Bolivar County History and Information

The County of Bolivar was created February 9, 1836 from the Choctaw Cession of 1830 during the administration of Governor Charles Lynch. It was named for General Simon Bolivar, a South American patriot. It contained 40 townships with an area of 1440 square miles. Its present area is 879 square, miles.

The County is now divided into two judicial districts, the line of division running north and south. Rosedale, situated on the Mississippi River, is the county seat of the first district, and Cleveland, situated on the main line of the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad, is the county seat of the second district.

The first county seat of Bolivar County was located at Bolivar Landing, and again, it was located at a point on a high sand ridge about two miles northwest of the present town of Beulah, this site being known to this day as "the old courthouse field." Subsequently, the county seat was removed to Prentiss on the Mississippi River opposite Napoleon, Arkansas.

The first settlers of Bolivar County were planters who found the forty to sixty foot deep Delta soil to be rich and fertile. The land had to first be laboriously cleared of the evergreen, cane and bamboo, but once cleared, the settlers found rivers, bayous, and lakes filled with edible fish, such as perch, jack, trout, bass, and big river catfish weighing as much as 200 pounds. Game, such as wild ducks, turkeys, deer, and quail were found in large numbers. The levee system was first implemented during the 1850's to the 1860's.

The first settlement in Bolivar County was Georgetown, located in the southern part of the county. Georgetown was a river landing, and was located on a plantation called Timber Lake Place, and belonging to John L. MARTIN of Kentucky.

Bolivar County is bordered by Coahoma County (north), Sunflower County (east), Washington County (south) and Desha County, Arkansas (west) . Cities and Towns include Alligator, Benoit, Beulah, Boyle, Cleveland, Duncan, Gunnison, Merigold, Mound Bayou, Pace, Renova, Rosedale, Shaw, Shelby and Winstonville .

The County Courthouse was burned by Federals in 1863 and entombed by flood in 1865.

See Extended History for More information. The Official County Website is located at http://www.co.bolivar.ms.us.

• Search Historical Newspapers from Mississippi (1818 - 1964) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
• Bolivar County, Mississippi History Books at Amazon.com
• Mississippi USgenweb Archives- Index of Counties and Records
• Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.

Bolivar County Court Records

See Also Mississippi Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! 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.

Bolivar County Clerk of Circuit Court has Marriage Records from 1866 and Court Records from 1836 and is located at P. O. Box 670, Cleveland, Mississippi 38732; Phone: 843-2061, Fax: 846-5880 .

Duties of the Circuit Clerk include Receivin and fileing all law suits, indictments, motions and other related papers in all Civil and Criminal Cases filed in the Circuit or County Courts and issues all process including summons and subpoenas, Draws Jurors and qualifies Juries, Keeps a record of all Judgments and Executions, Issues marriage licenses and keeps records of marriages.

Bolivar County Chancery Court Clerk has Land Records from 1836 and Probate Records from 1861 and is located at P. O. Box 789, Cleveland, Mississippi 38732; Phone: 843-2071, Fax: 846-5880

The Chancery Clerk occupies perhaps the most unique and diverse office in all of Mississippi government. The various duties given the Chancery Clerk by statute, or assumed voluntarily by the individual Clerk, cover a wide range of vitally important functions. Some of the duties and functions of the Chancery Clerk are recording the official minutes. As public recorder, the Clerk handles the recording and storage of several types of documents and maintains various indexes that aid people in researching these records. The primary records are deeds and mortgages relating to real property, but the Clerk also records federal tax liens, Lis Pendens ( notices of pending lawsuits ) and military discharges. The Clerk is in charge of the storage and authorized disposal of older land rolls, tax receipts and many other County records after their active use lifespan. As Clerk of the Chancery Court, the Clerk handles a multitude of tasks such as matters of estates, guardianships, conservatorships, divorces, child custody, adoption, property disputes and other matters of equity.

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

• Bolivar County, Mississippi Court Books at Amazon.com
• Mississippi Marriages 1767-1935
• Mississippi Marriages to 1825
• Mississippi Marriages 1826-1850
• Mississippi Marriages 1826-1900.
• Mississippi Land Records
• Land Claims in Mississippi Territory, 1789-1834
• BLM Land Records covers the State of Mississippi. May pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals. Online court records include
• Mississippi Court Records, 1799-1835
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.

Bolivar County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Mississippi

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Bolivar County Health Department has Birth and Death Records from November of 1912 and is located at 711 Third Street, Cleveland, MS 38732; Phone: 662-843-2706. You may go to any county health department in the State of Mississippi to obtain a certificates can be issued while you wait.

Contact Chancery Clerk for County Divorce Records (See Bolivar County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where divorce was granted, and Contact Clerk of Circuit Court Judge For County Marriage Records (See Bolivar County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in county where license was issued

Mississippi Department of Health is located in the Underwood Building, 571 Stadium Drive, just off North State Street near Woodrow Wilson Avenue in Jackson, Mississippi. The phone number is 601.576.7981. They have the following records:

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• Birth Certificates: The Mississippi Department of Health began filing birth certificates in November of 1912 for persons born in Mississippi. For earlier records, contact the Mississippi Department of Archives and History at (601) 576-6876.The certified copy of the birth certificate is available for $12.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates.
• Death Certificates: The Mississippi Department of Health began filing death certificates in November of 1912 for persons who died in Mississippi. For earlier records, contact the Mississippi Department of Archives and History at (601) 576-6876. The fee for a certified copy of a death certificate is $10.00. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $2.00. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE.Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• Marriage Certificates: The Mississippi Department of Health began filing Marriage records from January 1, 1926 to June 30, 1938, and for January 1, 1942 to present. for marriages that occurred in Mississippi. (Information for marriages prior to 1926 must be obtained from the Clerk of Circuit Court office in the county where the marriage license was issued.).The fee for a search of the records and a certified copy is $10.00. Additional copies ordered at the same time are $2.00 each. You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates.
• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

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Checks or Money Orders should be made payable to "Vital Records." Please do not send cash. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to: Mississippi Vital Records, P.O. Box 1700, Jackson, MS 39215-1700. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates or Death Certificates.

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

• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Bolivar County, Mississippi Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

Bolivar County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Mississippi

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 Mississippi are 1820, 1830 (Partial), 1840, 1850, 1860 (Partial), 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. In 1817 Mississippi became the twentieth state to enter the union; therefore, the first federal population census available is that of 1820.

Variations of this census appear in three printed forms, none of which include slave or miscellaneous information. Enumerations for Pike County are missing in 1830, but the Gillis index used extant tax records to supplement their index. Transcriptions are subject to error; use these reprints simply as a guide to the original records.

A significant addition to the 1840 census supplies the names and ages of pensioners. Schedules are missing for Hancock, Sunflower, and Washington counties in 1860.

By 1870, with slavery abolished, all blacks, natives, and Chinese were included, along with information regarding citizenship. With the destruction of the 1890 population schedules, only the schedules enumerating Union veterans are available for Mississippi. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

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

• Bolivar County, Mississippi Census Books at Amazon.com
• Mississippi Census, 1805-90
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

Bolivar County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Alabama and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Mississippi 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

ou can view rotating animated maps for Mississippi 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 Alabama 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 Bolivar County Maps. Email us with websites containing Bolivar County Maps by clicking the link below:

• The Mississippi Digital Map Library
• Bolivar County, Mississippi Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

Bolivar County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Mississippi

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.

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

• Bolivar County, Mississippi Military Books at Amazon.com
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (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.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Mississippi (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.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Mississippi (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Mississippi (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Mississippi units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier
• Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of Mississippi (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

Bolivar County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Local county courthouses maintain original tax records, both real and personal. Microfilm copies of the earlier records are found in the Mississippi Department of Archives and History where the collection is extensive, but there are gaps. Although not many, some counties have published selected years of tax rolls.

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

• Bolivar County, Mississippi Tax Books at Amazon.com

Bolivar County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Mississippi Genealogical Addresses

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 Bolivar County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Bolivar County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Bolivar County Historical Society, 1615 Terrace Road, Cleveland, MS 38732, (601) 843-8204
• Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Ph. (601) 576-6850, fax (601) 576-6964
  Physical Address: 200 North Street, Jackson, MS 39201
  Mailing Address: P. O. Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205-0571
• Mississippi State Records Center, 929 High Str, Jackson, MS 39201; (601) 354-7688
• Mississippi Historical Society PO Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205-0571
• Mississippi Genealogical Society, PO Box 5301, Jackson, MS 39296-5301
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.

Bolivar County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Mississippi

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.

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

• UsGenweb Bolivar County, Mississippi Cemeteries
• Bolivar County, Mississippi Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Bolivar County, Mississippi Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

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 Bolivar County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Bolivar County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local Mississippi Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Mississippi Researcher!
• Bolivar County, Mississippi Family Books at Amazon.com
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Bolivar County ] [ Mississippi ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• The Mississippi Family Group Sheet Project
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.

Extended History

 

Bolivar County was established by the Mississippi Legislature Feb. 9, 1836. The county was named for Simon Bolivar, the famed South American Liberator.

The first Bolivar County courthouse was a frame building erected in 1841, at a cost of $595. Over the next 30 years, the county seat of government was moved several times, finally coming to rest in Rosedale, in the early 1870. A courthouse was built there in 1872-1873. Rosedale originally was known as Floreyville, but the name was changed to Rosedale in 1876.

Bolivar County had 2,577 residents in 1850, and 10,471 in 1860. The vast majority of the county’s pre-Civil War populace was made up of slaves.

The Civil War brought a temporary end to what had been a period of tremendous material progress in Bolivar County. The county suffered numerous assaults by Union troops. At Prentiss, the county seat during the Civil War, invading Union forces burned much of the town including Bolivar County’s first brick courthouse. While the county’s able-bodied men were off fighting for the losing cause of the Confederacy, their homes and property were destroyed.

Cleveland, which originally was called Sims, was settled in the early 1880s. It was incorporated in 1886. Because of the great distance from the new towns in eastern Bolivar County to the county seat at Rosedale and the difficulty of making the trip, residents of the eastern towns were soon clamoring for the creation of a Second Judicial District. In 1900, Bolivar County’s Second Judicial District was established with Cleveland as its county seat. The first courthouse in Cleveland was completed the following year.

The two present-day Bolivar County courthouses were both built in the early 1920s. Flood seep-water wrecked the foundation of the courthouse in Rosedale, and a new courthouse was built there in 1922-1923. The Second Judicial District courthouse at Cleveland was torn down to make way for a new courthouse built in 1923-1924.

In 1924, Delta State Teachers College was chartered, and the new school was located in Cleveland. Since it opened in 1925, Delta State has grown into a multi-purpose university with over 3,200 students