Rabun County, Georgia Genealogy

United States

Georgia

Rabun County

Guide to Rabun County, Georgia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Georgia Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Clayton Organized: December 21, 1819 Parent County(s): Cherokee Indian lands Neighboring Counties Clay (NC)  • Habersham  • Jackson (NC)  • Macon (NC)  • Oconee (SC)  • Towns See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The County was named for William Rabun. The County is located in the northeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Rabun County Courthouse
25 Courthouse Square, #7
Clayton, GA 30525-0925
Phone: 706-782-3615
Rabun County Website

Probate Court has marriage and probate and court records.
Clerk Superior Court has divorce, court and land records.

Rabun County, Georgia Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1919	1820	1919	1829	1821	1826	1820
*Statewide registration of births and death began in 1919. General compliance for births by 1928 and deaths by 1922.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

1819 Rabun County was created 21 December 1819 from Cherokee Indian lands. County seat: Clayton Rabun County has not had any boundary changes but when researching this county for ancestors you might consider the following.Rabun in located where South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia meet.The geography of the Eastern part of the county is such that many times its residents went to North or South Carolina to conduct business.Records can be found in all three states. For animated maps illustrating Georgia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Georgia County Boundary Maps" (1758-1932) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county: Rabun County, Georgia

Cities
Clayton Dillard	Sky Valley
Towns
Mountain City Tallulah Falls	Tiger
Unincorporated communities
Blalock Lakemont Persimmon	Pine Mountain Rabun Gap Satolah	Wiley York
Ghost towns
Burton

History Timeline

Rabun County is located in the Northeastern corner of Georgia.It is a mountain community and very rural.Its towns are small and friendly. The mountains are covered with forests, there are rivers and streams, and several lakes.

When Rabun County was settled, many of the new residents merely crossed the river from South Carolina to the new county and state.They would go back across the river to visit family members and friends. The town in South Carolina was closer than the town in Georgia to purchase supplies. When the Civil War started many men from Rabun County enlisted in South Carolina with their relatives. The geography of the area rather than lines drawn for states determined where events took place and where records were kept.

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Rabun, Georgia online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com GAGenWeb GAGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project Billion Graves
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves Georgia Cemetery Records FamilySearch Places
See Georgia Cemeteries for more information

The following web site may have additional information on Rabun County cemeteries.

• Interment.net Georgia cemetery records

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	524	—
1830	2,176	315.3%
1840	1,912	−12.1%
1850	2,448	28.0%
1860	3,271	33.6%
1870	3,256	−0.5%
1880	4,634	42.3%
1890	5,606	21.0%
1900	6,285	12.1%
1910	5,562	−11.5%
1920	5,746	3.3%
1930	6,331	10.2%
1940	7,821	23.5%
1950	7,424	−5.1%
1960	7,456	0.4%
1970	8,327	11.7%
1980	10,466	25.7%
1990	11,648	11.3%
2000	15,050	29.2%
2010	16,276	8.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Georgia denominations, see the Georgia Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places

Land and Property Records

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See Georgia Land and Property for additional information about early Georgia land grants from the government. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions (generally buying and selling deeds) were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

Land records in Rabun County are incomplete. Many of the land transactions were not recorded at the county seat. Land was traded between family members and neighbors for generations without official records being kept. In 1911, Congress passed the Weeks Law which authorized the purchase of timbered land on a large scale. Some of this land was located in Rabun County, Georgia. Officials were sent into Rabun County in 1912 to start purchasing land. Proposals of sale were secured and surveyors were sent to locate lands on which options had been secured. Their reports were turned over to title examiners who had to pass on the deeds before the lands could be purchased. The titles to most of the lands were so poor that proceedings of condemnation were taken before the Federal Court before good titles could be obtained. A Federal Court was established in Clayton for that purpose.

The condemnation process required that an attempt be made to locate all parties who might have an interest in or claim to the land in question.Advertisements were placed in the local paper listing the descendants of the last clear land owner in order to find anyone who might have claim to the land. Sometimes this was the first land owner when the county was created.Therefore every known descendant was listed down to the time the land was condemed. Over 6,000 names arranged in up to six generations of family genealogies are listed in these court cases. The data this process produced in invaluable to the researcher.Information was accumulated that has not been found in any other records to date. Both the maiden and married names of many female family members can be found.The addresses of those who had moved away also offer possible migration locations for family members. The exact method by which the names were compiled is not known. It is likely they were acquired in many ways, including deeds, newspaper advertisements, personal interviews, and other public records available at the time.

The original court case files are located at the National Archives, East Point, Georgia. The original land acqusition files are located at the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Office, Gainesville, Georgia. These groups of records have not been organized or microfilmed. In 2001, Susan Lewis Koyle published Genealogy Extracted from Forest Service Court Cases in Rabun County, Georgia that gives the genealogies in many of these cases and has a name index. This book is located in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. It is available for purchase through Heritage Books, Inc.

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Rabun County, Georgia Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Georgia Local Histories.

Sketches of Rabun County History by Andrew Jackson Ritchie. Located in Family History Library in Salt Lake.

Rabun County Georgia and its people, vol. 1 & 2 , 1992.

A Pictorial History of Rabun County by Cuba and Archie McKay, 2003.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
• Maps of Georgia (1758-1932)

Military Records

• Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project

Civil War

Online Records

• 1861-1865 Georgia Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861-1865 Georgia Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1861-1865 Confederate Enlistment Oaths and Discharges at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images and alphabetical index
• 1861-1865 Confederate Muster Rolls at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images; filter by commanding officer, service branch and regiment
• 1861-1865 Confederate Pension Application Supplements - images and alphabetical index; filter by county
• 1864 Militia Enrollment Lists, 1864 - images; filter by county
• 1867-1868 Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index
• 1879-1920 Georgia, Confederate Pension Rolls, 1879-1920 at FamilySearch — index
• 1879-1960 Confederate Pension Applications - images and alphabetical index; filter by county

Regiments. Service men in Rabun County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Rabun County:

- 24th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company E

- 52nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company F

(Many men in Rabun County joined units in South and North Carolina.)

• Ledford, Karen Ann Thompson. These Men Wore Grey Genealogical, Military, and Interment Records of Confederate Soldiers. (Toccoa, Georgia: K.T. Ledford, c1998-c2001), 7 Volumes. Each volume contains bibliographical references and full-name index. Contents: v. 1. Franklin County -- v. 2. Habersham County --v. 3. Stephens County -- v. 4. Rabun County --v. 5. White County -- v. 6. Banks County -- v. 7. Jackson County. Book found at FHL 975.8 V3L and Other Libraries.
• Franklin County (Georgia). Superior Court Clerk. 1964. Confederate roster, 1862-1865. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. film 363289
• Blakely, Duchess B., Judy H. Hulsey, and Vivian B. Young. 2011. Remembering Franklin County Confederate soldiers & others --: 1861-2011. Lavonia, Georgia: United Daughters of the Confederacy. Lavonia Chapter no. 1216. film 1973727
• Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Rabun County). 1963. Confederate pension rolls, 1891-1919. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. film 326029

Spanish-American War

• 1898 Spanish-American War Service Summary Cards - images and alphabetical index; filter by residence, muster location and unit

World War I

• 1914-1918 World War I Casualties Scrapbooks - images and alphabetical index
• 1920-1929 Georgia, World War I, Statement of Service Cards, 1920-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

• 1940-1942 Georgia World War II Draft Registration Cards 1940-1942 at findmypast - index ($))

Newspapers

Early newspapers published in Rabun County, or for the benefit of its citizens:

• The Clayton Argus, published in 1894 by R. E. A. Hamby.
• The Tallulah Falls Spray, published from 1896 to 1898 by J. B. Young and Walter Hunnicutt. In early 1898, Mr. Hunnicutt turned the paper over to T. A. Robinson.
• The Clayton Tribune, first published in January 1898 by J. A. Reynolds.
• The Clayton Telegraph, published in 1898 by A. B. Sams.
• Echoes from Tallulah Falls, published in 1899 and possibly into 1900 by Walter Hunnicutt and William Berrie.

Of those periodicals, there are few extant issues. Only two issues survive for the Argus, and those are available on microfilm through the University of Georgia's newspaper project. A good portion of issues are extant for the Spray from 1897 and into the early part of 1898, but only one issue has been microfilmed; the remainder are available as a bound volume from the Rabun County Historical Society. Issues of the Tribune are available from 1899 (the first half of the year through the Historical Society, and the last on microfilm, although not all issues for that year are extant), 1902, 1903, and 1905. No issues are known to survive for either Echoes or the Telegraph. L. P. Cross' article on early newspapers as published in Sketches of Rabun County History by Ritchie contains some errors which have been corrected here by verification through the newspapers themselves.

A compilation of Rabun County's early newspapers was published in May 2012, Rabun County, Georgia, Newspapers, 1894-1899, covering extant issues of newspapers published in Rabun County during that time period.

Other Records

Voting Records

• 1867-1868 Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index

Probate Records

Colonial courts kept some early probate records.  From 1777 to 1798 and since 1852, the court of ordinary or register of probates has kept probate and guardianship records.  The inferior court handled probate and guardianship matters from 1798 to 1852.

Many probate records to the 1930s and 1940s are at the Georgia Department of Archives and History and the Family History Library on microfilm.

Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.

Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records (not all years).

Online Probate Records

• 1742-1990 Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1742-1992 Georgia Wills and Probate Records 1742-1992 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
• 1826-1839 Testator Index: Minutes 1826-1839
• 1838-1859 Testator Index: Wills, Inventories and Appraisements, 1838-1859
• 1849-1866 Testator and Guardianship Index: Official Bonds, 1849-1866
• 1850-1860 Testator Index: Minutes, Inventory & Appraisement, 1850-1860
• 1857-1867 Index to Wills 1857-1867 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1857-1867 Wills, 1857-1867 (digital images). See list of testators. Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1860-1868 Testator Index: Minutes of the Ordinary, 1860-1868
• 1862-1888 Testator Index: Will Book B, 1862-1888
• 1863-1888 Index to Wills 1863-1888 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1869-1912 Index to Administrators Bonds, Guardians Bonds, 1869-1912 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1870-1888 Testator Index: Records of Letters of Administration and Guardianship & Wills, 1870-1888
• 1878 Testator Index: Administrators, Estates, Guardians & Trustees, Wills, 1878
• 1881-1929 Testator Index: Will Book C, 1881-1929
• 1885-1930 Index to Wills 1885-1930 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1891-1900 Index to Letters of Administration, Guardianships, Wills, 1891-1900 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1932-1959 Testator Index: Will Book D, 1932 - 1959

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and all slaves up to age 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district.

Extant tax records for Rabun County begin in 1836, but are largely incomplete until about 1872. The Georgia Department of Archives and History houses tax digests (or copies of) from that year up until the 1960s. More modern tax records may be found at the Tax Assessor's office in Clayton. The Rabun County Historical Society also has various tax digests, including two volumes from the 1930s and 1960s respectively.

The 1836 tax digest is held at the Georgia Department of Archives and History. The 1861 and 1862 tax digests are located in the Probate Court at the county courthouse in Clayton. The Probate Court also has road tax records from 1909 through about 1919.

• An index to the 1836 tax digest for Rabun County is located online at USGenWeb Archives
• An abstract of the 1861 tax digest for Rabun County is located online at USGenWeb Archives
• A transcription of the 1909 road tax record for Rabun County is located online at USGenWeb Archives
• 1787-1900 Georgia, Tax Digests, 1787-1900 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection, index and images

Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Georgia State Department of Health , the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred or order electronically online.

For some online statewide indexes, see the FamilySearch Historical Record Collections for Georgia.

Birth

• 1870-1960 Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index, and some images

Marriage

Marriages were first recorded in Rabun County in 1820, and are maintained by the Probate Court at the Courthouse in Clayton.

The first five marriage books have been microfilmed. Digitized versions of the microfilm copies of those volumes is available online, for free, through Georgia's Virtual Vault in the "Marriage Records from Microfilm" database.

The first three marriage books, covering the years 1820-1884, have been transcribed and placed freely online through the Rabun Co., GAGenWeb Archives. Some of the names were transcribed incorrectly, and so the original records should always be referenced. A book-length compilation of Rabun County's marriage records, as transcribed from official marriage records held by the Probate Court, for the years 1820 through the 1940s, is now underway.

The Georgia Department of Archives and History holds original marriage licenses for the years 1896 to 1920.

• 1560-1993 Georgia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index ($)
• 1699-1944 Georgia Marriages 1699-1944 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1754-1960 Georgia Church Marriages, 1754-1960 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1785-1950 Georgia County Marriages 1785-1950 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1787-1962 Georgia, Church Marriages, 1787-1962 at FamilySearch — index
• 1808-1967 Georgia Marriages 1808-1967 at FamilySearch — index
• 1820-1884 Rabun County Marriage Books A thru D Index 1820-1884. Batch M713551 at FamilySearch
• 1828-1978 Georgia Marriage Records from Select Counties 1828-1978 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
• 1884-1895 Rabun County Marriage Index 1884-1895. Batch M713552 at FamilySearch
• 1885-1886 Marriages from Newspapers Georgia Pioneers ($)

Death

• 1870-1960 Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index, and some images
• 1914-1927 Georgia Deaths 1914-1927 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1919-1998 Georgia Deaths 1919-1998 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1919-1930 Georgia Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - index and images
• 1928-1930 Georgia Non-Indexed Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
• 1928-1942 Georgia Deaths, 1928-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1933-1998 Georgia Death Index 1933-1998 at FamilySearch — index

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Rabun County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Georgia Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Rabun County. For state-wide library facilities, see Georgia Archives and Libraries.

Societies

Listed below are societies in Rabun County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Georgia Societies.

• Rabun County Historical Society
  PO Box 921
  Clayton, GA 30525-0921
  Phone: 706-782-5292
  Website

Websites

• Rabun County, GA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Georgia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• USGenWeb project May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
• Rabun Co., GAGenWeb
• Rabun County, Georgia Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Georgia Pioneers ($)
• FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.