Fayette County, Alabama Genealogy

United States

Alabama

Fayette County

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

Alabama Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Fayette Organized: 20 December, 1824 Parent County(s): Marion, Pickens, Tuscaloosa Neighboring Counties Lamar  • Marion  • Pickens  • Tuscaloosa  • Walker See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption Marquis de Lafayette

County Information

Description

The County was named for Marquis de Lafayette. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse

Fayette County Courthouse
PO Box 906
113 N Temple Ave
Fayette, AL 35555
Phone: 205-932-4617
Fax: 205-932-2697
Fayette County Website

Probate Judge has birth records 1884-1941, death records 1899-1941, marriage records from 1866, land records from 1848, and military discharge records from 1919

Fayette County, Alabama Record Dates

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.

Known Beginning Dates for Major Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1884	1866	1899	1851	1848	1851	1816
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908. General compliance for births by 1927 and for deaths 1925.

Record Loss

1866--Courthouse burned and many records were damaged. 1911--Fayette County Courthouse and much of the business section of Fayette destroyed by fire on March 24, 1911.Many county records lost. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Boundary Changes

1824--Fayette County was created 20 December 1824 from Marion, Pickens, and Tuscaloosa Counties. County seat: Fayette Interactive Map of Alabama County Formation History (1799-1980) - animated maps illustrating Alabama county boundary changes Alabama Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places

The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in Fayette County:

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

Cities
Fayette (county seat) Winfield
Towns
Belk Berry	Glen Allen Gu-Win
Unincorporated communities
Alta Ashcraft Corners Bankston Bazemore Bluff Bobo Boley Springs Cedar Hill Cleveland	Concord Covin Fowlers Crossroads Gumbud Howard Hubbertville Jerusalem Kirkland Mount Vernon	New Hope Newtonville Pea Ridge Rossland City Salem Studdard Crossroads Walnut Lane Wayside
Census-designated places
Berry Station Brown Bylor Clear Creek Coles Collins Fords	Georges Creek Gilpin Hankins Hico Holy Spring Lee North River	Ridge Russell Stonewall Stough Sugar Creek Thompson Webster

Resources

Biographies

• Biographies of many notable residents of Fayette County were published in Memorial Record of Alabama (1893). Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library. Begins on page 1022.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Fayette, Alabama online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find A Grave BillionGraves USGW Tombstone Transcription Project Interment.net
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat.org
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find A Grave BillionGraves- enter in county and state in the search box. List of cemeteries is below the map. FamilySearch Places Alabama Cemetery Records
See Alabama Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	3,547	—
1840	6,942	95.7%
1850	9,681	39.5%
1860	12,850	32.7%
1870	7,136	−44.5%
1880	10,135	42.0%
1890	12,823	26.5%
1900	14,132	10.2%
1910	16,248	15.0%
1920	18,365	13.0%
1930	18,443	0.4%
1940	21,651	17.4%
1950	19,388	−10.5%
1960	16,148	−16.7%
1970	16,252	0.6%
1980	18,809	15.7%
1990	17,962	−4.5%
2000	18,495	3.0%
2010	17,241	−6.8%
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

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

• FamilySearch Places
  

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

• 1865-1872 Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

Land and Property Records

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.

• 1840-1849 - Land Grants 1840-1849 at Southeastern Genealogy ($)

To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Fayette County see:

• Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Fayette 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. FHL Book 976.187 E7bg.

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Fayette 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

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
• Family Maps of Fayette County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
• Alabama Maps Collection: Alabama Department of Archives and History
• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- 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

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 — index and images- 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 Service Card Files at Alabama Department of Archives and History-(free)
• Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History

Regiments. Men in Fayette 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 Fayette County:

- 5th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company A

- 11th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I

- 26th Regiment, Alabama Infantry (O'Neal's), Company A, B, C, D, E, I and K

- 32nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I

- 36th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D

- 38th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F

- 41st Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H

- 42nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F

- 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G, formerly Company K, 38th TN Infantry

- 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I, formerly Company H, 38th TN Infantry

- 58th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B

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
  

Newspapers

• 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 ($)

Other Records

Voting Registration

• 1834-1981 Alabama Voter Registration and Poll Tax Cards, 1834-1981 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index and images

Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Fayette County has one book.

Probate Records

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; index and images
• 1830-1976 Alabama Estate Files, 1830-1976 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
• 1837-1838 Estate Settlements 1837-1838 at Southeastern Genealogy ($)
• Fayette County, Alabama Will and Probate Records at USGenWeb.org. Includes several excerpts of wills.

Social Security Records

• 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

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 $

Vital Records

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

• 1899-1912 Fayette County Birth Index 1899-1912. Batch C547543 at FamilySearch
• 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 Collectionindex, and some images

Marriage

• 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 - How to Use this Collectionindex, 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
• 1827, 1850-1851, 1858, 1860, 1864-1903, 1906, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry $
• 1866-1931 Fayette County Marriage Index 1866-1931 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1866-1900 "Alabama Marriages, 1809-1920"at Ancestry $
• Marriages at ALGenWeb
• To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry $

Death

• 1881-1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry $
• 1881-1952 Alabama Deaths and Burials, 1881-1952 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
• 1908-1959 Index to Deaths recorded by the state of Alabama at Ancestry $
• 1908-1974 Alabama, Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Research Facilities

Family History Centers

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

Listed below are libraries in Fayette County. For state-wide library facilities, see Alabama Archives and Libraries.

Fayette Fayette County Memorial Library
326 Temple Avenue North
Fayette, AL 35555
205-932-6625
Website

Societies

Fayette Historical Society and Depot Museum
P. O. Box 309
Temple Ave. South
Fayette, AL 35555
Phone: 205-270-0519
Facebook

Websites

• 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.
• Fayette County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
• Fayette 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.
• Fayette Co. AL
• United States Resources: Alabama
• Al Gen Web

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