Lauderdale County was created by the Alabama Territorial legislature on Feb. 6, 1818 and was formed from the Cherokee and Chickasaw Cession of 1816, and was named for Col. James Lauderdale who was born in Virginia about 1780. In the early 1800's, Lauderdale, who moved to West Tennessee, became a major in General John Coffee's cavalry of volunteers. Later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he commanded a brigade of mounted riflemen, serving under Andrew Jackson in many battles against the Indians. According to reliable historians, Col. Lauderdale did not die in the Battle of New Orleans, but was wounded in the Battle of Talladega and dies on December 23, 1814, seventeen days before Jackson's crushing defeat of the British at New Orleans. Several towns and counties in the southern states were named in his honor, though it is said that he never set foot in Lauderdale County.
Lauderdale County is located in the northwestern corner of the state. It is bounded on the north by Hardin, Wayne, and Lawrence counties in Tennessee, and on the west by the State of Mississippi, on the south by Lawrence and Colbert Counties and the east by Limestone County. The Tennessee River forms the southern boundary between Lauderdale County and Colbert and Lawrence counties. Lauderdale County was established in 1818, a year before Alabama became a state, by an act of the General Assembly of Alabama Territory. A Superior Court and County Court were set up in this act and Section 7 of the act reads as follows:
"And be it further enacted, that for the time being, the said courts in and for said county of Lauderdale, shall be holden at the house commonly called "Col. Puler's place," east of Cypress and near the creek, and may at the discretion of said Courts, for want of necessary buildings, be adjourned to some convenient place contiguous thereto."
Florence, the county seat of Lauderdale County, was also established in 1818. At this time a group of investors, under the name of Cypress Land Company purchased from the government 5,515 acres of land comprising of the original town site, for $85,235.24
Following a survey of the site by the Italian Engineer Ferdiannad Sonnoner, who was in the employ of Gen. John Coffee, then Surveyor General of Alabama Territory with offices in Huntsville, lot sales were held and the Cypress Land Company realized $319,513 on its investment.
Lauderdale County's first newspaper was the Gazette, established in 1819, the same year Alabama became a state. W.S. Fulton, the county's first judge was also editor and publisher of this early weekly that survived until the 1890's. It's motto was "Do Right and Fear Not."
The first courthouse was built in 1822 and was used by the county until 1899 when it was remodeled and enlarged. The remodeling was completed in 1902 and the dedication of the Confederate Monument, (since moved to the front of the new courthouse) was held shortly thereafter.
After the cession of Indian lands in North Alabama in 1816 to white settlement, the United States began selling the lands at the public auction and many new towns were started. In the Muscle Shoals area, Bainbridge was located six miles up river on the Colbert County side of the river and connected by ferry from the Lauderdale side near the mouth of Shoals Creek. A bridge was later built at this location but was destroyed by high winds. Marion, a little farther down was located near what is now the south end of Wilson Dam.
Other towns in Lauderdale County competing for early settlers because of their proximity to the river were Savage's Spring, nine miles below Florence and Waterloo, some 20 miles downriver. The river was indeed the highway of that day and most towns of consequence were necessarily on the river. Bainbridge did not survive because it was too far upstream in the turbulent shoals for boats to reach.
Waterloo, established in 1819 was settled by people for the Carolinas and was presumably named for the Belgian town, the scene of Napolean's defeat.
In its early history, the post office was removed to Barton, across the river in Franklin (now Colbert) County, but was later re-established in Waterloo in August 1828. Waterloo became incorporated in 1832 and is one of the oldest incorporated towns in the state. It was a regular port of call, as was Florence, for many of the old river boats, some coming from as far as St. Louis with cargoes and passengers and others carrying cotton from Lauderdale farms to the port of New Orleans.
There were few routes to travel in those days, the pioneers using the river as their main mode of transportation even though the way was fraught with perils. Some came overland by the Natchez Trace, then little more than an Indian trail, later on by the Military Road that was cleared by the troops of Andrew Jackson in 1816. It was later officially named Jackson Highway.
The first steamboat brought a cargo of freight and passengers to Florence in 1821 and from that time on , boats became increasingly important to the prosperity of the town and county. It is not actually known who the first settler's were, however, such trail blazers like Major Dillahunty were sent by President Monroe "to prepare the minds of the Indians for the ceding for their lands." The Major married Nancy, the daughter of John Johnson who, history relates, leased the first land in Lauderdale County from the Cherokee Chief Doublehead.
The first store in Florence was probably that of James Sample built in 1818. His home, erected in 1828, still stands on North Court Street. The first house built in Florence, was said to have been erected by Thomas Cheatham on the corner of Military Road and Seminary Street in about 1811. It was built for a stage stop by Cheatham for Leroy Pope and Thomas Bibb, and was known for many years as Pope's Tavern. During the Civil War the house served as a Confederate hospital.
Among the early settlers of Lauderdale County was Joseph Hough, who had been awarded 3,000 acres of land for his services in the War of 1812. Hough came to Alabama from South Carolina prior to 1818, and sold a tract of his acreage to another settler, Jonathan Bailey, who had established a small settlement on Sycamore River, known today as Shoals Creek.
Among the older settlements in the county is Center Star, located between Killen and Rogersville. This area was once claimed by both the Chickasaw's and Cherokees, necessitating a cession of territory from each tribe before the settlement could be established. The remains of an old Indian village could be seen at one time southwest of Center Star. Other old settlements included Middleton and Elgin, the latter known first as Ingram's Elgin Cross Roads.
Rogersville, lying some 23 miles to the east of Florence, was named for John Rogers, an Indian Trader, whose sons were fast friends of the great Sam Houston. The late Will Rogers is said to have been a descendant of this same family. An early ferry that operated for many years was Lamb's Ferry near Rogersville.
Lexington, Springfield, and Anderson lie to the north of the Lee Highway, the town of Lexington being a part of the territory once claimed by the Cherokees. Many of the settlers of that area came from Tennessee and the Carolinas. The first post office of record at Lexington was on the Loretto Road, north of town, in 1880. Mail at that time was brought in from Loretto, Tennessee, by horseback and carts.
The town of St. Florian was established in 1872 on the Jackson Highway and named by its German Catholic founders for their patron saint. Hugh McVay, one of four Alabama governors from Lauderdale County is buried in the family cemetery at Mars Hill. The other three governors from Lauderdale County were Edward A. O'Neal, Robert M. Patton, and Emmett O'Neal.
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Lauderdale County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1821 and is located at P.O. Box 1059,
Florence, AL 35631,
Telephone: (256) 760-5800.
Lauderdale County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1818 , Probate Records from 1818 and Land Records from 1818 and is located at P.O. Box 1059,
Florence, AL 35631,
Telephone: (256) 760-5800.
The office of the probate judge is the county office where the
most significant genealogical records are created and maintained
in Alabama. A variety of records are housed in this office
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Alabama Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Alabama Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Lauderdale County Health Departmenthas Birth Records from N/A, Death records from N/A. You may go to any county health department in the State of Alabama to obtain a certificates can be issued while you wait.
Contact Clerk of Circuit Court For County Divorce Records (See Lauderdale County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where divorce was granted, and Contact Probate Judge For County Marriage Records (See Lauderdale County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in county where license was issued
Alabama State Vital Records, Center for Health Statistics Office is located at Suite 1150, 201 Monroe Street, Montgomery, AL 36104. The phone number is 334) 206-5418; Fax: (334) 262-9563. They have the following records:
Birth Certificates: The Alabama Center for Health Statistics began filing birth certificates in 1908 for persons born in Alabama. Please provide as much of the following information as possible for us to locate the birth certificate: Full name of person at birth, Date of birth, Sex, County (or city) of birth, Hospital of birth - if not in a hospital state "home", Full maiden name of mother, Full name of father, Your relationship to the person whose certificate you are requesting
Death Certificates: The Alabama Center for Health Statistics began filing death certificates in 1908 for persons who died in Alabama. Please provide as much of the following information as possible for us to locate the death certificate: Full legal name of deceased, Date of death, County (or city) of death, Sex, Social Security number, Date of birth or age at death, Race, Name of spouse, Names of parents, Your relationship to the person whose certificate you are requesting. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
Marriage Certificates: The Alabama Center for Health Statistics began filing marriage certificates in 1936 for marriages that occurred in Alabama. (Information for marriages prior to 1936 must be obtained from the probate office in the county where the marriage license was issued.) Please provide as much of the following information as possible for us to locate the marriage certificate: Full name of husband, Full maiden name of wife, Date of marriage, County where marriage license was issued
Ordering Vital Records Online - Getting documents by mail can take a long as six weeks or more. Through VitalChek Express Certificate Service you can get Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed, Sealed, & Delivered in as few as three business days!
Ordering Vital Records by Mail - The fee to search for a birth, Marriage or Death certificate is $12.00, which includes one certified copy of the certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." For each additional copy of the certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $4.00. Checks or Money Orders should be made payable to "Vital Records." Please do not send cash. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to:
Alabama Vital Records
P. O. Box 5625
Montgomery, Al 36103-5625
You can download an application online for Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates or Death Certificates.
There were no Alabama birth "certificates" before 1908. Most counties just registered births in ledgers. Some county court houses may have kept some records, but the best source is the Department of Archives and History,
Most of their information comes from census records.
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Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Alabama newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
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Federal Population Schedules that exist for Alabama are 1820 (Partial, see below), 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. The first federal census was taken in 1820. Records exist
for only eight of the thirty enumerated counties. These counties include
Baldwin, Conecuh, Dallas, Franklin, Limestone, St. Clair, Shelby,
and Wilcox. Part of the 1820 state census, Lawrence County,
still exists and is also housed at the state archives. It has
been published as 1820. The only extant records for Alabama of the almost
destroyed 1890 census are portions of Perryville (Beat No. 11)
and Severe (Beat No. 8) of Perry County. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms
Alabama Territorial and State census records are scant when compared with other states of the same age. There are 12 groups of census or census substitute materials for 1706 through 1816-19.
State censuses were taken sporadically, and sizable but not complete collections exist for 1855 and 1866. The originals are housed in the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
In 1907 a census was taken of Alabama's Confederate veterans.
Another census was taken in 1921 of Confederate pensioners in
Alabama.
There are many other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in the state of Alabama. There are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.
Below is a list of online resources for Lauderdale County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Lauderdale County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Alabama Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Alabama and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Alabama showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Alabama showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Alabama Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
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Click Here to Search Alabama Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Lauderdale County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Lauderdale County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Alabama (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
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County tax records are housed in the office of the tax assessor. These records are usually arranged by legal description and are not indexed. There are few counties with tax records before 1860. The National Archives has a microfilm publication titled Internal Revenue Assessment Lists for Alabama, 1865-1866 (NARA M754, 6 reels).
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The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Lauderdale County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Lauderdale County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Alabama Genealogical Society, Inc.(Depository and Headquarters)
Samford University Library, 800 Lakeshore Drive, P.O. Box 2296, Birmingham, AL 35229-0001 EMAIL
Alabama Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
Click Here to Search Alabama Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
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Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Alabama obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Alabama newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Alabama.
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Click Here to Search Alabama Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Lauderdale County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Lauderdale County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Alabama Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Search Historical Books (1801 - 1900) - A unique source that provides you with complete text of more than 11,700 books, pamphlets and printed items including: genealogies, biographies, funeral sermons, local histories, cards, charts and more - all published in the U.S. prior to 1900.
Tennessee Valley Genealogy Meetup Group! - Meet other local Genealogists and people who are interested in Genealogy who live in the North Alabama and South Central Tennessee Areas. We welcome beginners and beginners classes will be held as soon as a location can be set up. For everyone else we gather to share tips, exchange information, talk shop, etc.!
. The Official County Website is located at 
