | 0.6% |
| 1950 | 13,636 | 47.5% |
| 1960 | 21,338 | 56.5% |
| 1970 | 29,507 | 38.3% |
| 1980 | 47,526 | 61.1% |
| 1990 | 68,432 | 44.0% |
| 2000 | 87,366 | 27.7% |
| 2010 | 98,786 | 13.1% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing census records online, see: Florida Census.
- 1783 - Spanish Census USGenWeb
- 1821 - Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
- 1823 - Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
- 1880 - Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb
- 1885 Florida State Population Census 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
- State Census Information from Florida State Archives USGenWeb
- Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service USGenWeb
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Florida denominations, view the Florida Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African American
- USGenWeb - African American Griots Project
- Afrigeneas - African Genealogy
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Fountain Funeral Home in Avon Park
- Lakeview Memorial Gardens in Avon Park
- Morris Funeral Chapel in Sebring
- Scott Seawinds Funeral Home in Lake Placid
- Sean A. Banks Mortuary and Cremation Center in Avon Park
- Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home in Avon Park
- Swann Mortuary in Sebring
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Florida Land and Property for additional information about early Florida land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Florida Territorial Land Records
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for most counties. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section Florida Local Histories.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- 1821-1997 Maps of Florida
- 1870 - Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
- 1882 - Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
- Exploring Florida, FCIT Maps University of South Florida
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- Highlands County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)
- Florida State Military Files USGenWeb
- Florida state pension records from various wars Pension Transcriptions USGenWeb
Civil War
- 1861-1865 Florida Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 Florida Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 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 Florida Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
World War I
- 1917-1918 Highlands County Civilian Draft Registration (Abbott - Cox) (USGenWeb Archives)
- 1917-1918 Highlands County Civilian Draft Registration (Craft - Hensted) (USGenWeb Archives)
- 1917-1918 Highlands County Civilian Draft Registration (Herbert - McKnight) (USGenWeb Archives)
- 1917-1918 Highlands County Civilian Draft Registration (McLain - Skrobich) (USGenWeb Archives)
- 1917-1918 Highlands County Civilian Draft Registration (Slater - Zimmerman) (USGenWeb Archives)
- 1917-1920 Florida, World War I Navy Card Roster, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
World War II
- 1940-1945 Florida, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Highlands County Army Enlistees, Names Adams - Haynie (USGenWeb Archives)
- Highlands County Army Enlistees, Names Heacock - Scott (USGenWeb Archives)
- Highlands County Army Enlistees, Names Sebring - Young (USGenWeb Archives)
- Highlands County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (FLGenWeb Project)
Korean War
- Highlands County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
- Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict distantcousin.com
Vietnam War
- Highlands County Vietnam War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
- Distantcousin.com Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 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 at the Florida State Library
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Indexes and Records
- 1784-1990 Florida Probate Records, 1784-1990(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
- 1827-1950 Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950 at Ancestry ($)
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more information see the wiki page Florida Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Florida State Archives, or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1880-1935 Florida, Births and Christenings, 1880-1935 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1802-1998 Florida, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
- 1822-1875 and 1927 - 2001 Florida, Marriage Index, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1830-1957 Florida, County Marriages, 1830-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1830-1993 Florida, Marriages, 1830-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1837-1974 Florida, Marriages, 1837-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Florida State Archives
- 1970 - 1999 Florida, Marriages, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($))
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1877-1939 Florida, Deaths, 1877-1939 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- 1877-1998 Florida, Death Index, 1877-1998 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1900-1921 Florida, Deaths and Burials, 1900-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1927-2001 Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry $
- 1970 - 1999 Florida, Divorces, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($)
Voter Records[edit | edit source]
- 1867-1868 Web: Florida, U.S., Voter Registration Rolls, 1867-1868 at Ancestry - index ($)
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Highlands County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Florida Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Highlands County. For state-wide library facilities, see Florida Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Highlands County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Florida Societies.
Avon Park Historical Society
3 North Museum Ave
Avon Park, FL 33825
Phone: 863-453-3525
Website
Highlands County Genealogical Society
PO Box 1282
Sebring, FL 33870-9998
Email: hcgenealogy@yahoo.com
Website
Sebring Historical Society
321 W Center Ave
Sebring, FL 33870
Phone: 863-471-2522
E-mail: info@sebringhistoricalsociety.org
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
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- Highlands County FLGenWeb
- State of Florida
- Highlands County, USGenWeb Archives
- Highlands County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Highlands County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc
- Highlands County, Florida Genealogy Trails
- Highlands County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
- FamilySearch Catalog – 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.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Florida.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Highlands County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, wikipedia 04/24/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Florida.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Florida.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Florida.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Highlands County, Florida," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, wikipedia accessed 26 January 2019.