Hale County, Alabama Genealogy

United States

Alabama

Hale County

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

County Facts County seat: Greensboro Organized: January 30, 1867 Parent County(s): Greene, Tuscaloosa, Marengo, Perry Neighboring Counties Bibb  • Greene  • Marengo  • Perry  • Tuscaloosa See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The County was named in honor of Confederate Colonel Stephen F. Hale. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Hale County Courthouse
1001 Main Street,
Greensboro, AL 36744
Phone: 334-624-4334
Fax: 334-624-8064
Hale County Website

Probate Judge has marriage, divorce, probate court and land records from 1868.

Hale County, Alabama 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 Records
Birth	Marriage	Death	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1881	1868	1881	1865	1868	1868	1816
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908. General compliance for births by 1927 and for deaths 1925.

Record Loss

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

Boundary Changes

1867 Hale County was created 30 January 1867 from Greene, Tuscaloosa, Marengo and Perry Counties. County seat: Greensboro Interactive Map of Alabama County Formation History (1799-1980) - animated maps illustrating Alabama county boundary changes Alabama Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places

The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in Hale County:

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.

Cities
Greensboro (county seat)
Towns
Akron Moundville	Newbern
Unincorporated communities
Allenville Casemore Cedarville Cypress Darrah Dominick Evansville Gallion Gilmore Quarters Harper Hill	Havana Hogglesville Laneville Lock Five Melton Millwood New Prospect Oak Grove Phipps	Port Royal Prairieville Rosemary Sawyerville Stewart Sunshine Wateroak Wedgeworth Whitsitt
Ghost towns
Arcola	Erie

Resources

Biographies

• Biographies of many notable residents of Hale County were published in Memorial Record of Alabama (1893). Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library. Begins on page 1053.
• Hale County Biographies at The USGenWeb Archives Project

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Hale, Alabama online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave ALGenWeb ALGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project Billion Graves
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave Billion Graves Alabama Cemeteries
See Alabama Cemeteries for more information

The following web site has additional information on Hale county cemeteries.

• Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.

Census Records

For tips on accessing Hale County census records online, see: Alabama Census.

Hale County, Alabama
Year	Pop.	%±
1870	21,792	—
1880	26,553	21.8%
1890	27,501	3.6%
1900	31,011	12.8%
1910	27,883	−10.1%
1920	24,289	−12.9%
1930	26,265	8.1%
1940	25,533	−2.8%
1950	20,832	−18.4%
1960	19,537	−6.2%
1970	15,888	−18.7%
1980	15,604	−1.8%
1990	15,498	−0.7%
2000	17,185	10.9%
2010	15,760	−8.3%

State Census

• 1866 Alabama State Census, 1866 at FamilySearch

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 Alabama denominations, view the Alabama Church Records wiki page.

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 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 Hale County see:

• Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Hale County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2007. 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 976.143 E7b.

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Hale 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.

• Yerby, William Edward Wadsworth. History of Greensboro, Alabama: From Its Earliest Settlement. Montgomery, Ala.: The Paragon Press, 1908. Digital version at Ancestry $

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
• Family Maps of Hale County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Military Records

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 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. 1880-1930s at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1907, 1921, 1927 Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch

World War I

• 1917-1919 Alabama, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch

World War II

• 1940-1945 - Alabama, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate Records

Online Probate Records

• 1753-1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry $
• 1809-1985 Alabama Probate Records, 1809-1985 at FamilySearch

Tax Records

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.

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 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

• 1881-1930 Alabama Births and Christenings, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch
• 1881-1930 - Alabama, County Birth Registers, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch — index, and some images

Marriage

• 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
• 1800-1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 Ancestry ($)
• 1809-1920 Alabama, Compiled Marriages from Selected Counties, 1809-1920 Ancestry ($)
• 1809-1950 Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950 at FamilySearch
• 1816-1957 Alabama Marriages, 1816-1957 at FamilySearch
• To 1825 Index to Marriages Ancestry ($)
• 1867-1936 Hale County Marriage Books A-G Index 1867-1936 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1936-1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 Ancestry ($)

Death

• 1881-1952 Alabama Deaths and Burials, 1881-1952 at FamilySearch
• 1881-1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 Ancestry ($)
• 1908-1959 Alabama, Death Index, 1908-1959 Ancestry ($)
• 1908-1974 Alabama, Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection
• 1918-1936 Hale County Death Index 1918-1936 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

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

Libraries

Hale County Public Library]
1103 Main Street
Greensboro, AL 36744
Phone: 334-624-3409
Facebook
Website

Collections include local histories and family histories, newspapers, census records, and more.

Societies

Hale County Historical Society
1110 Main St
Greensboro, AL 36744
Hale County Genealogical Society Website

Websites

• 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.
• Hale County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
• Hale 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.
• List of Alabama Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies
• Hale Co. AL
• United States Resources: Alabama
• Al Gen Web

Research Guides

• Inventory of the County Archives of Alabama: Hale County. Birmingham, Ala.: The Project, 1940. Digital version at Ancestry $