Lauderdale County Genealogy
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Lauderdale County Alabama History and Profile:
Lauderdale County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Colonel James Lauderdale, of Tennessee. It is part of the Florence – Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Statistical Area known as “The Shoals”. As of 2006 the population was 87,891. Its county seat is Florence.
Lauderdale County was named in honor of Col. James Lauderdale who was born in Virginia about 1780. In the early 1800s, Lauderdale, who moved to West Tennessee, became a major in General John Coffee’s cavalry of volunteers. Later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he commanded a brigade of mounted riflemen, serving under Andrew Jackson in many battles against the Indians. According to reliable historians, Col. Lauderdale did not die in the Battle of New Orleans, but was wounded in the Battle of Talladega and died on December 23, 1814, seventeen days before Jackson’s crushing defeat of the British at New Orleans. Several towns and counties in the southern states were named in his honor, though it is said that he never set foot in Lauderdale County.
Lauderdale County was established in 1818, a year before Alabama became a state, Florence, the county seat of Lauderdale County, was also established in 1818. At this time a group of investors, under the name of Cypress Land Company purchased from the government 5,515 acres (22.32 km2) of land comprising of the original town site. Other towns in Lauderdale County competing for early settlers because of their proximity to the river were Savage’s Spring, nine miles (14 km) below Florence and Waterloo, some 20 miles (32 km) downriver.
Among the older settlements in the county is Center Star, located between Killen and Rogersville. This area was once claimed by both the Chickasaw’s and Cherokees, necessitating a cession of territory from each tribe before the settlement could be established. The remains of an old Indian village could be seen at one time southwest of Center Star. Other old settlements included Middleton and Elgin, the latter known first as Ingram’s Elgin Cross Roads.
Rogersville, lying some 23 miles (37 km) to the east of Florence, was named for John Rogers, an Indian Trader, whose sons were fast friends of the great Sam Houston. The late Will Rogers is said to have been a descendant of this same family. An early ferry that operated for many years was Lamb’s Ferry near Rogersville.
Lexington, Springfield, and Anderson lie to the north of the Lee Highway, the town of Lexington being a part of the territory once claimed by the Cherokees. Many of the settlers of that area came from Tennessee and the Carolinas. The first post office of record at Lexington was on the Loretto Road, north of town, in 1880. Mail at that time was brought in from Loretto, Tennessee, by horseback and carts.
The town of St. Florian was established in 1872 on the Jackson Highway and named by its German Catholic founders for their patron saint.
Source: Wikipedia.
Cities and Towns of Lauderdale County, Alabama:
* Anderson
* Florence
* Killen
* Lexington
* Rogersville
* St. Florian
* Underwood-Petersville
* Waterloo
* Zip City
Lauderdale County Government
Lauderdale County Government – Official Website
Burchell Campbell Memorial Library
11075 Highway 101
Lexington, AL 35648
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library
350 North Wood Avenue
Florence, AL 35630
Killen Public Library
331 J C Mauldin Hwy
Killen, AL 35645
Rogersville Public Library
74 Bank Street
Rogersville, AL 35652
Lauderdale County Historic Places
Peter F. Armistead, Sr., House
William Bowen Lustron House
Cherry Street Historic District
Coffee High School
College Place Historic District
George Coulter House
Courtview
E. H. Darby Lustron House
Downtown Florence Historic District
Florence Wagon Works Site
Forks of Cypress
Forks of Cypress Cemetery
Karsner-Carroll House
William Koger House
Larimore House
Locust Street Historic District
James Martin House
Old Natchez Trace (310-2A)
Gov. Robert Patton House
Rogers Department Store
Rosenbaum House
Sannoner Historic District
Seminary-O’Neal Historic District
Seven Mile Island Archeological District
Southall Drugs
Walnut Street Historic District
Water Tower (Florence)
Wesleyan Hall
Wilson Dam
Wilson Park Houses
Wood Avenue Historic District
Lauderdale County Genealogy Resources
Lauderdale County Alabama USGenWeb Project Site
Lauderdale County, Alabama USGenWeb archives
Lauderdale County Genealogy page at KindredTrails
Vital Records
Lauderdale County Clerk
P.O. Box 1059
County Courthouse
Florence, AL 35631-1059
Phone: (256)760-5750
If you are outside the state of Alabama and are looking to request copies of vital records you must contact the statewide office of vital records:
Alabama Vital Records
P.O. Box 5625
Montgomery, AL 36103-5625
(334) 206-5418
Fax: (334) 262-9563
You can also call (334) 206-5418
There were no birth certificates prior to 1908, some counties may have recorded births in a ledger however. One way to search this centrally is by contacting:
Department of Archives and History
624 Washington Ave
Montgomery, AL 36130
(334) 242-4363
Birth and Death Records have been recorded in Alabama since 1908, Marriage Records since August 1936 and Divorces since 1950.
Census
Petition Against Removal from Doublehead Reserve (Around 1810) – The locale of these petitioners seems to have been in present Lauderdale Co. Alabama, in the vicinity of Muscle Shoals and the tri-city area of Tuscumbia, Florence and Sheffield.
1850 Federal Census Transcription – Partial
1900 Federal Census Index – Head of Household only
Tax Records
Cemeteries
USGS listing of Cemeteries in Lauderdale County
Lauderdale County Cemetery Transcriptions
Cemetery Transcriptions (Although both are usgenweb this seems a slightly different listing.)
Query Forums
Genealogy Forums can be a great way to find other people that are researching the same ancestors as you are. Even if they may be not be researching the same direct line but related lines you may find information that is useful in your own research. Make sure to verify any other research that you add to your own research and try to document it well. If asking questions in genealogy forums it is good to provide as much information as possible and in the subject of the posting try to give name and a date or range of dates to help make your query more likely to be found. Posts with titles like “looking for family” or “help!” are too generic and something along the lines of “John Smith b. abt 1828 md. Hannah Jones” would be more helpful to get your post read by those that are interested in the John Smith/Hannah Jones family.
Lauderdale County, AL at
genforum
News Related to Lauderdale County, AL
“Lauderdale County” al – Google News
Lauderdale County inmate who escaped 2 weeks ago arrested in Kentucky – al.com (blog)
 WCHS-TV8 |
Lauderdale County inmate who escaped 2 weeks ago arrested in Kentucky
al.com (blog) LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Alabama – A Lauderdale County inmate who escaped two weeks ago was captured by U.S. Marshals after a two-hour standoff in a wooded area, according to WHNT News 19. Terry Wayne Myers, 43, escaped from a Lauderdale … Lauderdale County escapee caught Lauderdale Co. Jail escapee captured – WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports … Lauderdale escapee caught |
Kentucky man escapes Lauderdale County Detention Center – al.com (blog)
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Kentucky man escapes Lauderdale County Detention Center
al.com (blog) FLORENCE, Alabama — A Kentucky man escaped from the Lauderdale County Detention Center Monday morning, The Times' news partner, WHNT News 19 reports. Sheriff Ronnie Willis told WHNT Terry Wayne Myers, 43, escaped from the detention center … Escaped Lauderdale Co. Inmate Still on the Loose |
Alabama State Troopers investigating fatal wreck near Florence (updated) – al.com (blog)
 whnt.com |
Alabama State Troopers investigating fatal wreck near Florence (updated)
al.com (blog) LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Alabama — A single-vehicle wreck in Lauderdale County left one man dead and another person injured Monday night. 220troopers.jpg. Alabama State Troopers said a 1988 GMC pickup truck crashed on Alabama 157 about a mile … Deadly Wreck in Lauderdale County Under Investigation |
Lauderdale County doctor sentenced to year in prison, fined $1.9 million on … – al.com (blog)
 whnt.com |
Lauderdale County doctor sentenced to year in prison, fined $1.9 million on …
al.com (blog) HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — A Lauderdale County doctor has been sentenced to a year in jail and ordered to pay more than $1.9 million in fines and restitution following her guilty plea to six counts of fraud. Dr. Diana McCutcheon, 55, of Killen, pleaded … Lauderdale County Doctor Sentenced for Health Care and Wire Fraud Lauderdale Co. doctor sentenced for health care fraud |
Driver Hits Tree, Dies in Lauderdale County – whnt.com
 whnt.com |
Driver Hits Tree, Dies in Lauderdale County
whnt.com LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) â A man died just before midnight Friday when the car he was driving left the road and hit a tree. It happened on County Road 55 in Lauderdale County, just North of Rogersville and U.S. Highway 72. Alabama State … |
Fundraisers ‘a bit unseemly’? – Atmore News
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Fundraisers 'a bit unseemly'?
Atmore News Robert Bentley has called this year's session of the Alabama Legislature the best session ever. But then he … When at age 23, I ran for a state legislative seat in Lauderdale County in 1966 there were a few Republicans around, but no real organized … |
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