Alabama Genealogy

Madison County Alabama History and Profile:

Madison County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is a major part of the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.

It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The county is named in honor of James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America, and the first to visit the state of Alabama. According to the Census’ 2008 estimate, the population was 319,510. Its county seat is Huntsville. Madison County covers parts of the former Decatur County.

Madison County was established on December 13, 1808 by the governor of the Mississippi territory. Madison County is recognized as the “birthplace” of Alabama, which was founded there on December 14, 1819. For much of the county’s history, the economy revolved mainly around agriculture. Madison County was one of the largest cotton-producing counties in the state of Alabama, and textile mills operated around the county.

This all changed when a group of German rocket scientists, led by Wernher von Braun, came to Huntsville in 1950. They developed the Mercury-Redstone Rocket, which eventually became the first vehicle to launch an American into space. Tens of thousands of jobs came to the area as a result of the “space race”, and the population of Madison County rose from 72,903 in 1950 to an estimated 2005 population of 298,192.

Madison County is home to Monte Sano State Park, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center and part of the Flint River. It also contains Hampton Cove Golf Course, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

Source: Wikipedia.

Cities and Towns of Madison County, Alabama:

* Gurley
* Harvest
* Hazel Green
* Huntsville (part – part of Huntsville is in Limestone County)
* Madison (part – part of Madison is in Limestone County)
* Meridianville
* Moores Mill
* New Hope
* New Market
* Owens Cross Roads
* Redstone Arsenal
* Triana
* Toney

Madison County Government

Madison County Government – Official Site

Blue Spring Branch Library
4600 Blue Spring Road
Huntsville, AL 35810

Huntsville-Madison County Public Library
Heritage Room – Good Genealogy collection
915 Monroe Street
Huntsville, AL 35801

Oscar Mason Branch Library
149 Mason Court
Huntsville, AL 35805

Madison County Historic Places

Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Historic District
James H. Bibb House
Butlers’ Store
Domestic Science Building
Gurley Historic District
Madison Station Historic District
McCartney-Bone House
New Market Historic District
New Market Presbyterian Church
New Market United Methodist Church
William Madison Otey House
Warden’s Residence
Whitman-Cobb House

In Huntsville:

Beckers Block
Big Spring
Building at 105 N. Washington Street
Building at 305 Jefferson
Buildings at 104-128 S. Side Sq.
William Burritt Mansion
Church of the Visitation
Clemens House
Dallas Mill
Donegan Block
Downtown Chevron Station
Dunnavant’s Building
Episcopal Church of the Nativity
Everett Building
First National Bank
Flint River Place
Fowler’s Department Store
Halsey Grocery Warehouse
W.L. Halsey Warehouse
Henderson National Bank
Hotel Russel Erskine
David C. Humphreys House
Hundley House
Hundley Rental Houses
Terry Hutchens Building
W.T. Hutchens Building
George Jude House
Kelly Brothers and Rowe Building
Kildare-McCormick House
Kress Building
William Lanford House
Leech-Hauer House
Lincoln Mill and Mill Village Historic District
Lincoln School
Lombardo Building
Lowry House
Mason Building
May and Cooney Dry Goods Company
McCrary House
Merrimack Mill Village Historic District
Milligan Block
Monte Sano Railroad Workers’ House
Neutral Buoyancy Space Simulator
Old Town Historic District
Phelps-Jones House
Propulsion and Structural Test Facility
Rand Building
Randolph Street Church of Christ
Redstone Test Stand
John Robinson House
Mrs. William Robinson House
Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand
Saturn V Space Vehicle
Schiffman Building
Southern Railway System Depot
Steele-Fowler House
Steger House
Struve-Hay Building
Times Building
Twickenham Historic District
U.S. Courthouse and Post Office
Urguhart House
Vaught House
White-Turner-Sanford House
Withers-Chapman House
Yarbrough Hotel

Madison County Genealogy Resources

Madiosn County Alabama USGenWeb Project Site

Madison County, Alabama USGenWeb archives

Madison County Genealogy page at KindredTrails

Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society
PO Box 666
Huntsville, AL 35804

Madison African-American Alliance Group
P.O. Box 445
Madison, Alabama 35758
Phone: (256) 430-5790

Madison Station Historical Preservation Society
P. O. Box 711
Madison, Alabama 35758

Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society
P. O. Box 1568
Huntsville, AL 35807

Vital Records

Madison County Clerk
100 North Side Square
Huntsville, AL 35801
Phone: (256) 532-3327

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

1809 Mississippi Territory Census Transcription

1830 Federal Census Index and Transcription

1840 Federal Census Index and Transcription

1850 Federal Census Index and Transcription

1860 Federal Census Index and Transcription

1870 Federal Census Index and Transcription

1900 Federal Census Index and Transcription

Tax Records

Cemeteries

USGS listing of Cemeteries in Madison County

Madison 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.

Madison County, AL at
genforum

News Related to Madison County, AL

“Madison County” al – Google News

Few tornado ‘safe areas’ built into schools in Madison County – al.com (blog)

Few tornado 'safe areas' built into schools in Madison County al.com (blog) Strong tornadoes are a serious fear in North Alabama, particularly after the April 2011 outbreak that killed more than 200 people across the state, including nine people in Madison County. A March 2012 tornado also caused damage at Buckhorn High School … and more »

4 teens shot at Madison County graduation party (video) – al.com (blog)

4 teens shot at Madison County graduation party (video) al.com (blog) NEW MARKET, Alabama — A graduation party for Buckhorn High School ended violently late Tuesday when someone opened fire in the crowd, sending four partygoers to the hospital with various injuries. graduation party shooting Madison County deputies … 3 teenagers shot at high school graduation partyWTVM Accused Graduation Party Shooter's Family Speaks Outwhnt.com Three teenagers shot overnight at Buckhorn Graduation PartyWAAY Fox 54 all 9 news articles »

Uncle of suspect in Buckhorn graduation party shooting calls act ‘senseless’ – al.com (blog)

Uncle of suspect in Buckhorn graduation party shooting calls act 'senseless' al.com (blog) MADISON COUNTY, Alabama — The uncle of a Huntsville man accused of shooting and injuring three teenagers in New Market spoke out to The Times' news partner, WHNT News 19. Trome Tousounteeha Nino Sibler-Lyons.jpg Trome Tousounteeha Nino …

Arrest made in Madison County graduation celebration shooting – al.com (blog)

Arrest made in Madison County graduation celebration shooting al.com (blog) According to a news release from the Madison County Sheriff's Office, Trome Tousounteeha Nino Sibler-Lyons, 20, of Huntsville was arrested and charged with assault in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree, reckless endangerment, …

Quarry bill dies in Legislature; lodging tax in Madison County extended – al.com (blog)

Quarry bill dies in Legislature; lodging tax in Madison County extended al.com (blog) Gurley quarry lawsuit View full sizeA permit sign attached to trees in foreground with Gurley Mountain rising in the background marks the proposed site for the quarry. A bill in the legislature designed to stop the quarry was not passed before the …

Madison County unemployment rate falls to 5.2 percent in April – al.com

Madison County unemployment rate falls to 5.2 percent in April al.com HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Madison County's unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent, representing 8,947 people, in April, down from 6 percent the previous month, according to figures released Friday morning by the Alabama Department of Labor. Madison …

Popularity: 40% [?]

Popularity: 40% [?]