Boca Raton Family Archives
Boca Raton has a rich past. The name means "rat's mouth" in Spanish. Sailors saw red rocks here. They named the inlet long ago. Modern life began in 1895. Thomas Rickards built the first home. He grew crops and dreamed big. The railway came in 1896. It brought more folks to town. Pineapples grew well here. Your kin may have farmed these fields. They may have built the town. Files wait in Palm Beach County.
Boca Raton is in Palm Beach County. The county formed in 1909. Records date back that far. Your family may be in them. Check marriage licenses. Look at property deeds too. Court records help as well. Begin your search now.
Boca Raton Quick Facts
Boca Raton Historical Overview
The Tequesta people lived here first. They fished these shores for ages. Spanish ships passed by in the 1500s. They gave the inlet its name. The red reef was their landmark. The name stayed through time.
Thomas Rickards came in 1895. He built a home near the town center. He grew crops to sell. The Florida East Coast Railway came next. It reached the town in 1896. Trade and travel grew fast. The town began to thrive.
Pineapples were the big crop. Farmers planted fields of them. Boca Raton fruit won prizes. A freeze in 1910 killed the crops. Farmers switched to other plants. Beans became the new crop. The town grew despite the loss.
Addison Mizner came in the 1920s. He was a famous architect. He planned a grand resort town. The Cloister Inn was his jewel. Homes followed his style. The 1926 hurricane ended the boom. But his style still marks the town. Visitors come to see his work.
Palm Beach County Records
The Palm Beach Clerk of Courts keeps files. They have Boca Raton kin records. The county formed in 1909. It split from Dade County. Boca Raton was in the new county. Files cover all local history. Marriage licenses help prove ties. They start in 1909. Earlier ones may be in Dade. Each license names the pair. Ages and birthplaces show up. Parents may be named for the young. Search the clerk's index online.
Property deeds trace land through time. Early files show pineapple farms. You can follow one plot from start. See the shift from crops to homes. Deeds name buyers and sellers. Wives sign with husbands. This shows wed names of daughters. You learn who owned what land.
Probate files open family views. When folks died, estates went to court. Files name heirs and kin ties. Wills list kids and grandkids. Inventories show what was owned. You learn about daily life. Files help build true trees. They date to the county start.
Chapter 119 keeps files open. This law grants public access. You can view and copy them. Some have privacy shields. But old files are mostly free. The clerk's office is in West Palm Beach.
Florida State Archives Boca Raton Collections
The State Archives holds Palm Beach files. Boca Raton families are included. You can visit Tallahassee. Many files are online too.
Vital records help link kin. Death files start in 1877. They name the dead and parents. Chapter 382 sets the rules. Old files are open to all. Free indexes help you search.
Visit the State Archives of Florida to explore their holdings.
Digital Tools for Boca Raton Research
Online tools make work fast. You can search from home. Many sites cost nothing. Some need paid plans. Know the best tools to use.
FamilySearch.org gives free Florida files. It has Palm Beach marriages. Census views cost nothing. The site grows with new scans.
Ancestry.com has the largest paid set. It has all U.S. census years. Florida news files are there. Military rolls are included. The site suggests matches.
Find A Grave has local burial files. Volunteers have shot many stones. You can find dates in the rock.
Palm Beach County Genealogy Records
Boca Raton is in Palm Beach County. Most files are at the county level. The clerk keeps court and land files. You can visit West Palm Beach. Or use online search tools.