Geneva County
Alabama Genealogy & History Network

Welcome to Geneva County ALGHN

Welcome to the Geneva County Alabama Genealogy & History Network website providing free information to genealogical and historical researchers.

To share your Geneva County, Alabama genealogy or history information, send an email to alghn@outlook.com - we will be pleased to include it here. If you have information to share for other Alabama Counties, visit the Alabama Genealogy & History Network state website and choose the appropriate county.

About Geneva County, Alabama...

Geneva County was created by an act of the Alabama State Legislature on December 26, 1868, and was once part of present-day Dale County. The county was named after Geneva, the largest settlement in the new county and its only county seat to the present. The town was named by one of the first settlers, Henry A. Yonge, after his wife's hometown, Geneva, New York.

The county's first court was held in a local school in 1869 until a dedicated courthouse was built that year. That courthouse was replaced by a brick structure at some point and burned in 1898. It was replaced in 1911, but the building burned again. A new courthouse was built in 1912, and that structure was torn down in 1969 and replaced with the current courthouse. This building was renovated in 1996.

In 1861, Geneva was destroyed in what became known as the Lincoln Flood, for the president at the time, and the town was relocated to higher ground in 1865. The town was devastated again in the Hoover Flood of 1929, after which a levee was built to protect the rebuilt town. The pattern of flooding continued, and Geneva has flooded several more times since the turn of the twentieth century.

In 1901, the Alabama & Florida Railroad built a line through Geneva, connecting Georgiana, Alabama, to Graceville, Florida. The line operated until 1987, when the 23-mile Geneva spur was abandoned. In 1904, the Central of Georgia Railroad ran a line to Florala through Geneva County.

Fowler Park, located at the junction of the Pea and Choctawhatchee rivers in Geneva, offers scenic views of Constitution Oak, believed to be the largest and oldest live oak in the state. When the water levels are low, it is possible to view the wreck of a Civil War-era steamboat.

In April, the town of Geneva hosts Festival on the Rivers, which features canoe racing, food, live music, and arts and crafts. In addition, the town of Slocomb hosts the annual Tomato Festival.

The county has a total area of 579 square miles, of which 574 square miles is land and 5 square miles (0.8%) is water. The population recorded in the 1870 Federal Census was 2,959. The 2010 censusrecorded 26,790 residents in the county.

Neighboring counties are Dale County (north-northeast), Houston County (east), Holmes County, Florida (south), Walton County, Florida (southwest), Covington County (west), Coffee County (north-northwest), and Jackson County, Florida (southeast).

Communities in the county include Geneva, Hartford, Samson, Slocomb, Black, Coffee Springs, Malvern, Taylor (partly in Houston Co.), Eunola, Bailey Crossroads, Bald Hill, Bellwood, Chancellor, Dundee, Earlytown, Fadette, Hacoda, High Bluff, Highfalls, Highnote, and Kellys Crossroads.

Geneva County, Alabama Records

Alabama Genealogy & History Network has much information on our county websites - cemetery listings, community data, etc. Please visit the county or counties of interest to you.

Birth Records - The Alabama Department of Public Health maintains records of births from 1908 to present. This was the year Alabama began keeping official birth records. You can obtain official copies of birth certificates by visiting the birth record page on their website and following the instructions. Since there are no official birth records before 1908 for births prior to that date you will need to determine birth information from census records, bible records, baptismal records, cemetery tombstones, etc.

Death Records - The Alabama Department of Public Health maintains death records after 1908 on file. This was the year Alabama began keeping official death records. You can obtain official copies of death certificates by visiting the death record page on their website and following the instructions. Since there are no official death records before 1908 for deaths prior to that date you will need to determine death information from census records, bible records, funeral home records, cemetery tombstones, etc.

Marriage Records - The Alabama Department of Public Health can provide you with information for marriages that took place from 1936 to present by by visiting the marriage record page on their website and following the instructions.

All existing county marriage records for any date not listed above (and for the dates listed above for that matter) may be obtained from the county's Probate Office in which the marriage was held.

Divorce Records - The Alabama Department of Public Health maintains divorce records from 1950 to present. You can obtain official copies of devorce records by visiting the divorce record page on their website and following the instructions. Records for divorces occuring before 1950 may be obtained from the Circuit Clerk in the county where the divorce took place.