Cherokee County was created in 1836 from land formerly held by the Cherokee Indians. Its county seat is Centre. There were fires at the courthouse in 1882 and 1895. Source: ADAH and map.

Availability of Vital Records: Alabama law did not require the recording of birth or death certificates until 1908. The statewide recording of marriage certificates began in 1936 and divorce certificates in 1950. Prior to 1908 some vital records were recorded at the county level. Generally this practice began around 1880. ADAH has: Marriage Records (Colored), 1928-1952; Marriage Records (White), 1930-1952; Deed records, 1892-1901; Probate minutes, 1882-1929; Probate records, 1885-1932; Lists of registered voters, 1919-1920; Military discharge records, 1919-1959; Will records, 1948-1952. Additional records are available at the court house.

A note from the county coordinator, February 2010

Neighbors

Cherokee County AlGenWeb Project:

Cherokee Submissions
Cherokee Mailing List
Cherokee Queries
Cherokee Resources
Cherokee Archives

Search aids provided through the USGenWeb Project:

• Search the entire USGenWeb Archives
  

• Rootsweb meta-page for Alabama

Cruising Through the Coosa River News - Births, Deaths, Marriages and Other Items of Genealogical Interest Pricing is:
Volume 1: 1882-1894 ($20.00 softcover/ $30.00 hardcover)
Volume 2: 1895-1905 ($20.00 softcover/ $30.00 hardcover)
Volume 3: 1906-1915 ($28.00 softcover/$38.00 hardcover)
Volume 4: 1916-1925 ($25.00 softcover/$35.00 hardcover)
Cruising Through the Coosa River News Photos: 1895-1915 ($10.00)
Add $3.50 each for shipping via USPS media mail.

All volumes have a full name index and are 8 1/2 x 11 inches. The compiler is John C. Awbrey, 2673 Rexford Street, Hokes Bluff, AL 35903. Mr. Awbrey is a native of Cherokee County. Direct Paypal payments and inquiries to awby239@aol.com or auby239@yahoo.com. The books may be available at the Cherokee County Public Library (310 Mary Street, 256-927-5838).

Cherokee County Resources

About Cherokee County --Profile, statistics, county and town histories

Cherokee County Historical Society
Cherokee County Historical Museum David Crum, director

A Picture of Cherokee County in 1860, researched and presented by Alan J. Pitts of Shelby County, Alabama.
Cherokee County map from the Census Bureau's Tiger Map service.(scroll down and write in your county)
Cherokee County Statistics
Brief History from ADAH
Welcome to the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce
USCounties.com/Alabama-commercial site
Bluffton (Hardin)
Cedar Bluff
Centre
Historical Markers statewide
Political Graveyard - Cherokee County
Political Graveyard - Where dead politicians are buried (A database of historic cemeteries )

African Americans

African American Cemeteries Online
Alabama African American Geneological Research by Alabama Genealogy
AlGenWeb's Alabama African American Marriages
Alabama African American Genealogy (Access Genealogy.com)
Uncle Jerry Akin -- county's oldest man?

American Indians

(Empty category, please contribute information.)

Bibles

Books

Biographies

Bass, Arthur Lee "Tommie" of Cherokee County, who at the time of his death (August 31, 1996) at age 88, was probably the most well-known herbalist in the United States. Film by Allen Tullos.
Savage, Judge Joseph LaFayette

Cemeteries

African American Cemeteries Online--The oldest and largest African American cemetery transcription site
All county cemeteries at USGenWeb Archives
All county cemeteries at files.usgwarchives.net/al/cherokee/cemeteries/
Bankson Cemetery (FTP)
Barkley Family Cemetery, Sand Rock
Bethel Church Cemetery (partial) Traditional decoration day is second Sunday in May (James Conaway)
Black Oak Cemetery
Broomtown/Bethel Baptist
Cedar Bluff Cemetery Sue of Cedar Bluff points out Harton is ocassionally misspelled Horton here.
Clark Cemetery - partial
Davis Cemetery, Blanch
Friendship Baptist Church
Goshen
Gnatville (updated May 2009)
Hardman Cemetery, Farill (Travis Hardin) decoration day-first Sat. June
Hardman Cemetery, Farill (Johnny Williams)
Henderson Hill
Laney/Moshat Baptist Cemetery
Lawrence/Demaris decoration day-last Sun. May- Russelecr[delete]@aol.com
Moseley
Mountain Springs Cemetery, southern Cherokee County (updated May 2009)
Mount Olive Church Cemetery, Ellisville
Randle Cemetery, Gaylesville (Hardin)
Salem Baptist Church Cemetery at Findagrave.com (incomplete)
Salem Baptist Church Cemetery at Tracking Your Roots ®
Taylor's Chapel
Weaver's (private)
Tracking Your Alabama Roots ® - includes these Cherokee cemeteries: Salem, Goshen Valley, Friendship, Lawrence/Demaris, Mt. Olive, and Cedar Bluff. (Scroll to see all cemeteries.)
Findagrave.com
Political Graveyard - Cherokee County
Political Graveyard Where dead politicians are buried (A database of historic cemeteries )
Links to cemetery history and preservation, and cemetery lists, from politicalgraveyard.com

Census Extracts and Indexes

1840 Census Aggregate Population Facts for Cherokee, Blount, Benton, St. Clair, and DeKalb Counties Page1 Page2 Page3
1850 census index (FTP)
1850 Federal Census Cherokee County, Alabama Dist 26(FTP) -extracted by Julia Mortenson · Currently Online: District 26 Page 1, Sheet 1B to Page 121, Sheet 61B Page 122. District 27 Page 123, Sheet 62B to Page 133, Sheet 68B.
1850 Cherokee County census, a 121-page PDF at Tracking Your Roots®
Hanson/Henson/Hinson 1850-1870 extracts

Church History

Cedar Bluff Baptist Church history
Salem United Methodist Church history

The Civil War and the 1860's in Cherokee County

A Picture of Cherokee County in 1860, including civil war units raised in that county. Researched and presented by Alan J. Pitts of Shelby County, Alabama.
Stories from the 1860's
Cherokee County Soldiers and Veterans
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (Search, National Parks Service)
Southern Claims Commission Claims, 1871-1880,a PDF at Tracking Your Roots
Alabama in the Civil War Message Board by Jim Martin who says--I do not allow the posting of hate messages, profanity, insults or the discussion of highly charged subjects, such as the "Confederate Battle Flag" issue.

Deeds

Diaries

Espy, Sarah Rousseau, Private Journal 1859-1868 Sarah Rousseau and Thomas Espy owned a warehouse in Cherokee County prior to the Civil War. The diary describes the lives of the family, relatives, neighbors, and friends during the period of Mr. Espy's death, the sons' activities in the military, and the hardships of life during and after the War - Posted by Martha Lyle.
Espy Diary at USGenWeb archives (text format)

Family histories, famous people, stories

Political Graveyard - Where dead politicians are buried (A database of historic cemeteries )

Genealogies of Cherokee Co. - same as Surnames, below

Letters and memorabilia

Barkley 1849-"Cherokee Co. Alabama, Letters From Forgotten Ancestors "(click on Alabama then Cherokee.)
Tucker, Mrs. M. C., clipping 1935

Maps --Local and Alabama--

NORTH ALABAMA SHOWING INDIAN VILLAGES (also Township and Range numbers)
Aerial Photos from U. of Ala., some pre-Weiss Reservoir
Cherokee County with Township and Range Numbers
Alabama county borders 1799 to today from My Alabama Genealogy (formerly SouthEastern Genealogy Online)
Atlas of Historic County Boundaries from The Newberry Library. As of 20 April 2009 the available interactive maps are: Alabama, California, Dakota Territory, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Cherokee County 1895 (and other Alabama Counties)
Alabama map 1915, with Township and Range numbers
Cherokee County now with highways, from the University of Alabama
Historical maps from the University of Alabama.
Cherokee County historical maps from UA.
Northern Alabama Bureau of American Ethnology, 1896
Northern Alabama with small town names and power lines, 1915. The
Southern Alabama with small town names and power lines, 1915. The same Oklahoma site has maps of other states also.
USGenWeb Archives Alabama maps

Maps --General--

GNIS -- USGS Geographical Names Data Base for U. S. and territories
The New 11 x 14 Atlas of the World, 1895, Rand McNally Corporation
US GenWeb Digital Map Library

Marriages

Military, except Civil War

The Revolutionary War

Newspapers

Cherokee County Herald, Centre
The Post, Centre
The Gadsden Messenger
The Gadsden Times
Rome News-Tribune
Newspapers on microfilm at Alabama State Archives

Obituaries
Search AlGenWeb Archives by Subject (incl. obituaries)

Pensions

Photographs

Before 1890 Uncle Jerry Akin -- county's oldest man in 1895? 1891-1930 1951-1970 1971-present
Clicking will take you to thumbnail photos. You may optionally view a larger photo.

Reunions

None listed at present.

School History

Cedar Bluff School

Societies

Societies statewide listed at the Alabama State Archives
AlaBenton Genealogical Society - Calhoun County/Anniston
Birmingham Genealogical Society
Cherokee County Historical Society
Dekalb County Genealogical Society
Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society , PO Box 8268, Gadsden, AL 35902. Publication: Northeast Alabama Settlers.
Northwest Georgia Historical and Genealogical Society, Box 5063, Rome, Georgia 30162-5063

Surnames and Websites of Cherokee County Families

Vital Records

Cherokee County Vital Records at ADAH

War Between the States - Please see The Civil War, above

Wills

ALGenWeb is part of the USGenWeb Project
All of the information provided at these sites is contributed by researchers like you, and posted by a group of very dedicated volunteers.
Send comments about ALGenWeb to Ann Allen Geoghegan, anniegms[delete]@gmail.com
Send comments about this page to Travis Hardin, nosenip99[delete]@intelec.us

Last updated Wednesday, 10-Aug-2011 15:10:23 EDT