Tuscaloosa County, Alabama Genealogy
Guide to Tuscaloosa 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 in honor of the Choctaw chief Tuskalusa. [2]The county is located in the west-central area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Tuscaloosa County Courthouse
714 Greensboro Avenue, 2nd Fl, #214
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Phone: 205-349-3870
Tuscaloosa County Website
Probate Judge has marriage and probate records from 1823 [4]
Tuscaloosa 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 |
| 1880 | 1823 | 1880 | 1823 | 1823 | 1823 | 1816 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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Tuscaloosa County has had damaging tornadoes but there has been no known loss of records. |
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 Tuscaloosa County:[7]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.
| Cities | ||
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| Towns | ||
| 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]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web site has additional information on Tuscaloosa county cemeteries.
- Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.
- Additional Tuscaloosa County cemeteries are included in Alabama Cemetery Records Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 8,229 | — |
| 1830 | 13,646 | 65.8% |
| 1840 | 16,583 | 21.5% |
| 1850 | 18,056 | 8.9% |
| 1860 | 23,200 | 28.5% |
| 1870 | 20,081 | −13.4% |
| 1880 | 24,957 | 24.3% |
| 1890 | 30,352 | 21.6% |
| 1900 | 36,147 | 19.1% |
| 1910 | 47,559 | 31.6% |
| 1920 | 53,680 | 12.9% |
| 1930 | 64,153 | 19.5% |
| 1940 | 76,036 | 18.5% |
| 1950 | 94,092 | 23.7% |
| 1960 | 109,047 | 15.9% |
| 1970 | 116,029 | 6.4% |
| 1980 | 137,541 | 18.5% |
| 1990 | 150,522 | 9.4% |
| 2000 | 164,875 | 9.5% |
| 2010 | 194,656 | 18.1% |
| 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]
- The Tuscaloosa Genealogical Society has been involved in a long-term project to preserve and digitize 19th Century Circuit Court records. Books dating from 1822 and loose records dating mostly from the 1870s to 1950s are added monthly to website. Indexes are also included on the site, website
- 1824 Tuscaloosa County Alabama 1824 Subpoena Book. n.d. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African Americans
- Sellers, James B. Free Negroes of Tuscaloosa County Before the Thirteenth Amendment. Alabama Review. 23 April 1970: 110-27.
- Sellers, James B.Slavery in Alabama. University, Alabama: University of Alabama Press, 1950. FHL CollectionWorldCat
- Hallowed Grounds: Race, Slavery and the University of Alabama
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.
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Tuscaloosa County see:
- Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2006. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes surname index. FHL Book 976.184 E7b.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Tuscaloosa County. The histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Alabama Local Histories.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
- Family Maps of Tuscaloosa County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- 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 - How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 Alabama Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 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
- 1880-1930 Alabama, Confederate Pension Applications, ca. 1880-1930's at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1907, 1921, 1927 Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
Regiments. Men in Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa County:
- - 2nd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company D
- - 5th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company B
- - 5th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H "Warrior Guards"
- - 11th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G "North Port Rifles"
- - 18th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E (Confederate Stars)
- - 20th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company K
- - 32nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I
- - 36th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D and K
- - 41st Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A, F and G
- - 43rd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D, H, I and K
- - 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F, formerly Company D, 2nd Battalion
- - 51st Regiment, Alabama Partisan Rangers, Company G
World War I
- 1917-1919 Alabama, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 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 - How to Use this Collection
- 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
- Alabama Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both and pay-to-access websites.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
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 - How to Use this Collection
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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Alabama tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Alabama Taxation.
- 1865-1866 - U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Tuscaloosa County is in District 2.
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 - How to Use this Collection
- 1881-1930 - Alabama, County Birth Registers, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch — index, and some images - How to Use this Collection
- 1910-1922 - Tuscaloosa County Birth Index 1910-1922 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch[8]
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 - How to Use this Collection
- 1816–1957 Alabama Marriages, 1816-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1821-1833 Marriages, Vol. I at Southeastern Genealogy ($)
- 1821-1860, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry– ($); 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.
- 1823-1895 - Tuscaloosa County Marriage Index 1823-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
- To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry– ($); . contains over 12,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1881–1952 Alabama Deaths and Burials, 1881-1952 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1881-1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry– ($); . 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.
- 1908-1922 - Tuscaloosa County Death Index 1908-1922 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch[9]
- 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 Historical Records Collection. - How to Use this Collection
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
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 Tuscaloosa County. For state-wide library facilities, see Alabama Archives and Libraries.
Tuscaloosa Library
1801 Jack Warner Parkway
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401
205-345-5820
Website
- Library collections include materials of local, state, and regional history as well as microfilms of the Tuscaloosa News. Limited research requests are honored; copy fees apply.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Tuscaloosa Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 020802
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401
Facebook
Website
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 ~ contains record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
- Tuscaloosa County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
- Tuscaloosa 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]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, "Tuscaloosa County, Alabama Genealogy and History", http://genealogytrails.com/ala/tuscaloosa/ 6/27/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Tuscaloosa, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuscaloosa_County,_Alabama 6/27/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ 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, "Tuscaloosa County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuscaloosa_County,_Alabama, accessed 28 October 2018.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/4/4d/Igialabamatz.pdf.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/4/4d/Igialabamatz.pdf.
