Welcome to
LAURENS COUNTY
South Carolina


My name is Andrew Staton, and I am your host for Laurens County, South Carolina Genealogy Trails! Our goal is helping you find your ancestors by placing data online for the Free use of all researchers.  We are proud to expand into South Carolina, providing our "experience" gained from years of researching our ancestors and website hosting.  We want to hear about you and the history of your ancestors. We need help with contributions of your data, history and stories to make this a great site for research.  Everything is helpful: Obituaries, Biographies, Photos and County History, to name a few.

As data becomes available, we put it online.  Information will be posted as fast as we can find, type and/or receive it.  We welcome your feedback, comments, and your data contributions.  WE REGRET THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO DO PERSONAL RESEARCH FOR YOU.  All data we come across will be added to this website, so please keep checking back.

You are welcome to browse the information here to gather the data needed in your research. Please remember that this data represents hours of painstaking research by the State Coordinator, Volunteers, and Contributors, who donate to this site. Show your respect for these efforts by not using it on other websites or publications without written permission of the host and/or Contributors nor claim as your own.

If you are interested in contributing information to this site, or to contact the host, click here.

Recent Updates

Dec. 24 - 1940 Spartanburg Herald Journal obits (Apr.-Jun.) added
Dec. 30 - Calvary Cemetery updated, partial listing of Princeton Cemetery added
Jan. 12, 2012 - World War II Casualties list - Happy New Year 2012!
Jan. 15 - Blacks listed in Deeds of Laurens County (under Probates)
Jan. 17 - Biographies, obituaries updated
Jan. 20 - Laurens Schools and Post Offices (under Bits n' Pieces)
Jan. 21 - 1890 Veterans Census
Jan. 31 - Riflemen Sketch
Feb. 5 - 1855-1859 Laurensville Herald Abstracts

COUNTY HISTORY

Laurens became a separate county in 1785 from the Ninety-Six District, being named for the Revolutionary War patriot Henry Laurens of Charleston. The town of Laurens became the county seat, and the first courthouse was erected in 1786. The current courthouse was built in 1840 and enlarged in 1857. Andrew Johnson, president of the United States, and his brother came to Laurens in 1824 and established a tailor shop.

Laurens County was the location of many battles and skirmishes during the American Revolution. These included the Battle of Musgrove Mill, Lindley's Fort, and Hammond's Store.

RECORDS OF INTEREST


Biographies

Bits n' Pieces

Cemeteries

Churches

Contributors

Marriages

Military

News

Obits/Death Notices

Pioneers

Probates

Wills


SURROUNDING COUNTIES

Laurens County is bordered 
by the following counties:

Greenville - Northwest
Spartanburg  - North
Union - Northeast
Newberry (Hosted!)- West/Southwest
Greenwood - South
Abbeville - Southeast/East
Anderson - East

TOWNS AND COUNTY INFORMATION


Laurens County includes 7 incorporated cities and towns, along with several unincorporated. Those that are incorporated are: Laurens, Clinton, Gray Court, Waterloo, Cross Hill, Fountain Inn (partially in Greenville County), and Ware Shoals (partially in Abbeville and Greenwood Counties). Unincorporated towns include Owings, Mountville, Barksdale, Hickory Tavern, Princeton, Joanna, Kinards (partially in Newberry County), Ora, and Lanford.
There are public libraries in Clinton and Laurens (main branch). The Laurens Library has a South Carolina Room, containing history and genealogy information for the county. The room is open during all normal library hours. Laurens city newspapers are housed at the Laurens Library as well. However the Clinton newspaper, Clinton Chronicle, is housed at the Presbyterian College library in Clinton.

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