Marshall County
Alabama Genealogy & History Network

Welcome to Marshall County ALGHN

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

To share your Marshall 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 Marshall County, Alabama...

Present-day Marshall County was created by the Alabama legislature on January 9, 1836, from Cherokee land acquired in the 1835 Treaty of New Echota. The county was named in honor of John Marshall, chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1801 to 1835. Most early county settlers came from Tennessee, Virginia, and the Carolinas. The earliest towns in the area were Beard's Bluff, Guntersville, Warrenton, and Claysville.

The original two-story brick courthouse served as the nucleus for all future courthouse remodeling and additions. In 1935, a second courthouse was built in Albertville for the convenience of Marshall County citizens living on Sand Mountain. Today, both courts remain in use.

On April 27, 2011, a massive storm, causing numerous powerful tornadoes, struck the southeastern United States. More than 250 people were killed in Alabama, including five people in the Marshall County community of Ruth.

Until the middle of the twentieth century, farming was the prevailing occupation among Marshall County residents, and the staple crops were cotton and corn. During the 1930s, however, farming diversified into other food crops and livestock because of changes brought about by the arrival of the boll weevil and the hardships caused by the Great Depression.

The mineral-rich soil of Marshall County brought mining interests to the area as well. With the completion of the Guntersville Dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1939, the county moved from an agrarian economy to a more industrial economy. The dam made Guntersville the southernmost port of the Tennessee River navigation system, allowing the shipping industry to flourish. It also led to a number of recreational opportunities, including boating and fishing.

The county has a total area of 623 square miles, of which 566 square miles is land and 57 square mile (9.2%) is water. The population recorded in the 1840 Federal Census was 7,553. The 2010 census recorded 93,019 residents in the county.

Neighboring counties are Jackson County (northeast), DeKalb County (east), Etowah County (southeast), Blount County (south), Cullman County (southwest), Morgan County (west), and Madison County (northwest).

Communities in the county include Albertville, Arab (partly in Cullman County), Boaz (partly in Etowah County), Guntersville, Douglas, Grant, Sardis City (partly in Etowah County), Union Grove, Joppa (partly in Cullman County), Asbury, Claysville, Eddy, Egypt, Hog Jaw, Horton, Hustleville, Kennamer Cove, Little New York, Morgan City (partly in Morgan County), Mount Hebron, Rayburn, Red Hill, Scant City, Swearengin, Warrenton.

Marshall County, Alabama Records

Alabama Genealogy & History Network has many records on our county websites - marriage records, cemetery listings, 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 - We have thousands of county marriage records on our county websites. These dates will assist you greatly in obtaining a copy of the original marriage license. 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.