Easley Genealogy Records
Easley genealogy research draws on Pickens County records, as Easley is the largest city in Pickens County in the South Carolina Upstate. The city was incorporated in 1874 and developed as a railroad junction and textile manufacturing center. Pickens County was formed in 1826 from the Pendleton District, so researchers tracing Easley families before 1826 must consult Pendleton District records. All official genealogy records for Easley residents are held at the Pickens County Probate Court and Register of Deeds in Pickens. The Pickens County Library main branch in Easley is the primary local resource for Easley genealogy research.
Easley Quick Facts
Pickens County Library for Easley Genealogy
The Pickens County Library main branch at 100 Library Lane, Easley, SC 29640 serves as the primary research resource for Pickens County genealogy including the Easley area. Phone: (864) 850-7077. The library holds local history materials, genealogy reference books, compiled family histories, local newspapers, and research materials specific to Pickens County and the broader Upstate region. Because the library's main branch is located in Easley, it is particularly well-positioned as a starting point for Easley genealogy research. The library's collections document the families of the Pendleton District area from which Pickens County was formed, and researchers can access materials that help trace ancestors before and after the county's 1826 establishment.
The Pickens County Museum in Pickens holds historical collections that document the county's development from the Pendleton District era through the modern period. The museum holds photographs, documents, and artifacts related to the farming, textile, and community life of Pickens County including Easley. The Easley Area Museum preserves materials specific to Easley and its development as a railroad and textile center. The Pickens County Historical Society publishes materials on county families and history that supplement the official records held at the courthouse. Hagood Mill Historic Site in Pickens County preserves a working grist mill and related historical structures that document the agricultural economy of the area.
Easley's position as the largest city in Pickens County and the location of the county library's main branch makes it the practical center for Pickens County genealogy research, supplemented by the official county records held in Pickens.
Pickens County Records for Easley Genealogy
The Pickens County Probate Court at 222 McDaniel Avenue, Pickens, SC 29671 holds marriage licenses from July 1, 1911 through June 30, 1950 and estate records from 1826 when the county was formed. Phone: (864) 898-5851. For Easley marriages from July 1950 onward, contact the South Carolina Department of Public Health at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Phone: 803-898-3630. Researchers tracing Easley families before 1826 must consult Pendleton District records held at SCDAH, as the territory that became Pickens County was part of that earlier administrative district.
The Pickens County Register of Deeds at 222 McDaniel Avenue, Pickens, SC 29671 maintains land records dating back to 1826. Phone: (864) 898-5868. The SCDAH Online Records Index includes Pendleton District land plats that cover the Easley area before Pickens County was established. Pickens County contributed territory to form Oconee County in 1868, so researchers tracing families from the western parts of Pickens County should also check Oconee County records for the period after the county's division.
Easley Vital Records
South Carolina required birth and death registration starting January 1, 1915. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Pickens County birth records for 1915 to 1918 online and death records for 1915 to 1963. The South Carolina Department of Public Health holds vital records from 1915 to present at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia. Phone: 803-898-3630.
The free South Carolina death index for genealogy covers Pickens County deaths from 1915 through 1967. Records for Easley residents are filed under Pickens County. For Easley genealogy before 1915, church records and census data are the primary sources. Easley's Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian congregations maintained records from the late nineteenth century that document vital events for families in the community. The Pickens County Library holds some compiled church records and cemetery surveys that help researchers locate pre-registration vital events in the Easley area.
The State Library guide helps Easley researchers navigate Pickens County and state records, and provides guidance on the Pendleton District predecessor records at SCDAH that are necessary for tracing Easley area families before the county's 1826 formation.
Nearby Counties
Easley is the largest city in Pickens County. The county seat is Pickens. Oconee County was formed from western Pickens County territory in 1868 and holds records for families from that area after the division.