Jefferson County was created in 20 Jan 1827 and was formed from Leon County. The County was named after Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States The County Seat is Monticello. See also County History for more historical details.
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.
Jefferson County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1827, Land Records from 1827, Probate Records from 1900 and Court Records from 1900 and is located at Room 10, Jefferson County Court, house, Monticello, Florida
32344; 850-342-0218, Fax: 850-342-0222 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 Jefferson County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Maps. Email us with websites containing Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Jefferson County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Jefferson County Historical Association, P. O. Box 496, Monticello, FL 32344
Keystone Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 50, Monticello, FL 32344; 904-997-3304, Email: canesyrup@aol.com
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 Jefferson County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Jefferson 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.
The first Europeans to enter what was to become
Jefferson County were the members of Panfilo de
Narvaez's expedition. They passed through an Apalachee
town in 1528. In the 17th century, the Franciscans
administered five missions in the county along
an east-west line near what would become U.S. Highway
27. These missions were destroyed at the beginning
of the 18th century by the English governor of
South Carolina in retaliation against Spanish depredations.
When American settlers entered the county in the
19th century, the land was occupied not by the
Apalachees, who had been dispersed when the missions
were abandoned, but by Miccosukees, a branch of
the Creeks who became part of the Seminole group.
Florida was ceded by Spain to America in 1818.
Settlement of Jefferson County was spurred both
by its proximity to Tallahassee, the newly selected
capital, and by the suitability of its soil for
cotton cultivation. Early settlers bought large
tracts of virgin forest, or, if they could, the
old fields of the Indians. They cleared this land
to plant cotton.
Jefferson County was separated from Leon County
in 1827. The county, named for Thomas Jefferson,
was established January 6, 1827. Monticello, named
for Jefferson's Virginia home, was named county
seat before statehood, while Florida was a territory
of the United States. Monticello remains the county's
only incorporated city. Robison's Post Office was
named its county seat, superseding the older settlement
of Waukeenah. The county seat was soon renamed
Monticello. The county quickly acquired its first
school, the Jefferson Academy, and a courthouse.
Its prosperity suffered in the late 1830's when
many of the settlers went to fight in the Seminole
War. The failure of the Union Bank in Tallahassee
also affected the county. In the 1850's, county
residents who had been endeavoring to make the
Wacissa and Aucilla Rivers navigable by canals
adopted the railroad instead as their means of
transportation. The arrival of the train at Station
Number Two signaled the birth of Lloyd, which prospered
with the railroads until the 1930's. The railroad
also gave a boost to Aucilla, but Monticello was
left stranded three miles north of the main track.
The Civil War broke out while the county was still
burdened by its heavy railroad debt. In the war's
aftermath, county planters struggled with debt
and fluctuating cotton profits. Within a few years,
farmers and store owners all found themselves trapped
in the endless cycle of credit, which characterized
sharecropping.
In the 1880's, farmers began looking for other
crops. William Cirardeau sent out the first shipment
of watermelon seed in 1882, and 40 years later,
Jefferson County produced 80 percent of the world's
supply. The Le Conte pear was also produced, but
pecan were a larger cash crop. The flatwoods in
the southern part of the county supplied both turpentine
and lumber.
While Jefferson County held its own in agriculture
after the Civil War, it failed to gather a large
share of the new tourist trade. However, northerners
did come to spend their winters at St. Elmo's Hotel
in Monticello or to fish at the head of the Wacissa,
but their role in the county's economy was ultimately
not that of the tourist. After the agricultural
depression of the 1920's several winter visitors
bought up vast tracts of Jefferson County to use
as hunting preserves.
When the county was established in 1827, the log
home of John G. Robison, which served as post office,
was selected as seat of government. A two-story
frame courthouse, begun in 1834 and completed in
1841, served the county for about 70 years.
The current County Courthouse was built just after
the beginning of the 20th century, when the county
population was about 17,000. In November, 1908,
voters approved a $35,000 bond issue to construct
a courthouse. E.C. Hosford, architect of Eastman,
Ga., and Bartow, Fla., designed the building after
the style of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, in
classic revival style with French influence. Mutual
Construction Company of Louisville, Ky., constructed
the building. It is built of poured concrete slabs
with interior walls one foot thick. Three vaults
with walls eighteen inches thick are located in
various offices. Floors are pine and ceramic tile.
There are four chimneys with three fireplaces each,
which burned coal. Two big pot-bellied coal burning
stoves were used to heat the courtroom. The Courthouse
was dedicated in 1910. It housed courts and all
county offices, including school administration.
The Courthouse is located at the intersection of
US Highways 19 and 90.
The building was "modernized" in
1968, but little structural changes have made
in the 1908 design. Much of the original oak
courtroom furniture is still in use including
the judge's bench and the jury box.
Courthouse History
Jefferson County, named for the nation’s third President, was founded in 1827. A county seat was specially created, including a central courthouse square, in 1828 and named for Jefferson"s mountaintop home at Monticello. (Similarly, an early county seat of Washington County was called "Mt. Vernon.")
The first sessions of court were held at the log home of early settler John G. Robison, which also served as general store and post office. An official courthouse, also built of logs, was later erected in the town square. A more permanent structure was begun in 1834 but, owing to a dearth of funds, not completed until 1841. This was described as a two-story wooden structure "of plain and dignified design," with a veranda running around the second floor. "Here in later years the champion chess-players were wont to gather and engage in friendly warfare, while enjoying the cool shade of beautiful surrounding live oaks." Most of these oaks, save one great spreading tree to the south, were lost when the 1841 courthouse was replaced.The building also included a bell tower which "proved too great a temptation to certain young lads of Monticello who, when the night watchman was engaged on far duty, were enabled to tie a purloined calf to the bell rope and then, safely hidden, enjoy the anathemas hurled against them by irate citizens who had risen from their beds and rushed to the square to investigate."
The current Jefferson County Courthouse, designed by E. C. Hosford, dates from 1909. Over the doors is featured the motto Suum Cuique, meaning "To Each His Own" but (according to Hampton Dunn) locally translated as "Sue ‘Em Quick."
