Murray County was created from Cherokee County on Dec. 3, 1832 by an act of the General Assembly. According to the 1832 act :
. . . such parts of the twenty-seventh, twenty-sixth, twenty-fifth and twenty-fourth districts of the second section, as lie west of the lines herein-before designated, and the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth, twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth districts of the third section, and the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, eighteenth and nineteenth districts of the fourth section, shall form and become one county, to be called Murray.
In way of background, by 1830, the Cherokee Nation consisted of most of northwest Georgia, plus adjoining areas in Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Even while Cherokee Indians remained on their homeland in Georgia, the General Assembly on Dec. 21, 1830 enacted legislation claiming "all the Territory within the limits of Georgia, and now in the occupancy of the Cherokee tribe of Indians; and all other unlocated lands within the limits of this State, claimed as Creek land". The act also provided for surveying the Cherokee lands in Georgia; dividing them into sections, districts, and land lots; and authorizing a lottery to distribute the land. On Dec. 26, 1831, the legislature designated all land in Georgia that lay west of the Chattahoochee River and north of Carroll county as "Cherokee County" and provided for its organization. However, the new county was not able to function as a county because of its size and the fact that Cherokee Indians still occupied portions of the land. On Dec. 3, 1832, the legislature added areas of Habersham and Hall counties to Cherokee County, and then divided the entire area into nine new counties -- Cass (later renamed Bartow), Cobb, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Murray, Paulding, and Union -- plus a reconstituted and much smaller Cherokee County.
According to its original boundaries, Murray County comprised the entire northwest corner of Georgia. Later created entirely from Murray County were Walker County (1833), Dade County (1837), and Whitfield County (1851).
Georgia's 86th county was named for lawyer and legislator Thomas W. Murray (1790-1832) of Lincoln County. Murray, who served as Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives in 1825, was a candidate for Congress at the time of his death in 1832.
The 1832 legislation creating Murray County directed the first justices of the new county's inferior court to select a site to serve as county seat. In September 1833, the first court session was held in Spring Place. On Sept. 19, 1834, Abner Holliday and Matthew Jones deeded 40 acres at Spring Place for use in erecting public buildings for the county. On Dec. 20, 1834, the legislature incorporated Spring Place and designated it as Murray's county seat. In 1905, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad was built through Murray County, giving the county its first rail service. Unfortunately for Spring Place, the L&N RR's north-south path ran three miles to the east. The Georgia Talc Co. was located east of Spring Place near the path of the railroad, and a railroad depot was built to serve the company. After the depot was built, the Chatsworth Brick Co. was built and the Chatsworth Land Co. formed. The area around the depot was laid out into land lots and a town quickly followed. On Aug. 18, 1906, the legislature incorporated the town of Chatsworth -- though the origin of the town's name is unclear. In Aug. 1912, two-fifths of Murray County's voters signed a petition calling for a referendum to move the county seat to Chatsworth. The following month, the election resulted in 862 votes for Chatsworth, 427 votes for Eton, and 155 votes for keeping Spring Place as county seat. The referendum subsequently was challenged, as the petition calling for an election had not mentioned Eton as a possible candidate for county seat. Georgia's Secretary of State, however, upheld the election because a clear majority had supported Chatsworth. As a result, the legislature in 1913 designated Chatsworth as the new county seat.
In September 1833, Murray County's first court session was held in Spring Place. Likely, private homes, churches, or other structures served as courtrooms, as there is no record of a real courthouse in the county's early years. On Dec. 27, 1842, the legislature authorized the county to levy a special tax to fund construction of a courthouse -- but it is not known if county officials implemented the law. Murray County's first known courthouse was a two-story brick structure built in Spring Place in 1886. Chatsworth was designated county seat in 1913, and three years later work began there on a new two-story brick courthouse that continues in use today. After county government moved to Chatsworth in 1917, the old Spring Place courthouse became a school house.
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Murray County Clerk of Superior Court has Court Records from 1833 and Land Records from 1833 and is located at 121
N. 3RD Ave.,
P.O. Box 1000,
CHATSWORTH, GA 30705;
Phone: (706) 695-2932,
Fax: (706) 517-9672. 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.
Lands were given to Georgia citizens by lotteries from
in 1805, 1807, 1820, 1821, 1827, 1832, 1832 (Gold), 1833. Where Georgians sold lots won in these lotteries, researchers
will find that deeds may be valuable sources of genealogical
information. Those deeds should have been recorded in the counties
where the land was located, but in some cases references may
be found in the counties where the owner resided. Land transaction
between private individuals are recorded with the clerk of superior
court in the appropriate county.
Murray County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1842 , Probate Records from 1840 and is located at 115
Fort Street, Chatsworth, GA 30705-0115; 706-695-3812
/ FAX 517-1340. 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Murray County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Murray County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Georgia Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Georgia Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Murray County Health Departmenthas Birth
and Death
Records since January 1919 and is located at 709 Old Dalton-Ellijay Road,
Chatsworth, Georgia 30705;
(706) 695-4585. 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 Murray County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where divorce was granted, and Contact Probate Judge For County Marriage Records (See Murray 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. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE
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. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE
Marriage Certificates: Centralized State records since June 9, 1952. Certified copies
of marriage documents up to 1966 are issued at State office. Contact the Murray County Probate office for marriages in Murray 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.
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". Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services. 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. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE
Below is a list of online resources for Murray County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Murray County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Georgia Death Certificates, 1919-1927 - Georga Death Certificates and Images from 1919 through 1927. The collection also includes a number of certificates predating 1919, mostly from 1917 and 1918. Free from the Georgia State Archives
Georgia Marriages, 1699-1944: This database contains marriage information from selected areas of Georgia from 1699-1944.
Georgia Marriages to 1850: This database of Georgia marriages to 1850 contains over 165,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.
Georgia Marriages, 1851-1900: This collection of records contains marriage data from several Georgia counties between 1851 and 1900.
Georgia Deaths, 1919-98: This database is an index of more than 2.7 million deaths recorded by the state of Georgia from 1919 to 1998
Click Here to Search Georgia Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
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 Murray County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Murray County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Georgia Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Georgia and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Georgia showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Georgia showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Georgia Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Murray County Maps. Email us with websites containing Murray County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Georgia Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Murray County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Murray County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Georgia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Georgia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
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.
1818-1839: The acts during these years are all based on the
tax act of 1817. These tax acts continually revive preceding
acts, often with amendments. Many simple tax questions can be
answered by a glance at the 1817 law. Complex or refined questions
may require consulting the specific act for the year in question
and then backward through a chain of revived acts.
1840: This
act revives the Tax Act of 1804, with amendments. This was probably
an attempt at simplification. The stated intention was to make
this act permanent.
1842: This
act increased the taxes of 1840 by 25%.
1843-50:
The final years of the first half of the nineteenth century
the Georgia Legislature re-enacted the 1840 act, which itself
was a revival of the 1804 act. The 1847 act did require that
taxes be paid in the county in which the land was held in jurisdiction.
Previously, the tax had been paid in the county of residence.
There is a online tax database for Georgia Tax Index, 1789-99 an index of tax records held by the state government from 1789-99.
Below is a list of online resources for Murray County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Murray County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Murray County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Murray County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Georgia Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
Click Here to Search Georgia Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
Early denominations present in Georgia in fewer numbers include Baptist, Methodist, Lutherans, Catholics, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Congregationalists. While their respective repositories house historical records, the Georgia Department of Archives and History has a good collection of church records on microfilm. Consult the holdings of other major genealogical libraries with southern collections for additional sources, including the FHL.
There is a online Cemetery database for the book 30,638 Burials in Georgia an list of 30,638 burials in the state of Georgia was copied over a 35-year period from headstones and markers in 600 cemeteries located in nearly 100 Georgia counties
Below is a list of online resources for Murray County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Murray County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Georgia Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Murray County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Murray County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Georgia Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
The following companies are currently offering free trials on their subscriptions from 7 to 14 days. You can receive more information by clicking the links below:
. The Official County Website is located at ?
Georgia 
