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Columbia County, Georgia
Genealogy, Facts and Records Resources

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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Columbia County was created from Richmond County on Dec. 10, 1790 by the General Assembly. Georgia's 12th county was named for Christopher Columbus. Originally comprising the northern portion of Richmond County, the area initially was settled by Quakers who refused to fight in the Revolutionary War, Baptists, and others. After the war, many new settlers moved into Georgia's backcountry -- which soon led to pressure to move the county seat from Augusta to a more central and convenient location. The matter was finally resolved when the legislature decided to divide Richmond County into two counties. Shortly thereafter, the legislature created Warren County from western portions of Columbia County. In 1870, additional portions of western Columbia County were used to create McDuffie County.

The 1790 legislation creating Columbia County made no mention of a county seat or location of a courthouse. It is believed that Cobbham, a long-dead town on the Columbia-McDuffie county line, briefly served as county seat. Afterwards, the community of Kiokee (which Baptists had settled in 1772) served as county seat for a brief period. Located near the Savannah River, Kiokee was too far east for most of the county's population, so William Appling offered the county land eight miles to the southwest for building a courthouse and jail. Appling had settled in this area in 1772, and a small community had grown up. County officials accepted Appling's offer and in 1792 or 1793 built a courthouse and jail on the site, which was named Appling or Applington. On Nov. 29, 1794, the Georgia General Assembly enacted legislation designating the improved land lot as the official county seat for Columbia. On Dec. 12, 1816, legislation was enacted incorporating Appling as a village and setting its boundaries as a 600 x 600 yard square, with the courthouse in the middle. Since then, Appling has continued to serve as Columbia County's official county seat. However, it was not able to maintain its status as an incorporated city. As result of 1993 legislation requiring incorporated cities to provide at least three municipal services, Appling was one of 187 inactive cities in Georgia that lost its charter on June 1, 1995.

Cities and Towns Includes the cities of Appling, Grovetown and Harlem. Columbia County, Georgia History Books at Amazon.com. The Official County Government Website is located at http://www.columbiacountyga.gov/

  • Submit a Website or Report Incorrect Information
  • Historical Newspapers from Georgia (1752 - 1997) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
  • Georgia State Genealogy Network - Facebook.com
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  • Georgia Newspaper Archives - the largest historical newspaper database online, contains nearly 100 million newspaper pages from 1759 to present. Every newspaper in the archive is fully searchable by keyword and date. It Features billions of articles from historical newspapers around the U.S. and the world, it makes exploring history and genealogy easy. Discover fascinating news in archived newspapers hundreds of years old - including obituaries, birth announcements, sports articles, comics, and more – to fill in the life stories you are interested in. All of thier historical newspapers are full-page and fully searchable
  • Georgia Historical Records - Databases include Georgia Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Georgia Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Georgia Voter Lists & Census Records; Georgia Immigration & Emigration Records; Georgia Obituary Records; Georgia Military Records; Georgia Family Tree Records; Georgia Pictures; Georgia Stories, Memories & Histories; Georgia Directories & Member Lists and much more....

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Columbia County Court, Probate and Tax Records

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

Columbia County Clerk of Superior Court has Court Records from 1790 and Land Records from 1790 and is located at 640 Ronald Regan Drive, P.O. BOX 2930, Evans, GA 30809; Phone: (706) 312-7139, Fax: (706) 312-7152 . 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.

Columbia County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1787 , Probate Records from 1790 and is located at P.O. Box 525, Appling, GA 30802-0058; 706-541-1254 / FAX 541-4001 . 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.

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.

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

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Columbia County Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

See Also Vital Records in Georgia

Columbia County Health Department has Birth and Death Records since January 1919 and is located at P.O. Box 99, 6420 Pollard's Pond Road, Appling, Georgia 30802; (706) 541-1318. You may go to any county health department in the State of Georgia to obtain a certificates can be issued while you wait. Contact Clerk of Superior Court For County Divorce Records (See Columbia County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where divorce was granted, and Contact Probate Judge For County Marriage Records (See Columbia County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in county where license was issued.

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.
  • 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. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index
  • Marriage Certificates: Centralized State records since June 9, 1952. Certified copies of marriage documents up to 1966 are issued at State office. Contact the Columbia County Probate office for marriages in Columbia 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.

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. Order Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records or Death Records.

Ordering Vital Records by Mail -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". 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.

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

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Columbia County Census Records

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

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 Columbia County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Columbia County Census Records by clicking the link below:

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Columbia County Military Records

See Also Research In Military Records or Military Records in Georgia

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

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Columbia County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Georgia Genealogical Addresses

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

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Columbia County Cemeteries & Graveyards

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

There are many churches and cemeteries in Columbia County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Columbia 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.

Below is a list of online resources for Columbia County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Columbia 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 Georgia

 

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

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

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