Flagler County was created in 28 Apr 1917 and was formed from Saint
Johns and Volusia Counties. The County was named for Henry Morrison Flagler, a famous railroad and real estate tycoon who helped develop eastern Florida's seaboard. The County Seat is Bunnell. See also County History for more historical details.
Flagler County Cities and Towns include Bunnell, Flagler Beach, Palm Coast Beverly Beach, Marineland. Communities Include Espanola, Flagler Estates, Daytona North
PLEASE READ!! 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.
Flagler County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1917, Land Records from 1917, Probate Records from 1917 and Court Records from 1917 and is located at 201 E. Moody Blvd., P.O. Box 787, Bunnell, FL 32110; 386-437-7410, Fax: 386-437-7406 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 Flagler County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Flagler 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. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
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.
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. Order On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek
Below is a list of online resources for Flagler County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Flagler County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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 Flagler County, Florida are1920 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 Flagler County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Flagler 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 Flagler County Maps. Email us with websites containing Flagler 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. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Flagler County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Flagler 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 from the State of Florida (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 Flagler County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Flagler 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 Flagler County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Flagler 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 Flagler County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Flagler County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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 Flagler County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Flagler 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.
Flagler County's history is best understood within the larger context of Florida's history. To view an account of Florida's history from "Ice Age to Space Age" Florida Facts The brief comments below are intended to highlight a few of the specific events that occurred here using the same time frames as those of the Short History of Florida. These events make Flagler County the interesting and unique place that it is today.
EARLY HUMAN HABITATION 10,000 AD - 1513
While Florida's earliest inhabitants tended to settle in the state's interior, changing conditions enabled Timucuan Indians to settle here well before the arrival of Europeans. It is estimated that as many as 14,000 lived in the area between the St. John's River and Cape Canaveral.Florida Argicultural Museum A visit to Tomoka State Park via the Internet will give you an overview of the Park's resources and information you will need to visit the site. An interpretive display there shows how the abundant natural resources of the area supported the long and highly developed culture of the Timucuan Indians.
If you visit the park, be sure to look for another display describing how the forces of nature have shaped our coastal environment. Ocean currents and wind have been building and changing our barrier island, marshes and forests for eons. It is still a work in progress. Washington Oaks State Park affords another opportunity to view and learn about the unique geography and ecosystems of our county. If you walk the beach there you will see outcroppings of coquina rock that will figure prominently in the construction of forts and plantations in the following eras.
EUROPEAN EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION 1861-1875
As the hostilities between Spanish forces based in St. Augustine and French ones based near present day Jacksonville escalated, Flagler Beach became the scene for the dramatic part of the history. The inconclusive naval battle that was waged off shore took a strange turn as a violent storm overtook the French ships, pushing them south and wrecking them on the beach somewhere near Mosquito Lagoon (Ponce de Leon Inlet). The surviving soldiers and crew made their way north along the beach through today's Flagler County to the Matanzas River where they attempted to surrender to Menendez. The story of the brutal massacre that ensued is still recalled at Fort Matanzas National Park.
FIRST SPANISH PERIOD 1565-1763
The chain of Spanish missions extending south and west of St. Augustine included two in Flagler County. The St. Joseph Mission was located near the intersection of present day Palm Coast Parkway and Old King's Road. Another was situated at the site that today is occupied by Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park. If you travel to Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park. and the nearby Bulow Creek Park today, you will be using the same pathways that have been in service since these early days, King's Road and Old Dixie Highway.
Contact with the Europeans and their livestock took a terrible toll on the Indian population. Diseases to which they had no immunity soon decimated their numbers, until at the end of this period the Timucuan nation ceased to exist. Hostilities between the Spanish, French, English and Indians destroyed many of the artifacts of the Indian civilization.
BRITISH FLORIDA 1763-1784
It was in 1766, following the Treaty of Paris, that the British extended King's Road from Georgia to Jacksonville, St. Augustine, through present day Flagler County and on to the Turnbull Colony at New Smyrna. Bridges were constructed over Pellicer Creek and the Tomoka River. It remains a primary North-South road through Flagler County today.
SECOND SPANISH PERIOD 1784-1821
Generous Spanish land grants provided an impetus for immigration during this period. Josia Dupont received an oral grant from the Spanish king, but Indian conflict made it impossible for him to establish a successful plantation at this early date. His son, Abraham Dupont, would return in 1825 with his family. Their descendants are among the earliest families to reside in Flagler County.
James Russell also obtained a large land grant, but sold his interest to Charles Bulow shortly thereafter. Bulowville, as his plantation was called, boasted a sugar mill, and produced sugar cane, rice, cotton and indigo. Two hundred slaves cleared the land and worked it. Visit the website at Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park and the State Park to learn more about this turbulent era. Traveling there you will be using Old King's Road and Old Dixie Highway, the same roads that served the earliest inhabitants of the region. The old growth forests and marshes through which you pass still look much the same as they did in this early period.
Captain James Ormond I received another land grant in 1807 for a large parcel at the site of today's Bulow Creek State Park. If you visit the park today you will find the magnificent Fairchild Oak that shaded early settlers. An interpretive display explains that Ormond's efforts to establish the plantation were cut short when he was shot and killed by a runaway slave. The family returned to their native Scotland, but in 1820 young James II returned and took over the operation of the plantation. James II died only nine years later, and the plantation was abandoned, later to be destroyed during the Second Seminole war.
TERRITORIAL PERIOD 1821 -1845
In the winter of 1831 naturalist John Audubon visited several plantations in East Florida. He and his party walked from St. Augustine to the Hernandes plantation at Mala Compra and spent ten days sketching and collecting specimens. After a quarrel with Hernandez, the party left there on Christmas Day and proceeded to the Bulow Plantation, where they were received most graciously by young John Bulow. The productive expedition lasted four weeks and included a trip into the interior to an area near present day Deland. The return trip to St. Augustine required a wagon and six mules to transport the collected specimens.
Joseph Hernandez and John Bulow both initially supported Indian rights and attempted to maintain friendly relations with them. Subsequent Indian raids and the burning of
Mala Compra Plantation changed Hernandez's outlook, and he began an active role in the local militia. His property at St. Joseph was used to store provisions and ammunition, while Mala Compra served as military headquarters for the unit. On one occasion the militia marched south to the Bulow Plantation in pursuit of Indian raiders, only to be greeted by a warning shot from, Bulow's cannon. The militia prevailed, detaining and binding Bulow while they "...enjoyed the comforts of his home." Hernandez ultimately attained the rank of Brigadier General and had a major role in the Seminole Wars..
Conflict between European settlers and Seminole Indians is a consistent theme throughout this era. One result was that Old King's road fell into disrepair, and the bridges across Pellicer Creek and the Tomoka River were destroyed. Travel was difficult and dangerous. Local historian John Clegg describes the mail route through Flagler County in 1844 as follows: "...take a boat down the Matanzas River past the Dupont residence and then overland to St. Joseph plantation and thence to the headwaters of Halifax River and by boat on to New Smyrna." To learn more about this turbulent era, revisit the Internet links mentioned in the above text and visit the State and County Parks for a first hand view of these fascinating historical sites.
STATEHOOD 1845-1861
General Joseph M. Hernandez was the region’s must influential political leader during the period between Florida’s statehood and succession. He served as the representative to the constitutional convention at St. Joseph and as the first appointed delegate to congress.
In 1844 Louisa Hernandez, the daughter of General Hernandez, married George Washington, a distant relative of the president. After Louisa’s untimely death, Washington bought the Bella Vista property. He used it primarily for hunting and fishing, and built a country home there for his son George Washington Jr. You can visit the Washington Oaks State Park today to learn more about the lives of these early residents. You can visit the website at Washington Oaks State Park and visit the State Park to learn more about their story.
CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION 1861-1875
Flagler County supported the Confederate cause through military service and the supply of timber, beef, citrus cotton and salt. Salt was in short supply and great demand as meat preservative. The salt works at the Mala Compra Plantation was an important source, but Union patrols made the area insecure and the operation was moved eastward to the coast. There the great iron vats from the St. Joseph sugar plantation were used to boil sea water in the production of salt. For an overview of the social upheaval that occurred here during this period use the link to Florida Facts
FLORIDA DEVELOPMENT 1875 - 1926
In 1886, wealthy industrialist Henry Cutting and his wife, Angela, built an elaborate hunting lodge on the Matanzas. There he hunted and fished during winter months with his frequent guests from prominent families in New England and Chicago. Like other northern visitors of the era, they arrived by steamboat. After Henry's death, his widow married an exiled Russian prince, Boris Sherbatow. They continued to winter on the estate. Flagler County is currently restoring the property, now known as Princess Place. It is located in the northern region of the county, on the unpaved section of Old Kings Road. Call the Department of Parks at 437-7490 for more information and visit this interesting site.
The coming of the railroad that connected Jacksonville and Ormond shaped the next chapter of Flagler's history. The route traveled through Windemere where settlers were already raising cattle. Rail transportation spawned tremendous growth in timber and turpentine production in this area, now known as Espanola. Tram railroads built by Utley J. White extended into remote areas of the county and served the expanding operations. Timber was exported and used locally for building railroads and making the barrels that would take potatoes to market. Potato farming grew in importance as rail transportation provided access to markets to the north. Life was harsh for those who labored in the Florida frontier. Those who built the railroads, logged the timber and worked the turpentine were most at risk. In later years author Zora Neale Hurston became the voice for these often forgotten and ignored. Look for her books in the library and visit the Agriculture Museum to learn more.
Henry Flagler purchased the narrow gauge railway that had served the area in 1885 and converted it to standard gauge, greatly increasing access for the cattle, timber, turpentine, potato and citrus producers of the interior. The county was named in his honor. The Historical Society of Flagler County has an interesting collection of photographs from this period at their museum in Bunnell.
An inland water route between Jacksonville and New Smyrna was begun in 1881 by the construction of a canal connecting the Matanzas and Halifax Rivers. This waterway would eventually extend to south Florida. We know it today as the Intracostal Waterway. A visit to Gamble Rogers State Park will provide access to the Waterway as well as the Atlantic beach. It is a popular spot for water sport recreation and wildlife observation.
In 1915 Dixie Highway was constructed as a narrow brick road from Jacksonville through St. Augustine, Hastings, Espanola, Bunnell and ending at Flagler Beach. Now tourists from the north would have a land route to Flagler's beach. When the newer highway was built 1926, the more direct route bypassed Espanola, and contributed to the decline of that community. Today Dixie Highway (US 1) is a major north-south route, but Old Dixie Highway still serves the community.
Flagler became a county in 1917 as a patchwork brought together from the southern portion of St. John's County and the northern portion of Volusia. The communities of Bunnell, Espanola, St. Johns Park, Haw Creek, Dupont, Korona and Ocean City (Flagler Beach) were the economic and population centers of the time. Bunnell became the county seat.
With the advantage of better transportation and infrastructure, Flagler County's development accelerated. Ornamental fern production replaced citrus as the latter moved south after the severe freezes at the turn of the century. Changing market conditions caused a gradual shift from potato to cabbage farming.
WORLD WAR II AND THE POST-WAR "BOOM" 1945-
The post war "boom" was a little late in arriving in Flagler County. It came in the form of a highway known as I-95 and a corporation known as ITT. Once again, new transportation routes and corridors of development went hand in hand. Plans made public in 1969 envisioned the development of a community of 700,000 souls in a place named Palm Coast. The property covered about 68,000 acres, and was to have amenities including hotels, restaurants, and waterfront and wooded home sites, golf courses, tennis clubs and more. While the population density has not reached the original projections, Palm Coast is today a thriving community.
Courthouse History
Flagler County was created in 1917 from parts of Volusia and St. Johns Counties. The name honors Henry Morrison Flagler, railroad magnate and developer of Florida's east coast. Reportedly the name was suggested by developer and banker I. I. Moody, after the local legislative delegation originally proposed the name "Moody County."The county seat is Bunnell, settled in 1880 by Alva A. Bunnell. It happens to be the home town of Polk Circuit Judge Susan Wadsworth Roberts, whose father was a longtime state legislator and, like daughter, a circuit judge.
A dedication ceremony was held in Ocean City (now Flagler Beach), with Governor Sidney Catts the keynote speaker. Governor Catts noted the new county's small size but predicted it would prosper anyway; putting his money where his mouth was, he invested in a 40-acre potato farm. County offices were set up in a building being vacated by I. I. Moody's Bunnell State Bank. The second floor courtroom had been used by the localMasonic lodge. These facilities were in use until 1924,when the county constructed the courthouse shown here. Designed by architect Wilbur Talley, it was built by O. P. Woodcock.
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