Rutherford County, North Carolina Genealogy
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Guide to Rutherford County, North Carolina 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]
Rutherford County is located in the southwestern portion of North Carolina and shares a border with South Carolina. It was named for Revolutionary War General Griffith Rutherford, a member of the North Carolina Provincial Congress.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Rutherford County Court
229 N Main Street
PO Box 551
Rutherforton, NC 28139-0630
Phone: 828-287-6155
Rutherford County Website
Clerk Superior Court has birth records from 1917, death records from 1913, marriage, divorce, probate court and land records from 1779, tax lists and voter registration.[3]
Rutherford County, North Carolina 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 |
| 1917 | 1779 | 1913 | 1779 | 1779 | 1779 | 1784 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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1907 Fire burned courthouse For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
After Rutherford County's initial creation in 1779, there have been some distinct changes made to the boundaries. In 1791, a small portion of the west sides of Rutherford and Burke County created Buncombe County. In 1841, about a third of the county on the east side, as well as western side of the neighboring Lincoln county, were formed into Cleveland County. The year following that, 1842, a small portion of the northern side of Rutherford county and half of the neighboring County of Burke was taken to make McDowell County. In 1855, the southwestern side of the county was formed into Polk County. For animated maps illustrating North Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation North Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1664-1965) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
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]
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
- Bible Records at North Carolina Digital Archives - index and image
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- North Carolina, Historical Records Survey, Cemetery Inscription Card Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images Also at: Ancestry ($)
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1790 | 7,808 | — |
| 1800 | 10,753 | 37.7% |
| 1810 | 13,202 | 22.8% |
| 1820 | 15,351 | 16.3% |
| 1830 | 17,557 | 14.4% |
| 1840 | 19,202 | 9.4% |
| 1850 | 13,550 | −29.4% |
| 1860 | 11,573 | −14.6% |
| 1870 | 13,121 | 13.4% |
| 1880 | 15,198 | 15.8% |
| 1890 | 18,770 | 23.5% |
| 1900 | 25,101 | 33.7% |
| 1910 | 28,385 | 13.1% |
| 1920 | 31,426 | 10.7% |
| 1930 | 40,452 | 28.7% |
| 1940 | 45,577 | 12.7% |
| 1950 | 46,356 | 1.7% |
| 1960 | 45,091 | −2.7% |
| 1970 | 47,337 | 5.0% |
| 1980 | 53,787 | 13.6% |
| 1990 | 56,918 | 5.8% |
| 2000 | 62,899 | 10.5% |
| 2010 | 67,810 | 7.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1700-1970 - North Carolina, Church Records, 1700-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Baptist
- Bill's Creek. Constituted 1782.[7]
- Buffalow Creek. Constituted 1777.[7]
- Green River. Constituted 1778.[7]
- Mountain Creek. Constituted 1789.[7]
- Sandy Run. Constituted 1788.[7]
Presbyterian
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]
- 1862-1870 North Carolina, Freedmen's Bureau Assistant Commissioner Records, 1862-1870 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1863-1872 North Carolina, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1863-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Harrelson Funeral and Cremation Services in Forest City
- McMahan’s Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Rutherfordton
- Padgett & King Mortuary & Crematory in Forest City
- Pruitt Funeral Home & Cremations in Forest City
- Thompsons Mortuary in Forest City
- Ulysses D. Miller Funeral Service, Inc. in Rutherfordton
- Washburn & Dorsey Funeral and Cremation Service in Bostic
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
- "Notes on a Proctor Family of Northeastern Rutherford Co., N.C.," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 38, No. 3 (August 2010):102-110. FHL Book 975.7 B2sc v. 38
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
Click a neighboring county
for more resources
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Early migration routes to and from Rutherford County for European settlers included:[9]
- Old Cherokee Path pre-historic
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Revolutionary War
- 1778-1833 Delamar Transcripts of Revolutionary War Petitions at North Carolina Genealogical Society - index ($)
- 1779-1782 North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers 1779-1782 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Civil War
- 1861-1865 North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1861-1865 North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 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
- 1885 and 1901 1885 and 1901 Confederate Pension Applications at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
- 1885-1953 North Carolina, Confederate Soldiers and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1953 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Regiments. Men in Rutherford County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Rutherford County:
- - 1st Battalion, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company B
- - 1st Battalion, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company C
- - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company G
- - 16th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company D
- - 16th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company G
- - 16th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company N
World War I
- 1914-1918 World War I Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
- 1917-1919 North Carolina, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
World War II
- 1939-1945 World Ward II Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
- 1940-1948 North Carolina, Discharge and Statement of Service Records, 1940-1948 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Voter Registration
- 1868-1898 - North Carolina, Voter Registration Records, 1868-1898 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1663-1979 North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
- 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
- 1720-1960 - Will Books A to F and 1 to 8 (1720-1960) at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
- 1735-1970 North Carolina Probate Records 1735-1970 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
- 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $
- 1780-1784 Minutes of the Pleas and Quarter Sessions 1780 to 1784. (Mentions wills filed, inventory lists, sales, administrators, orphans, deeds proved, etc. If you cannot find a will in the will book, this is where to search.)
- 1780-1784 Images of the Minutes of the Pleas and Quarter Sessions Court 1780-1784 North Carolina Pioneers $
- 1782-1964 Will Books 1 to 3 and A to N (1782-1964) at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
- 1782-1964 Rutherford County North Carolina list of will book testators SAMPUBCO, browsable index of testators of wills.
- Pre-1790 Pre-1790 Rutherford County, North Carolina Genealogy Wills (North Carolina State Archives)
- 1799-1802 Images of the Minutes of the Pleas and Quarter Sessions Court 1799-1802 North Carolina Pioneers $
- 1804-1817 Images of the Minutes of the Pleas and Quarter Sessions Court 1804-1817 North Carolina Pioneers $
- 1823-1833 Images of Wills and Estates 1823-1833. North Carolina Pioneers $
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]
- 1776 Tax Lists, Tryon County, 1776 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry $
- 1782 Tax Lists, Rutherford County, 1782 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry $
- 1782 Tax Lists, Rutherford County, 1782 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections
- 1829 Tax Lists, Rutherford County, 1829 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
- 1800-2000 - North Carolina, Department of Archives and History, Index to Vital Records, 1800-2000 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1800-2000 North Carolina Birth Index 1800-2000 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1866-1964 North Carolina Births and Christenings 1866-1964 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1880-1932 Rutherford County Birth Index 1880-1932. Batch C752254 at FamilySearch[10]
- 1913-1922 North Carolina, Center for Health Statistics, Vital Records Unit, County Birth Records, 1913-1922 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at Findmypast
- 1741-2004 North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
- 1759-1979 North Carolina Marriages 1759-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1762-1979 North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1763-1868 - North Carolina, Civil Marriages, 1763-1868 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1851-1965 Rutherford County Marriage Index 1851-1965 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch[11]
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1898-1994 North Carolina Deaths and Burials, 1898-1994 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1906-1930 North Carolina Deaths 1906-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
- 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
- 1931-1994 North Carolina Deaths 1931-1994 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1926-1975 North Carolina, County Divorce Records, 1926-1975 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Rutherford County. For state-wide archival repositories, see North Carolina 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 Rutherford County. For state-wide library facilities, see North Carolina Archives and Libraries.
- Rutherford County Library
255 Callahan Koon Rd.
Spindale, NC 28169
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Rutherford County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see North Carolina Societies.
- Genealogical Society of Old Tryon County
PO Box 938
Forest City, NC 28043
(828)247-8700
Email: abrad959@aol.com
Website Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- USGenWeb project May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- North Carolina Pioneers $
- 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), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ https://www.ncpedia.org/geography/Rutherford
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Rutherford County, North Carolina. Page 506-514 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), 505-509.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Rutherford County, North Carolina," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutherford_County,_North_Carolina, accessed 25 February 2020.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 George Washington Paschal, History of North Carolina Baptists, 2 vols. (1930; reprint, Gallatin, Tenn.: Church History Research and Archives, 1990), 2:568. FHL Book 975.6 K2p 1990.
- ↑ "Brittain Church," North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program, http://www.ncmarkers.com, accessed 22 October 2012.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/f/f5/Iginorthcarolinap.pdf.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/f/f5/Iginorthcarolinap.pdf.
