Lake County, Florida Facts
Lake County, Florida ancestry and genealogy research page. Uncover links to record collections, history, and genealogy sources to aid you find your Lake Co., ancestors. Get started by building a Free Family Tree.
Lake County Facts
- Government Website: www.lakecountyfl.gov/
- Created Date / Origin: May 13, 1887 from Orange County and Sumter County
- County Seat: Tavares
- Named After: Named for the many lakes in the region
- Bordering Counties: Volusia County (northeast), Orange County (east), Seminole County (east), Osceola County (southeast), Polk County (south), Sumter County (west), Marion County (northwest)
- Incorporated Cities and Towns include: Clermont, Eustis, Fruitland Park, Groveland, Leesburg, Mascotte, Minneola, Mount Dora, Tavares, Umatilla, Astatula, Howey-in-the-Hills, Lady Lake, Montverde
- Historical Events (published in 1944):
- Spaniards, in colonial days, introduced the orange to this region for American settlers resulting in wild orange groves in abundance.
- Indian trouble continued until 1850 and real development did not come until after the Civil War.
- Lake is the leading watermelon county of Florida and it also ranks high in citrus and grape production.
- Hernando de Soto and his men passed through county July, 1539'. Leesburg founded 1866.
- Florida Conference College predecessor of present Southern College was founded at Leesburg, 1887.
Lake County Societies and Family History Resources
A list of Lake County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Forums, Message Boards, Libraries, Archives.
- Florida State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
- Lake County Historical Society & Museum, P. O. Box 7800, 317 W Main Street, Tavares, FL 32778; (352) 343-9890
- Lake County Kinseekers Genealogical Society, 19 Quail Run, Wildwood, FL 32785
- Leesburg Genealogical Society, 204 N. Fifth St., Leesburg, FL 32748
- Eustis Historical Museum & Preservation Society, 536 N. Bay St., Eustis, FL 32726
- Kinseekers Genealogical Society of Lake County, Florida, PO Box 492711, Leesburg, FL 34749-2711
- Pastfinders of South Lake County, Cooper Memorial Library, 620 W. Montrose St, Clermont, FL 34711
- Villages Genealogical Society, 26706 La Posada Drive, The Villages, FL 32159
- Lake County, Florida Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Lake County
- Lake County, Florida Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com) read and post messages with other genealogy researchers for Lake County
- FLGenWeb Digital Library and Archives (usgwarchives.net)
- USGenWeb Archives for Lake County (usgwarchives.net)
- See Also Florida Archives, Genealogical and Historical Societies for statewide Addresses and links
Lake County Courthouse and Government Records
Researchers often fail to notice the importance of Lake County court, probate, and land documents as a source of family history and genealogy information and facts. Hidden away in Florida courthouses and archives everywhere tend to be the desires and worries of the many Florida residents.
The chances are great that your chosen ancestors have left a detailed record of at least a number of factors of their lives in the Lake County court records. Even if your forefathers is not referred to in a Court case, take into consideration all of the other methods which could have lead to her or him to appear in court records.
Make sure you call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other details before visiting or inquiring about information because of in some cases changing contact details. The Department Offices DO NOT DO RESEARCH. The records are available to interested parties, barring confidential issues. A lot of employees will assist individuals in obtaining the materials, but it is up to the person to undertake the researching.
The following indicates what vital, land, probate, and court records are in Lake county. The date listed for each category of record is usually the earliest registration filed. The earliest date does not indicate that there are numerous records for that year and does not mean that all such events were actually registered.
- Lake County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
- Address: P.O. Box 7800, Tavares, FL 32778-7800 or 550 West Main Street, Tavares, FL 32778-3115
- Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk is custodian of all records of all predecessor courts, whether justice of the peace, city, county, probate, civil, or criminal.
- Phone: (352) 742-4100
- Marriage Records: 1887
- Land Records: 1887
- Probate Records: 1887
- Court Records: ?
- Lake County Tax Collector collects all real estate taxes including postponed and delinquent, all county revenues in addition to the research and issue tax deed applications. Our department is the holder of tax records and assessed values.
- Florida Office of Vital Records has copies of Birth & Deaths reported 1917 to present and Divorce & Marriages since June 6, 1927. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Florida for current fees and application process.
Lake County Links
The following are links to Family history and genealogy, Records and Resources relevant to Lake County. A lot of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business oriented Sites, Private Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some require a fee. This is just a directory which has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site over another. Feel free to submit your own preferred Lake County genealogy or family history affiliated sites.
Lake Co. FL Books, Newspapers & Publications
Lake Co. FL Birth, Marriage & Death Records
Lake Co. FL Court, Probate Land and Tax Records
Lake Co. FL Census Records
Lake Co. FL Cemeteries & Graveyards
Lake Co. FL Church & Bible Records
Lake Co. FL Family Websites, Pictures & Histories
Lake Co. FL General and History Websites
Lake Co. FL Immigration & Naturalization
Lake Co. FL Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
Lake Co. FL Military Records
- Florida Military Records (fold3.com) will provide easy access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents belonging to the Florida women and men which served. Suitable for Lake County genealogists, researchers, historians plus much more.
Lake Co. FL Schools & Directories