St. Lucie 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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St. Lucie County

St. Lucie County was created in 24 May 1905 and was formed from Brevard County. The County was named after Saint Lucie of Syracuse, a Roman Catholic Saint and martyr for her faith in 304. The County Seat is Ft. Pierce. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to St. Lucie County are Indian River County (north), Martin County (south), Okeechobee County (west).

St. Lucie County Cities and Towns include Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie. Villages Include St. Lucie. CDPs Include Fort Pierce North, Fort Pierce South, Hutchinson Island South, Indian River Estates, Lakewood Park, Port St. Lucie-River Park, White City

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Records at the St. Lucie 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.stlucieco.gov. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. See also Courthouse History

St. Lucie County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1905, Land Records from 1905, Probate Records from 1905 and Court Records from 1905 and is located at 221 S. Indian River Dr., Ft. Pierce, Florida 34950; 772-462-6900 Fax: 772-462-1614
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 St. Lucie County Court Records. Email us with websites containing St. Lucie County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
  • St. Lucie 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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St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing St. Lucie 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.
  • St. Lucie 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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St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie County, Florida are 1910, 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 St. Lucie County Census Records. Email us with websites containing St. Lucie 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
  • St. Lucie 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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St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie County Maps. Email us with websites containing St. Lucie County Maps by clicking the link below:

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

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

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

  • St. Lucie Historical Society, 414 Seaway Drive, St. Lucie, FL 34949
  • 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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St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing St. Lucie County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

According to historians, it is believed that the name “St. Lucie” was first given to this area by the Spanish. The name was given after the Spanish began construction of a fort on December 13 – the feast day of the Roman Catholic Saint Lucia.

The “Santa Lucia” colony was established somewhere between Vero Beach and Stuart around 1567, as old Spanish maps identify this area as Santa Lucia, which included roughly what is now known as Vero Beach to Stuart. The Spanish held Florida from 1783 to 1819. Seminoles (Creek Indians from Alabama and Georgia) and runaway slaves began to settle on the Treasure Coast. The Anglo-Saxon version, “St. Lucie,” would not be officially used to identify the area until the 1900s.

The U.S. territory of Florida was created by Congress in 1832. The Armed Occupation Act of 1842 provided for the settlement of the unsettled part of east Florida. The territory of Florida became a state in 1845.

During the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), the U.S. Army began setting up military posts throughout the state, and in 1837 Col. Benjamin K. Pierce (brother to the future 14th president) sailed down the Indian River from St. Augustine. A year later, he built a fort out of palmetto trees near an Ais Indian mound on what is now known as Old Fort Park on Indian River Drive.

The Florida East Coast Railway's first steam locomotive came to Fort Pierce in 1894. Eventually Henry Flagler took his trains all the way down to Key West before World War I. The railroad expansion helped create a population boom for the area, but it also brought the importation of pineapples from Cuba. These imports combined with frequent freezes and persistent disease caused the collapse of the pineapple trade. Citrus and cattle soon drove the area's agricultural engine.

On July 1, 1905, St. Lucie County was established with Fort Pierce serving as its county seat. The town was previously part of Brevard County. At the time what is now Indian River, Okeechobee, and northern Martin counties were all part of the new St. Lucie County. However, there are some historians that believe the county was established on May 24, 1905, but the event wasn't celebrated until July.

Now 100 years later, St. Lucie County is approximately 600 square miles with a diverse population that includes two cities and one village: Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie Village. With a population of more than 210,000 people living here, St. Lucie County is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. And it's no wonder, with its 21 miles of unspoiled beaches, charming neighborhoods, progressive businesses and friendly people, St. Lucie County is truly the crown jewel of the Treasure Coast.

Fort Pierce

It’s widely known that Fort Pierce was named after Lt. Col. Benjamin K. Pierce, who established a U.S. Army fort here during the second Seminole War in 1838. But it would take more than 60 years for the area to become officially the City of Fort Pierce.

On Dec. 29, 1900, a notice was posted calling all registered voters to assemble at Davis Hall, Fort Pierce, Brevard County, Florida, on February 2, A.D. 1901, for the purpose of organizing a municipal government. On that date, 54 of the 66 voters who resided in the proposed village voted to incorporate. They elected A.C. Dittmar as mayor, appointed D.L. Alderman, A.Y.W. Hogg, P.P. Cobb, L.L. Carlton and F.M. Tyler as the City’s five aldermen. H.I. Klopp was elected as city clerk and D.S. Carlton as marshal. Those 66 residents have now grown to more than 40,000.

Port St. Lucie
Its history may not be as old as Fort Pierce’s, but the story behind Port St. Lucie is just as interesting.

In 1958, General Development Corporation purchased the River Park property as well as an adjoining 40,000 acres. A subsidiary of Mackle Co., GDC had a budget of $50 million to develop a new community on the North Fork of the St. Lucie River.

The population boom was on. Full-page ads drew the interest of retirees from the Northeast, offering them 80 x 125-foot lots for $10 down and $10 a month. Homes sold for as little as $9,000. Soon ranchers began selling pasture land that they had purchased for just $6 an acre for as much as $225 per acre. At its sales office on U.S. 1 and Prima Vista, GDC sold as many as 300 lots a day.

Courthouse History

The original St. Lucie County was created in 1844 and occupied much of Florida's Atlantic coast. Its county seat was located at "Susanna," apparently at or near the present site of Ft. Pierce. The county’s name was changed to Brevard in 1855 and the county seat later moved to Titusville. Then, in 1905, another St. Lucie County, also centered around Ft. Pierce, was created from the southern portions of Brevard. The saint's name (full name St. Lucie of Syracuse, also rendered as Santa Lucia) had been bestowed upon a Spanish fort built near Cape Canaveral in 1565. The other fort, Pierce, was used during the Seminole War and was named for Lt. Col. Benjamin Pierce. He was the brother of the "doughface" President Franklin Pierce.

  Among the more memorable trials in St. Lucie County history was that of Joe Peel, a Palm Beach municipal judge convicted of killing Circuit Judge C. E. Chillingworth. In his memorable account of the crime and subsequent trial, writer Jim Bishop visited Ft. Pierce, which he described as "authentic old Florida - an old town with a whitewashed courthouse and, adjoining, an old three-story jail with two broken rockers on the front porch." Peel's trial was conducted in the second floor courtroom, "a place with a high ceiling ... a jury box, a lighted wall clock sponsored by a jeweler, an oil burner for chilly mornings ... and five rows of benches."

  Little St. Lucie County has also produced four justices of the Florida Supreme Court - Elwyn Thomas, Alto Adams, David McCain, and James Alderman. The latter is the only person ever to have served at all four levels of the state's court system, beginning as St. Lucie County Judge.

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