Walker County, Alabama Genealogy
Guide to Walker 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 Senator John Walker, who represented the state of Alabama in the U.S. Senate from 1819 until 1822.[2]The county is located in the west-central area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Walker County Courthouse
1801 3rd Avenue, #205
Jasper, AL 35501
Phone: 205-384-7268
Fax: 205-384-7271
Walker County Website
Records burned 1877
Probate Judge has marriage and probate records [4]
Walker 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 |
| 1929 | 1877 | 1890 | 1877 | 1877 | 1877 | 1816 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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Walker County had destructive courthouse fires in 1865, 1877, 1886, and 1932. See Research in Alabama: A Genealogical Guide page 29 for suggested alternative sources to overcome this loss.[6] For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Alabama county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Alabama County Boundary Maps" (1799-1980) may be viewed at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in Walker County:[8]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.
| Cities | ||
| 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 websites have additional information on Walker county cemeteries.
- Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.
- Cemetery Records of Jefferson and Walker Counties, Alabama. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Society?, 1945. Digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes Chicksaw Cemetery, Coal City Cemetery, Easley Cemetery, Fike Cemetery, Holly Grove Cemetery, King Family Cemetery, Manasco Cemetery, and New Hope Cemetery.
- Photos of Manasco Cemetery on FamilyHistoryFoundation.com.
- Additional Walker County cemeteries are included in Alabama Cemetery Records Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 1, FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 3.
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 2,202 | — |
| 1840 | 4,032 | 83.1% |
| 1850 | 5,124 | 27.1% |
| 1860 | 7,980 | 55.7% |
| 1870 | 6,543 | −18.0% |
| 1880 | 9,479 | 44.9% |
| 1890 | 16,078 | 69.6% |
| 1900 | 25,162 | 56.5% |
| 1910 | 37,013 | 47.1% |
| 1920 | 50,593 | 36.7% |
| 1930 | 59,445 | 17.5% |
| 1940 | 64,201 | 8.0% |
| 1950 | 63,769 | −0.7% |
| 1960 | 54,211 | −15.0% |
| 1970 | 56,246 | 3.8% |
| 1980 | 68,660 | 22.1% |
| 1990 | 67,670 | −1.4% |
| 2000 | 70,713 | 4.5% |
| 2010 | 67,023 | −5.2% |
| 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]
Directories[edit | edit source]
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.
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Walker County see:
- Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Walker 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 976.176 E7b.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Walker 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.
- Dombhart, John Martin. History of Walker County: Its Towns and Its People. Thornton, Ark.: Cayce Pub. Co., c1937. Digital version at Ancestry
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
- Family Maps of Walker County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War
Regiments. Men in Walker County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Walker County:
- - 4th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry (Roddy's), Company K
- - 22nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A
- - 28th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E, F and L
- - 43rd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H, I and K
- - 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company K, formerly Co. "?", 5th Battalion
Online Records
- 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. 1880-1930's at FamilySearch - 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]
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Voting Records[edit | edit source]
Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Walker County has two books:
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
- Walking Back in Time. Publication of the Walker County Genealogical Society. Digital versions at: FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 15, FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 16.
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.
- 1847 1840's Walker County tax record, digitized at FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 15.
- 1865-1866 - U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Walker County is in District 3.
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 $.
For some online statewide indexes, see the FamilySearch Historical Record Collections for Alabama.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1881-1930 - Alabama, Births and Christenings, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection. - How to Use this Collection
- 1881-1930 - Alabama, County Birth Registers, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch — index, and some images - How to Use this Collection
- Walker County Births at ALGenWebe. These are contributed by researchers and is a growing database.
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1733–2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
- To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry– ($); . contains over 12,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.
- 1797, 1812, 1823, 1829, 1877-1879, 1881-1882, 1884, 1886, 1888-1889, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry– ($); . This collection is comprised of indexes created by several agencies - the Alabama Center for Health Statistics, Jordan Dodd of Liahona Research, and Hunting For Bears.
- 1800–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry
- 1809–1920 Alabama Marriages at Ancestry
- 1809–1950 Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1816–1957 Alabama Marriages, 1816-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1875–1895 - Walker County Marriage Index 1875-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch[9]
- 1877–1889 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry– ($); . This database is a collection of marriage records from the state. Researchers will find the names of both bride and groom along with the marriage date. The county where the ceremony was performed is also provided. Containing about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.
- 1892–1897 - "Walker County Marriages, Book C 1892-1897," Walking Back in Time, Vol. 15, No. 3 (Sep. 2004):49; Vol. 15, No. 4 (Dec. 2004):72-73; Vol. 16, No. 1 (Mar. 2005):9; Vol. 16, No. 2 (June 2005):17-18; Vol. 16, No. 3 (Sep. 2005):39-40; Vol. 16, No. 4 (Dec. 2005):62-63. Digital version at: FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 15, FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 16.
- Walker County Marriages at ALGenWebe. Some of these are from county records, and some are contributed by researchers and is a growing database.
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1881–1952 - Alabama, Deaths and Burials, 1881-1952 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection. - How to Use this Collection
- 1881–1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry– ($); . Volunteers extracted the details in this index from microfilmed copies of church, civil, family, and other records of Alabama deaths and burials. details vary depending on the original record. Note that the number of available records can vary widely by county, and this database does not necessarily represent a comprehensive set of death records for the state during this time.
- 1908–1959 Index to Deaths Recorded by the State of Alabama at Ancestry– ($); . The index includes name of the deceased, county of death, date of death, and the state certificate number (volume and page).
- 1908–1974 - Alabama, Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection.
- Walker County Deaths at ALGenWeb - How to Use this Collection
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 Walker County. For state-wide library facilities, see Alabama Archives and Libraries.
Carl Elliott Regional Library
98 18th St East
Jasper, AL 35501
Phone: 205-221-2568
Website.
- Carbon Hill Public Library
215 2nd Street NW
Carbon Hill, Alabama 35549
Telephone: 205-924-4254 - Jasper Public Library
98 18th Street East
Jasper, Alabama 35501
Telephone: 205-221-8512 - Sumiton Public Library
416 State Street
P. O. Box 10
Sumiton, Alabama 35148
Telephone: 205-648-7451
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Walker County Genealogical Society
P. O. Box 3408
Jasper, AL 35502-3408
Facebook
Website
- Publication: Walking Back in Time
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.
- Walker County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
- Walker 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.
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, "Walker County, Alabama Genealogy and History", http://genealogytrails.com/ala/walker/ 6/27/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Walker, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_County,_Alabama 6/27/2017.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Marilyn Davis Barefield, Researching in Alabama: a Genealogical Guide (Birmingham, Alabama : Birmingham Public Library, 1998), 29. At various libraries (WorldCat). FHL Book 976.1 D27b 1998.
- ↑ 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, "Walker County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_County,_Alabama, accessed 26 October 2018.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/4/4d/Igialabamatz.pdf.
