Search Gordon County Genealogy

Gordon County genealogy records go back to 1850, the year the county was formed from Floyd and Cass (now Bartow) counties. The Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Calhoun hold marriage licenses, wills, estate files, land deeds, and court records used in family history research. Gordon County sits in northwest Georgia along the route of the Western and Atlantic Railroad, which brought settlers and commerce to the area in the mid-1800s. The courthouse at 100 S. Wall Street in Calhoun is the starting point for anyone tracing family roots in this part of the state.

Gordon County Probate Court Records

The Gordon County Probate Court is the primary source for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses go back to 1850. The court also keeps wills, letters of administration, guardianship records, and estate inventories. These files are essential for tracing family connections in Gordon County.

You can visit the courthouse at 100 S. Wall Street in Calhoun to search records in person. Staff can help with basic lookups. For mail requests, send a written request with the full name and date range you need, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment by check or money order. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses in Gordon County. Copy fees are set by the court, so call ahead to get current amounts.

Note: Gordon County was formed from parts of Floyd and Cass counties, so check those counties for records before 1850.

Gordon County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Gordon County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy site. It has cemetery transcriptions, census data, family trees, and records posted by other researchers working on Gordon County family history.

Volunteers share records from courthouses, libraries, and archives. You can also find links to census transcriptions and local history. This is a solid starting point for anyone new to Gordon County genealogy research.

Other free online resources include FamilySearch, with Georgia marriages from 1754 to 1960, probate records from 1742 to 1990, and death records from 1914 to 1943. The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has over one million pages of old Georgia newspapers with obituaries, legal notices, and family announcements.

Gordon County Superior Court Genealogy

The Gordon County Superior Court Clerk holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records from 1850 forward. Land deeds are a key genealogy source. They show property transfers, neighbors, and family connections. Deed books in Gordon County document the growth of the area along the railroad corridor through the 1800s.

Divorce records at the Superior Court often list children, property, ages, and birth dates. That kind of detail can confirm family ties. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Gordon County are open to the public. You can request copies in person or by mail. The clerk sets a per-page copy fee.

Civil case files can also hold genealogy value. Lawsuits over property, estate disputes, and guardianship cases often name multiple family members and give details not found in other records. These are worth checking when vital records are not available for the time period you need.

Vital Records for Gordon County Genealogy

Georgia started statewide vital records in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Birth and death certificates from 1919 on are available from the Gordon County Health Department or the Georgia Department of Public Health. For records before 1919, check the Probate Court, church records, cemetery inscriptions, or Family Bible records.

Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each one after. Death certificates are the same price. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are restricted to the person named, parents, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children, spouses, or legal guardians. Death certificates are easier to get for genealogy. The Georgia Virtual Vault has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online for free.

Note: Marriage records from 1952 to 1996 were also filed at the state level with the Georgia Department of Public Health, so check both sources.

Genealogy Research Tips for Gordon County

Start with what you know and work backward. Census records are the natural next step. Federal census data from 1820 to 1940 is available at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. Remember that the 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 censuses for Georgia were destroyed. Use Gordon County tax digests for those missing years.

Pre-1900 Gordon County records are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. The archives are open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Free access to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Fold3 is available in the search room. For post-1900 records, contact the Calhoun courthouse directly.

• Check cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions when vital records are missing
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Review Family Bible records on microfilm at the Georgia Archives
• Look at the Vanishing Georgia collection for historical photos from Gordon County

Gordon County was formed from Floyd and Cass (now Bartow) counties in 1850. If your ancestors were in this area before that year, check those parent counties. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help you figure out which county your family was in at any given time. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees from public agencies are capped at 10 cents per page for standard documents.

Cities in Gordon County

Gordon County includes the cities of Calhoun, Fairmount, Plainville, and Resaca. All genealogy records are maintained at the Gordon County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Calhoun. No cities in Gordon County meet the population threshold for individual city pages.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Gordon County. Families in northwest Georgia often moved between counties, so check neighboring records when tracing your ancestors.