Calhoun County, Alabama Genealogy - FamilySearch

United States Alabama Calhoun County

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

Alabama Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Anniston Organized: December 18, 1832 Parent County(s): Creek Cession[1] Neighboring Counties Cherokee • Cleburne • Etowah • St. Clair • TalladegaSee County Maps Courthouse Location Map

Contents

• 1 County Information
  • 1.1 Description
  • 1.2 County Courthouse
  • 1.3 Calhoun County, Alabama Record Dates
  • 1.4 Record Loss
  • 1.5 Boundary Changes
  • 1.6 Populated Places
  • 1.7 History Timeline
• 2 Resources
  • 2.1 Bible Records
  • 2.2 Biographies
  • 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
  • 2.4 Cemeteries
  • 2.5 Census Records
  • 2.6 Church Records
  • 2.7 Court Records
  • 2.8 Directories
  • 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
  • 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
  • 2.11 Funeral Homes
  • 2.12 Genealogies
  • 2.13 Guardianship
  • 2.14 Land and Property Records
  • 2.15 Local Histories
  • 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
  • 2.17 Migration
  • 2.18 Military Records
  • 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
  • 2.20 Newspapers
  • 2.21 Obituaries
  • 2.22 Other Records
  • 2.23 Periodicals
  • 2.24 Probate Records
  • 2.25 School Records
  • 2.26 Social Security Records
  • 2.27 School Records
  • 2.28 Tax Records
  • 2.29 Vital Records
    • 2.29.1 Birth
    • 2.29.2 Marriage
    • 2.29.3 Death
    • 2.29.4 Divorce
• 3 Research Facilities
  • 3.1 Archives
  • 3.2 FamilySearch Centers
  • 3.3 Libraries
  • 3.4 Museums
• 4 Societies
• 5 Websites
• 6 Research Guides
• 7 References

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

Calhoun County was created on 18 December 1832 and named for John C. Calhoun, noted politician and US Senator from South Carolina. Its county seat is Anniston.[2] It is located in the northeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Calhoun County Courthouse 25 W 11th St. Anniston, AL 36201 Phone: 256-231-1750 Calhoun County Website Probate Judge has marriage records 1834-1979. Registrar in Chancery has divorce records. Clerk Circuit Court has Court Records.[3]

Calhoun County, Alabama Record Dates[edit | edit source]

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]

Records	Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
Dates	1919	1834	1919	1835	1832	1891	1816
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908. General compliance for births by 1927 and for deaths 1925.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

Calhoun County had destructive courthouse fires in 1861, 1865, and 1932.[5] For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

1832--Calhoun County (originally named Benton County) was created 18 December 1832 from the Creek Cession of 1832. County seat: Anniston[6] Alabama Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Alabama Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Alabama county boundary changes

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

[7]

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

Cities
Anniston (county seat) Glencoe Jacksonville	Oxford Piedmont	Southside Weaver
Towns
Hobson City	Ohatchee
Unincorporated communities
Allsop Angel Asberry Bethel Betta-Life Blue Mountain Blue Pond Boiling Spring Boiling Springs Bonny Brook Booker T City Brutonville Burns Burns Crossroad Cedar Springs Chosea Springs Colvins Gap Colwell Couch Crystal Springs De Soto Manor DeArmanville Duke Eastaboga Eulaton Four Mile Francis	Grayton Greenwood Hallingworth Halls Chapel Harmony Hicks Holley Crossroads Hollingsworth Holly Springs Ingram Wells Iron City Joseph Springs Knightens Crossroads Knoxville Ladiga Laney Leatherwood Leydens Mill Lowrimores Crossroads Macon Maxwellborn Merrellton Middleton Mitchellville Morrisville Mount Olive	Mount Polk New Liberty Oak Level Old Davisville Peaceburg Philadelphia Pleasant Ridge Possum Trot Post Oak Prices Prickettville Rabbittown Ragan Chapel Reads Mill Roy Webb Sulphur Springs Tarsus Tredegar Trinity Union Vigo Vinnette Webster Chapel Wellington West Point West Wellington Whitesides Mill
Census-designated places
Alexandria Bynum Choccolocco	Nances Creek Saks	West End-Cobb Town White Plains
Ghost towns
Minden	Tooktocaugee

History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Bible Records for more resources.
• Calhoun County, Alabama Bible Records at Access Genealogy
• Calhoun County, Alabama Bible Records at Alabama Genealogy
• Calhoun County Bible Records at USGenWeb Archives Project

Biographies[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Biography for more resources.

• Memorial Record of Alabama, Calhoun County. Madison, WI: Brant & Fuller, 1893. P. 584. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
• Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. P. 112. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
• Calhoun County Biographies at The USGenWeb Archives Project

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Business and Occupations for more resources.

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Tombstone Transcriptions Online

• Alabama Gravestones
• BillionGraves
• Find a Grave
• Interment.net
• USGW Tombstone Transcription Project

Tombstone Transcriptions in Print

• FamilySearch Catalog
• WorldCat.org

List of Cemeteries in the County

• BillionGraves
• Find a Grave

Census Records[edit | edit source]

Historical Populations

Historical Populations[8]
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	14,260	—
1850	17,163	20.4%
1860	21,539	25.5%
1870	13,980	−35.1%
1880	19,591	40.1%
1890	33,835	72.7%
1900	34,874	3.1%
1910	39,115	12.2%
1920	47,822	22.3%
1930	55,611	16.3%
1940	63,319	13.9%
1950	79,539	25.6%
1960	95,878	20.5%
1970	103,092	7.5%
1980	119,761	16.2%
1990	116,034	−3.1%
2000	112,249	−3.3%
2010	118,572	5.6%

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[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Church Records and United States Church Records for more resources.

• 1831-1994 Alabama, Church Records, 1831-1994 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Court Records[edit | edit source]

• For county court records such as land, naturalization, and probate, see corresponding headings listed below.
• See Alabama Court Records, Alabama Land Records, Alabama Naturalization Records, and Alabama Probate Records for more resources.

• 1828-1947 Calhoun County, Alabama, Probate Records, 1828-1947(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1842-1860 Chancery Court Minutes (Calhoun County, Alabama), 1842-1860(*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• Benton County Final Record, 1837–1840 [Circuit Court]. Bound and stored in the Alabama Room at the Anniston-Calhoun County Public Library--Main.
• Calhoun County, Alabama Loose Papers at Alabama Genealogical Society – index; links to FamilySearch images

Directories[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Directories for more resources.

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
• Calhoun County, Alabama Online Historical Directories at Online Historical Directories - Google Sites
• Polk's Anniston (Alabama) City Directories(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Emigration and Immigration for more resources.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Cultural Groups for more resources.
• See African American Resources for Alabama for more resources.

• 1865-1872 Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

The following have information concerning African American research.Both should be used:

• African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
• Alabama Minorities has information specific to Alabama African Americans.

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Funeral Records for more resources.

• Alabama Aquamations in Oxford
• Anniston Funeral Services in Anniston
• Anniston Memorial Funeral Home in Anniston
• Chapel Hill Funeral Home and Cremation in Anniston
• Cremation Services of East Alabama in Anniston
• Curry Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Anniston
• Dansby Heritage Chapel in Piedmont
• Ervin Funeral Chapel in Anniston
• Goodson Funeral Home in Anniston
• Gray Brown-Service Mortuary in Anniston
• K.L. Brown Funeral Homes in Anniston and Jacksonville
• Miller Funeral Home Crematory and Aquamation Center in Oxford
• Thompson Funeral Home and Crematory in Piedmont

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Compiled Genealogies for more resources.

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

• See Guardianship Records for more resources.

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Land and Property and United States Land and Property for more resources.

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

• Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Calhoun 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. Arphax Publishing ($). Website includes surname index. FS Library Book 976.163 E7bg.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama History for more resources.

• Calhoun County (Images of America), by Kimberly O'Dell. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 1998.
• History of Calhoun County. By Ken Nail. n.p.: Calhoun County School District, 1975. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
• Lower Piedmont Country: The Uplands of the Deep South. By Herman Clarence Nixon. University, AL: University of Alabama Press, 1946. Online at: Internet Archive
• Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. P. 112. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Hathitrust.
• Possum Trot, Rural Community. by Herman Clarence Nixon. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1941. Online at: HathiTrust.

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Maps and United States Maps for more resources.

Click a neighboring county for more resources

• Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
• Family Maps of Calhoun County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
• 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[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Military Records and United States Military Records for more resources.

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 Calhoun 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 Calhoun County:

- 1st Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company E - 1st Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company H "Sandy Williams' Guards" - 2nd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company A - 2nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A and I - 3rd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company G, Floyd Bush Rangers - 7th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B - 10th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D "Alexandria Rifle Company" - 10th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G "Pope Walker Guards" - 10th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H "Choccolocco Rifles" - 22nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E - 25th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I - 30th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B and E - 31st Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D - 44th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company K - 48th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I and K - 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A, formerly Company A, 2nd Battalion - 51st Regiment, Alabama Partisan Rangers, Company A and D - 58th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F

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[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Naturalization and Citizenship and United States Naturalization and Citizenship for more resources.
• 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[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Newspapers and United States Newspapers for more resources.

archived and digitized newspapers available online on both and pay-to-access websites.

• 1800s-Current Alabama, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1837-1895 Jacksonville Republican
• 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
• 1929-1976 Anniston Star at Ancestry ($).
• Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
• Alabama Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Obituaries and United States Obituaries for more resources.

Calhoun County, Alabama Obituary and Death Notices Collection

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Voting Registration

• 1834-1981: Alabama Voter Registration and Poll Tax Cards, 1834-1981 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection, index & images

Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. See Calhoun County at Register.

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Periodicals for more resources.

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Probate Records for more resources.

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
• 1828-1947 Calhoun County, Alabama, Probate Records, 1828-1947(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1830-1976 Alabama Estate Files, 1830-1976(*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images; coverage may vary
• 1846-1892 Calhoun County, Alabama, Probate and Circuit Court Records, 1846-1892(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

School Records[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Schools and Education for more resources.

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

• 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

School Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Taxation for more resources.

• 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry - index ($). Calhoun County is in District 3.

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Vital Records for more resources.

Birth[edit | edit source]

• 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[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Migration for more resources.

• 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
• 1834-1927 Calhoun County Marriage Books B2-N Index 1834-1927 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch[9]

Death[edit | edit source]

• 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[edit | edit source]

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Archives and Libraries for more resources.

Alabama Department of Archives and History624 Washington AvePO Box 300100Montgomery, AL 36104Phone: 334-242-4435Email: [email protected]

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

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

• Anniston Alabama FamilySearch Center
• Gadsden Alabama FamilySearch Center
• Gadsden Public Library - multiple locations - an affiliate library
• Howard Gardner Nichols Memorial Library - an affiliate library
• Public Library of Anniston-Calhoun County - an affiliate library

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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

Public Library of Anniston-Calhoun County108 E 10th StreetAnniston, Alabama 36201Phone: 256-237-8501Email: [email protected]

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

• See Alabama Societies for more resources.

AlaBenton Genealogical Society108 E 10th StreetAnniston, AL 36201WebsiteFacebook Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society1 Cabot AvePO Box 8268Gadsden, AL 35902Email: [email protected] Piedmont Historical SocietyPhone: 256-239-6580Email: [email protected]

Websites[edit | edit source]

• 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.
• Calhoun County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Calhoun County, AL Genealogy Trails
• Calhoun County Tracking Your Roots
• Jacksonville State University Yearbook Digital Project: The Library is currently digitizing the entire run of the Jacksonville State University yearbooks. The yearbooks began publication in 1926 under the name Teacola (some volumes spelled "Teacoala"), which they held until 1933, when the title changed to the Mimosa. The Mimosa was not published immediately preceding and during World War II, so there are no volumes for the years 1934-1947. Print copies of the yearbooks can be found in the Library's reference collection on the 5th floor, and also in closed stacks in the 10th floor Alabama Gallery.
• 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[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

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. ↑ 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: 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. ↑ Images for Calhoun County, Alabama in CourthouseHistory.com (accessed 5 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, "Calhoun County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calhoun_County,_Alabama, accessed 4 October 2018.
8. ↑ Source: "Wikipedia.org".
9. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/8/8d/Igialabama.pdf.