Hardee County, Florida Genealogy

United States

Florida

Hardee County

Guide to Hardee 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: Wauchula Organized: April 23, 1921 Parent County(s): DeSoto Neighboring Counties DeSoto • Highlands • Hillsborough • Manatee • Polk • See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Hardee County was created 23 Apr 1921 and was named for Cary A Hardee, the Governor of Florida who served from 1921 to 1925 and who signed the act creating the county. Its county seat is Wauchula. It is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse

Hardee County Courthouse
412 W Orange Street
Wauchula, FL 33873
Phone: 863-773-4174
Hardee County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, death, divorce, court and land records from 1921.

Hardee 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
1899	1921	1921	1921	1921	1921	1830
*Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1899. General compliance by 1920.

Record Loss

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

Boundary Changes

1921--Hardee County was created 23 April 1921 from DeSoto County. County seat: Wauchula 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

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:

Cities
Bowling Green	Wauchula
Towns
Zolfo Springs
Unincorporated communities
Fort Green Fort Green Springs Gardner	Lemon Grove Limestone Oak Grove	Ona Sweetwater
Census-designated places
Bridges Buchanan Coker Crewsville	Griffins Corner Kinsey Lily	Torrey Vandolah Wauchula Hills
Ghost towns
Moffit

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Hardee, Florida online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	BillionGraves Find a Grave Florida Gravestones 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.	%±
1930	10,348	—
1940	10,158	−1.8%
1950	10,073	−0.8%
1960	12,370	22.8%
1970	14,889	20.4%
1980	19,379	30.2%
1990	19,499	0.6%
2000	26,938	38.2%
2010	27,731	2.9%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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

• 1783 Spanish Census USGenWeb
• 1821 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
• 1823 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
• 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb
• 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
• State Census Information from Florida State Archives USGenWeb
• Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service USGenWeb

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

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

• 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb
• USGenWeb African American Griots Project

Funeral Homes

• Ponger-Kays-Grady Funeral Homes and Cremation Services in Wauchula
• Robarts Family Funeral Home in Wauchula

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

• 1821-1997 Maps of Florida
• 1870 Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
• 1882 Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
• 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

• Hardee County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)
• Florida State Military Files USGenWeb
• Florida state pension records from various wars Pension Transcriptions USGenWeb
• 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)
• 1885-1955 Florida Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War I

• Hardee County World War I Civilian Draft Registration by Surname - Scroll down to WWI. (USGenWeb Archives)
• 1917-1920 Florida, World War I Navy Card Roster, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War II

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

Korean War

• Hardee County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
• Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict distantcousin.com

Vietnam War

• 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 USGenWeb

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 ($)
• 1899-1986 Probate Records, 1899-1956; Index, 1899-1986(*); County Judge 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 ($)
• 1830-1957 Florida, County Marriages, 1830-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1830-1993 Florida, Marriages, 1830-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1837-1974 Florida, Marriages, 1837-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1970 - 1999 Florida, Marriages, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($))

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 Hardee 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

• Peace River Florida FamilySearch Center

Libraries

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

Societies

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

Websites

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

• Hardee County, USGenWeb Archives
• Hardee County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• FLGenWeb
• Hardee County, Florida Genealogy Trails
• Hardee 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.

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

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

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.

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