Vicki's Close Cousins, Long Lost Cousins, Kissing Cousins, Distant Cousins, Great-Great and more Great Grandparents, In-laws, Out-laws, and Allied Lines. That's a cameo of great great Grandpa Simon Prince to the left, born in 1850.
Alabama
Blount
Blount County, Alabama is a beautiful area in north Alabama, with hidden waterfalls, hiking, covered bridges, and white water rapids.
The Blount County, Alabama courthouse is in Oneonta, Alabama. Behind the courthouse is the Blount County Museum, which contains a wide variety of information on Blount County families, even some old court records. It is well worth a visit, but call ahead of time, as the hours are sometimes unpredictible.
Cherokee
Cherokee County Courthouse
100 Main St.
Centre, AL
Probate records office - 256 927-3378
The Probate Office is in the courthouse. The courthouse burned in May 1882, and again in 1895, so the earliest records are for 1882. Like other counties in northeast Alabama it was a part of St. Clair County from 1818-1836. Index books are here for wills, deeds, marriages, etc. I’m not sure what they did after the courthouse burned. I found a record in an index of my gr-gr-gr-grandfather, where he was deeded a patent by the US government. The index said document was dated 1889, but I have a copy of the land cerrtificate dated 1850, and when I checked the book, it looked like someone had copied the land certificate in pencil, including the 1850 date. Perhaps they asked people to bring in their deeds and have them recorded again. Courthouse closes at 4pm.
Cherokee Co. Historical Museum
121 E. Main St., right across street from courthouse
Centre, AL
Phone 256 927-7835
Cost: $2.00 - Many of the old books from the probate office are stored on the upper floor of the museum, an unfinished, warehouse like room. It is not generally open as part of the museum. The books were brought over several years prior to Jan 2001 by prisoners, and just put on shelves in no apparent order. The books are not labeled with dates on the outside, so it is practically impossible to find anything here unless you know what is on the book spine. An entire rack of old newspapers, many bindings in very poor shape, oldest ones I found dated to 1898, but most are from the early 1900’s.
Was told by museum volunteer that all the probate books and newspapers in this room and in the courthouse were on microfilm and available at the Gadsden Library.
Cherokee County Public Library
304 Mary St.
Centre, AL
Phone 256 927-5838
If coming from Gadsden, keep going on Main St past the courthouse, go to the next traffic light, and turn right beside the Middle School. Go 1 block, turn left. Library is across from the school ball-field. Closes at 5pm.
The library has an entire room of genealogical material, including many of the Alabama Heritage books, some out of state Heritage books, surname files, many family books for families from the Cherokee county area, maps, cemetery listings, extracts from various newspapers, etc. If you need help, just ask, the staff is very helpful.
