Bay County, Florida Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Panama City
Organized: April 24, 1913
Parent County(s): Calhoun[1]
Neighboring Counties
Calhoun • Gulf • Jackson • Walton • Washington
See County Maps
Courthouse
FL Bay County Courthouse.jpg
Location Map
Fl-bay.png

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

Bay County was created 1 Jul 1913[2] and was named for St. Andrews Bay. Its county seat is Panama City. It is located in the northwestern area of the state.[3]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Bay County Courthouse
300 E 4th St; PO Box 2269
Panama City, FL 32402
Phone: 850-763-9061
Bay County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, probate, divorce, land records from 1913.[4]

Bay 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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[5]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1899 1913 1899 1913 1913 1913 1830
*Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1899. General compliance by 1920.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

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

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

  • 1913-- Bay County was created 24 April 1913 from Calhoun County.
  • County seat: Panama City[6]

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:[7]

Cities
Unincorporated communities
  • Allanton
  • Bahama Beach
  • Baker
  • Bay Harbor
  • Bayhead
  • Bayou George
  • Bayview
  • Beacon Beach
  • Bennett
  • Betts
  • Bid-A-Wee
  • Biltmore Beach
  • Brannonville
  • Cairo
  • Cook
  • Couch
  • Cove
  • Cromanton
  • Davis Beach
  • Delwood Beach
  • Dirego Park
  • Econfina
  • Edgewater Gulf Beach
  • Farmdale
  • Florida Beach
  • Fountain
  • Glenwood
  • Gulf Lagoon Beach
  • Gulf Resort Beach
  • Hiland Park
  • Hollywood Beach
  • Laird
  • Long Beach Resort
  • Long Point
  • Magnolia Beach
  • Majette
  • Millville
  • Nixon
  • Old Callaway
  • Open Sands
  • Pine Log
  • Resota Beach
  • Saint Andrew
  • San Blas
  • Saunders
  • Seminole Hills
  • Southport
  • Sunnyside
  • Vicksburg
  • West Bay
  • West Panama City Beach
  • Wetappo
  • Youngstown
Census-designated places


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]

Cemeteries of Bay, Florida online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Florida Cemeteries for more information

Census Records[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1920 11,407 —
1930 12,091 6.0%
1940 20,686 71.1%
1950 42,689 106.4%
1960 67,131 57.3%
1970 75,283 12.1%
1980 97,740 29.8%
1990 126,994 29.9%
2000 148,217 16.7%
2010 168,852 13.9%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

For tips on accessing census records online, see: Florida Census.

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 Florida African American Griots Project


Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

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.

Online Land Indexes and Records

Military Land Grants[edit | edit source]

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]

Walton CountyWashington CountyJackson CountyCalhoun CountyGulf CountyFL BAY.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Indian Wars

War of 1812

Mexican War

Civil War

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Online Probate Indexes and Records


School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

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.

Florida Public Records Search - Florida State Archives - website$

Birth[edit | edit source]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Death[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Voting Records[edit | edit source]

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Listed below are archives in Bay County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Florida Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

Listed below are societies in Bay County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Florida Societies.

Bay County Genealogical Society
PO Box 662
Panama City, FL 32402-0662
Email: baycountygenealogicalsociety@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Bay County Historical Society
133 Harrison Ave
Panama City, FL 32402
Phone: 850-818-0964
Email: kenredd@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Websites[edit | edit source]

Green check.png
The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.


Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Florida.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ Florida: Individual Chronologies, New Jersey Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/FL_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bay County, Florida," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_County%2C_Florida (accessed July 8, 2024).
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Florida.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Florida.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Florida.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bay County, Florida," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, wikipedia, accessed 10 Dec 2018.
v • d• e
Links to Florida-related articles
Topics
Counties
Extinct Co.
Major
 Repositories
National Archives at Atlanta · Florida Health Bureau of Vital Statistics · Meek-Eaton Black Archives · State Archives of Florida · State Library of Florida · Alma C. Field Library of Florida History · Charlton W. Tebeau Library of Florida History · Florida History and Genealogy Library · Indian River County Main Library · Jacksonville Public Library Main Branch · Orlando Public Library · P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History · Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library · St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library · University of South Florida Tampa Library Special Collections · University of West Florida Archives and West Florida History Center · Volusia County Public Library Daytona Beach Regional · West Florida Public Library Genealogy Branch · West Oaks Branch Library and Genealogy Center · Dallas Public Central Library · Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library · Huxford-Spear Genealogical Library · Mobile Municipal Archives · Thomasville Genealogical, History and Fine Arts Library
Migration
 Routes

This table contains the dates the local or state government began recording in the county or county equivalent. Use substitute records for earlier dates. If you believe there is an error, email us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.

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