Alabama Genealogy

Pickens County Alabama History and Profile:

Pickens County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of 2000, the population was 20,949. Its county seat is Carrollton, and it is a prohibition, or dry county.

Pickens County was established on December 20, 1820, and named for revolutionary war hero General Andrew Pickens of South Carolina. The county seat was relocated from Pickensville to Carrollton in 1830. The first courthouse in Carrollton was burned on April 5, 1865, by troops of Union General John T. Croxton. A second courthouse was also destroyed by fire on November 16, 1876. Though arson was suspected, no arrest was made until January 1878, when Henry Wells, an African American with some criminal history was arrested and locked in the garett of the new building, which had been erected in 1877. According to legend, Wells was peering down from the north garett window as a mob gathered to hang him. A bolt of lightning struck nearby and “etched” Wells’ anguished face into the window glass. A vague image resembling a face can still be seen in that lower right-hand pane of that window.

On April 8, 1998, a supercell thunderstorm produced an F3 tornado in Pickens County. This windstorm injured two people and damaged five homes including mobile homes. It rotated seventeen miles (27 km) from Holman to north of Northport. Twenty-four homes and thirteen mobile homes were also in destruction. Moments later, that same supercell thunderstorm produced an F5 tornado struck northeastern Tuscaloosa near the Black Warrior River before entering western Jefferson County where it destroyed Oak Grove High School and killed thirty-two people in its path.

Pickens County is home to the Aliceville Museum and Cultural Center which houses artifacts from the Aliceville WWII POW camp. The county also contains Aliceville Lake and part of the Tombigbee River.

Source: WIkipedia.

Cities and Towns of Pickens County, Alabama:

* Aliceville
* Carrollton
* Ethelsville
* Gordo
* Macedonia
* McMullen
* Memphis
* Pickensville
* Reform
* McShan, Alabama

Pickens County Government

Aliceville Public Library
416 Third Avenue Ne
Aliceville, AL 35442

Carrollton Public Library
225 Commerce Ave (Po Box 92)
Carrollton, AL 35447

Gordo Public Library
287 Main Street S.
Gordo, AL 35466

Reform Public Library
302 1 St Street South
Reform, AL 35481

Pickens County Historic Places

Aliceville Elementary and High School
Parks E. Ball House
Hugh Wilson Hill House
MONTGOMERY (snagboat)
Old Jail (Gordo)
Pickens County Courthouse
Stewart-Blanton House

Pickens County Genealogy Resources

Pickens County Alabama USGenWeb Project Site

Black Belt African American Genealogical & Historical Society
Covering the Counties of Alabama’s Black Belt Region–Bullock, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter and Wilcox

Pickens County, Alabama USGenWeb archives

Pickens County Genealogy page at KindredTrails

Vital Records

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

1830 Federal Census Transcription

1850 Federal Census Index & Transcription

1880 Federal Census Transcription

Tax Records

Cemeteries

USGS listing of Cemeteries in Pickens County

Pickens 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.

Pickens County, AL at
genforum

News Related to Pickens County, AL

“Pickens County” al – Google News

Community center to be renovated – Tuscaloosa Magazine

Community center to be renovated Tuscaloosa Magazine A partnership has been formed to help renovate the historic Pickensville Rosenwald School in Pickens County, which now serves as a community center. The University of West Alabama's Center for Business and Economic Services, the Pickensville …

LOOKING BACK: 5/20 – Tuscaloosa Magazine

LOOKING BACK: 5/20 Tuscaloosa Magazine Some Pickens County residents saw the proposed federal prison to be built at the intersection of Alabama Highway 14 and Pickens County Road 78 as a boon to the county, but some residents near the location say they are not being offered enough for their … and more »

Friday storms across Alabama cause small tornadoes, heavy rains; wet weather … – al.com (blog)

al.com (blog)

Friday storms across Alabama cause small tornadoes, heavy rains; wet weather … al.com (blog) A pair of small, short-lived tornadoes touched down in Limestone County, a funnel cloud was spotted in Pickens County and heavy rain and some hail pelted much of central Alabama as a line of storms moved through the state Friday. The wet weather isn't … and more »

10 minutes per month: Alabama probation, parole officers get little time with … – al.com (blog)

10 minutes per month: Alabama probation, parole officers get little time with … al.com (blog) Another two officers supervise probationers in neighboring Pickens County. Franks said his office has always been understaffed. At one point, there was only one probation officer to serve all of Lamar, Pickens and Fayette counties. Franks grew up in …

Teen illness put Leonardi on the path to real estate auctioneering – Greenville News

Teen illness put Leonardi on the path to real estate auctioneering Greenville News Al Hagood, a commercial broker with the Windsor-Aughtry Co., developer of Poinsett Corners, said because those condos were the first new units brought to market, the company wasn't sure how to price them. So they decided to sell them at auction. They …

Alabama targets 250 road and bridge projects – WTVA

Alabama targets 250 road and bridge projects WTVA (WTVA) — Twenty-four bridge projects in Marion and Pickens County are among the latest to receive funding from the state of Alabama. Gov. Robert Bentley announced the projects are among 250 statewide to be included in the Rural Assistance Match …

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Popularity: 27% [?]