Morgan County, Alabama Genealogy
Guide to Morgan County, Alabama ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 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
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named after General Daniel Morgan, of Virginia. The County is located in the north-central location of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Morgan County Courthouse
302 Lee Street NE, 4th Fl Courthouse
Decatur, Al 35601
Phone: 256-351-4790
Fax: 256-351-4880
Morgan County Website
Probate Judge has marriage and probate records from 1818[2]
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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1983 | 1818 | 1908 | 1817 | 1816 | 1818 | 1816 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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Morgan County had destructive courthouse fires in 1926, and 1938.[4] For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in Morgan County:[6]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
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| Ghost towns | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library. Morgan County begins on page 62.
- Morgan County Biographies at The USGenWeb Archives Project
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web site has additional information on Morgan county cemeteries.
- Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.
- Douthat, James L. Wheeler Reservoir Cemeteries. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, at Mountain Press. $$
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
State Census
Church Records[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Morgan County, Alabama Online Historical Directories - identifies historical city, county, business and other directories available online on both and pay-to-access websites.
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African American
- 1865-1932 - Morgan County, Alabama Colored Marriage Books A1-K in "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," at FamilySearch.org[7]
- Morgan County, Alabama, 1850 Federal Census. Compiled by Janet Baker Burks. - Hartselle, Ala. Marine/Walls Historical Publication, c1984. - ii, 146p. illF332.M8 B87 1984FHL book 976.193 X2b
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
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.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Morgan 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[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War
- 1861-1865 Alabama Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch
- 1861-1865 Alabama Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch
- 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
- 1880-1930 Alabama, Confederate Pension Applications, ca. 1880-1930's at FamilySearch
- 1907, 1921, 1927 Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch
- Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
Civil War Battle Fought in Morgan County
- 1864 - October 26-29 Decatur (partly fought in Limestone County)
- Battle information from Civil War Battle Summaries by State, by the Heritage Preservation Services.
Map showing Civil War battles in Alabama.
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)
World War I
- 1917-1919 Alabama, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch
- 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 — index and 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]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 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]
- 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]
Voting Records[edit | edit source]
- 1834-1981: Alabama Voter Registration and Poll Tax Cards, 1834-1981 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index and images
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
- Valley Leaves. 1966–. Published by the Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1568, Huntsville, Alabama 35807. FHL Book 976.19 B2v. Website identifies articles relating to Morgan County (click "Search by County").
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1753 – 1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry
- 1809 – 1985 Alabama Probate Records, 1809-1985 at FamilySearch
- Morgan County Will Abstracts at USGenWeb.org
School Records[edit | edit source]
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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Alabama tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Alabama Taxation.
- 1865-1866 - U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Morgan County is in District 3.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
- 1881-1930 - Alabama, Births and Christenings, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection
- 1881-1930 - Alabama, County Birth Registers, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch — index, and some images
- There is a growing list of Morgan County Births that have been submitted by descendants found at ALGenWeb
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
- 1800 – 1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry $
- 1809 – 1920 Alabama Marriages,1809-1920 (Selected Counties) at Ancestry $
- 1809 – 1950 Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950 at FamilySearch.org
- 1816-1957 - Alabama, Marriages, 1816-1957 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection. Incomplete.
- 1818-1860 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry – ($); . This database is a collection of marriage records from the state. Researchers will find the names of both bride and groom along with the marriage date. The county where the ceremony was performed is also provided. Containing about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.
- 1821-1952 - Morgan County, Alabama Marriage Books A-QQ in "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," at FamilySearch.org [8]
- 1821-1825, 1848-1853, 1856-1862, 1917, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry – ($); . This collection is comprised of indexes created by several agencies - the Alabama Center for Health Statistics, Jordan Dodd of Liahona Research, and Hunting For Bears.
- Marriages at ALGenWeb
- To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry– ($); . contains over 12,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1881–1952 Alabama Deaths and Burials, 1881-1952 at FamilySearch.org
- 1881–1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry - Volunteers extracted the details in this index from microfilmed copies of church, civil, family, and other records of Alabama deaths and burials. details vary depending on the original record. Note that the number of available records can vary widely by county, and this database does not necessarily represent a comprehensive set of death records for the state during this time.
- March to September 1902 Death Records Book C at ALGenWeb
- 1908-1959 Index to Deaths Recorded by the State of Alabama at Ancestry– ($); . The index includes name of the deceased, county of death, date of death, and the state certificate number (volume and page).
- 1908–1974 Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch.org
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Morgan County Archives
624 Bank Street
Decatur, AL 35601
Phone:256-351-4726
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History 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 family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Morgan County. For state-wide library facilities, see Alabama Archives and Libraries.
Decatur Public Library
504 Cherry St. NE
Decatur, Alabama 35601
256-353-2993
Website
- The Alabama Room has local histories, microfilmed newspapers, census records, directories, family histories, and more.
- The Alabama Room has local histories, microfilmed newspapers, census records, directories, family histories, and more.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Morgan County Genealogical Society
624 Bank Street NE
Decatur, Alabama 35601
Website
Hartselle Historical Society
307 College St NE
P.O. Box 852
Hartselle, AL 35640
Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Morgan County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- USGenWeb Archives Project ~ contains 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]
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, "Morgan County, Alabama Genealogy and History", http://genealogytrails.com/ala/morgan/ 6/13/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Mongan County p. 39. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Morgan County, Alabama. Page 37 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 33.
- ↑ Alabama Counties: Morgan County in Alabama Department of Archives and History (accessed 16 March 2014).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Morgan County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_County,_Alabama, accessed 24 October 2018.
- ↑ Coverage Table, "Alabama County Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)," FamilySearch Research Wiki, https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Alabama_County_Marriages_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records), accessed 6 August 2012.
- ↑ Coverage Table, "Alabama County Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)," FamilySearch Research Wiki,https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Alabama_County_Marriages_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records), accessed 6 August 2012.
