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Limestone County, Alabama Genealogy


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

County Facts
County seat: Athens
Organized: February 6, 1818
Parent County(s): Cherokee and Chickasaw Cession of 1816
Neighboring Counties
Giles (TN) • Lauderdale • Lawrence • Lincoln (TN) • Madison • Morgan
See County Maps
Courthouse
Limestone County, Alabama Courthouse.jpg
Location Map
Limestone County Alabama.png

County Information

Description

Limestone County was created on 6 February 1818 and was named for Limestone Creek, a local stream.[1] Its county seat is Athens.[2] It is located in the northern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Limestone County Courthouse
200 West Washington Street
Athens, AL 35611
Phone: 256-233-6406
Fax: 256-232-0764
Limestone County Website

County Archives has birth and death records 1881-1913, marriage records 1832-1900, divorce records 1896-1947, land and court records 1818-1900, tax records 1861-1900, newspapers 1868-1985.
Probate Judge has marriage, probate, and land records from after 1900.
Clerk Circuit Court has court records after 1900 and divorce records after 1947.[3]

Limestone 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[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1881 1832 1881 1818 1818 1818 1816
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908. General compliance for births by 1927 and for deaths 1925.

Record Loss

Limestone County had a destructive courthouse fire in 1862.[5]

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

Boundary Changes

Populated Places

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

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

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
  • Big Creek
  • Georgia
  • Gilbertsboro
  • Gilbertons
  • Mooresville
  • Pettusville
  • Pleasant Grove
  • Quid Nune
  • Richland
  • Sand Springs
  • Shoalford
  • Slough
  • Wickham


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Limestone, 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. %±
1820 9,871 —
1830 14,807 50.0%
1840 14,374 −2.9%
1850 16,483 14.7%
1860 15,306 −7.1%
1870 15,017 −1.9%
1880 21,600 43.8%
1890 21,201 −1.8%
1900 22,387 5.6%
1910 26,880 20.1%
1920 31,341 16.6%
1930 36,629 16.9%
1940 35,642 −2.7%
1950 35,766 0.3%
1960 36,513 2.1%
1970 41,699 14.2%
1980 46,005 10.3%
1990 54,135 17.7%
2000 65,676 21.3%
2010 82,782 26.0%
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

  • 1866-1939 History of Negroes of Limestone County, From 1866-1939. 1939. by Walter Cotton. Mexia, TX: Dr. J.A. Chatman and S.M. Merriwether. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

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 Limestone County see:

  • Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Limestone 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 976.198 E7b.

Online Land Indexes and Records


Local Histories

Local histories are available for Limestone 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

Lawrence County, TNGiles County, TNMadisonMorganLawrenceLauderdaleAL LIMESTONE.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Mulatipal Wars

Civil War

Regiments. Men in Limestone 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 Limestone County:

- 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F "Limestone Troopers"
- 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H "Limestone Grays"
- 35th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D and G
- 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B, formerly Company C, 2nd Battalion
- 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E, formerly Companies B/G, 2nd Battalion "Limestone Rebels"
- 54th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B (formerly Co. "A", 40th TN Infantry)
- 54th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H (formerly Co. "I", 1st AL, TN, and MS Infantry)

Civil War Battles
The following Civil War battles were fought in Limestone County:[8]

World War I

World War II

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

Abstracts of The Limestone County News (1859), The Union Banner (1860), and The Athens Post (1865-1870) were published in:

Obituaries

Other Records

Voter Registration

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

Friends of the Limestone Archives
PO Box 658
Athens, AL 35612
Phone: 256-233-6404
Email: limestonefoa@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Limestone County Archives
102 West Washington Street
Athens, AL 35611
Phone: 256-233-6404
Email: archives@limestonecounty-al.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 Limestone County. For state-wide library facilities, see Alabama Archives and Libraries.

Athens-Limestone Public Library
603South Jefferson Street
Athens, AL 35611
Phone: 256-232-1233
Email: jbaxter@alcpl.org
Website
Facebook

Museums

Societies

Limestone County Historical Society
PO Box 82
Athens, AL 35612
Email: mail@limestonecountyhistoricalsociety.org
Website

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Limestone, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limestone_County,_Alabama 6/08/2017.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: the 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. ↑ Limestone County Alabama in AllFreeRecords.com (accessed 16 March 2014).
  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, "Limestone County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limestone_County,_Alabama, accessed 19 October 2018.
  8. ↑ National Park Service, Civil War Battles. Filter by state or battle name.
  9. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche.https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/c/cf/Igialabamals.pdf.
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