Colbert County, Alabama Genealogy
Guide to Colbert County, Alabama ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Colbert County was created on 6 February 1867 and named after brothers George and Levi Colbert, Chickasaw Indian chiefs.[2] Its county seat is Tuscumbia.[3] It is located in the northwestern area of the state.
County Courthouse
Colbert County Courthouse
201 N Main St, Civil Office
Tuscumbia, AL 35674
Phone: 256-386-8511
Fax: 256-386-8505
Colbert County Website
Probate Judge has marriage records from 1877 land records from about 1867
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records [4]
Colbert 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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1881 | 1867 | 1881 | 1867 | 1867 | 1861 | 1816 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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Populated Places
The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in Colbert County:[7]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.
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| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
- Memorial Record of Alabama, Colbert County. Madison, WI: Brant & Fuller, 1893. P. 686. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- My Colbert County Families. by Mary Alexander Lollar. n.d. n.p. n.p. Online at: Ancestry ($).
- Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. 1888. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. P. 103. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Hathitrust.
- Colbert County Biographies at The USGenWeb Archives Project
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1870 | 12,537 | — |
| 1880 | 16,153 | 28.8% |
| 1890 | 20,189 | 25.0% |
| 1900 | 22,341 | 10.7% |
| 1910 | 24,802 | 11.0% |
| 1920 | 31,997 | 29.0% |
| 1930 | 29,860 | −6.7% |
| 1940 | 34,093 | 14.2% |
| 1950 | 39,561 | 16.0% |
| 1960 | 46,506 | 17.6% |
| 1970 | 49,632 | 6.7% |
| 1980 | 54,519 | 9.8% |
| 1990 | 51,666 | −5.2% |
| 2000 | 54,984 | 6.4% |
| 2010 | 54,428 | −1.0% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
State Census
- 1855 Alabama State Census, 1855 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1866 Alabama State Census, 1866 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1907, 1921, 1927 Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
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.
- 1831-1994 Alabama, Church Records, 1831-1994 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
- 1889-1930 Petitions and Applications, 1889-1930(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Colbert County, Alabama Loose Papers at Alabama Genealogical Society – index; links to FamilySearch images
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
- Colbert County, Alabama Online Historical Directories at Online Historical Directories - Google Sites
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 1865-1872 Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
Funeral Homes
- Colbert Memorial Chapel in Tuscumbia
- Morrison Funeral Homes in Cherokee and Tuscumbia
- Thompson and Son Funeral Home in Tuscumbia
- Trinity Memorial Funeral Home in Muscle Shoals
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.
Online Land Indexes and 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 Colbert 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.
- Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. 1888. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. P. 103. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Hathitrust.
- Two Hundred Years at Muscle Shoals: Being an Authentic History of Colbert County, 1700-1900. By Nina Leftwich. Tuscumbia, Ala., 1935. Online at: Ancestry ($).
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
- Alabama Maps and Blueprints Collection at Alabama Department of Archives and History – maps can be browsed by location or subject
Migration
Military Records
Multiple Wars
- ca.1918-ca.1962 Alabama, Military Discharge Records, ca.1918 - ca.1962 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
Civil War
- 1861-1865 Alabama Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
- 1861-1865 Alabama Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
- 1861-1865 Civil War Service Database at Alabama Department of Archives and History - index
- 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry $
- 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry $
- 1871-1880 Alabama, Southern Claims Commission Approved Claims, 1871-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1880-1930 Alabama, Confederate Pension Applications, ca. 1880-1930's at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1907, 1921, 1927 Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
Regiments. Men in Colbert 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 Colbert County:
- - 4th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry (Roddy's), Company C
World War I
- 1917-1919 Alabama, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Service Records at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
- 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Gold Star Files at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
World War II
- 1940-1945 Alabama, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1940-1966 Alabama Active Military Service Reports at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
Naturalization and Citizenship
- 1855-1969 Alabama, U.S. District Court Naturalization Records, 1855-1969 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Northern and Southern Districts of Alabama
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Alabama, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
- Alabama Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both and pay-to-access websites.
Obituaries
Other Records
Voter Registration
- 1834-1981 Alabama Voter Registration and Poll Tax Cards, 1834-1981 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and some images
Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Colbert County has two books listed, but only Book 1 is accessible at this time.
Periodicals
- Valley Leaves. 1966–. Published by the Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1568, Huntsville, Alabama 35807. FS Library Book 976.19 B2v. Website identifies articles relating to Colbert County (click "Search by County").
Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1753-1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry ($)
- 1809-1985 Alabama Probate Records, 1809-1985(*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images; coverage may vary
- 1830-1976 Alabama Estate Files, 1830-1976(*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images; coverage may vary
- 1861-1936 Will Records, 1861-1936(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1867-1930 Probate Minutes, 1867-1930(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1877-1904 Settlement Books, 1877-1904(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1881-1925 Final Records, 1881-1925(*);Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1882-1919 Dower Records, 1882-1919(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1889-1930 Petitions and Applications, 1889-1930(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1890-1919 Inventory Records, 1890-1919(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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
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
- 1881-1930 Alabama Births and Christenings, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1881-1930 Alabama, County Birth Registers, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
Marriage
- 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
- 1800-1969 Alabama, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1969 at Ancestry ($)
- 1802-1825 Alabama, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1802-1825 at Ancestry ($)
- 1809-1920 Alabama, U.S., Compiled Marriages from Selected Counties, 1809-1920 at Ancestry ($)
- 1809-1950 Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
- 1816-1957 Alabama Marriages, 1816-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1818-1936 Alabama County Marriages, 1818-1936 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Death
- 1881-1952 Alabama Deaths and Burials, 1881-1952 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1881-1974 Alabama, U.S., Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry ($)
- 1908-1959 Alabama, U.S., Death Index, 1908-1959 at Ancestry ($)
- 1908-1974 Alabama, Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
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
- Athens Alabama FamilySearch Center
- Florence Alabama FamilySearch Center
- Florence-Lauderdale Public Library - an affiliate library
- Lawrence County Archives - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Colbert County. For state-wide library facilities, see Alabama Archives and Libraries.
Cherokee Public Library
118 Church Street
Cherokee, AL 35616
Phone: 256-359-4384
Email: cpl@cherokeetel.net
Facebook
Florence/Lauderdale Public Library
350 N Wood Ave
Florence, AL 35630
Phone: 256-764-6564
Email: events@flpl.org
Website
Facebook
Leighton Public Library
8740 Main Street
Leighton, AL 35646
Phone: 256-446-5380
Email: leightonpubliclibrary8@gmail.com
Website
Facebook
Muscle Shoals Public Library
1918 East Avalon Avenue
Muscle Shoals, AL 35661
Phone: 256-386-9212
Email: msplfb@muscleshoals.lib.al.us
Website
Facebook
Sheffield Public Library
316 North Montgomery Avenue
Sheffield, AL 35660
Phone: 256-386-5633
Website
Facebook
Tuscumbia - Helen Keller Public Library
511 North Main Street
Tuscumbia, AL 35674
Phone: 256-383-7065
Email: info@hkpl.org
Website
Facebook
Museums
Societies
Natchez Trace Genealogical Society
PO Box 420
Florence, AL 35631
Website
Facebook
Tennessee Valley Historical Society
PO Box 149
Sheffield, AL 35660
Facebook
Websites
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- USGenWeb Archives Project. Record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
- Colbert County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- 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
- Inventory of the County Archives of Alabama: Colbert County. Birmingham, Ala.: The Survey, 1939. Digital version at Ancestry $
References
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Colbert County, Alabama Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ala/colbert/ 06/02/2017.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Colbert County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colbert_County,_Alabama, accessed 8 October 2018.