Douglas County Facts

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map      Douglas County was created from Campbell and Carroll counties on Oct. 17, 1870 by an act of the General Assembly. Subsequently, Douglas County's borders with Carroll, Cobb, and Paulding counties were adjusted by acts in 1871, 1874, and 1877. Georgia's 133rd county was named for Illinois U.S. Senator Stephen Douglas (1847-1861). Douglas ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee in 1860 with Georgia's Herschel Johnson as his running mate.      The Oct. 17, 1870 act creating Douglas County provided that on the first Monday in November 1870, voters of the new county would elect county officers and also by ballot would select the site of the county seat. In the election, some voters chose a site near the center of the county, but a larger number voted for several different named sites (which may have been different names for the settlement known as "Skinned Chestnut" or "Skin(t) Chestnut"--the early name of Douglasville). Thinking that the majority of voters had intended Skinned Chestnut, the courthouse commissioners chose this site as county seat and proceeded to sell lots and build a courthouse. However, a group of citizens filed suit against the commissioners. The case ultimately went to the Georgia Supreme Court, which ruled against the commissioners. However, both sides agreed to postpone further action until the route of the Georgia Western Railroad through Douglas County was determined. To clear up the matter, the General Assembly enacted legislation on Feb. 28, 1874, directing that an election be held on Apr. 7, 1874, to determine the location of the county seat--but with the provision that the site be located on the the Georgia Western Railroad. In the election, voters confirmed Douglasville as the county seat. On Feb. 25, 1875, the General Assembly incorporated Douglasville. On Jan. 11, 1956, the old courthouse was destroyed by fire    See Extended History for More information. Douglas County, Georgia History Books at Amazon.com. The Official County Website is located at www.co.douglas.ga.us/

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

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Douglas County Court Records

See Also Georgia Probate Records, Land Records, Marriage Records & Court Records

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.

   Douglas County Clerk of Superior Court has Court Records from 1871 and Land Records from 1871 and is located at 8700 Hospital Dr., Douglasville, GA 30134; Phone: (770) 920-7252, Fax: (770) 920-7561 . The Superior Court, Georgia's general jurisdiction trial court, has exclusive constitutional authority over felony cases, cases regarding title to land and equity, declaratory judgments, habeas corpus, mandamus, adoptions, name changes, divorces, child custody, and child support enforcement. The clerk is responsible for recording deeds and maintaining the chain of title to all property in the county.

Lands were given to Georgia citizens by lotteries from in 1805, 1807, 1820, 1821, 1827, 1832, 1832 (Gold), 1833. Where Georgians sold lots won in these lotteries, researchers will find that deeds may be valuable sources of genealogical information. Those deeds should have been recorded in the counties where the land was located, but in some cases references may be found in the counties where the owner resided. Land transaction between private individuals are recorded with the clerk of superior court in the appropriate county.

   Douglas County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1871 , Probate Records from 1871 and is located at 8700 Hospital Drive, Douglasville, GA 30134, 770-920-7249 / FAX 920-7381. The jurisdiction of Probate Court are all legal proceedings that deal with Wills, Estates, Guardianships of minor children, Involuntary Committals Hearings, Filing of Wills for saf, Issuance of Marriage License, ect... The office of the probate judge is the county office where the most significant genealogical records are created and maintained in Georgia.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Georgia Marriages, 1699-1944; Georgia Marriages to 1850; and Georgia Marriages, 1851-1900, Index to Georgia Wills, Land Grants to Georgia Revolutionary War Veterans, You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which does not cover Georgia but does cover surrounding states. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Click Here to Search Georgia Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Douglas County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Douglas County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Douglas County, Georgia Court Books at Amazon.com
• Georgia 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.
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Douglas County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Georgia

Click Here to Search Georgia 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.

Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!

   Georgia State Vital Records, Center for Health Statistics Office is located at State Dept of Human Resources, 2600 Skyland Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30319-3640; (404) 679-4730 info, (877) 572-6343; Fax: (404) 524-4278. They have the following records:

• Birth & Death Certificates: Birth records are available from 1919 to the present. For earlier records in Atlanta or Savannah or other cities or counties, write to the Vital Records Office (see above) in county where event occurred. Fees are listed below. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE
• Death Certificates: Certified copies of death records are available from 1919 to the present. Death certificates are available to the general public. For earlier records in Atlanta or Savannah or other cities or counties, write to the Vital Records Office (see above) in county where event occurred. Fees are listed below. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE
• Marriage Certificates: Centralized State records since June 9, 1952. Certified copies of marriage documents up to 1966 are issued at State office. Contact the Douglas County Probate office for marriages in Douglas County occurring before June 9, 1952, and all other counties will be forwarded to appropriate Probate Judge in county where license was issued.The state office does no record marriage license or applications after July 1, 1997.

The fee to search for a birth, Marriage or Death certificate is $10.00, which includes one certified copy of the certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." For each additional copy of the certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $5.00. Make certified checks and money orders should be made payable to "Vital Records, GA. DHR". Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services. Please do not send cash or checks. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to:Vital Records, 2600 Skyland Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30319-3640. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates or Death Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE

Below is a list of online resources for Douglas County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Douglas County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• Georgia Death Certificates, 1919-1927 - Georga Death Certificates and Images from 1919 through 1927. The collection also includes a number of certificates predating 1919, mostly from 1917 and 1918. Free from the Georgia State Archives
• Georgia Marriages, 1699-1944: This database contains marriage information from selected areas of Georgia from 1699-1944.
• Georgia Marriages to 1850: This database of Georgia marriages to 1850 contains over 165,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.
• Georgia Marriages, 1851-1900: This collection of records contains marriage data from several Georgia counties between 1851 and 1900.
• Georgia Deaths, 1919-98: This database is an index of more than 2.7 million deaths recorded by the state of Georgia from 1919 to 1998
• Douglas County, Georgia Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
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Douglas County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records

Click Here to Search Georgia 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.

  Federal Population Schedules that exist for Georgia are 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. The 1820 census is the earliest enumeration of Georgia's population to have survived, making it necessary to substitute other lists for the missing censuses. Land lottery, military and tax lists, and other records, are available as census substitutes and supplements for the 1820 and earlier censuses.

The first three census schedules for Georgia (1790, 1800 & 1810) are missing.  A total of seventeen volumes of 1790-1820 censuses were lost by the federal government, evidently before 1895, and the cause is unknown. Tax lists for various years for a few of the counties have been published.. These can be used as a substitution for the first three census schedules. Additionally, Wills, deeds, tax digests, court minutes, voter lists, and newspapers can be searched to locate ancestors during this period The 1820 schedules for Franklin, Rabun, and Twiggs Counties are missing.

   Georgia conducted state censuses for various years from 1787 to 1866. Only a relatively few of these returns survive, and they are only lists of heads of households with some minor statistical information. The returns prior to 1852 have been published in various sources. Later census returns, when they survive, are almost all on microfilm at the Georgia Department of Archives and History . The Georgia Census, 1790-1890 contains the following indexes: 1790 Tax Substitute Index; 1792-1819 Tax Lists Index; 1800 Oglethorpe County Territorial Census Index; 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860 & 1870 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1838 & 1845 State Census Index; ,1860 Slave Schedule; 1890 Veterans Schedule.

   There are many other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in the state of Georgia. There are Industry 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.

Below is a list of online resources for Douglas County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Douglas County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Douglas County, Georgia Census Books at Amazon.com
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Douglas County Maps & Atlases

   Georgia Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Georgia and other states.
   You can view rotating animated maps for Georgia 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 Georgia showing all the county boundary changes for each 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 and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Georgia 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 Douglas County Maps. Email us with websites containing Douglas County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Douglas County, Georgia Map Books at Amazon.com
• University of Georgia Rare Map Collection
• University of Alabama Historic Map Archive

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Douglas County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Georgia

Click Here to Search Georgia 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 Douglas County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Douglas County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Douglas County, Georgia Military Books at Amazon.com
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Georgia (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.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (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.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Georgia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Georgia (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.
• View, Print Copy & Save Original Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Georgia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Georgia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Georgia units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier
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Douglas County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

   None of Georgia's colonial tax records have survived. Surviving Georgia tax records begin on a county basis in the late 1780s. By 1783 Georgia tax laws provided for taxing land according to its quality and quantity, and male polls were white males over twenty-one. Other taxes were imposed on town lots, slaves, and free persons of color, buildings and improvements, merchandise, lawyers, and doctors. The poll tax on all adult males made Georgia tax digests good census substitutes and supplements.

   The Georgia Department of Archives and History has other tax digests for 1789–1817 which are not included in the above publication. A complete set of originals for the years 1872 to the present is at the Georgia Department of Archives and History . Some earlier digests are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives and the FHL.

List of Tax Acts of Georgia from 1780-1817:

Legislative Activity for Taxes: 1817-1850

• 1818-1839: The acts during these years are all based on the tax act of 1817. These tax acts continually revive preceding acts, often with amendments. Many simple tax questions can be answered by a glance at the 1817 law. Complex or refined questions may require consulting the specific act for the year in question and then backward through a chain of revived acts.
• 1840: This act revives the Tax Act of 1804, with amendments. This was probably an attempt at simplification. The stated intention was to make this act permanent.
• 1842: This act increased the taxes of 1840 by 25%.
• 1843-50: The final years of the first half of the nineteenth century the Georgia Legislature re-enacted the 1840 act, which itself was a revival of the 1804 act. The 1847 act did require that taxes be paid in the county in which the land was held in jurisdiction. Previously, the tax had been paid in the county of residence.

There is a online tax database for Georgia Tax Index, 1789-99 an index of tax records held by the state government from 1789-99.

Below is a list of online resources for Douglas County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Douglas County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Douglas County, Georgia Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Douglas County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Georgia Genealogical Addresses

   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 Douglas County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Douglas County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Historical Society of Douglas County; PO Box 2018; Douglasville, GA  30133-2018; (770) 949-2787.
• Douglas County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 5667, Douglasville,Georgia 30154
• Local Georgia Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
• Georgia Department of Archives and History, 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260;
  For history, genealogy, or other research: Reference Services Tel: (678) 364-3710 , [EMAIL]
• Georgia Historical Society, 501 Whitaker Str, Savannah, GA 31401; 912-651-2125
• Georgia Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 54574, Atlanta, Georgia 30308-0575, [EMAIL]
• Georgia 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.
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

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Douglas County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Georgia

Click Here to Search Georgia 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.

   There are many churches and cemeteries in Douglas County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Douglas County Tombstone Transcription Project. The Georgia Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.

Early denominations present in Georgia in fewer numbers include Baptist, Methodist, Lutherans, Catholics, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Congregationalists. While their respective repositories house historical records, the Georgia Department of Archives and History has a good collection of church records on microfilm. Consult the holdings of other major genealogical libraries with southern collections for additional sources, including the FHL.

There is a online Cemetery database for the book 30,638 Burials in Georgia an list of 30,638 burials in the state of Georgia was copied over a 35-year period from headstones and markers in 600 cemeteries located in nearly 100 Georgia counties

Below is a list of online resources for Douglas County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Douglas County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Douglas County, Georgia Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Douglas County, Georgia Church Books at Amazon.com
• Georgia Baptist Historical Collection, Eugene W. Stetson Memorial Library, Mercer University, Macon, Georgia 31207;
• United Methodist Museum, P.O. Box 408, St. Simons Island, Georgia 31522
• Savannah and Diocesan Archives, 302 East Liberty St, P.O. Box 8789, Savannah, GA 31402.
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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Georgia 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 Douglas County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Douglas County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Douglas County, Georgia Family Books at Amazon.com
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data : For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Douglas County ] [ Georgia ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• 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.
• Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
• Georgia 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.
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Extended History

   Other Information: The legislation creating Douglas County provided that the site of the county seat by determined by election in November 1870. Following that election, the newly elected county ordinary [today's probate judge] and John C. Bowden, W. N. Magouirk, J. H. Winn, and Ephraim Pray were designated as courthouse commissioners with responsibility for laying out the site into town lots and selling them, and using the proceeds to construct a courthouse and jail. Based on that election, the commissioners are believed to have selected a site known as "Skinned Chestnut"--which they thought was what a majority of voters wanted (though the decision resulted in a legal challenge). Here, in 1871, the courthouse commissioners began selling town lots and had a three-room wooden courthouse built. In March 1879, county officials voted to change the shape and size of the courthouse square. In 1880, construction began on a new two-story brick courthouse on the newly enlarged courthouse square. Because of faulty baking of the brick and poor quality mortar, the building began crumbling in a few years, and the courthouse was abandoned in 1884. What served as courthouse for the next twelve years is unclear, but in 1896 a large, two-story brick courthouse with clock tower was completed on the site of the former courthouse. Designed by architect Andrew J. Bruere & Co., this courthouse served the county for the next sixty years. On Jan. 11, 1956, the old courthouse was destroyed by fire. In a special bond election in June 1956, Douglas County voters approved construction of a new courthouse. The new courthouse was built on the site of the previous three courthouses. Designed by Southern Engineering of Atlanta, the contemporary-styled structure appeared to be a single story from the front--but because it was built on the top of a hill actually was two stories encompassing 52 rooms and over 36,000 square feet. By the mid-1990s, Douglas County had grown so large in population that county government offices were located in seven different buildings in downtown Douglasville. County voters subsequently approved a special-purpose local-option sales tax to fund construction of a new county government complex. As to its location, one possibility was to tear down the 1957 courthouse and build a new and larger building on the old courthouse square. However, the square was too small. Equally important, the old courthouse was located across the street from the railroad, and noise from passing trains frequently interrupted court sessions. So, county officials selected a 50-acre site about a half mile away to build the new complex. Construction began in 1997 and was completed in February 1998. Subsequently, the old courthouse became a local museum and home to the Douglas County Historical Society and other community organizations.

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