Pinellas 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 |


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Pinellas County

Pinellas County was created in 23 May 1911 and was formed from Hillsborough County. The County was named the Spanish words Punta Piñal ("Point of Pines" or "Piney Point"). The County Seat is Clearwater. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Pinellas County are Pasco County (north), Hillsborough County (east and south).

Pinellas County Cities and Towns include Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs, Clearwater, Dunedin, Gulfport, Indian Rocks Beach, Largo, Madeira Beach, Oldsmar, Pinellas Park, Safety Harbor, St. Pete Beach, St. Petersburg, Seminole, South Pasadena, Tarpon Springs, Treasure Island Belleair, Belleair Shore, Indian Shores, Kenneth City, North Redington Beach, Redington Beach, Redington Shores. CDPs Include Bay Pines, East Lake, Feather Sound, Gandy, Harbor Bluffs, Palm Harbor, Ridgecrest, South Highpoint, Tierra Verde, West and East Lealman

  • The Pinellas County Official Government Website
  • Pinellas 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 Pinellas 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.pinellascounty.org/. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. See also Courthouse History

Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1911, Land Records from 1911, Probate Records from 1911 and Court Records from 1911 and is located at 315 Court, Street, Clearwater, Florida 33756 727-464-3267, Fax: 727-464-4162
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 Pinellas County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Pinellas County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
  • Pinellas 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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Pinellas 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 Pinellas County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Pinellas 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.
  • Pinellas 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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Pinellas 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 Pinellas County, Florida are 1920 and 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 Pinellas County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Pinellas 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
  • Pinellas 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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Pinellas 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 Pinellas County Maps. Email us with websites containing Pinellas County Maps by clicking the link below:

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

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

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

  • Pinellas County Historical Society, 11909 125th Street North, Largo, FL 34615
  • Pinellas Genealogical Society, C/o Largo Public Library, 351 East Bay Drive, P. O. Box 1614, Largo, FL 33779-1614
  • Clearwater Historical Society, P. O. Box 175, Clearwater, FL 34617
  • Dunedin Historical Society, 349 Main St., P. O. Box 2393, Dunedin, FL 34697-2393; 813-736-1176 and 813-529-3307
  • Gulfport Historical Society, 5301 29th Avenue South, Gulfport, FL 33707
  • Largo Area Historical Society, 805 S. Palm Dr., Largo, FL 33541
  • St. Petersburg Historical Society, 334 Second Ave. NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
  • Tarpon Springs Area Historical Society, 160 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
  • 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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Pinellas 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 Pinellas County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Pinellas 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 Pinellas County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Pinellas 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 Pinellas County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Pinellas County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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County History

Pinellas County is a peninsula bordered by the Gulf of Mexico on the west and by Tampa Bay on the east. The county is 38 miles long and 15 miles wide at its broadest point. Its land area covers approximately 264 square miles. view location of Pinellas County

Pinellas is derived from the Spanish words Punta Pinal meaning "point of pines." That was an accurate description for this area when it was discovered by Panfilo de Narvaez in 1528, 36 years after Columbus arrived in the Caribbean and 37 years before the founding of St. Augustine. Narvaez and 400 soldiers, probably the first Europeans in this area, primarily came looking for gold and silver.

Instead they found the Tocobagan Indians, an agricultural tribe that had occupied the peninsula for hundreds of years. Narvaez and his crew treated them cruelly, ransacked their huts, and pillaged their ceremonial mounds, but found no treasure. Hernando de Soto and other Spanish intruders also came to this area of Florida looking for treasures but fared no better.

It was another 300 years before the first white settler, Odet Philippe, landed on the shores of Tampa Bay sometime in the early 1830s. He established his plantation, St. Helena, on the site of what is now Philippe Park in Safety Harbor. Philippe is credited with planting the first citrus grove in the area and was instrumental in beginning Florida's citrus industry.

Federal homesteading legislation, passed in 1842, opened up the area to settlers who came to claim their 160 acres. Completion of the Orange Belt Railroad to St. Petersburg in 1888 assured continued growth and development of the peninsula. Entrepreneurs built elaborate hotels to entice wealthy investors and tourists. The Belleview, later the Belleview-Biltmore,  was finished in 1897. A famous Baltimore doctor, F.A. Davis, wrote glowing reports describing Clearwater Harbor as "the most healthful location." Many who came for their health decided to stay.

Before 1912, Pinellas was part of Hillsborough County and was known as West Hillsborough. Arduous trips to Tampa over marshy lands and often impassable wagon trails for meetings, plus a growing resentment at not getting a fair share of benefits for taxes paid, created pressure for secession. After years of political maneuvering and conniving, a bill finally passed both houses of the Florida Legislature. Following an overwhelming local referendum vote, Pinellas became a separate county on January 1, 1912. The population was 13,000. Clearwater was designated the County seat.

The growth of Pinellas County has been steady but with its share of ups and downs. The euphoria of boom times was frequently interrupted with the reality of "busts"-the stock market crash and depressions, hurricanes, wars, and over-speculation. The years after World War II brought thousands of new residents attracted by Florida's reputation as a tropical paradise and its promise of new opportunities. Pinellas County has grown steadily over the years. Its population estimate in 1997 was 893,468 permanent residents with an additional 40,921 seasonal residents.

If the early explorers were to return today, they would find their "gold" in the form of tourism, which has become Pinellas County's most important industry. An estimated 4,251,045 visitors added almost $2 billion to the Pinellas economy in 1997.

Courthouse History

Pinellas County occupies the large peninsula on the west side of Tampa Bay, at the tip of which lies Point Pinellas or punta pinal, "point of pines." The county was separated from Hillsborough County in 1911. Among the original settlements was Clear Water Harbor, located near the Seminole War-era Ft. Harrison and named for a freshwater spring which rose just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

Later shortened to Clearwater, the community became the county seat. It is reported that Clearwater residents, knowing of legislation prohibiting the moving of the county seat for twenty years after construction of a courthouse, constructed a makeshift courthouse virtually overnight. A more permanent structure, designed in the Classical Revival style by Francis J. Kennard, was completed in 1918. Pinellas County has retained and restored its historic courthouse, although it is now surrounded by newer construction. The postcard view is from the mid-1930's.

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