Houston County, Alabama Genealogy
Guide to Houston 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 after George Smith Houston, a Governor of Alabama.[2] The County is located in the southeast area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Houston County Courthouse
114 North Oats Street
PO Drawer 6406
Dothan, AL 36302
Phone: 334-677-4800
Houston County Website
Health Department has birth, death and burial records
Probate Office has marriage, probate and land records from 1903
Clerk Circuit Court has court records from 1903
Registrar in Chancery has divorce records from 1903 [4]
Houston 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 |
| 1908 | 1903 | 1908 | 1903 | 1903 | 1903 | 1816 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
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 Houston 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 | ||
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 Houston county cemeteries.
- Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1910 | 32,414 | — |
| 1920 | 37,334 | 15.2% |
| 1930 | 45,935 | 23.0% |
| 1940 | 45,665 | −0.6% |
| 1950 | 46,522 | 1.9% |
| 1960 | 50,718 | 9.0% |
| 1970 | 56,574 | 11.5% |
| 1980 | 74,632 | 31.9% |
| 1990 | 81,331 | 9.0% |
| 2000 | 88,787 | 9.2% |
| 2010 | 101,547 | 14.4% |
| 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]
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.
Directories[edit | edit source]
Houston County, Alabama Online Historical Directories - identifies historical city, county, business and other directories available online on both and pay-to-access websites.
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
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.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Houston 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)
- 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 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. 1880-1930s at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1907, 1921, 1927 Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
World War I
- 1917-1919 Alabama, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
World War II
- 1940-1945 - Alabama, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1908-15, 1926, 1928-36, 1943-51 The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, Ala.) at Ancestry $
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.
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
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
- 1903-1931 Houston County Marriage Books 1-8 Index 1903-1931 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch[8]
- 1936-1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry $
- To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry $
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 $
- 1881-1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry $
- 1908-1974 Alabama, Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - How to Use this Collection
- 1908-1974 Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1908-1959 Index to Deaths recorded by the state of Alabama at Ancestry $
- 1908-1959 Alabama Deaths1908-59 at Ancestry $
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 Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Houston County. For state-wide library facilities, see Alabama Archives and Libraries.
Troy University-Dothan Campus
P. O. Box 8368
Dothan, AL
36304
334-983-6556 ext. 327
Website
Houston Houston-Love Memorial Library
212 W Burdeshaw St.
P.O. Box 1369
Dothan, Alabama 36303
334-793-9767
Website
Dothan Houston Library
Main Branch
445 North Oates Street
Dothan, AL 36303
Phone: (334) 793-9767
Website
Dothan Houston Library
Ashford Branch
305 6th Avenue
Ashford, AL 36312
Phone: 334-899-3121
Dothan Houston Library
Westgate Branch
535 Recreation Road
Dothan, AL 36303
Phone: 334-699-2950
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Southeast Alabama Genealogical and Historical Society
P. O. Box 246
Dothan, AL
36302-0246
334-794-8378
- Publications: Wiregrass Roots SEAGHS Magazine
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.
- Houston County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
- Houston 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.
- Houston Co. AL
- United States Resources: Alabama
- Al Gen Web
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, “Houston County, Alabama Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ala/houston/ 06/06/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Houston, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_County,_Alabama 06/06/2017.
- ↑ 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, "Houston County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_County,_Alabama, accessed 17 October 2018.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/0/06/Igialabamadj.pdf.
