Decatur County, Georgia Genealogy
Guide to Decatur County, Georgia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Decatur County was named for the United States Navy Commodore Stephen Decatur, a hero of the War of 1812. The county is located in the southwestern area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse
Decatur County Courthouse
1400 E Shotwell Street
PO Box 735
Bainbridge, GA 31717-0735
Phone: 229-248-3030
Decatur County Website
Probate Court has marriage records from 1823 and probate records.
Clerk Superior Court has divorce, court and land records from 1823.[3]
Decatur County, Georgia 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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1919 | 1823 | 1919 | 1823 | 1823 | 1823 | 1820 |
Record Loss
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1878 The courthouse at Bainbridge burned on 6 May. Probate records suffered heavy losses, but some deed books were salvaged.[5] For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes
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Populated Places
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 | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| American Indian Communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
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History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
- Bible Records of Decatur County, vol.1(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Decatur County Bible Records at Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- Georgia, State Employees at MyHeritage — index ($)
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 3,854 | — |
| 1840 | 5,872 | 52.4% |
| 1850 | 8,262 | 40.7% |
| 1860 | 11,922 | 44.3% |
| 1870 | 15,183 | 27.4% |
| 1880 | 19,072 | 25.6% |
| 1890 | 19,949 | 4.6% |
| 1900 | 29,454 | 47.6% |
| 1910 | 29,045 | −1.4% |
| 1920 | 31,785 | 9.4% |
| 1930 | 23,622 | −25.7% |
| 1940 | 22,234 | −5.9% |
| 1950 | 23,620 | 6.2% |
| 1960 | 25,203 | 6.7% |
| 1970 | 22,310 | −11.5% |
| 1980 | 25,495 | 14.3% |
| 1990 | 25,511 | 0.1% |
| 2000 | 28,240 | 10.7% |
| 2010 | 27,842 | −1.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
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 Georgia denominations, see the Georgia Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
- 1824-1864 Court Minutes, 1824-1864(*); Inferior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1825-1901 Superior Court Minutes, 1825-1901(*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1826-1884 Judgements, 1826-1884(*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1845-1888 Retail Licenses, 1845-1888 [Decatur County, Georgia](*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1846-1871 Bonds and Bail 1846-1871 [Decatur County, Georgia](*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1872-1908 Commissioner Official Bonds 1872-1908 [Decatur County, Georgia](*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1874-1894 Minutes, 1874-1894(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1883-1902 Petitions, 1883-1902(*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
- Bruton Mortuary in Bainbridge
- Bryant Funeral Homes in Bainbridge
- Chandler's Funeral Home, Inc. in Attapulgus
- Collins Family Mortuary in Bainbridge
- Cox Funeral Home in Bainbridge
- Guyton Brothers Funeral Home in Bainbridge
- Ivey Funeral Home in Bainbridge
- Jacobs Mortuary in Bainbridge
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 Georgia Land and Property for additional information about early Georgia land grants from the government. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions (generally buying and selling deeds) were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1735-1866 Georgian Colonial and Headright Plat Index, 1735-1866 at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - alpha index
- 1783-1909 Headright and Bounty Plats, 1783-1909 at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
- 1805-1833 District Plats of Survey at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images organized by county and district
- Colonial Plats and Warrants at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Decatur County, Georgia Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Georgia Local Histories.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
- 1740s-? Historic Map File at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
- 1866 - 1935 County Map File at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
- Maps of Georgia (1758-1932)
Migration
Military Records
- Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project
Civil War
Online Records
- 1861-1865 Georgia Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 Georgia Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
- 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
- 1861-1865 Confederate Enlistment Oaths and Discharges at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images and alphabetical index
- 1861-1865 Confederate Muster Rolls at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images; filter by commanding officer, service branch and regiment
- 1861-1865 Confederate Pension Application Supplements - images and alphabetical index; filter by county
- 1864 Militia Enrollment Lists, 1864 - images; filter by county
- 1867-1868 Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
- 1879-1920 Georgia, Confederate Pension Rolls, 1879-1920 at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
- 1879-1960 Confederate Pension Applications - images and alphabetical index; filter by county
Regiments. Service men in Decatur County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Decatur County:
- - 1st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Ramsey's) (Confederate) , Company G
- - 5th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Company H
- -17th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Company D
- - 31st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Company I
- - 50th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Company F
- - 59th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Company A
- Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Decatur County). 1961. Muster roll of the First Regiment of Georgia Volunteers, 1861. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. Film 249613
- Hageness, MariLee Beatty. 1995. Confederate soldiers and their units, Decatur County, Georgia. [Anniston, Alabama]: MariLee Beatty Hageness. 975.8993 M2h also Film 2055469 item 10
Google Book $
Spanish-American War
- 1898 Spanish-American War Service Summary Cards - images and alphabetical index; filter by residence, muster location and unit
World War I
- 1914-1918 World War I Casualties Scrapbooks - images and alphabetical index
- 1920-1929 Georgia, World War I, Statement of Service Cards, 1920-1929 at FamilySearch — index & images — How to Use this Collection
World War II
- 1940-1942 Georgia World War II Draft Registration Cards 1940-1942 at findmypast - index ($))
Naturalization and Citizenship
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Georgia, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- Georgia Historic Newspapers at Digital Library of Georgia
Obituaries
Other Records
Voting Records
- 1867-1868 Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
- 1856-1909 Georgia, County Voter Registrations, 1856-1909 at FamilySearch — index & images — How to Use this Collection
Periodicals
Probate Records
Colonial courts kept some early probate records. From 1777 to 1798 and since 1852, the court of ordinary or register of probates has kept probate and guardianship records. The inferior court handled probate and guardianship matters from 1798 to 1852.
Many probate records to the 1930s and 1940s are at the Georgia Department of Archives and History and the FamilySearch Library on microfilm.
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records (not all years).
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1733-1753 Colonial Wills at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
- 1742-1990 Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1742-1992 Georgia Wills and Probate Records 1742-1992 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1754-1776 Colonial Will Books at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
- 1817-1913 Wills, 1817-1913 Decatur County, Georgia(*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1824-1900 Probate Records, 1824-1900; Homesteads, 1885-1893(*); Inferior Court and Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1828-1913 Decatur County Wills, Estates, Marriages at Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1828-1925 Appraisements and Sales of Estates, 1828-1925(*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1829-1931 Estate Records, 1829-1931(*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Decatur County, Georgia, Early Marriage Records and Abstracts of Early Wills. By Decatur County, Georgia. Albany, Georgia : Georgia Pioneers, n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information — How to Use this Collection.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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 all slaves up to age 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.
- 1787-1900 Georgia, Tax Digests, 1787-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection, index & images
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 Georgia 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 Georgia.
Birth
- 1870-1960 Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index, and some images — How to Use this Collection
Marriage
- 1560-1993 Georgia, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
- 1699-1944 Georgia Marriages 1699-1944 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1754-1960 Georgia Church Marriages, 1754-1960 at FamilySearch — index & images — How to Use this Collection
- 1785-1950 Georgia County Marriages 1785-1950 at FamilySearch — index & images — How to Use this Collection
- 1808-1967 Georgia Marriages 1808-1967 at FamilySearch — index
- 1824-1841 Index to Decatur County Marriage Licenses 1824-1841(Grooms) Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1824-1841 Decatur County Marriage Book AA Index 1824-1841. Batch M712651 at FamilySearch.[8]
- 1828-1978 Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1837-1869 Index to Decatur County Marriage Licenses 1837-1869 Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1837-1869 Decatur County Marriage Book A Index 1837-1869. Batch M712652 at FamilySearch
- 1868-1895 Decatur County Marriage Book B Index 1868-1895. Batch M712653 at FamilySearch
- 1868-1896 Index to Decatur County Marriage Licenses 1868-1896 Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1885-1886 (from newspapers) Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1895 Decatur County Marriage Book D Index 1895. Batch M712654 at FamilySearch
Death
- 1870-1960 Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index, and some images — How to Use this Collection
- 1914-1927 Georgia Deaths 1914-1927 at FamilySearch — index & images — How to Use this Collection
- 1914-1927 Georgia Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - index & images
- 1919-1998 Georgia Deaths 1919-1998 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1928-1930 Georgia Non-Indexed Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
- 1928-1942 Georgia Deaths, 1928-1942 at FamilySearch — index & images — How to Use this Collection
- 1933-1998 Georgia Death Index 1933-1998 at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
Divorce
Voting Records
- 1856-1941 Georgia, County Voter Registrations, 1856-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection, index & images
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Decatur County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Georgia 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
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Decatur County. For state-wide library facilities, see Georgia Archives and Libraries.
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Decatur County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Georgia Societies.
Decatur County Genealogical Society
127 E Water St
PO Box 1388
Bainbridge, GA 39818
229-246-2124
Website
Facebook
Historic Chattahoochee Commission
136 Main Street
PO Box 942
LaGrange, GA 30241
706-845-8440
Email: hcc3@earthlink.net
Website
Facebook
Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society
PO Box 4672
Albany, GA 31706
Email: Freddypage@aol.com
Website
Facebook
Websites
- Georgia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- US GenWeb Decatur County, Georgia project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- GAGenWeb Archives
- Decatur County, Georgia Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Georgia Pioneers $
- 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
Research Guides
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Georgia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Decatur County, Georgia" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decatur_County,_Georgia accessed 31 Oct 2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Georgia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Decatur County, Georgia. Page 151-163 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 155-160.
- ↑ Paul K. Graham, Georgia Courthouse Disasters (Decatur, Georgia: Genealogy Co., 2013), 26. At various libraries (WorldCat).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Georgia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Decatur County, Georgia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decatur_County%2C_Georgia, accessed 11 Febuary 2019.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/0/09/Igigeorgiaad.pdf.