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United States Alabama Morgan County

Guide to Morgan 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: Decatur
Organized: February 6, 1818
Parent County(s): Cherokee Turkeytown Cession
Neighboring Counties
Cullman • Lawrence • Limestone • Madison • Marshall • WinstonSee County Maps
Courthouse
Morgan County, Alabama Courthouse
Location Map
Morgan County Alabama

Contents

  • 1 County Information
    • 1.1 Description
    • 1.2 County Courthouse
    • 1.3 Morgan 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 Tax Records
    • 2.28 Vital Records
      • 2.28.1 Birth
      • 2.28.2 Marriage
      • 2.28.3 Death
      • 2.28.4 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]

Morgan County was created on 6 February 1818 and was named for General Daniel Morgan, of Virginia.[1] Its county seat is Decatur.[2] It is located in the northern area of the state.

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Morgan County Courthouse302 Lee Street NE, 4th Fl CourthouseDecatur, Al 35601Phone: 256-351-4790Fax: 256-351-4880 Morgan County Website Probate Judge has marriage and probate records from 1818[3]

Morgan 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 1938 1818 1908 1817 1816 1818 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]

Morgan County had destructive courthouse fires in 1926, and 1938.[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]

  • 1818--Morgan County was created 6 February 1818 from the Cherokee Turkeytown Cession.
  • Formerly Cotaco County. Name changed to Morgan 14 Jun 1821.
  • County seat: Decatur[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
  • Decatur (county seat)
  • Hartselle
Towns
  • Eva
  • Falkville
  • Priceville
  • Somerville
  • Trinity
Unincorporated communities
  • Basham
  • Brooksville
  • Burningtree Mountain
  • Danville
  • Hulaco
  • Lacey's Spring
  • Morgan City
  • Moulton Heights
  • Neel
  • Pence
  • Ryan Crossroads
  • Six Mile
  • Six Way
  • Union Hill (Wolff)
  • Valhermoso Springs
Census-designated places
  • Albany (New Decatur)
  • Austinville
  • Carter
  • Cedar Plains
  • Center Grove (Apple Grove)
  • Centerville
  • Flint
  • Florette (Nunns Mill)
  • Gum Pond
  • Lanes
  • Lawrence Cove
  • Massey (Gibson)
  • Oak Ridge
  • Shady Grove
  • Weavers Mill
Ghost towns
  • Lacon

History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

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

Biographies[edit | edit source]

  • See Alabama Biography for more resources.
  • Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. Pg. 62. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
  • Morgan 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. %±
1820 5,263 —
1830 9,062 72.2%
1840 9,841 8.6%
1850 10,125 2.9%
1860 11,335 12.0%
1870 12,187 7.5%
1880 16,428 34.8%
1890 24,089 46.6%
1900 28,820 19.6%
1910 33,781 17.2%
1920 40,196 19.0%
1930 46,176 14.9%
1940 48,148 4.3%
1950 52,924 9.9%
1960 60,454 14.2%
1970 77,306 27.9%
1980 90,231 16.7%
1990 100,043 10.9%
2000 111,064 11.0%
2010 119,490 7.6%

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.
  • 1820-1930 Morgan County, Alabama Probate Court Records, 1820-1930; Indexes, 1820-1888, 1820-1930(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
  • 1830-1874 Morgan County, Alabama Orphans Court Records, 1830-1844,1851-1853,1868-1874, 1830-1874(*); Orphans' and Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
  • 1842-1916 Morgan County, Alabama Chancery Court Records, 1842-1916; Indexes, ca. 1843-1902, 1842-1916(*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
  • 1875-1925 Morgan County, Alabama Circuit Court Records, 1875-1925; Indexes, ca. 1890-1900, 1875-1925(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
  • 1885-1969 Minute Book, Justice Court, 1885-1969(*); Justice's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
  • Cotaco County, Alabama Stock Mark Book, 1818-1820 Mrs. Pierce Pattillo. Pass Christian, Mississippi : Willo Institute of Genealogy. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Morgan 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

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.

African American

  • 1865-1872 Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
  • Morgan County, Alabama, 1850 Federal Census. Compiled by Janet Baker Burks. - Hartselle, Ala. Marine/Walls Historical Publication, c1984. - ii, 146p. illF332.M8 B87 1984FS Library book 976.193 X2b

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

  • See Alabama Funeral Records for more resources.
  • Hartselle Heritage Funeral Home in Hartselle
  • Parkway Funeral Home in Trinity
  • Peck Funeral Home in Hartselle
  • Reynolds Funeral Home in Decatur
  • Roselawn Funeral Home and Roselawn Cemetery in Decatur
  • Ridout's Brown-Service Funeral Home in Decatur
  • Sharpley Funeral Home in Decatur
  • Shelton Funeral Home in Decatur

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.

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.

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

  • See Alabama Maps and United States Maps for more resources.
AL MORGAN.PNG Click a neighboring county 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[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 Morgan 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 Morgan County:

- 1st Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company C - 5th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company D, F and G - 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E "Decatur Sons of Liberty" - 12th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H "Magnolia Rifles" - 27th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H - 54th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H (formerly Co. "I", 1st AL, TN, and MS Infantry)

Civil War Battle The following Civil War battle was fought in Morgan County:[9]

  • October 26-29, 1864 - Decatur (partly fought in Limestone County).
  • Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.

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.
  • 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
  • Morgan County, Alabama Obituary and Death Notices Collection by GenealogyBuffs.com - A collection of obituaries and death notices from various funeral homes in the Morgan County

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

  • See Alabama Obituaries and United States Obituaries for more resources.
  • Morgan County, Alabama Obituary and Death Notices Collection by GenealogyBuffs.com - A collection of obituaries and death notices from various funeral homes in the Morgan County

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Voter Registration

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

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

  • See Alabama Periodicals for more resources.
  • 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 Morgan County (click "Search by County").

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
  • 1820-1888 Morgan County, Alabama Probate Index, 1820-1888(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
  • 1820-1915 Morgan County, Alabama Probate Court Estate Files, ca. 1820-1915, 1820-1915(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
  • 1820-1930 Morgan County, Alabama Probate Court Records, 1820-1930; Indexes, 1820-1888, 1820-1930(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
  • 1825-1879 Miscellaneous Records, Real Estate, and Debts, 1825-1879 (Morgan County, Alabama)(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
  • 1830-1874 Morgan County, Alabama Orphans Court Records, 1830-1844,1851-1853,1868-1874, 1830-1874(*); Orphans' and Probate Courts at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
  • 1830-1976 Alabama Estate Files, 1830-1976(*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images; coverage may vary
  • 1913-1914 Morgan County, Alabama Probate Record, 1913-1914(*); Judge of Probate 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

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

  • See Alabama Taxation for more resources.
  • 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry - index ($). Morgan 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
  • Births at ALGenWeb

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
  • Marriages at ALGenWeb

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 ($)
  • 1902 Death Records Book C at ALGenWeb
  • 1908-1959 Alabama, U.S., Death Index, 1908-1959 at Ancestry ($)
  • 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] Morgan County Archives624 Bank Street NEDecatur, AL 35601Phone: 256-351-4726Website

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

  • Athens Alabama FamilySearch Center
  • Decatur Alabama FamilySearch Center
  • Huntsville Alabama FamilySearch Center
  • Madison-Harvest Alabama FamilySearch Center
  • Florence-Lauderdale Public Library - an affiliate library
  • Guntersville Public Library - an affiliate library
  • Wallace State College - an affiliate library

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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

Decatur Public Library504 Cherry St NEDecatur, AL 35601Phone: 256-353-2993Website The Alabama Room has local histories, microfilmed newspapers, census records, directories, family histories, and more.

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

  • See Alabama Societies for more resources.

Hartselle Historical Society307 College St NEPO Box 852Hartselle, AL 35640Email: [email protected] Morgan County Genealogical Society624 Bank St NEDecatur, AL 35601WebsiteFacebook

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.
  • Morgan 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[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, "Morgan County, Alabama Genealogy and History", http://genealogytrails.com/ala/morgan/ 6/13/2017.
  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: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Mongan County p. 39. 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), Morgan County, Alabama. Page 37 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), 33.
  5. ↑ Alabama Counties: Morgan County in Alabama Department of Archives and History (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, "Morgan County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_County,_Alabama, accessed 24 October 2018.
  8. ↑ Source: "Wikipedia.org".
  9. ↑ National Park Service, Civil War Battles. Filter by state or battle name.

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