Lake County, Florida Genealogy

United States   Florida    Lake County

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

County Courthouse
Lake County Courthouse 315 W Main St; PO 7800 Tavares, FL 32778 Phone: 352.742.4100 Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, court and land records from 1887, probate records from 1893 and adoption records. County Health Department has death records.

Parent County
1887--Lake County was created 13 May 1887 from Orange County. County seat: Tavares

In 1562 a French Huguenot colony was established in the present site of Astor on the St Johns River. The entire colony was wiped out by the Spanish, in 1566. In 1763 James Spalding established a trading post at Astor.

During the Revolutionary War all of Florida belonged to the British. A few white hunters and traders lived in Lake County, along with runaway slaves and freedmen.

In 1782, Spain re-occupied Florida and began rewarding large tracts of land. Settlers built forts throughout the county to protect them from the Indians. At that time Lake County was known as Mosquito County. In 1823, at the Treaty of Moultrie Creek, the Seminoles were ordered to live on a reservation, most of which was in Lake County.

In 1862, most white males between 18 and 35 were forced into involuntary service to the Confederacy.

In 1887, Lake County became a county. It was named “Lake County” because it contains over 1400 lakes. It was carved from Orange and Sumter counties. In 1889, the courthouse was dedicated. It was known as the “Pioneer Building”.

During World War II, Lake County was the site of a Prison of War camp. It is now primarily an agricultural and retirement community.

Boundary Changes
1821-1997  MapofUS.org "Rotating Formation Florida County Boundary Maps"

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places / Localities  Cities

 * Clermont
 * Eustis
 * Fruitland Park
 * Groveland
 * Leesburg
 * Mascotte
 * Minneola
 * Mount Dora
 * Tavares
 * Umatilla

Towns 
 * Altoona Incorporated in 1887, but abolished in 1899, after a fire wiped out most of the town's buildings. *Astatula
 * Astor
 * Bassville Park
 * Bay Lakes
 * Citrus Ridge
 * Ferndale
 * Howey-in-the-Hills
 * Lake Kathryn
 * Lake Mack-Forest Hills
 * Lisbon
 * Montverde
 * Okahumpka
 * Pittman
 * Sorrento


 * Marion
 * Orange
 * Osceola
 * Polk
 * Seminole
 * Sumter
 * Volusia

Cemeteries

 * www.uscemeteryproj.com/florida/lake/lake.htm
 * Taylor Memorial Cemetery, Howey-in-the-Hills BillionGraves

Maps



 * List of Florida Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Probate
Online Records
 * 1784 – 1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1810 – 1974 Florida Wills and Probate Records 1810-1974 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Birth Records

 * 1880 - 1935 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1876-1963 - Lake County Birth Index 1876-1963. Batches and  at FamilySearch - free.

Death Records

 * 1877 - 1939 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1900 - 1921 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1877 - 1998 at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce Records

 * 1927 - 2001 Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriage Records

 * 1837 - 1974 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1830 - 1993 at FamilySearch.org — index/images
 * 1822 - 1875 and 1927 - 2001 at FamilySearch.org — index/images
 * 1887-1909 - Lake County Marriage Books 1 and 2 Index 1887-1909. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1909-1917 - Lake County Marriage Book 3 Index 1909-1917. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1912-1929 - Lake County Marriage Book 1 Index 1912-1929. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1917-1928 - Lake County Marriage Books 4 and 5 Index 1917-1928. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Societies and Libraries

 * List of Florida Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Lake Co FL Public Library www.mylakelibrary.org

Family History Centers

 * Clarmont Florida Family History Center
 * Leesburg Florida Family History Center

Web Sites

 * Unicoi County, FL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Florida Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Florida Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Kinseekers
 * Lake County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Lake County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc.
 * Lake County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc.