Palm Coast Ancestral Records
Palm Coast is a planned town. It was built from scratch. ITT Corporation had the dream. They bought land in 1969. Canals were dug through the pines. Roads were laid in grids. Lots were sold by mail. Folks came from the cold North. They built homes in the sun. The town grew fast in the 1990s. It became a city in 1999. Now it is Flagler County's largest town. Your kin may have bought here. Their files are on record. Start your search today.
Palm Coast is in Flagler County. The county formed in 1917. Records start from that year. Your family history may begin here. Check the property deeds. Look at marriage files too. Census records help as well. Start your research now.
Palm Coast Quick Facts
Palm Coast Development History
ITT Corporation had a vision. They saw a city by the sea. In 1969, they bought the land. It was pine woods and marsh. Canals were dug for drainage. Roads cut through the trees. Lots were marked and mapped. Ads ran in Northern papers. Retirees bought the dream. They sent checks by mail. Homes rose from the ground. The first ones were small. The pace was slow at first.
The 1970s brought slow growth. Homes went up one by one. The place was not yet a town. Flagler County ran the services. Life was quiet and calm. The river offered boating. Woods gave shade and peace. Folks liked the natural feel. They fished and hiked the trails.
The 1990s brought fast change. New homes sprouted fast. Shops opened on main roads. Schools were built for kids. The town formed in 1999. It became the county's largest place. Now it has full services. The planned roots still show. Streets follow the first grid. Old pines still line some roads.
Flagler County Records for Palm Coast
The Flagler Clerk of Courts keeps the files. They have what you need for kin work. The county formed in 1917. It split from St. Johns and Volusia. Records before that are in those counties. Palm Coast land was not settled early. Most files date from the 1900s. Property deeds are the key files. The ITT sale made many lots. Deeds show who bought first. You can trace sales since then. Records show when homes were built. Joint buys name both spouses. This helps build family trees.
Marriage licenses date to 1917. The clerk keeps them in Bunnell. Each one names the pair. Ages and birthplaces show up. Parents may be named for the young. These docs prove who wed whom. You can search online indexes. Find names and dates from home. Then order the full file.
Probate files show family ties. When folks die, estates go to court. Heirs are named in these files. Wills list kids and grandkids. Inventories show what was owned. These prove kin connections. Files date to the county start. They help with family tree work.
Chapter 119 gives access. This law opens most files. You can view and copy them. Some have privacy shields. Birth files stay closed. But court and land files are free. The clerk welcomes searchers.
Florida State Archives Palm Coast Research
The State Archives holds Flagler files. This includes the Palm Coast area. You can go to Tallahassee. Many files are online too. Staff help find what you seek.
Vital records help link kin. Death files start in 1877. They name the dead and parents. Birth and death dates help too. Chapter 382 sets the rules. Old files are open to all. Indexes let you search online.
Visit the State Archives of Florida to view their collections.
Neighboring County Resources
Palm Coast sits near county lines. Some kin lived in St. Johns first. Others were in Volusia. Records before 1917 may be there. This is key for old kin work. Always check nearby counties.
St. Johns County is to the north. It dates to 1821. Their clerk has marriage files. Court records are there too. St. Augustine was a colonial hub. Spanish files may name old kin. This helps trace deep roots.
Volusia County is to the south. It formed in 1854. Their files cover Palm Coast land. Before the split, they held the files. Deeds and court cases may be there. Check both for full research.
Digital Resources for Palm Coast
Online tools make work easy. You can search from home. Many are free to use. Some need payment. Know the right sites to use.
FamilySearch.org has free files. It has Flagler County marriages. Census views cost nothing. The site grows with new scans. Check for updates often.
Ancestry.com has the largest set. It has all U.S. census years. News files and military rolls are there. The site suggests matches.
Flagler County Genealogy Records
Palm Coast is Flagler's largest town. Most files are at the county level. The clerk keeps court and land files. You can go to Bunnell. Or search online tools.