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De Soto County, Florida

County Court, Probate, Land & Tax Records  •  County Census Records
County Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records and Death Records
County Cemeteries & Graveyards  •  County Church & Bible Records

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De Soto County was created in 19 May 1887 and was formed from Manatee County. The County was named for Hernando de Soto, the Spanish explorer (Hernando County is also named after de Soto). The County Seat is Arcadia.

Desoto County was first conceived on May 15, 1887 and confirmed a county in April 1887. It was named after the Spanish explorer, Hernando DeSoto. It was cut out of Manatee Co with the county seat in Pine Level. The first meeting held in the new county was on July 1887, to vote on a new county seat. On August 25, 1887, 13 voting precincts were approved and the survey can be found in the first Record of Deeds at the county court house. An election was held in December of the same year, but it failed to bring a majority vote.

The forerunners for the new county seat were Fort Ogden, Brownville, Nocatee, Punta Gorda, Pine Level, and Arcadia with Nocatee as the favorite. Sources reveal there was a yellow fever outbreak that quarantined many communities, so a second vote was postponed. On August 4, 1888 a second vote was taken and again failed to produce a majority vote. Finally, on November 6, 1888, a third vote was taken and Arcadia won the county seat by 21 votes.

At the time, Arcadia wasn't much of town at all. Residents of the county soon started moving closer to the new county seat which caused Arcadia to grow, but drove many communities to extinction such as Pine Level and Fort Winder to name a few.

In the late 1870's, the railroads were completed through Desoto Co and it changed the growth of the county and brought wealth for many. In 1881, phosphate was discovered on the banks of Peace River that flows through the county. Mining of this mineral brought much prosperity for many years. In 1921, Desoto Co was divided into present day Desoto, Charlotte, Hardee, Glades and Highlands counties.
Today, Arcadia is the "Heart" of the county and a very visible pride in their history can be found virtually everywhere in the city. Most of the historical building you find today were built after 1905 when on Thanksgiving day a fire destroyed a major portion of the town. Much like it was over a hundred years ago, Desoto Counties main source of economy relies on agriculture, citrus groves, phosphate and cattle. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to De Soto County are Hardee County (north), Highlands County (east), Glades County, Charlotte County (south), Sarasota County (west), Manatee County (northwest).

De Soto County Cities and Towns include Arcadia, Dixie Cross City, Horseshoe Beach. CDPs Include Southeast Arcadia,. Communities Include Old Town

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Records at the De Soto County Court, Probate and Tax Records

See Also Florida Court, Land, Tax & Probate Records and Marriage Records

The Official County website is located at http://www.co.desoto.fl.us. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. See also Courthouse History

De Soto County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1887, Land Records from 1887, Probate Records from 1887 and Court Records from 1887 and is located at 115 East Oak Street, Arcadia, FL 34266; 863-993-4876, Fax: 863-993-4669
The Clerk of the Circuit Court is also the County Clerk. His office is located in the County Courthouse. The office of the Clerk is created in Article V and Article VIII of the Florida Constitution. The Clerk is an officer of the court of justice whose responsibilities are mandated by the Constitution as well as state and local laws. Under a 1973 reorganization of the judicial system, the clerk of courts in each county was made, and remains, custodian of all records of all predecessor courts, whether justice of the peace, city, county, probate, civil, or criminal.

You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which covers Florida and surrounding states. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

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

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De Soto County Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

See Also Research In Vital Records or Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records in Florida

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Office of Vital Statistics, Dept of Health, P.O. Box 210, 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042; (904) 359-6900 Ext. 1029, Fax: (904) 359-6993.

  • Birth Certificates: has custody of birth records filed from January 1917 to date. Scattered birth records from 1865 through 1916 are also held by the bureau, and some city health departments have some additional scattered records (e.g., Jacksonville, 1893-1913; Pensacola, 1897-1916).
    • Cost: $9.00 for computer certification & $14.00 per photocopy certification (1930 to present), payment is payable to the Office of Vital Statistics. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $9.00/$14.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Death Certificates: From 1917 - present. Death records begin about 1877, but the first state law mandating registration of deaths was passed in 1899, and records before 1917 are spotty. It is always well to check with city health departments.
    • Cost: $5.00 per certificate. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $5.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Marriage & Divorce Certificates: has custody of marriage, divorce, and annulment records filed after 6 June 1927. For records prior to that date, and there are thousands of them, query the clerk of courts in the county where the license or decree was issued. Numerous divorces and resulting name-changes are to be found in Names and Abstracts from the Acts of the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida, 1822-1845 (Pass-A-Grille Beach, Fla.: William A. and Janet B. Wolfe, 1985). Copies of marriage license applications are available only from the clerk of courts in the county courthouse. Standard request forms for copies of state-held records are necessary and available as indicated above.
    • Cost: $5.00 per certificate. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $5.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Ordering Vital Records - You can also order Order Electronically Online or You can download an application for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Certificates to mail.
  • Processing Time: Allow 3 to 6 weeks for the search by mail for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY.
  • Order In Person: To order your copy through your local County Health Department Vital Statistics office click here for a list of the 67 County Health Departments. WALK-IN SERVICE is available at 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, Florida, between 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Orders prepaid by Noonmay be picked up after 3:30 p.m. Orders prepaid after Noon may be picked up after 10:00 a.m. the next workday. Each requestmust be accompanied by picture identification Certifications for photocopies rush service requires an additional fee of $10.
  • Order By Mail:  Turn around is estimated at 3 to 6 weeks from the day the request is received. Mail to the following address: Office of Vital Statistics, Dept of Health, P.O. Box 210, 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042. Please include return address on envelope and application form.

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

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De Soto County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Census Links for Florida

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

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for De Soto County, Florida are 1900, 1910, 1910, 1920 and 1940.There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

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

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De Soto County Maps & Atlases

See Also Statewide Maps that exist for Florida

Below is a list of online resources for De Soto County Maps. Email us with websites containing De Soto County Maps by clicking the link below:

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De Soto County Military Records

See Also Research In Military Records or Military Records in Florida

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

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De Soto County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Florida Genealogical Addresses

Below is a list of online resources for De Soto County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing De Soto County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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De Soto County Cemeteries & Graveyards

See Also Research In Cemetery Records or Statewide Cemetery Links for Florida

There are many churches and cemeteries in De Soto County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the De Soto County Tombstone Transcription Project.

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

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County Church & Bible Records

See Also Research In Church Records or Statewide Church & Bible Links for Florida

 

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

Below is a list of online resources for De Soto County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing De Soto County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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