Link To This Page — Contact Us —

Oconee 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
????? County Georgia Map
VEIW FULL SIZED SIZED D.O.T. COUNTY MAP

Browse Georgia Counties

Oconee County was created from Clarke County on Feb. 25, 1875 by an act of the General Assembly. In that legislation, the county's boundaries were specified as:

Beginning at a point immediately opposite the mills of James H. Thompson, on the Jackson line, and leaving said mills in said new county, thence a straight line to the old saw mill site of Nathaniel L. Barnard, on McNutt's Creek, thence down said McNutts' Creek to its junction with Barber's Creek, thence down said Barber's Creek to its junction with the Oconee River, commonly called Middle River, thence down said river to the junction of the two Oconee rivers, thence down the Oconee River to Barnett's or Neal's Bridge, on said river, thence with the public road to Big Creek Church to the Oglethorpe county line, thence with the lines of the counties of Oglethorpe, Greene, Morgan, Walton and Jackson to the starting point . . . .

Created entirely from Clarke County, Georgia's 137th county was named for the Oconee River, which forms part of the county's eastern boundary with Clarke County. The new county was created in response to petitions from residents of the western half of Clarke County after the legislature moved the county seat of Clarke County from Watkinsville to Athens in 1871.

The legislation creating Oconee County designated Watkinsville as county seat. Settled around 1800, Watkinsville was named for Augusta lawyer Robert Watkins, who compiled Georgia's first collection of statutory laws. It was designated county seat of Clarke County in 1802. An act of Nov. 24, 1806 provided for three town commissioners with governmental powers. Though making no specific reference to incorporation, this act was the first to provide for a Watkinsville town government -- and for reasons cited below probably should be considered as the basis for de facto incorporation. Acts of 1815 and 1816 extended the authority of town commissioners, but again made no reference to the corporate status of Watkinsville. On Dec. 6, 1822, the legislature passed an act "to extend the corporate limits of the Town of Watkinsville to one half mile in every direction from the court-house" and to extend the powers of the town commissioners. This would suggest that Watkinsville was considered incorporated (even though no prior legislation had ever defined the town limits or boundaries). Further evidence of Watkinsville's corporate status can be seen in legislation approved on Dec. 18, 1884, entitled "An Act to consolidate, amend and supersede the Acts incorporating the town of Watkinsville". Additionally, an Aug. 29, 1891 act to "reincorporate" Watkinsville specifically cited previous acts back to the act of Nov. 24, 1806.

Watkinsville had served as county seat of Clarke County since 1802, but an act of Nov. 24, 1871 made Athens county seat effective Jan. 1, 1872. Afterwards, residents of western Clarke County pushed for the General Assembly to divide Clarke into two counties. When Oconee County was created in 1875, Watkinsville was designated county seat.

There were two courthouses in Watkinsville, built in 1806 and 1849, when it served as seat of government for Clarke County. When Oconee County was created in 1875, Watkinsville was designated county seat. A new courthouse was built that same year. The current brick courthouse, built by the Project Works Administration, was completed in 1939 and has undergone several renovations since, the latest being in 1998, when a courthouse addition was constructed. Also in the 1990s, a county government annex was built on Ga. 15 just south of Watkinsivlle.

Cities and Towns Includes the cities of Bishop, Bogart, High Shoals and Watkinsville. The Official County Government Website is located at http://www.oconeecounty.com/

Back to top

Oconee County Court, Probate and Tax Records

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

Oconee County Clerk of Superior Court has Court Records from 1875 and Land Records from 1875 and is located at Courthouse, Room 208, 23 North Main Street, P.O. Box 1099, Watkinsville, GA 30677; (706)769-3940. 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.

Oconee County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1875 , Probate Records from 1875 and is located at P.O. Box 54, Watkinsville, GA 30677-0054; 706-769-3936 / FAX 769-3934. 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 Oconee County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Oconee County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Back to top

Oconee County Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

See Also Vital Records in Georgia

Oconee County Health Department has Birth and Death Records since January 1919 and is located at P.O. Box 222, 1060 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville, Georgia 30677; (706) 769-3983. fax: (706) 769-3913. 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 Oconee County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where divorce was granted, and Contact Probate Judge For County Marriage Records (See Oconee 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 Oconee County Probate office for marriages in Oconee 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 Oconee County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Oconee County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

Back to top

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

Back to top

Oconee County Military Records

See Also Research In Military Records or Military Records in Georgia

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

Back to top

Oconee County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Georgia Genealogical Addresses

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

Back to top

Oconee County Cemeteries & Graveyards

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

There are many churches and cemeteries in Oconee County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Oconee 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 Oconee County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Oconee County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Back to top

County Church & Bible Records

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

 

Back to top

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

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

Back to top
Site Map | Copyright © 2011 N2Genealogy.com,