Marion County, Florida
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records | Church & Cemetery |
Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites |


VEIW FULL SIZED D.O.T. COUNTY MAP OF
Marion County [MAP1] [MAP2]

Marion County was created in 14 Mar 1844 and was formed from Alachua and Mosquito Counties. The County was named after Francis Marion, the general of the American Revolutionary War who was nicknamed the "Swamp Fox". The County Seat is Ocala. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Marion County are Putnam County (northeast), Volusia County (east), Lake County (southeast), Sumter County (south), Citrus County (southwest), Levy County (west), Alachua County (northwest).

Marion County Cities and Towns include Belleview, Dunnellon, Ocala McIntosh, Reddick. CDPs Include Silver Springs Shores. Communities Include Anthony, Candler, Citra, Eastlake Weir, Emathla, Eureka, Evinston, Fairfield, Fellowship, Flemington, Fort McCoy, Kendrick, Lowell, Lynne, Marion Oaks, Martel, Martin, Moss Bluff, Oklawaha, Orange Lake, Orange Springs, Rainbow Lake Estates, Salt Springs, Santos, Shady, Silver Springs, Sparr, Summerfield, The Villages, Weirsdale, Zuber

  • The Marion County Official Government Website
  • Marion County, Florida History Books at Amazon.com
  • Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
  • Search Historical Newspapers from Florida (1823 - 1959) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
  • Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
  • Search Florida Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

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Records at the Marion 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.marioncountyfl.org/. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. See also Courthouse History

Marion County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1844, Land Records from 1844, Probate Records from 1846 and Court Records from 1849 and is located at P.O. Box 1030, Ocala, Florida 34478-1030; 352-620-3904 , Fax: 352-620-3300

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 Marion County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Marion County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
  • Marion 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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Marion 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 Marion County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Marion 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.
  • Marion 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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Marion 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 Marion County, Florida are 1850 ,1860 ,1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Marion County, Florida are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. 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 Marion County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Marion 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
  • Marion 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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Marion 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 Marion County Maps. Email us with websites containing Marion County Maps by clicking the link below:

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Marion 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 Marion County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Marion County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Marion 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 Marion County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Marion County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Marion County, Florida Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Marion 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 Marion County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Marion County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Ocala-Marion County Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 1206, Ocala, FL 34478-1206
  • Marion County Historical Society, P. O. Box 3215, Ocala, FL 32678
  • Genealogy Club of Oak Run, cranefra@mfi.net
  • 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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Marion 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 Marion County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Marion 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 Marion County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Marion 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 Marion County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Marion County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

When the US Government acquired Florida in 1821, scouts were sent to survey the peninsula. They found that there was a vast population of Seminole and Timucuan Indians. The government wanted to populate the Florida peninsula with white settlements, but the Seminole Indians were a major obstacle. In 1825, the government created an agency to oversee the Seminoles, in what would become Marion County.

Fort King
Due to the animosity caused by relocating the Seminoles out of north Florida, conflicts increased between the whites and Seminoles. A military outpost was established by the U.S. Army to protect the northern boundary of the Indian reservation created by the U.S. Two companies of the U.S. Fourth Infantry under Capt. James M. Glassell explored the area, and camped on a site near present-day Fort King Street and Northeast 36th Avenue. The site was called Cantonment King, or Camp King, in honor of the detachment's former commander, Col. William King. Fort King was a central location during the Second Seminole War.

Marion County Is Formed
Pioneers in Marion County came to the area for free land offered under the Armed Occupation Act during the 1840s. Six military roads converged on Fort King, making it an obvious meeting place. Soon a store, a post office, the county's first courthouse, and a church sprang up near the fort. There were no homes, however, because a provision of the Armed Occupation Act outlawed any personal dwellings within two miles of the fort. As a result, log cabins were scattered throughout the dense, uncleared woodlands.

Between 1842 and 1844, the county was still a part of Alachua, Mosquito (Orange) and Hillsborough counties. The closest county seat was in Alachua, a difficult 50 miles from Fort King. As a result, early settlers began to get restless for a new county.

Gabriel Priest, the first state senator from Marion, represented Alachua County when he introduced the bill to create the new county. The territorial legislative council authorized the formation of Marion County, and the law was signed by Richard Keith Call, the territorial governor, on March 25, 1844.

The following are brief histories of the five incorporated cities of Marion County.

The Timucuan Indians were found in the area of Marion County and practiced worship of the sun thusly, Marion County is known as "Kingdom of the Sun"

City of Ocala
Families wanting the protection of Fort King had settled around a nearby spring as early as 1837. Today the spring flows through culverts under the Ocala Lincoln-Mercury parking lot just south of the downtown square.

After Marion County was formed, efforts began to choose a new, permanent county seat to replace the temporary quarters in Fort King. The county commission passed a resolution on February 19, 1846, declaring that the "county seat of this county shall be known as Ocala " and designating the settlement around the spring.

City of Belleview
The City of Belleview was named by John P. Pelot for his daughter Belle. Pelot was an early settler who owned most of the land in the area. Located in the southern end of Marion County, it was incorporated as a city in 1885. Although Belleview is less than two square miles in size, it is located in the hub of growth, with the city of Ocala to the north and The Villages to the south. Belleview is the county's second largest city with approximately 3,500 residents.

City of Dunnellon
What began as seven small farming communities boomed in 1889 with the discovery of phosphate in the area. A period of prosperity followed and the town developed a railroad, school, post office, electric lights, connected water and a wooden bridge over the Withlacoochee River. Native vegetation and wildlife, scenic nature trails and tranquil gardens, Dunnellon has plenty of the natural beauty typical of the region. Surrounded by two beautiful rivers (the Withlacoochee and the Rainbow) and steeped in a proudly preserved history, Dunnellon embodies Old Florida character and charm.

Dunnellon has been called the "Treasure of Florida's Nature Coast," Dunnellon is home to Florida's second largest artesian spring, Rainbow Springs, which feeds roughly 500 million gallons of crystal clear water each day into the scenic Rainbow River.

City of McIntosh
Twenty miles north of Ocala on U.S. 441 near the Alachua County border, is the city of McIntosh. This small town (just over 400 residents) is a quaint, turn-of-the century village, and is located on the shores of Orange Lake, so named for the grove of wild oranges which sprang, some say, from seeds discarded by Spanish explorers 400 years ago.

City of Reddick
Several towns, including Reddick, were developed along the Florida Southern railroad route in 1880. Reddick was named after John M. Reddick, a planter who attracted the railroad with an offer of land. North of Ocala on Route 25A, the city of Reddick is in the northwest corner of the county and is known for its natural beauty and surrounding horse farms. The noticeable growth in other areas of the county seems to have touched Reddick lightly, much to the pleasure of many residents.

Courthouse History

Marion County was founded in 1844. Many of its earlier settlers hailed from South Carolina, where Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion (the "Swamp Fox") is particularly revered. The county is located in north central Florida, an area which the aboriginal Timucuans knew as "Ocali." Many attempts have been made to translate this term, without success. It is reflected in the name of the county seat, Ocala, which occupies the site of Seminole War-era Ft. King. The area is famous for the presence of a national forest, the Silver Springs attraction, and the horse farms that cover the lovely rolling hills of the western county.

 Another view of the Marion County Courthouse Marion County no longer has a historic courthouse building.  Court was first held within Fort King.  A 20 x 20 foot log structure was then constructed on a site a few blocks from the Ocala public square, the first meeting occurring there September 7, 1846.  This was in use until 1851, when a two-story wooden structure was erected on the square itself.  Access to theMarion County Courthouse second story, where court functions were held, was via an outside staircase.  Next came a two-story square red brick courthouse with white stone trim and white cupola, erected on the same site in 1885 and visible in the postcard at the top of this page.  Of this courthouse nothing remains except its black iron fence, which was moved to another site on nearby Fort King Avenue.  The final courthouse on the public square was opened around 1907.  The grounds featured a bandstand where noted orators such as William Jennings Bryan held forth.  In 1964, when a new county office complex was constructed, this building was demolished for a parking lot.

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