Fulton County, Georgia Genealogy

United States

Georgia

Fulton County

Guide to Fulton County, Georgia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts County seat: Atlanta Organized: December 20, 1853 Parent County(s): DeKalb, Campbell Neighboring Counties Cherokee  • Clayton  • Cobb  • Coweta  • DeKalb  • Douglas  • Fayette  • Forsyth  • Gwinnett See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The County was named for Hamilton Fulton. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Fulton County Courthouse
136 Pryor Sreet SW
Atlanta, GA 30303-3405
Phone: 404-730-5300
Fulton County Website

Probate Court has marriage and probate records.
Clerk of the Superior Court has divorce, court and land records from 1854.

Fulton County, Georgia Record Dates

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 Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1919	1854	1919	1854	1854	1854	1820
Statewide registration of births and death began in 1919. General compliance for births by 1928 and deaths by 1922.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

1853--Fulton County was created December 20, 1853 from DeKalb, Campbell and Milton (became part of Fulton County in 1932) Counties. County seat: Atlanta For animated maps illustrating Georgia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Georgia County Boundary Maps" (1758-1932) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places

Fulton County is the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Most "Populated Places" exist within this metropolitan area. 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:

Cities
Alpharetta Atlanta (county seat) Chattahoochee Hills College Park East Point	Fairburn Hapeville Johns Creek Milton Mountain Park	Palmetto Roswell Sandy Springs South Fulton Union City

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Fulton, Georgia online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com GAGenWeb GAGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project Billion Graves
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves Fulton County Cemeteries Georgia Cemetery Records
See Georgia Cemeteries for more information

The following web site may have additional information on Fulton County cemeteries.

• 1874-1932 Cemetery Records from Atlanta and Vicinity Georgia at FamilySearch — incomplete index and images; Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center
• 1884-1933 Westview Cemetery Sexton's Records at FamilySearch — incomplete index and images; Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center
• Interment.net Georgia cemetery records
• Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia on Ancestry ($)

Census Records

• 1885-1888 Census of Whites and Colored citizens at FamilySearch — incomplete index and images; Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center
• 1890 Atlanta city census, 1890 at FamilySearch — incomplete index and images; Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center
• 1896 Atlanta city census, 1896 (First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Wards) at FamilySearch — incomplete index and images; Georgia, Fulton County
• 1896 Georgia, Atlanta City Census, 1896 at FamilySearch — index and images

Records from the Atlanta History Center

Church Records

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 Georgia denominations, see the Georgia Church Records wiki page.

Baptist

• Semi-centennial History of the Second Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia, November 27-30, 1904. Atlanta: Foote & Davies Co., Printers, Binders, 1904?. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Nancy Creek Minutes and Memberships 1824-1833 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• First Baptist church of Atlanta Georgia Pioneers ($)
• Druid Hills Baptist Church of Atlanta Georgia Pioneers ($)
• Trinity Methodist Churchof Atlanta Georgia Pioneers ($)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• Atlanta
• East Point
• Roswell
• Webb Bridge

County Records

• 1827-1955 - Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center, 1827-1955 at FamilySearch — index and images

Court Records

• Miscellaneous Court Records at FamilySearch — incomplete index and images; Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center

Directories

• 1867 Barnwell, V. T. Barnwell's Atlanta City Directory, and Strangers' Guide: Also, A General Firemen's, Church, Masonic, and Odd-fellows' Record. Atlanta: Intelligencer Book and Job Office, 1867. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• 1889 Atlanta City Directory, 1889. Atlanta, GA: R. L. Polk and Co., 1889. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• 1890 Atlanta City Directory, 1890. Atlanta, GA: R. L. Polk and Co., 1890. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African Americans

• 1866-1878 Fulton County Colored Marriage Book A Index 1866-1878. Batch M712894 at FamilySearch.
• 1878-1884 Fulton County Colored Marriage Book B Index 1878-1884. Batch M712895 at FamilySearch.
• 1884-1889 Fulton County Colored Marriage Book C Index 1884-1889. Batch M712896 at FamilySearch.
• 1889-1893 Fulton County Colored Marriage Book D Index 1889-1893. Batch M712897 at FamilySearch.
• 1893-1895 Fulton County Colored Marriage Book E Index 1893-1895. Batch M712898 at FamilySearch.
• 1904-1928 Atlanta Independent - an African-American newspaper; full-text digital issues in Google News Archive.

Land and Property Records

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 Georgia Land and Property for additional information about early Georgia land grants from the government. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions (generally buying and selling deeds) were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Fulton County, Georgia Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Georgia Local Histories.

• Allen, Ivan. Atlanta from the Ashes. Atlanta, Ga.: Ruralist Press, 1929. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Allen, Ivan. The Atlanta Spirit: Altitude + Attitude. Atlanta, Ga.: I. Allen-Marshall Co., 1948. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Atlanta, A City of the Modern South. New York: Smith & Durrell, c1942. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Atlanta Centennial Year Book: 1837-1937. Atlanta?: G. Murphy, 1937. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Clarke, Edward Young. Atlanta Illustrated: Containing Glances at Its Population, Business, Manufactures, Industries, Institutions, Society, Healthfulness, Architecture, and Advantages Generally, with 150 Ullustrations and a Lithographic Map of the City. Atlanta, Ga.: J.P. Harrison & Co., 1881. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Cooper, Walter G. Official History of Fulton County. Atlanta: W.W. Brown Pub. Co., c1934. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Hand Book of the City of Atlanta: A Comprehensive Review of the City's Commercial, Industrial and Residential Conditions. Atlanta, Ga.: Southern Industrial Pub. Co., 1898. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Hornady, John R. Atlanta, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. unknown: American Cities Book Co., 1922. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• History of Atlanta, Georgia: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Syracuse, N.Y.: D. Mason & Co., 1889. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Ivey, John E. Building Atlanta's Future: by John E. Ivey, Jr., Nicholas J. Demerath, Woodrow W. Breland. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, c1948. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Martin, Thomas H. Atlanta and Its Builders: A Comprehensive History of the Gate City of the South. Atlanta: Century Memorial Pub. Co., 1902. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Pioneer Citizens' History of Atlanta: 1833-1902. Atlanta, Ga.: Pioneer Citizens' Society of Atlanta, 1902. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Georgia (1758-1932)

Military Records

• Georgia Military - USGenWeb Archives Project
• Georgia Military - Campbell County - USGenWeb Archives Project. Campbell County became part of Fulton County.
• Georgia Military - Milton County - USGenWeb Archives Project. Milton County became part of Fulton County.

Civil War

During the period of the Civil War, the area now known as Fulton County was composed of three counties; Campbell and Milton Counties became part of Fulton County in 1932.

Online Records

• 1861-1865 Georgia Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861-1865 Georgia Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1867-1868 Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index
• 1879-1920 Georgia, Confederate Pension Rolls, 1879-1920 at FamilySearch — index

Regiments. Service men in Fulton 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 Fulton County:
Campbell Area Campbell County, Georgia

- 10th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company I - 19th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company C - 21st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company A - 27th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company E - 28th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company E - 30th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Companies F, G and K - 35th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Companies C and E - 37th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company I - 41st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company K - 56th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company A - 1st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), 2d Company C and Company D - 1st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Ramsey's) (Confederate), Company F

- 1st Regiment, Georgia Regulars (Confederate), Company L - 7th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Companies B and K - 8th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company F - 9th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company F - 19th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Companies A and B - 20th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company F - 21st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company C - 37th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company I and Company C, 3d Battalion - 42nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Companies I and K - 56th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company E - 64th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Companies A, C, E and K

• Hageness, MariLee Beatty. 1995. Confederate soldiers and their units, Fulton County, Georgia. [Anniston, Alabama]: M.B. Hageness. (Entire Book)975.8 A1no.139
• Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Campbell County). 1965. Confederate pension roll, 1890-1928. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. film 422019
• Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Milton County). 1965. Confederate pension roll, 1911-1929. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. film 422020
• Cooper, Walter Gerald. 1978. Official history of Fulton County. Spartanburg, S.C.: Reprint Co. (page 114-189)975.823 H2c digital version

Milton Area Milton County, Georgia

- 22nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company E

- 25th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company C

- 42nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company C

- 56th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company G

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battles were fought in Fulton County.

• July 20, 1864 Peachtree Creek
• July 22, 1864 Atlanta
• July 28, 1864 Ezra Church, also known as Battle of the Poor House
• August 5-7, 1864 Utoy Creek
• Map showing Civil War battles in Georgia.

World War I

• 1920-1929 Georgia, World War I, Statement of Service Cards, 1920-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

• 1868, 1875-1876, 1895 The Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.). Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• 1869-1906 Marriages from old newspapers Georgia Pioneers $
• 1870-1924 The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.). Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• 1876-1879 The Daily Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.). Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• 1904-1928 Atlanta Independent - an African-American newspaper; full-text digital issues in Google News Archive; covers 1904-1928.

Obituaries

• 1857-1933 Franklin M. Garrett's Necrology at FamilySearch — incomplete index and images; Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center

Other Records

Voting Records

• 1867-1868 Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index
• Voter Registrations at FamilySearch — incomplete index and images; Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center

Probate Records

Colonial courts kept some early probate records.  From 1777 to 1798 and since 1852, the court of ordinary or register of probates has kept probate and guardianship records.  The inferior court handled probate and guardianship matters from 1798 to 1852.

Many probate records to the 1930s and 1940s are at the Georgia Department of Archives and History and the Family History Library on microfilm.

Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.

Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records (not all years).

Online Probate Records

• 1742-1992 Georgia Wills and Probate Records 1742-1992 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
• 1742-1990 Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1854-1861 Index to Annual Returns, Book A, 1854-1861 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1854-1866 Index to Inventories and Appraisements, Book A, 1854-1866 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1854-1882 Wills 1854-1882 (abstracts) Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1854-1882, 1882-1894 Index to Will Book A, 1854-1882; Will Book B, 1882-1894 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1861-1865 Index to Annual Returns, Book B, 1861-1865 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1866-1883 Index to Inventories and Appraisements, Book B, 1866-1883 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1866-1888 Index to Annua Returns, Book C, 1866-1888 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1870-1935 Index to Miscellaneous Estates 1870-1935 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1899-1913 Index to Indentures of Apprenticeship 1899-1913 Georgia Pioneers ($)

Tax Records

Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and all slaves up to age 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district.

• 1854 Tax Digest of Atlanta Georgia Pioneers ($)

Vital Records

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 Georgia 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 Georgia.

Birth

• 1870-1960 - Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index, and some images
• 1886-1889, 1905-1910 Atlanta Births 1886-1889; 1905-1910 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1927-1931 Campbell county, vital statistics index to births and deaths at FamilySearch — incomplete index and images; Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center

Marriage

• 1560-1993 Georgia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index ($)
• 1699-1944 Georgia Marriages 1699-1944 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1754-1960 Georgia Church Marriages, 1754-1960 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1785-1950 Georgia County Marriages 1785-1950 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1787-1962 Georgia, Church Marriages, 1787-1962 at FamilySearch — index
• 1808-1967 Georgia Marriages 1808-1967 at FamilySearch — index
• 1828-1978 Georgia Marriage Records from Select Counties 1828-1978 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
• 1829-1872 Fulton County Marriage Books A thru C Index 1829-1872. Batch M712881 at FamilySearch.
• 1854-1866 Fulton County Marriage Books A and B Index 1854-1866. Batch M712885 at FamilySearch.
• 1865-1894 Fulton County Marriage Books A and B Index 1865-1894. Batch M712883 at FamilySearch.
• 1866-1873 Fulton County Marriage Book C Index 1866-1873. Batch M712886 at FamilySearch.
• 1869-1906 Marriages from old newspapers Georgia Pioneers $
• 1872-1895 Fulton County Marriage Books D thru F Index 1872-1895. Batch M712882 at FamilySearch.
• 1873-1880 Fulton County Marriage Book D Index 1873-1880. Batch M712887 at FamilySearch.
• 1880-1885 Fulton County Marriage Book E Index 1880-1885. Batch M712888 at FamilySearch.
• 1885-1889 Fulton County Marriage Book F Index 1885-1889. Batch M712889 at FamilySearch.
• 1889-1892 Fulton County Marriage Book G Index 1889-1892. Batch M712891 at FamilySearch.
• 1892-1895 Fulton County Marriage Book H Index 1892-1895. Batch M712892 at FamilySearch.
• 1894-1924 Fulton County Marriage Books C and D Index 1894-1924. Batch M712884 at FamilySearch.
• 1895 Fulton County Marriage Book I Index 1895. Batch M712893 at FamilySearch.

Death

• 1859-60, 1869-70, 1879-80 Fulton County, Georgia Genealogy Mortality Schedules at Ancestry ($).
• 1870-1960 - Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index, and some images
• 1887-1931 Extracts from vital statistics of the city of Atlanta, Deaths, 1887-1931 at FamilySearch — incomplete index and images; Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center
• 1914-1927 Georgia Deaths 1914-1927 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1919-1998 Georgia Deaths 1919-1998 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1927-1931 Campbell county, vital statistics index to births and deaths at FamilySearch — incomplete index and images; Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center
• 1928-1942 Georgia Deaths, 1928-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1933-1998 Georgia Death Index 1933-1998 at FamilySearch — index

Research Facilities

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

• For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map

• Atlanta Georgia Family History Center

Museums

• Atlanta History Center
  130 West Paces Ferry Road NW
  Atlanta, GA 30305
  Phone: 404-814-4000
  Website

Societies

• Atlanta History Center (Historical Society)
  130 West Paces Ferry Road NW
  Atlanta, GA 30305
  Phone: 404-814-4000
  Website
  Facebook

Websites

• Fulton County, GA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Georgia Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• Georgia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• Fulton County, GAGenWeb - part of the USGenWeb Project
• GAGenWeb Archives
• Fulton County, Georgia Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Georgia Pioneers Georgia Pioneers ($)
• Fulton County Genealogy (Georgia Genealogy)
• 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