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

Drug fugitive arrested by US Marshals in Northport – al.com (blog)

Drug fugitive arrested by US Marshals in Northport al.com (blog) By Chris Pow, al.com NORTHPORT, Alabama — A man wanted on charges including trafficking methamphetamine was arrested in Northport this morning. Members of the US Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Brett Morris Tierce, 32, …

Legislature says no money for mother who was jailed – Tuscaloosa Magazine

Legislature says no money for mother who was jailed Tuscaloosa Magazine Bridget Lee and her attorney Jim Standridge speak with the media at the Pickens County Courthouse in Carrollton on April 9, 2009, after charges against her were dropped Thursday. Lee was accused of killing her baby, born in November 2006, … and more »

Redrawn legislative districts may solidify GOP gains – Tuscaloosa Magazine

Redrawn legislative districts may solidify GOP gains Tuscaloosa Magazine Gerald Dial, R-Lineville, right, answers questions during a meeting of the Legislative Committee on Reapportionment at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery on Wednesday. At left is Rep. Jim McClendon, R-Springville. Buy Photo The Associated Press By … and more »

Alabama Legislature considers upping court fees – WALA-TV FOX10

WALA-TV FOX10

Alabama Legislature considers upping court fees WALA-TV FOX10 "If the bill does not pass we're looking at losing around 500 jobs," said Pickens County Circuit Clerk Bobby Cowart when asked about the effect statewide of not passing the bill. "That would be devastating. It would basically leave me alone in my … Bill promotes court fees increaseTuscaloosa News all 45 news articles »

Groundbreaking held for new cotton gin – WTVA

Groundbreaking held for new cotton gin WTVA A group of farmers from Noxubee, Clay, Lowndes in Mississippi and Pickens County in Alabama have pooled their money together to build a $7.5 million state-of-the-art cotton gin. Farmers celebrate this cooperative effort which they say will save them … and more »

Congrats Coach Smith and Sloan Garner – al.com

Congrats Coach Smith and Sloan Garner al.com A total of 74 outstanding senior student-athletes from across the state have been named to North-South All-Star football squads for the 16th annual Alabama All-Star Sports Week competition in Montgomery July 9-13, according to an announcement by Alvin … and more »

Popularity: 22% [?]

Popularity: 22% [?]