About the ALGenWeb Project
In March and April 1996, a group of genealogists organized the Kentucky Comprehensive Genealogy Database Project. The idea was to provide a single entry point for all counties in Kentucky, where collected databases would be stored. In addition, the databases would be indexed and cross-linked so that even if an individual were found in more than one county, they could be located in the index.
The USGenWeb and ALGenWeb Projects are an outgrowth of that original Kentucky project. The projects are organized by states and counties, with each county having one or more coordinators responsible for maintaining a website of resources available for that county.
Here you will find volunteers who coordinate the collection of databases and generally oversee the contents of our county web pages. Contact the volunteer shown on the county page if you have the desire to add your data to the database.
You may notice a message beside the county listing indicating it is available for adoption. Please review the task list and contact the state coordinator if you would like to adopt a web page for one of these counties.
In addition to adopting web pages, we provide all Hawaii forms and legal templates, helping individuals and businesses effectively handle their legal paperwork.
Healthcare Directives and Powers of Attorney
A do not resuscitate form in Hawaii is a medical document that informs healthcare providers of an individual's decision not to receive CPR or other life-saving treatments if their heart stops or they stop breathing. This directive is crucial for those who wish their end-of-life medical preferences to be respected.
The medical power of attorney in Hawaii allows an individual to designate someone they trust to make healthcare decisions. This legal document is essential for ensuring decisions align with the patient's values and wishes.
A living will in Hawaii specifies an individual’s preferences for medical treatment, particularly regarding life-sustaining measures. This document guides healthcare providers and loved ones in making decisions that align with the individual's end-of-life care preferences.
Property and Vehicle Transactions
The bill of sale in Hawaii is a formal document that records the sale of an item and proves a transfer of ownership from seller to buyer. This document is commonly used for personal property transactions and includes key information such as the item description, sale price, and transaction date.
For vehicle transactions, the Hawaii vehicle bill of sale is necessary to legally document the details of the sale of a car or motorcycle. This includes information like the make, model, year, and VIN, ensuring all parties have accurate records for registration and title transfer purposes.
The trailer bill of sale in Hawaii records the sale of a trailer, capturing details such as the trailer type, size, and identification number, which are necessary for registration and legal documentation in Hawaii.
Real Estate and Lease Agreements
The Hawaii lease agreement outlines the terms and conditions under which a tenant agrees to rent property from a landlord. This document includes the rent amount, security deposit, lease duration, and tenant and landlord obligations, providing a clear framework for the rental arrangement.
An eviction notice in Hawaii initiates the removal of a tenant from rental property for lease violations, such as non-payment of rent or other breaches. This notice formally informs the tenant of the issue and provides a period for remedying or vacating the property.
Also, Hawaii deed forms encompass various types of deeds used to legally transfer property ownership, such as warranty deeds or trust deeds. Each type of deed provides different levels of protection and guarantees regarding the title.
For example, the quit claim deed in Hawaii is typically used to transfer property quickly between known parties, such as family members, without the warranties provided by other deed types. This deed transfers the owner’s interest in the property but does not guarantee the title is free from other claims.
Estate Planning
The last will and testament in Hawaii is a legal document allowing individuals to specify how their assets should be distributed upon death. It names an executor who will manage the estate and outlines the distribution of possessions to beneficiaries, ensuring the individual's final wishes are fulfilled.
A Hawaii transfer on death deed form allows property owners to designate a beneficiary to inherit their real estate upon death without probate. This form can streamline the process of transferring property, providing a simple way to pass on real estate directly to a named individual.
Legal Authorities
The durable power of attorney in Hawaii grants a designated individual the authority to manage various aspects of a person's life, such as financial matters or personal care, if they become incapacitated. This document remains effective even if the principal loses the ability to make decisions for themselves, ensuring ongoing management of their affairs.
Special Projects
Digital Archives
The USGenWeb Digital Library (Archives) offers actual transcriptions of public domain records. You will find copies of census records, marriage bonds, wills, and other public documents. The Alabama files in the USGenWeb Archives are there because volunteers transcribed and submitted the data. Contact Carolyn Golowka, the state Archivist, to volunteer.
Tombstone Project
Register to transcribe - volunteer to walk and record - a cemetery in Alabama. The transcriptions are then stored in the USGenWeb Archives. You can help by visiting your local church or mortuary and getting a copy of their cemetery records. Partial cemetery transcriptions are also welcome! Additional information on cemeteries being transcribed can be found on the USGenWeb Tombstone Project home page.
African American Genealogy
You are invited to submit your family stories and histories to the U.S. African American Griots. The purpose of this project is to preserve the history of as many African-American families as possible.
Alabama Families on the Internet
Do you have a website featuring your Alabama genealogy? Consider listing it with our Alabama Families registry.
Civil War Roots
Alabama Civil War Roots strives to provide you with the information tools to do your own in-depth research concerning the Civil War service of your Alabama ancestors, both Union and Confederate.
Need help? Want to adopt a county? Contact the State Coordinator if you are interested in a county already taken. We have a waiting list. For information or questions concerning archives, please contact Carolyn Golowka.
ALGenWeb State Coordinator: Ann Allen Geoghegan
ALGenWeb Assistant State Coordinator: Jeff Kemp
ALGenWeb State Archivist: Carolyn Golowka
How to Research in Alabama
Genealogical Research in Alabama
Alabama entered the union as the twenty-second (22nd) state on December 14, 1819. Prior to that time, this area was part of the Mississippi Territory and Indian lands. Its earliest counties -- Washington, Madison, Baldwin, Clarke, Mobile, Monroe, and Montgomery -- were formed from the Mississippi Territory.
You can investigate the Alabama History Timeline at the Alabama State Archives. Also, you might be interested in studying the order in which the counties were formed.
Census
Federal Census
The United States government began collecting population data in 1790. The first census to enumerate the state of Alabama was in 1820. When researching census data, you need to be aware of the ways in which the county boundaries changed, and even the names of some counties were changed. For example, in 1832, 11 counties were formed from land ceded by the Creek Indians. Benton, Barbour, Chambers, Coosa, Macon, Randolph, Russell, Sumter, Talladega, and Tallapoosa counties. In 1858, Benton County was renamed Calhoun; in 1866, Cleburne County was carved from portions of Calhoun, Randolph, and Talladega Counties. It's possible to find ancestors in the 1850 census of Benton County, 1860 of Calhoun, and 1870 of Cleburne -- and they never moved at all.
From 1790 thru 1840, the Federal Census listed only the name of the head of household and then gave a count of the number of males and females, slaves, and other pertinent information (which varied from census to census). Starting in 1850, the census lists all members of the household.
The Census enumerations are kept private by the Census Bureau for 72 years. After that time, they are turned over to the National Archives, where they have been microfilmed. The National Archives has published guides to genealogical research in the census records of 1790-1840 and records from 1850-1920.
State Census
The State of Alabama also took its census from time to time. Microfilmed copies of these census records can be found in many Alabama libraries and also at the Alabama State Archives in Montgomery.
1820 - counties of Baldwin, Conecuh, Dallas, Franklin, Limestone, St. Clair, Shelby, and Wilcox
1850 - all counties
1855 - counties of Autauga, Baldwin, Blount, Coffee, Franklin, Henry, Lowndes, Macon, Mobile, Pickens, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa
1866 - all counties
USGenWeb Census Projects
Don't overlook the valuable resources in the USGenWeb Project Archives. Many counties have some census transcriptions posted. Additionally, scanned images of many census records are available.
Within the USGenWeb Project, two groups have formed to transcribe census records. Be sure to visit http://www.us-census.org/ and http://www.rootsweb.com/~census/ to see what the volunteers have placed online.
Ethnic Research
People of many backgrounds settled in Alabama. See the Ethnic Resources links for information on how to research specific ethnic groups in Alabama.
Vital Records
Certificates issued by the State
Recording life events at the state level did not start until the early twentieth century. The state of Alabama issued no birth certificates before 1908. The state Board of Health can supply birth and death certificates from 1908, marriage certificates from 1936, and divorce certificates from 1950. Birth records less than 125 years old will not be issued except to immediate family or with permission of the next of kin. The same is true of death records less than 25 years old.
A statewide computer system was put in place in 1996, providing availability to all Alabama vital records. Applicants can walk into any county health department in the state and purchase a copy of any Alabama vital record, regardless of where the event occurred. These county offices are not prepared to handle requests by mail. Therefore all calls and mail should be directed to the state office.
Center for Health Statistics
PO Box 5625
Montgomery, AL 36103-5625
(334) 206-5418
Fax: (334) 262-9563
The Alabama Department of Archives and History has indexes to state records, but original certificates must be obtained from the Alabama Center for Health Statistics.
County Records
Most counties recorded marriages from the time that the county was established. Very few of them recorded births or deaths. Divorce records would have been kept with general or circuit court records. Each ALGenWeb County site should contain information on contacting the county's probate and circuit court offices.
Microfilmed Records
Vital Record Indexes - the Center for Health Statistics has some death, marriage, and divorce indexes available on rolls of 16 mm microfilm. The cost for each roll is $40. A list of the rolls and indexes can be viewed on the Internet.
County Vital Records Many county records have also been microfilmed and are available from the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Early birth and death records may also be listed as registers. It is important to remember that not all records are complete. Each county had vital events which went unrecorded or recorded which were lost or damaged. Many courthouses have burned, and the records they contained were lost.
Land Records and Deeds
Be sure to read Understanding Alabama land records.
Military Records
Of particular interest to genealogical researchers are records pertaining to service during the War Between the States or the American Civil War. Please visit the Alabama Civil War Roots project pages for links to online resources.
Land Records
In 1805, Gideon Fitz and John Dinsmore were engaged to do surveys in Washington County, Alabama Territory. At that time, Washington County encompassed a large part of what is now southwestern Alabama. Someone, perhaps one of those surveyors, selected an initial point from which to begin the survey.[1] That point was located near the 31st-degree line north (if the line between Alabama and northern Florida were extended westward, it would be near that line) and on the west side of the Mobile river somewhere near the line between Mobile and Baldwin Counties. The meridian, later named the St. Stephens Meridian, ran north and south from that point, and the east-west "baseline" also ran from that point. The meridian extends about 144 miles (24 tiers) northward from the initial point. Townships in the southern part of the state were surveyed from there.
The second meridian, used in the survey of the northern part of the state, is a north-south line passing just west of downtown Huntsville and is called the Huntsville Meridian. The "baseline" of the northern part of the state is from the Tennessee State line. The Huntsville meridian survey extends about 132 miles (22 tiers) southward to a line from about Sumter County eastward to Chambers County.
A "Township" measures approximately six square miles on each side. Due to the convergence of meridians and other factors, no township is exactly six miles square. Rows of townships are surveyed east and west along the baseline, and a row is called a "tier." Tiers are numbered north and south from the baseline. A row of townships extending north and south is called a "Range." Ranges are numbered east and west from the principal meridian. A township located 12 tiers south of the baseline and 14 ranges east of the principal meridian is written "T12S, R14E." Ranges are separated by "range lines," but the lines that separate tiers of townships are not named. [2]
A township contains 36 "Sections," each approximately one-mile square. Each section nominally contains 640 acres. Sections are usually divided into quarter sections, which are further divided into quarters, though they may be divided differently. Quarter sections are described as the NE, NW, SE, or SW quarter. Quarter quarters are similarly described. A quarter section is supposed to contain 160 acres, and a quarter should contain 40 acres.
LOCATING A LAND SITE
Land descriptions usually include the part of a section owned or granted in addition to the township and range. One not knowing approximately where a described land lies could consult the map in one of Marilyn Davis Hahn's books on the various land offices in Alabama. The approximate site shown in those books can then be transferred to the index map for the topographic maps of Alabama. Examining individual maps in that area lets one find the described township, range, and sections. My great grandfather, Eli Freeman, received a grant in 1837 listed as NWNE S12 29-S 12-E HUNTSVILLE MERIDIAN, AL 3310_. 441. (The northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 12 of Township 20 South and Range 12 East from the Huntsville Meridian, Accession No. 3310-. 441.) Using the maps, one finds that it lies in Randolph County and is land mapped in the Napoleon map. It is on very steep land, so not very usable. He acquired another land near that. The 1875 tax sale of property in Randolph County listed part of his property as "ne se s six t twenty r thirteen" (A northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section six, township twenty, range thirteen. Since all land in Randolph County is south and east of the Huntsville meridian, it was not necessary to specify that on the sale listing.) I used an Alabama Geological Survey topographic map to find this. Topographic maps show roads and buildings as well as the topography of the area.
On this map, one can see that the described portion of Eli Freeman's property was 40 acres beginning halfway between the sixth and the east border of Section 6, going to that eastern border, then extending southward 1/4 mile along the border to cross the road between Omaha and Napoleon then westward 1/4 mile then back to the starting point. One can tell whether the land was flat enough to be farmed, see whether there was a stream or other interesting feature, and, since the map is fairly recent, also tell whether there is a road that allows access to the property. The buildings shown may not be ones that were there in 1875, but the topology will still be essential as it was then.