Columbia County, Florida Genealogy

United States

Florida

Columbia County

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

Florida Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Lake City Organized: February 4, 1832 Parent County(s): Alachua Neighboring Counties Alachua • Baker • Clinch (GA) • Echols (GA) • Gilchrist • Hamilton • Suwannee • Union • Ware (GA) • See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Columbia County was created 4 Feb 1832 and was named for Christopher Columbus (c. 1451-1506), explorer of the Americas. Its county seat is Lake City. It is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Columbia County Courthouse
145 N Hernando St; PO Box 2069
Lake City, FL 32055
Phone: 386-758-1041
Columbia County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has birth records from 1943, Marriage and land records from 1875, Divorce and court records from 1892, Probate records from 1895
Public Health Unit has birth, death and burial records

Columbia County, Florida 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 Government County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1943	1875	1899	1892	1875	1895	1830
*Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1899. General compliance by 1920.

Record Loss

1848, 1860, 1867, and 1874 - Columbia County Courthouses were burned by arsonists and most early records were destroyed. 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. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

1832--Columbia County was created 4 February 1832 from Alachua County. County seat: Lake City Florida Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Florida Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Florida county boundary changes

Resources

Bible Records

• 1949-1952 A Group of Genealogical Records from Columbia County, Florida, Presented by Edward Rutledge Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Lake City, Florida(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Columbia, Florida online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	BillionGraves Find a Grave Interment.net RecordAGrave Index USGW Tombstone Transcription Project
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Catalog WorldCat.org
List of Cemeteries in the County	BillionGraves FamilySearch Places Find a Grave
See Florida Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	2,102	—
1850	4,808	128.7%
1860	4,646	−3.4%
1870	7,335	57.9%
1880	9,589	30.7%
1890	12,877	34.3%
1900	17,094	32.7%
1910	17,689	3.5%
1920	14,290	−19.2%
1930	14,638	2.4%
1940	16,859	15.2%
1950	18,216	8.0%
1960	20,077	10.2%
1970	25,250	25.8%
1980	35,399	40.2%
1990	42,613	20.4%
2000	56,513	32.6%
2010	67,531	19.5%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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

• 1783 Spanish Census USGenWeb Archives Project
• 1821 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb Archives Project
• 1823 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb Archives Project
• 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb Archives Project
• 1885 Florida State Population Census includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality. - How to Use this Collection
• 1935 1935 Florida State Census at MyHeritage - index ($))
• Federal Census Information from National Archives USGenWeb Archives Project
• State Census Information from Florida State Archives USGenWeb Archives Project
• Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service USGenWeb Archives Project

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 Florida denominations, view the Florida Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• Lake City

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African American

• Florida African American Griots Project-USGenWeb

Funeral Homes

• Dees-Parrish Family Funeral Home in Lake City
• Gateway-Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Crematory in Lake City
• Guerry Funeral Homes and Crematory in Lake City
• ICS Cremation and Funeral Home in Lake City
• Mizell's Funeral Home in Lake City

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 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

• Florida Territorial Land Records
• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories

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

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Florida (1821-1997)
• 1870 Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of State USGenWeb Archives Project
• 1882 Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of State USGenWeb Archives Project
• Exploring Florida, FCIT Maps, University of South Florida
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

• Columbia County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)
• Florida State Military Files USGenWeb Archives Project
• Pension Transcriptions Florida state pension records from various wars USGenWeb Pension Project
• 1812-1813 1812-1813 Residents of East Florida Patriots or Loyalists at Genealogy Trails - index

Civil War

• 1861-1865 Florida Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 Florida Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
• 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
• 1883 Columbia County Pensioners on the Roll as of January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
• 1885-1955 Florida Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War I

• 1917-1920 Florida, World War I Navy Card Roster, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Index to Columbia County World War I Draft Registration - Scroll down to WWI. (USGenWeb Archives)
• Columbia County World War I Casualty List (Genealogy Trails)

World War II

• 1940-1945 Florida, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Index to Columbia County World War II Army Enlistees - Scroll down to WWII. (USGenWeb Archives)
• Columbia County World War II Casualty List (Genealogy Trails)
• Columbia County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)

Korean War

• Columbia County Korean War Casualty List (Genealogy Trails)
• Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict

Vietnam War

• Columbia County Vietnam War Casualty List (Genealogy Trails)
• Distantcousin.com Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1862-1960 Florida, United States Naturalization Records, 1862-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection, Inventory; index & images, coverage may vary

Newspapers

• 1800s-Current Florida, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
• Florida Digital Newspaper Library at George A. Smathers Libraries
• Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library

Obituaries

• Florida Obituaries Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties - USGenWeb Obituaries Project

Other Records

Voters Registration

1845 voters registration list for Columbia County.

Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1784-1990 Florida Probate Records, 1784-1990(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
• 1827-1950 Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950 at Ancestry ($)
• 1860-1955 Probate Records, 1860-1955(*); County, County Judge's, and Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1871-1874 Columbia County, Florida Inventory Record of Estates, v. A 1871-1874(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• Wills of Columbia County, Florida: on File in the Court House in Lake City, Florida. These are in Will Book A. ; Presented to National Library of the Daughters of the American Revolution by Edward Rutledge Chapter, Lake City, Florida, Mrs. David Means, Regent ; Mrs. E. M. M(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

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.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

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

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.

Birth

• 1880-1935 Florida, Births and Christenings, 1880-1935 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

• 1802-1998 Florida, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
• 1822-1875 and 1927 - 2001 Florida, Marriage Index, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1823-Onward Florida Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
• 1830-1957 Florida, County Marriages, 1830-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1830-1993 Florida, Marriages, 1830-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1837-1974 Florida, Marriages, 1837-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Florida State Archives
• 1970 - 1999 Florida, Marriages, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($))

Death

• 1877-1939 Florida, Deaths, 1877-1939 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1877-1998 Florida, Death Index, 1877-1998 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1900-1921 Florida, Deaths and Burials, 1900-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

• 1927-1950 Florida Divorce, 1927-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1927-2001 Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry$
• 1970 - 1999 Florida, Divorces, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Voting Records

• 1867-1868 Web: Florida, U.S., Voter Registration Rolls, 1867-1868 at Ancestry - index ($)
• 1880-Onward Florida, Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Research Facilities

Archives

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

FamilySearch Centers

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

• Lake City Florida FamilySearch Center

Libraries

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

Museums

Lake City-Columbia County Historical Museum
157 SE Hernando Ave
PO Box 3276
Lake City, Florida 32025
Phone: 386-755-9096
Email: ccchistory@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Societies

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

Lake City-Columbia County Historical
157 SE Hernando Ave
PO Box 3276
Lake City, FL 32025
Phone: 386-755-9096
Email: lccchistory@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Websites

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

• Columbia County FLGenWeb
• Columbia County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• State of Florida
• Columbia County, USGenWeb Archives.
• Columbia County, Florida Genealogy Trails
• Columbia County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
• 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.

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.

County boundary maps are currently unavailable. Download information instead.

Due to contractual agreements, some images and/or databases on FamilySearch.org may only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

Users should verify which locations and dates are included in this collection.

“Current” indicates records are available as recently as privacy laws allow. This date can change from year to year. To determine the exact dates available, contact the respective organization/repository.