Morgan County, Alabama Genealogy
Guide to Morgan County, Alabama ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named after General Daniel Morgan, of Virginia. The County is located in the north-central location of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Morgan County Courthouse
302 Lee Street NE, 4th Fl Courthouse
Decatur, Al 35601
Phone: 256-351-4790
Fax: 256-351-4880
Morgan County Website
Probate Judge has marriage and probate records from 1818[2]
Morgan County, Alabama 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 |
| 1983 | 1818 | 1908 | 1817 | 1816 | 1818 | 1816 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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Morgan County had destructive courthouse fires in 1926, and 1938.[4] For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in Morgan County:[6]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
- Morgan County, Alabama Bible Records at Access Genealogy
- Morgan County, Alabama Bible Records at Alabama Genealogy
- Morgan County Bible Records at USGenWeb Archives Project
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library. Morgan County begins on page 62.
- Morgan County Biographies at The USGenWeb Archives Project
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 5,263 | — |
| 1830 | 9,062 | 72.2% |
| 1840 | 9,841 | 8.6% |
| 1850 | 10,125 | 2.9% |
| 1860 | 11,335 | 12.0% |
| 1870 | 12,187 | 7.5% |
| 1880 | 16,428 | 34.8% |
| 1890 | 24,089 | 46.6% |
| 1900 | 28,820 | 19.6% |
| 1910 | 33,781 | 17.2% |
| 1920 | 40,196 | 19.0% |
| 1930 | 46,176 | 14.9% |
| 1940 | 48,148 | 4.3% |
| 1950 | 52,924 | 9.9% |
| 1960 | 60,454 | 14.2% |
| 1970 | 77,306 | 27.9% |
| 1980 | 90,231 | 16.7% |
| 1990 | 100,043 | 10.9% |
| 2000 | 111,064 | 11.0% |
| 2010 | 119,490 | 7.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
State Census
- 1855 Alabama State Census, 1855 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1866 Alabama State Census, 1866 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1907, 1921, 1927 Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
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 Alabama denominations, view the Alabama Church Records wiki page.
- 1831-1994 Alabama, Church Records, 1831-1994 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1820-1930 Morgan County, Alabama Probate Court Records, 1820-1930; Indexes, 1820-1888, 1820-1930(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1830-1874 Morgan County, Alabama Orphans Court Records, 1830-1844,1851-1853,1868-1874, 1830-1874(*); Orphans' and Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1842-1916 Morgan County, Alabama Chancery Court Records, 1842-1916; Indexes, ca. 1843-1902, 1842-1916(*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1875-1925 Morgan County, Alabama Circuit Court Records, 1875-1925; Indexes, ca. 1890-1900, 1875-1925(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1885-1969 Minute Book, Justice Court, 1885-1969(*); Justice's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Cotaco County, Alabama Stock Mark Book, 1818-1820 Mrs. Pierce Pattillo. Pass Christian, Mississippi : Willo Institute of Genealogy. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African American
- 1865-1872 Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
- Morgan County, Alabama, 1850 Federal Census. Compiled by Janet Baker Burks. - Hartselle, Ala. Marine/Walls Historical Publication, c1984. - ii, 146p. illF332.M8 B87 1984FHL book 976.193 X2b
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Hartselle Heritage Funeral Home in Hartselle
- Parkway Funeral Home in Trinity
- Peck Funeral Home in Hartselle
- Reynolds Funeral Home in Decatur
- Roselawn Funeral Home and Roselawn Cemetery in Decatur
- Ridout's Brown-Service Funeral Home in Decatur
- Sharpley Funeral Home in Decatur
- Shelton Funeral Home in Decatur
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 Alabama Land and Property for additional information about early Alabama land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Morgan County. The histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Alabama Local Histories.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
- 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
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Multiple Wars
- ca.1918-ca.1962 Alabama, Military Discharge Records, ca.1918 - ca.1962 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Civil War
- 1861-1865 Alabama Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
- 1861-1865 Alabama Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 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 Alabama, Southern Claims Commission Approved Claims, 1871-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1880-1930 Alabama, Confederate Pension Applications, ca. 1880-1930's at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1907, 1921, 1927 Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 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
Civil War Battle Fought in Morgan County
- 1864 - October 26-29 Decatur (partly fought in Limestone County)
- Battle information from Civil War Battle Summaries by State, by the Heritage Preservation Services.
Map showing Civil War battles in Alabama.
Regiments. Men in Morgan County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Morgan County:
- - 1st Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company C
- - 5th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company D, F and G
- - 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E "Decatur Sons of Liberty"
- - 12th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H "Magnolia Rifles"
- - 27th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H
- - 54th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H (formerly Co. "I", 1st AL, TN, and MS Infantry)
World War I
- 1917-1919 Alabama, World War I Service Cards, 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 Alabama, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch - 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
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
- Morgan County, Alabama Obituary and Death Notices Collection by GenealogyBuffs.com - A collection of obituaries and death notices from various funeral homes in the Morgan County
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Morgan County, Alabama Obituary and Death Notices Collection by GenealogyBuffs.com - A collection of obituaries and death notices from various funeral homes in the Morgan County
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Voter Registration
- 1834-1981 Alabama Voter Registration and Poll Tax Cards, 1834-1981 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and some images
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
- Valley Leaves. 1966–. Published by the Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1568, Huntsville, Alabama 35807. FHL Book 976.19 B2v. Website identifies articles relating to Morgan County (click "Search by County").
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1753–1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry ($)
- 1809-1985 Alabama Probate Records, 1809-1985(*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
- 1820-1888 Morgan County, Alabama Probate Index, 1820-1888(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1820-1915 Morgan County, Alabama Probate Court Estate Files, ca. 1820-1915, 1820-1915(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1820-1930 Morgan County, Alabama Probate Court Records, 1820-1930; Indexes, 1820-1888, 1820-1930(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1825-1879 Miscellaneous Records, Real Estate, and Debts, 1825-1879 (Morgan County, Alabama)(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1830-1874 Morgan County, Alabama Orphans Court Records, 1830-1844,1851-1853,1868-1874, 1830-1874(*); Orphans' and Probate Courts at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1830-1976 Alabama Estate Files, 1830-1976(*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1913-1914 Morgan County, Alabama Probate Record, 1913-1914(*); Judge of Probate at FamilySearch Catalog — images
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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Alabama tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Alabama Taxation.
- 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Morgan County is in District 3.
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 Alabama State Department of Health , the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred or order electronically online $.
For some online statewide indexes, see the FamilySearch Historical Record Collections for Alabama.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1881-1930 Alabama, Births and Christenings, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index
- 1881-1930 Alabama, County Birth Registers, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and some images
- There is a growing list of Morgan County Births that have been submitted by descendants found at ALGenWeb
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
- 1800-1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry $
- 1809–1920 Alabama Marriages,1809-1920 (Selected Counties) at Ancestry $
- 1809–1950 Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
- 1816-1957 Alabama, Marriages, 1816-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1818-1936 Alabama County Marriages, 1818-1936 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1818-1860 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry – ($); Containing about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.
- 1821-1952 Morgan County, Alabama Marriage Books A-QQ at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and some
- 1821-1825, 1848-1853, 1856-1862, 1917, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry – ($);
- Marriages at ALGenWeb
- To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry– ($); . contains over 12,000 names.
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1881–1952 Alabama Deaths and Burials, 1881-1952 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1881–1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry copies of church, civil, family, and other records of Alabama deaths and burials. varies depending on the original record.
- March to September 1902 Death Records Book C at ALGenWeb
- 1908-1959 Index to Deaths Recorded by the State of Alabama at Ancestry– ($);
- 1908–1974 Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Alabama Department of Archives and History
624 Washington Ave
PO Box 300100
Montgomery, AL 36104
334-242-4435
Email: mark.palmer@archives.alabama.gov
Website
Facebook
Morgan County Archives
624 Bank Street NE
Decatur, AL 35601
256-351-4726
Website
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 Morgan County. For state-wide library facilities, see Alabama Archives and Libraries.
Decatur Public Library
504 Cherry St NE
Decatur, Alabama 35601
256-353-2993
Website
- The Alabama Room has local histories, microfilmed newspapers, census records, directories, family histories, and more.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Hartselle Historical Society
307 College St NE
PO Box 852
Hartselle, AL 35640
Email: hartsellehistoricalsociety@gmail.com
Website
Facebook
Morgan County Genealogical Society
624 Bank St NE
Decatur, AL 35601
Website
Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Morgan County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- USGenWeb Archives Project ~ contains record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
- Morgan County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- 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]
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, "Morgan County, Alabama Genealogy and History", http://genealogytrails.com/ala/morgan/ 6/13/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Mongan County p. 39. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Morgan County, Alabama. Page 37 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 33.
- ↑ Alabama Counties: Morgan County in Alabama Department of Archives and History (accessed 16 March 2014).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Morgan County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_County,_Alabama, accessed 24 October 2018.
