Caldwell County, North Carolina Genealogy
Guide to Caldwell County, North Carolina 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]
Caldwell County is located in the Western portion of North Carolina and was named for Joseph Caldwell, the first president of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill[2].
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Caldwell County Courthouse
905 West Ave NW
Lenoir NC 28645
Phone: 828-757-1310
Caldwell County Website
Register of Deeds has birth, marriage, death and land
Clerk Superior Court has divorce, Court and Probate Records[3]
Caldwell County, North Carolina 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 |
| 1914 | 1841 | 1914 | 1841 | 1840 | 1841 | 1784 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating North Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation North Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1664-1965) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Caldwell County was formed in 1841 from Burke and Wilkes counties. It was named in honor of Joseph Caldwell, the first president of the University of North Carolina. He strongly advocated a public school system and a railroad across the center of the State from Morehead City to Tennessee.
Caldwell County is in the west central section of the State and is bordered by Alexander, Catawba, Burke, Avery, Watauga and Wilkes counties. The present land area is 471.60 square miles and the 2000 population was 77,386.
The court was ordered to be held at the store of George Powell near the house of George Smith, Jr., until a courthouse was erected. Commissioners were named to select a site as near the center as possible, acquire land and a town, and erect a courthouse. Lenoir, named in honor of William Lenoir, is the county seat.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- North Carolina, Historical Records Survey, Cemetery Inscription Card Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 6,317 | — |
| 1860 | 7,497 | 18.7% |
| 1870 | 8,476 | 13.1% |
| 1880 | 10,291 | 21.4% |
| 1890 | 12,298 | 19.5% |
| 1900 | 15,694 | 27.6% |
| 1910 | 20,579 | 31.1% |
| 1920 | 19,984 | −2.9% |
| 1930 | 28,016 | 40.2% |
| 1940 | 35,795 | 27.8% |
| 1950 | 43,352 | 21.1% |
| 1960 | 49,552 | 14.3% |
| 1970 | 56,699 | 14.4% |
| 1980 | 67,746 | 19.5% |
| 1990 | 70,709 | 4.4% |
| 2000 | 77,415 | 9.5% |
| 2010 | 83,029 | 7.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1700-1970 - North Carolina, Church Records, 1700-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Baptist
- Yadkin - Minutes (1787-1946) on microfilm at the University of NC Davis Library (Serial 1-1280 1786-1946).
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Caldwell County Courthouse
216 Main St NW
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 759-8403
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1376
Lenoir, NC 28645
Directories[edit | edit source]
- Lenoir City Directory - 1930/1931
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
- 1862-1870 North Carolina, Freedmen's Bureau Assistant Commissioner Records, 1862-1870 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1863-1872 North Carolina, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1863-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
The Register of Deeds office is the primary custodian of permanent records for the county. We record a variety of real property documents including deeds, deeds of trust, mortgage cancellations, powers of attorney, maps and others. The Vital Records Division maintains Caldwell County birth records, death records, marriage licenses issued in Caldwell County, Military Discharges, and Notary records. Our online records search can be accessed from this site and contains all of our real estate indexes since the formation of the county and images of all of our real estate documents from the early 1900's forward. Indexes of all of our vital records can also be found there.
Caldwell County Register of Deeds
Caldwell County Registry of Deeds Records Search
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
- Caldwell County History - from the Caldwell County Government website
- Caldwell County Government
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
for more resources
Migration[edit | edit source]
Early migration routes to and from Caldwell County for European settlers included:[7]
- Old Cherokee Path pre-historic
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Revolutionary War
- 1779-1782 - North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers 1779-1782 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Civil War
- 1861-1865 - North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1861-1865 - North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 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
- 1885-1953 - North Carolina, Confederate Soldiers and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1953 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Regiments. Men in Caldwell County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Caldwell County:
- - 11th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
- - 11th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company B
- - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company C
- - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company F
- - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company I
- - 8th Battalion, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company C
World War I
- 1917-1919 - North Carolina, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
World War II
- 1940-1948 - North Carolina, Discharge and Statement of Service Records, 1940-1948 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
County Records
- 1833-1970 - North Carolina, County Records, 1833-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images. (incomplete)
Voter Registration
- 1868-1898 - North Carolina, Voter Registration Records, 1868-1898 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1660-1790 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
- 1663-1979 - North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1665-1998 - North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
- 1720-1960 - Will Books A to F and 1 to 8 (1720-1960) at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by Coun
- 1735-1970 - North Carolina Probate Records 1735-1970 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
- 1760-1800 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $
- 1827-1915 - Will Books A to B (1827-1915) at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
The Caldwell County Clerk of the Court has probate records starting with 1830, if they have not been transferred to the North Carolina State Archives.
The Clerk of Superior Court is elected for four years and must be a resident of the county in which he or she is elected. Unlike clerks of court in other states, the Clerk of Superior Court in North Carolina has numerous judicial functions.
As judge of probate, the Clerk has exclusive original jurisdiction over matters relating to the probate of wills, and the administration of estates, including appointing personal representatives, auditing their accounting, and removing them from office if necessary. The Clerk also presides over many other legal matters including adoptions, incompetency proceedings, condemnation of private lands for public use, and foreclosures. The Clerk is responsible for all clerical and record-keeping functions of the district and superior court. In addition, the Clerk receives and disburses money collected each year from court fees and fines.
Clerk of Superior Court
(828) 759-8402
Ext. 8376
Caldwell County Courthouse
216 Main St NW
Lenoir, NC 28645
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1376
Lenoir, NC 28645
School Records[edit | edit source]
- Caldwell County college students - a name list of students at various NC colleges with identified hometowns in the county
- Davenport College: a few yearbooks between 1905-1932
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]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
- The Caldwell County Register of Deeds offers online access to indexes of their Vital Records.
- Do a Records Search:Caldwell County Records Search
Online Records
- 1800-2000 - North Carolina, Department of Archives and History, Index to Vital Records, 1800-2000 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1800-2000 - North Carolina Birth Index 1800-2000 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1866-1964 - North Carolina Births and Christenings 1866-1964 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1913-1922 - North Carolina, Center for Health Statistics, Vital Records Unit, County Birth Records, 1913-1922 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1741-2004 - North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
- 1741-2004 - North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
- 1759-1979 - North Carolina Marriages 1759-1979 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1762-1979 - North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1763-1868 - North Carolina, Civil Marriages, 1763-1868 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1841-1956 - Caldwell County Marriage Books 1-8 Index 1841-1956 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.[8]
- 1878-1882 - Caldwell County marriage licenses, 1878-1882 - index available from NC State Library
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1898-1994 - North Carolina Deaths and Burials, 1898-1994 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1906-1930 - North Carolina Deaths 1906-1930 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection;index and images
- 1908-2004 - North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
- 1909-1975 - North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
- 1931-1994 - North Carolina Deaths 1931-1994 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1926-1975 - North Carolina, County Divorce Records, 1926-1975 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1958-2004 - North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Caldwell County. For state-wide archival repositories, see North Carolina Archives and Libraries.
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 Caldwell County. For state-wide library facilities, see North Carolina Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Caldwell County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see North Carolina Societies.
- Caldwell County Genealogy
PO Box 2476
Lenoir, NC 28645-2476
Telephone Number: 828-758-1075
Website
- North Carolina Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 30815
Raleigh, NC 27622-0815
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Caldwell County NCGenWeb- free genealogy resources; a site within the USGenWeb Project
- USGenWeb Archives-Caldwell County, NC
- NCpedia
- 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), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ https://www.ncpedia.org/geography/Caldwell
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Caldwell County, North Carolina. Page 506-514 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), 505-509.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Caldwell County, North Carolina," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldwell_County,_North_Carolina, accessed 9 February 2020.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/4/4d/Iginorthcarolinaa.pdf.
