Gilchrist County, Florida
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

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Gilchrist County

Gilchrist County was created in 4 Dec 1925 and was formed from Alachua County. The County was named for Albert Waller Gilchrist, the twentieth Governor of Florida from 1909 to 1913. The County Seat is Trenton. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Gilchrist County are Columbia County (northeast), Alachua County (east), Levy County (south), Dixie County (southwest), Dixie County (west), Suwannee County (northwest), Lafayette County (northwest) .

Gilchrist County Cities and Towns include Fanning Springs, Trenton Bell

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Records at the Gilchrist County Courthouse

See Also Florida Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

The Official County website is located at http://www.co.gilchrist.fl.us/. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. See also Courthouse History

Gilchrist County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1926, Land Records from 1926, Probate Records from 1926 and Court Records from 1926 and is located at P.O. Box 37, Trenton, Florida 32693; 352-463-3170 or 800-267-3182, Fax: 352-463-4050
The Clerk of the Circuit Court is also the County Clerk. His office is located in the County Courthouse. The office of the Clerk is created in Article V and Article VIII of the Florida Constitution. The Clerk is an officer of the court of justice whose responsibilities are mandated by the Constitution as well as state and local laws. Under a 1973 reorganization of the judicial system, the clerk of courts in each county was made, and remains, custodian of all records of all predecessor courts, whether justice of the peace, city, county, probate, civil, or criminal.

You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which covers Florida and surrounding states. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Below is a list of online resources for Gilchrist County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Gilchrist County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
  • Gilchrist County, Florida Court Books at Amazon.com
  • Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
  • Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
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Gilchrist County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Florida

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Office of Vital Statistics, Dept of Health, P.O. Box 210, 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042; (904) 359-6900 Ext. 1029, Fax: (904) 359-6993.

  • Birth Certificates: has custody of birth records filed from January 1917 to date. Scattered birth records from 1865 through 1916 are also held by the bureau, and some city health departments have some additional scattered records (e.g., Jacksonville, 1893-1913; Pensacola, 1897-1916).
    • Cost: $9.00 for computer certification & $14.00 per photocopy certification (1930 to present), payment is payable to the Office of Vital Statistics. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $9.00/$14.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Death Certificates: From 1917 - present. Death records begin about 1877, but the first state law mandating registration of deaths was passed in 1899, and records before 1917 are spotty. It is always well to check with city health departments.
    • Cost: $5.00 per certificate. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $5.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Marriage & Divorce Certificates: has custody of marriage, divorce, and annulment records filed after 6 June 1927. For records prior to that date, and there are thousands of them, query the clerk of courts in the county where the license or decree was issued. Numerous divorces and resulting name-changes are to be found in Names and Abstracts from the Acts of the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida, 1822-1845 (Pass-A-Grille Beach, Fla.: William A. and Janet B. Wolfe, 1985). Copies of marriage license applications are available only from the clerk of courts in the county courthouse. Standard request forms for copies of state-held records are necessary and available as indicated above.
    • Cost: $5.00 per certificate. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $5.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
  • Processing Time: Allow 3 to 6 weeks for the search by mail for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY.
  • Order In Person: To order your copy through your local County Health Department Vital Statistics office click here for a list of the 67 County Health Departments. WALK-IN SERVICE is available at 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, Florida, between 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Orders prepaid by Noonmay be picked up after 3:30 p.m. Orders prepaid after Noon may be picked up after 10:00 a.m. the next workday. Each requestmust be accompanied by picture identification Certifications for photocopies rush service requires an additional fee of $10.
  • Order By Mail:  Turn around is estimated at 3 to 6 weeks from the day the request is received. Mail to the following address: Office of Vital Statistics, Dept of Health, P.O. Box 210, 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042. Please include return address on envelope and application form.

Below is a list of online resources for Gilchrist County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Gilchrist County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

  • VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
  • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREEicon - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
  • Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Florida newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
  • Gilchrist County, Florida Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
  • Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.
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Gilchrist County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Florida

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Gilchrist County, Florida are 1930. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

Below is a list of online resources for Gilchrist County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Gilchrist County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Florida Census, 1820-90: This collection contains the following indexes: 1820 Census Index (Pensacola and Escambia River Areas); 1825 Leon County Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1850 Slave Schedule; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1860 Slave Schedule; 1870 Federal Census Index; 1890 Veterans Schedule; 1890 Naval Veterans Schedule; Early Census Index, Vol. 1-2.
  • Florida State Census, 1885: This database is an index with corresponding images of the 1885 Florida State Census
  • Gilchrist County, Florida Census Books at Amazon.com
  • Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.
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Gilchrist County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Maps are an excellent source for beginning your research, because they provide much useful information at a glance. Many historic maps show individual buildings and are especially useful because they also record owners' names and features in the surrounding community. More detailed maps reveal property acreage and estate names. By examining a series of maps, you will be able to date changes in your property over time.

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Florida showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Florida showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. The Florida Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Gilchrist County Maps. Email us with websites containing Gilchrist County Maps by clicking the link below:

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Gilchrist County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Florida

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Gilchrist County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Gilchrist County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Gilchrist County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Early tax rolls, especially between census years, can be a gold mine for the fortunate researcher. Most existing rolls can be found in the counties of origin, but the Flordia State Archives also has some bound volumes sent to the state comptroller during the period 1829-81. Normal information includes the taxpayer's name, land ownership, number of white males (above taxable age, 21) and slaves, horses, wagons, and other taxable items of personal property such as jewelry, watches, musical instruments, and carriages. Many of the counties' records in the series are incomplete, but there are some in the Florida State Archives that the originating counties no longer have. This valuable resource is not indexed. It must be searched in the county, at the Florida State Archives, or both.

Below is a list of online resources for Gilchrist County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Gilchrist County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Gilchrist County, Florida Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Gilchrist County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Florida Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Gilchrist County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Gilchrist County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Gilchrist County Genealogical Society, 105 Ne 11th Avenue, Trenton 32693
  • Florida Dept of State Div of Library & Information Services, Bureau of Archives & Records Management, 500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250; (850)245-6700, [EMAIL]
  • Florida Historical Society 1320 Highland Ave, Melbourne, FL 32935; (321) 254-9855,[EMAIL]
  • Florida State Genealogical Society, PO Box 10249, Tallahassee, FL 32302-2249
  • Florida State Library, R.A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250, (850)245-6600; Hours: Mon.- Fri. 9:00am - 4:30pm, Sat. 9:30am - 3:30pm
  • Florida State Records Center, 4319 Shelfer Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250; (850)245-6750; Hours: By Appointment Only
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
  • Florida Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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Gilchrist County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Florida

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Gilchrist County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Gilchrist County Tombstone Transcription Project.

As in most former frontier societies, early Florida church records are hit-and-miss, but they can be valuable when located. The Roman Catholic faith accompanied the earliest Spanish settlers to Florida, and by 1822 the Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians were also active in the new territory. By 1845 the Baptists had split into the Missionary and Primitive varieties (probably totaling more than 5,000 Florida members), and all of the above groups had become more or less well organized Methodists had two churches in Fernandina as early as 1822 (under the South Carolina Conference) and more than 10,000 members by statehood.

Cemetery records are held by most Florida libraries and archives. One important compiled source is the WPA Register of Deceased Veterans Buried in Florida, which covers fifty-one of the sixty-seven counties. Access to the massive amount of cemetery information scattered throughout the state is being facilitated by a continuing cemetery location project of the Florida State Genealogical Society.

Below is a list of online resources for Gilchrist County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Gilchrist County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Gilchrist County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Gilchrist County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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County History

The popular story of how Gilchrist County came into being concerns a bluff by citizens in the western part of Alachua County.  The citizens there in what was called "The West End" wanted a road from the Suwannee River at Fannin(g) to Gainesville, the county seat of Alachua County.  When the County Commission refused to build the road, the citizens in the western part drew up plans for a new county and presented it to the Alachua County Commission.

When the County Commission still refused to build the road, the citizens had to save face, so they sent a petition that would create a new county to the Legislature, meeting then in a special session in Tallahassee.  The bill passed and was signed by Governor John W. Martin on December 4, 1925.  As a result, there came into being Florida's sixty-seventh county, the last and smallest Florida county.

There were other reasons for the establishment of Gilchrist County, including the issue of the no-fence law and the distribution of racetrack money.

Alachua County favored a no-fence law, a law that would fence in cows and prevent them from wandering at large; many people in the Western End did not like such a law.  Also, many citizens in the western part of Alachua County felt that they were not adequately represented on the Alachua County Commission.  In 1925, for example, that Commission wanted to bridge over the Suwannee River at Fort Fannin to go unattended; the Commission felt that it was just too expensive to keep a bridge tender there.

The people in the West End felt neglected by the Alachua County Commission, a feeling partly brought on by the distances involved.  It would take all day, especially on the sandy roads before the roads were paved, to make the trip to Gainesville and back in a Model-T to do any official business with the school superintendent or the sheriff, whose offices were in the courthouse in Gainesville.

Many people in the West End believed they would be better off financially, especially because a new county would receive an equal share of the state's racetrack revenue, which the state distributed equally to each county.

The citizen group had chosen the name Melon County as its name to honor the many watermelons grown in the area, and at first it seemed to be a good idea.

Concerning the mane of the new county, the Legislature had its own ideas.  Legislators first suggested the name Wilson to honor the late President Woodrow Wilson, but then decided to name the new county after ex-Governor Albert Waller Gilchrist, who was ill at the time in a New York hospital.

Gov. Gilchrist finally died of cancer on May 15, 1926, and was laid to rest in Punta Gorda, north of Fort Myers.  While most of his estate of a half-million dollars went to charities, his will also stipulated that part of it be set aside to provide the children of his beloved Punta Gorda with ice cream every Halloween because, in his words, "It costs but little and affords much happiness."  His name was a fitting choice for the new County.

On December 4, 1925, Governor John W. Martin signed the law creating Gilchrist County.  On January 1, 1926, Gilchrist County came into existence, the law county to be established in Florida.  it consisted of 339 square miles or 226,560 acres, most of which was farmland or timberland

Courthouse History

Gilchrist County, named in honor of Governor Albert Gilchrist, was created from Alachua County in 1925. Governor Gilchrist, a lifelong bachelor, is fondly remembered for a provision in his will buying ice cream for the children of his hometown Punta Gorda. Local citizens began clamoring for a new county after Alachua commissioners refused to build a new road from Gainesville to Fanning Springs on the Suwannee River.  These citizens had suggested the name "Melon County" for the watermelons that are still grown here in profusion.   The legislature, however, first considered honoring the recently deceased President Woodrow Wilson, then chose Gilchrist when learning that the latter was also on his deathbed in a New York hospital.  The county seat of Gilchrist County is Trenton, formerly known as Joppa; an early settler renamed it for his own hometown of Trenton, Tennessee.

  The first courthouse was located in a renovated school building, which burned in 1932.  The present Gilchrist County Courthouse was a project of the depression-era Works Progress Administration. Designed by the firm of Smith, Holborn, and Dozier of Jacksonville, it was built in 1933 and remodeled in 1965. The original courthouse was located in a converted school building which burned in 1932

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