Deerfield Beach Family Records
Deerfield Beach sits on the coast. It began as a farm town. The name came from the deer. They grazed by the Hillsboro River. Early settlers came by boat. They found pine and oak woods. The soil was sandy but good. Crops grew well here. The railway came in 1896. It brought growth and trade. The town became a beach resort. Your kin may have farmed here. They may have fished the sea. Files wait in Broward County.
Deerfield Beach is in Broward County. The county formed in 1915. Records go back that far. Your family may be in them. Check the marriage licenses. Look at property deeds too. Court records help as well. Start your search now.
Deerfield Beach Quick Facts
Deerfield Beach Historical Overview
Settlers came in the late 1800s. They traveled by boat on the river. The land was thick with trees. Deer fed in open glades. The town took their name. Life was simple and hard.
Farms built the early town. Folks grew pineapples and tomatoes. The sandy soil was fertile. Trains took crops to market. The Florida East Coast Railway arrived. It brought more settlers. A small downtown formed.
The 1920s boom changed all. Developers saw beach value. Hotels and homes rose fast. The town formed in 1925. The name added "Beach" then. The 1926 hurricane hit hard. But the town rebuilt. It kept growing through the years.
Broward County Records for Deerfield Beach
The Broward Clerk of Courts keeps files. They have Deerfield Beach kin records. The county formed in 1915. It split from Dade and Palm Beach. Deerfield Beach was in the new county. Files cover all local history. Marriage licenses help prove ties. They start in 1915. Earlier ones may be in other counties. Each license names the pair. Ages and birthplaces show up. Parents may be named. Search the clerk's index online.
Property deeds trace land through time. Early files show farm plots. You can follow one parcel from start. See farms turn to beach homes. Deeds name buyers and sellers. Wives sign with husbands. This shows wed names of daughters. You learn who owned what.
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.
Chapter 119 keeps files open. This law grants access. You can view and copy them. Some have privacy shields. But old files are mostly free. The clerk's office is in Fort Lauderdale.
Florida State Archives Deerfield Beach Collections
The State Archives holds Broward files. Deerfield Beach 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 Deerfield Beach Research
Online tools make work fast. You can search from home. Many sites cost nothing. Some need paid plans.
FamilySearch.org gives free Florida files. It has Broward County 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.
Broward County Genealogy Records
Deerfield Beach is in Broward County. Most files are at the county level. The clerk keeps court and land files. You can visit Fort Lauderdale. Or use online search tools.