DeKalb County, Alabama Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Fort Payne
Organized: January 9, 1836
Parent County(s): Jackson, St. Clair[1]
Neighboring Counties
Chattooga (GA)Dade (GA)EtowahGadsden (FL)JacksonMarshallWalker (GA)
See County Maps
Courthouse
DeKalb County, Alabama Courthouse.jpg
Location Map
DeKalb County Alabama.png

County Information

Description

DeKalb County was created on 9 January 1836 and was named for Major General Baron Johan DeKalb, a hero of the American Revolution.[2] Its county seat is Fort Payne.[3] It is located in the northeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse

DeKalb County Courthouse
300 Grand Ave South
PO Box 681149
Fort Payne, AL 35968
Phone: 256-845-8525
Fax: 256-845-8535
DeKalb County Website

Probate Judge has marriage, divorce, probate and land records. County Health Department has birth, death and burial records. Clerk Circuit Court has court records.[4]

DeKalb 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 Government County Records[5]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1885 1836 1885 1836 1835 1848 1816
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908. General compliance for births by 1927 and for deaths 1925.

Record Loss

Boundary Changes

Populated Places

The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in DeKalb County:[7]

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

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
  • Grove Oak
  • Guest
  • Hendrixville
  • High Point
  • Hopewell
  • Horton
  • Hughes Mill
  • Kaolin
  • Keith
  • Killian Mill
  • Kilpatrick
  • Lake Howard
  • Lathamville
  • Lebanon
  • Lickskillet
  • Loveless
  • Luttrell
  • Lydia
  • Mahan Crossroads
  • McKestes
  • Moores Crossroads
  • Mount Olive
  • Mount Vernon
  • Oak Grove
  • Old Blevins Mill
  • Ophir
  • Painter
  • Pea Ridge Crossroads
  • Peeks Corner
  • Pleasant Hill
  • Portersville
  • Pumpkin Center
  • Rodentown
  • Rogers
  • Sigsbee
  • Skaggs Corner
  • Skirum
  • Sulphur Springs
  • Ten Broeck
  • Townsend Crossroads
  • Whiton
  • Yorks Mill
Ghost towns


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

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

Census Records

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1840 5,929
1850 8,245 39.1%
1860 10,705 29.8%
1870 7,126 −33.4%
1880 12,675 77.9%
1890 21,106 66.5%
1900 23,558 11.6%
1910 28,261 20.0%
1920 34,426 21.8%
1930 40,104 16.5%
1940 43,075 7.4%
1950 45,048 4.6%
1960 41,417 −8.1%
1970 41,981 1.4%
1980 53,658 27.8%
1990 54,651 1.9%
2000 64,452 17.9%
2010 71,109 10.3%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

State Census

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.

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Guardianship

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.

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

  • Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of DeKalb 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. FS Library Book 976.166 E7b.

Online Land Indexes and Records


Local Histories

Local histories are available for DeKalb 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

JacksonCherokeeEtowahMarshallDade County, GAWalker County, GAChattooga County, GAAL DEKALB.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Multiple Wars

Civil War

Regiments. Men in DeKalb 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 DeKalb County:

- 10th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I
- 12th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E "DeKalb Invincibles"
- 48th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B
- 49th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D and G
- 54th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G (formerly Co. "C", 1st AL, TN, and MS Infantry)
- 54th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company K (formerly Co. "K", 40th TN Infantry)


World War I

World War II

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

Obituaries

A collection of obituaries and death notices from various funeral homes in the DeKalb County area has been put together by GenealogyBuffs.com.

Other Records

Voter Registration

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

Periodicals

Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes and Records


School Records

Social Security Records

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.

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

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Research Facilities

Archives

Alabama Department of Archives and History
624 Washington Ave
PO Box 300100
Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: 334-242-4435
Email: mark.palmer@archives.alabama.gov
Website
Facebook

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

Libraries

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

DeKalb DeKalb County Public Library
504 Grand Ave NW
Fort Payne, AL 35967
Phone: 256-845-2671
Website
Facebook

Rainsville Public Library
941 East Main St
PO Box 509
Rainsville, AL 35986
Phone: 256-638-3311
Email: rpl1@farmerstel.com
Website
Facebook

Museums

Societies

Collinsville Historical Association
113 W Main Street
Collinsville, AL 35961
Facebook

DeKalb County Genealogical Society
PO Box 681087
Fort Payne, AL 35968-1612
Facebook

Landmarks of DeKalb County
510 Gault Ave N
PO Box 680518
Fort Payne, AL 35968-0518
Phone: 256-845-6888
Email: landmarksdekalb@bellsouth.net
Website
Facebook

NorthEast Alabama Genealogical Society
1 Cabot Ave
PO Box 8268
Gadsen, AL 35902
Email: neagslib@comcast.net
Website
Facebook

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. Genealogy Trails History Group, “DeKalb County, Alabama Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ala/dekalb/ 06/05/2017.
  3. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.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), Alabama.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), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  7. Wikipedia contributors, "DeKalb County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeKalb_County,_Alabama, accessed 11 October 2018.