Alachua County was created in 29 Dec 1824 and was formed from Duval and Saint
Johns Counties. The County was named for a word meaning "sinkhole" in either the Muskogee or Timucua Native American language. The County Seat is Gainsville.
The Alachua area appears to have been the first area occupied by the immigrant Oconees, the original Seminoles, about 1740. Their first town was situated on or near the old Alachua plain, now called Payne's Prairie in homage to "King" Payne, chief of the Alachua settlements upon his death in 1812.
The meaning of Alachua is suggested by a passage in the journal of Lieutenant Diego Peña, who on his expedition to Apalachee and Apalachicola in 1716, traversed the region, and of the area between the Ichetucknee and Suwannee Rivers in southern Suwannee County remarks:“ The 21st day I left the said site (adjacent to the Itchtucknee River) and camped at a place they call Aquilachua this day I marched five leagues. In this day's march no creeks were encountered but there are good springs of water, and the first (is) named Usichua, (and) the other Usiparachua, and another Afanochua. ”
That the springs without effluent streams were sinkholes is consistent with the area, which has many. The names of these watering places all possess the terminator chua, which suggests that chua is the Timucuan name for sinkhole. This inference is not inconsistent with the general opinion of residents of the county, that the name Alachua means sinkhole.
Alachua County proper was created in 1824. The original county seat was Newnansville located near the current site of the city of Alachua. In 1853, the new railroad from Fernandina to Cedar Key bypassed Newnansville, and Gainesville, a new town that was located on the railroad, began to draw business and residents away from Newnansville. Gainesville became the county seat the following year. See also County History for more historical details.
Alachua County Cities and Towns include Alachua, Archer, Gainesville, Hawthorne, High Springs, Newberry, Waldo La Crosse, Micanopy.. CDPs Include Haile Plantation, Jonesville. Communities Include Cross Creek, Evinston, Rochelle, Windsor
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
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Alachua County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1837, Land Records from 1828, Probate Records from 1840 and Court Records from 1850 and is located at 201 E. University Avenue,
P.O. Box 600,
Gainesville, FL 32602-0600;
352-374-3636 / Fax: 352-338-3201 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 Alachua County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Alachua County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Florida Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Florida Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
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 and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
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 Alachua County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Alachua County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - 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.
Click Here to Search Florida Voter Lists & Census Records! - 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 Alachua County, Florida are1830, 1840, 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 Alachua County, Florida areIndustry 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 Alachua County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Alachua 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
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 Alachua County Maps. Email us with websites containing Alachua County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Florida Military Records! - 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 Alachua County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Alachua County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Florida (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
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 Alachua County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Alachua County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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 Alachua County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Alachua County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Florida State Records Center, 4319 Shelfer Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250; (850)245-6750; Hours: By Appointment Only
Florida Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Florida Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. 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.
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 Alachua County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Alachua County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Florida obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Florida newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Indiana.
Click Here to Search Florida Family Tree Records! - 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 Alachua County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Alachua County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Florida Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Long before the Spaniards arrived in Florida, Alachua County's unique combination of fertile soil, broad prairies, clear lakes and abundant game had spawned a complex Indian civilization called Timucuan. Throughout the 16th century, DeSoto and other Spanish explorers plundered the region, then Franciscan priests founded missions and finally ranchers established a large cattle ranch on Paynes Prairie.
During the early 1700s, the English and their Indian allies destroyed these missions. Later, the Seminole Indians made settlements around Micanopy. In 1774, British naturalist William Bartram visited the Alachua region twice and described the region's natural beauty and scenic wonders.
Spain had a difficult time controlling the vast territory of Florida and, unable to stop the influx of American settlers, finally ceded the area to the United States in 1821. Originally part of the Arredondo grant, Alachua County ("Alachua" is thought to be a Spanish corruption of the Timucuan word for "big jug") was created in 1824 as a massive county, extending from the Georgia border to Tampa Bay.
Constant partitioning and The Second Seminole War slowed the county's development, but the coming of the Florida Railroad opened up the interior for both settlement and trading. The route cut diagonally across the county and bypassed the county seat at Newnansville in the northwest. As a result, it was decided at a Boulware Springs meeting on September 6, 1853, to move the county seat near the railroad and create the new town of Gainesville. By 1860, Alachua County had more than 8,000 inhabitants, while Gainesville, its main city, had some 232 residents. During the Civil War, Gainesville served as a major Confederate Commissary and was the site of two battles, a skirmish on February 14, 1864, and a larger battle on August 17, 1864, in which J. J. Dickison routed superior Union forces to deter the Union occupation of North Florida.
Reconstruction brought martial law, Republican rule, the immigration of freed slaves and economic prosperity. Two main schools were established, The Union Academy for African-Americans and East Florida Seminary for whites. By the end of Reconstruction, Alachua County had a population of more than 18,000, while Gainesville, with 1,400 residents, was a mercantile center for cotton and vegetable crops.
During the next 25 years, the county continued to prosper as the citrus and phosphate industries gave it a secure economic base. After two major fires in the 1880s, Gainesville rebuilt with an emphasis on brick structures, and an imposing new red-brick courthouse symbolized its growth from town to city. Gainesville's central location brought two more railroad connections, with trains coming down Main Street. With a population approaching 3,000, the city was one of the state's largest. The town had an opera house, paved streets, city water, telephones and electric lights.
East Florida Seminary expanded, becoming a military school, while a new public school was erected. Merchants such as Dutton, Miller and Baird built fine new homes near downtown and fashionable districts were created in the southeast and along University Avenue.
New towns--including Archer, High Springs, Melrose and Hawthorne- -spawned by the railroad expansion and the citrus and phosphate boom welcomed investors, tourists and speculators. Although severe freezes in the 1890s blighted much of this prosperity, Alachua County entered the 20th century with a population of 32,000 and a growing economy centered in the phosphate, cotton and vegetable industries.
The first two decades of the new century brought Alachua County's agricultural-based economy troubled times as the boll weevil blighted the cotton crops, while World War I brought an end to the phosphate industry in the area. Still, one of the most significant events in the history of the county occurred in 1905, when Gainesville was chosen as the site for the University of Florida. When the university opened a year later, it had only 102 students, 15 faculty and two unfinished buildings.
Twenty years later, the student body numbered 2,000, and students went to classes in 13 Gothic buildings, including a library, a gymnasium and an auditorium. By the 1930s, the university had become the most important staple in the county's economy and helped it weather both the land boom collapse of the mid 1920s and the Depression of the 1930s.
During the years before World War II, the county's population remained fairly constant, at nearly 40,000, but Gainesville rose to almost 14,000, nearly four times its size in 1900. These years witnessed the construction of a magnificent new post office, the White House Hotel, Trinity Church, the Seagle Building and a public hospital. In 1928, William Reuben Thomas opened the Thomas Hotel, which served as the town's social and cultural center for the next 30 years.
World War II deeply affected both the county and Gainesville, as thousands of men and women from the county and the university served in the war. Some died as heroes, including Milton Lewis; some became war aces, including John Alison; and one, Colonel Paul Tibbets, piloted the plane which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
The postwar era brought Alachua County a tremendous population growth and economic expansion. The influx of thousands of veterans seeking an education transformed both the university and Gainesville. The university expanded to more than 9,000 students, then admitted women in 1947 and built a medical school in the next decades. By 1970, the university had a student body of 23,000.
The county and Gainesville also changed dramatically in the postwar years. By 1970, Alachua County had 104,000 inhabitants with three- fourths of them residing in or around Gainesville. Increasingly, the county's economy was dependent on the city's educational and medical facilities. Agriculture employed less than 20 percent of the area's workforce, although the region still led North Florida in the production of peanuts, corn, tobacco, nuts and certain fruits.
During these years, the county's smaller towns changed from being farm centers to become havens for artists, retirees and Gainesville professionals. They also attracted tourists to their historic downtowns. The county's natural wonders, including Paynes Prairie and the Devil's Millhopper were protected by becoming state parks, and historic sites such as the Rawlings house, the Haile Plantation and the Dudlley Farm were preserved. With a population of more than 200,000, the county offers abundant archaeological, historical and natural sites to visitors and residents alike.
Courthouse History
Alachua is one of Florida’s older counties, dating to territorial times (1824). The name is of even older origin. Allen Morris reports that it is Creek for "jug" or "sinkhole," in keeping with the area’s unique geology featuring numerous large sinkholes and caves including the famous "Devil’s Millhopper." The Alachua sink was in the vicinity of Payne’s Prairie, a vast open expanse south of Gainesville. In antebellum times this prairie was covered with water and plied by steamboats, but it drained when the sinkhole opened.
Among the earlier settlements in Alachua County was "Hog Town," which grew up in the early 1800's around a trading post. When Senator David Levy Yulee constructed a railroad from Fernandina to Cedar Key, Hog Town residents felt a more euphonious name was in order and eventually decided upon Gainesville in honor of General Edmund P. Gaines, a veteran of the Seminole wars. In 1853 Gainesville replaced Newnansville as the county seat. Until 1828 residents had attended superior court in St. Augustine, St. Johns County. Thereafter, Newnansville served as headquarters not only for Alachua but for several surrounding counties as well. Until boundaries were readjusted, Newnansville was briefly located in Columbia County. The Gainesville courthouse shown here is the second of four. It was built in 1885 and demolished in 1958. Among the more celebrated trials to have occurred here was asuit for invasion of privacy filed in 1943 against Cross Creek author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, who had written an unflattering description of the local census taker. Professor Patricia Acton has written a delightfulaccount of this "warfare of pleadings" and the spirited hearings that followed. The current courthouse was constructed in 1975.
