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Introduction

Researching by Surname

Ancestral Gen-Sites

Researching by Location

Gen Tool-Kit

Website Resources

Image Gallery

About This Webpage

        Pickens County is located in the U.S. state of South Carolina.  Its county seat is Pickens.   Pickens County was formed in 1826.  It was named for Andrew Pickens, a militia leader during the American Revolution and a member of the United States Congress.

        This area in the northwestern corner of the state was Indian territory until 1777. It subsequently became part of Pendleton District (at one time called Washington District). In 1826 Pendleton was divided into two counties, Pickens and Anderson; the western portion of    Pickens County was later split off to form Oconee County (1868).

        The following counties are adjacent to Pickens: Transylvania County, North Carolina – north; Greenville County, South Carolina – east; Anderson County, South Carolina – south; and Oconee County, South Carolina – west.

Researching by surname

The following are names of persons, found within our databases as having been either born, married or died in this location. Names in dark red denote direct ancestral lines. To find out more about each surname listed click on the corresponding Link.

McVicker; Moreland; Pinnell; Scruggs and allied families  (MMPS)

BISHOP;   HENDERSON;   DICKSON

Bozarth; Peiffer; Quigley; Rhubart and allied families (BPQR)

Dellinger; Knecht; Pfeffer; Silar and allied families  (DKPS)

Click on this link to find out more about each surname listed above as well as other surnames found within our three family databases.

This link will also lead you to surname resources at Rootsweb, and information about the world-wide distribution of a surname.

Use this free genealogy site to help you get the best genealogy searches from Google™ by using your family tree, for your research. It will create a series of different searches  using tips or "tricks"

that will likely improve your results. The different searches will give you many different ways of using Google and the Internet to find ancestry information about  this  or  any  other  Surname. 

Click on the LINK to the right to see more information about the World distribution of any surname. 

You can get greater detail for any of the maps by clicking on the area, i.e state, county that you are interested in.

ancestral gen-sites

Family History Notes

Map of the County

Gen-Site Profiles

Although our ancestors lived in Anderson County they did belong to two churches located in Pickens County.  Nicholas Bishop, III and his father-in-law Michael Dickson came to this area around 1789 soon after it was opened for settlement.  Both were instrumental in the formation of the Presbyterian congregation as well as the building of the “Old Stone Church” in 1802.  Michael Dickson was a founding trustee of the church.  Nicholas Bishop, III along with his wife Jane Dickson and two of their daughter   Dorcas and  Jane are buried in the cemetery there.  Their daughter Elizabeth Bishop married James Franklin Henderson Sr. and lived in Pickens County until her death at Pickensville in 1844.  In his later years Michael Dickson became a member of Carmel Church located near Liberty in Pickens County. 

Map of the county

The in the map designates the location of the seat of government for this county.   designate seats of government in adjacent counties.   A shows the location of identified ancestral Gen-Site(s). 

from the keyboard you can increase or decrease the zoom value in 10% increments.

To zoom , press  and the   button. To zoom , press  and the   button.  To restore the zoom to 100%, press  and the  button.

Gen-site profiles

Old Stone Church;   Carmel Church

Old Stone Church

LOCATION:  Country: United States;  State: South Carolina;  County: Pickens;  Coordinates/Map: 34° 53′ 24″ N, 82° 43′ 12″ W,  34.89, -82.72;   Directions: Located on Anderson Road, about 2 miles south of Clemson, SC.

DESCRIPTION OF GEN-SITE: The Old Stone Presbyterian Church in the photo at the right was built in 1802. When it was constructed, it was in the Pendleton District, South Carolina. When Pendleton District was divided in 1826, the church was in Pickens District. When Pickens District was split in 1868, it was in Oconee County, South Carolina. In 1968, this section of Oconee County was annexed back to Pickens County. The church is about mid-way between the centers of Pendleton and Clemson. It is now in the city limits of Clemson.

Click on photo for larger image

ANCESTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GEN-SITE: see Family History Notes above.  The photograph at the right is of the Bishop family burial plot.

INTERNET WEB LINK(S):  Old Stone Church and Cemetery;  Old Stone Church & Cemetery. Located near Clemson,SC. - YouTube;  Old Stone Church (Gallery of Images);  Buildings and building stone: The Old Stone Church in Pickens County, South Carolina

Carmel Church

LOCATION:  Country: United States;  State: South Carolina;  County: Pickens;  Coordinates/Map: 34.7559471 -

82.6415243;   Directions: Located south of Liberty at the corner of Hwy. 135 and Flat Rock Road.

DESCRIPTION OF GEN-SITE: The congregation for this Presbyterian Church was originally formed in the mid 1700's. Carmel is the oldest Presbyterian Church in the old Pendleton District. The first church was built of logs. The present sanctuary was completed in 1856 and is made of handmade bricks and has a slave gallery with its own outside entrance. In the early years of the church, Ezekiel Pilgrim, who donated the land for the church, prohibited a cemetery from being placed on the same grounds as the church. The early Carmel church members were then buried at the old church site, which is known as the Pickens Cemetery. The earliest marker in the church’s cemetery is 1841.

Click on photo for larger image

ANCESTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GEN-SITE: see Family History Notes above.  

INTERNET WEB LINK(S): Find A Grave: Carmel Presbyterian Church Cemetery;  Carmel Church (USGENWEB Archives);  Carmel Presbyterian Church

populated places

Gazetteer of Places

 in This County

Changes of County Boundaries

Link to State-Wide Resources

Where in the World

are My Ancestors?

gazetteer

The list below will assist in your research regarding the matching of your ancestor’s birth, marriage, death dates and the place(s) within this locality at which these events may have occurred.

Profiles for  103 cities, towns and other populated places in Pickens County, South Carolina

Map of Pickens County South Carolina

Pickens County Physical, Cultural & Historic Features | Schools

Pickens County ZIP Codes | Area Codes

Pickens County Land - Property, Farms & Ranches

Pickens County, SC, United States

Details | Resources | Cities | Cemeteries |

Links To Populated Places Within This County

• Arial
• Calhoun
• Central

• Clemson #
• Dacusville

• Easley #
• Glenwood

• Liberty
• Norris

• Pickens
• Pickensville

• Sunset
• Six Mile

#  (territory in Pickens and Anderson Counties)

Find Physical Features* Within This County

* includes but not limited to Cemeteries, Churches, Locales, Schools,

Military Installations;  Populated Places, Post Offices, Streams, and Trails

County boundary changes

     Conducting genealogical research in the United States requires an understanding of county boundaries.  As the population grew more counties were created to meet the public’s need for localized governments.  This phenomena was common in all states during the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries.  As such you must be sure that you are not looking for records in the wrong county or state. 

     The web-site for the Atlas of Historical County Boundary Project provides interactive maps for all states. This Atlas is meant to be a resource for people seeking records of past events, and people trying to analyze, interpret and display county-based historical data like Land Records, Probate Records, Court Records, Tax Records, and Vital Records that document birth, death, and marriage.   Listed below are the boundary changes for this county, the dates they occurred, as well as the government statute that decreed the change.  To see actual changes in a mapping format follow this LINK to the Atlas of Historical County Boundary Project .

PICKENS COUNTY: Map(s) and descriptions of Historical Boundary Changes

Click on thumbnail buttons for Map images

¹

07 Mar 1789 - PENDLETON (extinct) created from Non-County Area 2 (former Cherokee and Creek lands), attached to

                       ABBEVILLE. (S.C.

19 Feb 1791 - PENDLETON (extinct) became part of newly created Washington District.

01 Jan 1800 - Pendleton District created from Washington District, with same boundaries as PENDLETON County (extinct).

²

19 Dec 1816 - PENDLETON (extinct) gained all of Non-County Area 5; territory ceded by the Cherokee on 22 March 1816.

20 Dec 1826 - PENDLETON (extinct) lost to creation of ANDERSON and PICKENS; PENDLETON eliminated.

³

20 Dec 1826 - PICKENS created from part of PENDLETON (extinct), with same boundaries as Pickens District.

⁴

29 Jan 1868 - PICKENS lost to creation of OCONEE, by ordinance of the state constitutional convention of 1868.

16 Apr 1868 - Pickens District eliminated when new state constitution abolished all judicial districts. PICKENS County

                       continued and assumed all functions of local government from both judicial districts and parishes.

27 Feb 1917 - Boundary between PICKENS and OCONEE redefined [no discernible change].

20 Mar 1923 - Boundary between PICKENS and OCONEE redefined [no discernible change].

⁵

20 Feb 1967 - PICKENS gained from OCONEE. (S.C. Acts 1967, no. 45, sec. 1/pp. 46-47)

Use this link to find more resources regarding the

historical changes of county boundaries in all 50 U.S. States.

State-Wide Resources

For more information about the U.S. State in which this county is located  click  on  these  LINKS:

Where in the world

Resources which enhance our knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important as their names.

This LINK will take you to Maps, Gazetteers,   and other helpful  resources  that will assist you in discovering Ancestral Locations. 

gen tool-kit

Our “Gen-Tool Kit” has been primarily designed for those researchers who may be traveling to this location to perform on-site studies of their family history, or to just visit some of the interesting historical sites located in the area.  It can be very satisfying to mix research with sightseeing at historical and scenic spots.  Such activity not only gives you an understanding of the land but a needed break from intense research sessions.  When visiting an ancestral county for genealogical research we’ve found that the three most important places to visit are the county courthouse; the county library; and the county historical and/or genealogical societies.  It is also good to plan ahead by contacting any site you intend visiting in order to ascertain where it is and when it will be open.  This is especially true with regard to historical and genealogical societies.  We hope that the following information will provide you with a better idea of what resources are available, within this county, to the family historian.

Cemeteries

County History

Libraries, Museums

& Archives

Maps and Gazetteers

 County Records

Societies

(History & Genealogical)

Cemeteries

·         Cemeteries of Pickens County

·         Dacusville Cemetery Photos

·         Oconee & Pickens South Carolna Cemetery Photos

·         Pickens Cemetery Photos

·         Pickens County SC Cemetery. Transcription & Photo Project

·         Pickens County Cemeteries

·         Pickens County Cemetery List

·         Pickens County Cemetery Registration

·         Pickens County SC Cemetery GPS Project

·         Pickens County, SC Cemetery Mapping Project

History

National Register of Historic Places listings in Pickens County, South Carolina

·         Pickens County

·         Pickens County A Brief History

·         Pickens County Bibliography

·         Pickens County Historical Markers

·         Pickens County History

·         South Carolina Reference Room - Pickens County

• City of Clemson History

Libaries, Museums, Archives

• Captain Kimberly Hampton Memorial Library Easley, SC
• Central-Clemson Regional Branch Clemson, SC
• Pickens County Library History
• Sarlin Branch Hours & History Liberty, SC
• Village Branch Pickens, SC
• Ashtabula and Woodburn Historic Houses Pendleton, SC
• Family History Library Holdings
• Fort Hill Plantation Clemson, South Carolina

• The Hanover House Historic French Colonial Museum
• Pendleton District Museums
• PERiodical Source Index Search Pickens County, SC
• Pickens County Libraries
• Pickens County Museum of Art & History
• Special Collections Clemson University Libraries
• USGenWeb Archives

·         Pickens County Post Offices 1846

Maps and Gazetteers

·         Calhoun (Clemson), 1940 Sanborn Insurance Map

·         Central, 1938 Sanborn Insurance Map

·         Easley Quadrangle 1958

·         Easley, 1908 September Sanborn Insurance Map

·         Madison, 1929 Sanborn Insurance Map

·         Norris, 1934 Sanborn Insurance Map

·         Pickens County 1895 U.S. Atlas

·         Pickens County Post Offices

·         Pickens County, 1937 Soil Survey Map

·         Pickens Sheet 1909

·         Pickens Sheet 1928

·         Pickens Sheet 1942

·         Pickens, 1894 June Sanborn Insurance Map

·         Pickens, 1901 March Sanborn Insurance Map

·         Pickens, 1906 July Sanborn Insurance Map

·         Pickens, 1911 September Sanborn Insurance Map

·         Pisgah Quadrangle 1934

·         Pisgah Quadrangle 1946

County Records

• Pickens County Vital Records

• Pickens County Public Records Links

• Pickens County Records

Pickens County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)

   Address: 214 E. Main Street, Pickens, SC 29671

·         Pickens County Register of Deeds: has Land Records: from 1828.  Records and maintain deeds, mortgages, plats, state and federal tax liens, mechanics liens, uniform commercial code filings, and other miscellaneous documents pertaining to real estate transactions.  Address: 222 McDaniel AVe., B-5, Pickens, SC 29671.  Phone: 864-898-5868

·         Pickens County Clerk of Probate Court:  has Marriage Records from 1911, and Probate Records from1828.  This office has original jurisdiction over actions concerning the issuance of marriage licenses, the estate of a deceased person, the will of an individual, the estate of a minor or incapacitated person, trusts, and involuntary commitments. Address: 222 McDaniel Ave., B-16, Pickens, SC 29671 29671. Phone: 864-898-5903

·         Pickens County Clerk of Court: has Court Records from 1823, and Divorce Records from April 1949. This government entity  is divided into General Sessions (Criminal) and Common Pleas (Civil) Court. The Circuit Court is a formal court of record. The Clerk of Court is also responsible for Family Court which handles juvenile and domestic cases. Phone: 864-898-5857

·         Pickens County Health Department: has birth and death records from January 01, 1915. Marriage records prior to 1950 are available from the Probate Court office. Divorce records since April 1949 are available from the County Clerk's office. Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Address: 200 cDaniel Ave., Pickens, SC 29671, Phone: (864) 898-5965.

·         Birth Records / Death Records: 1915 (There were no South Carolina birth or Death "certificates" before January 01, 1915)

Societies

• Central Heritage Society
• Old Pendleton District Chapter of the SC Genealogical Society
• Pendleton Historic Foundation

• Pickens County Cultural Commission
• The Piedmont Historical Society

resources

This search engine may

provide you with additional

information to assist with

your research about this topic.

General Resources

Locality Specific Resources

FREE Records

and Databases

Our Genealogy Reference Library

General Resources

·         The USGenWeb Project

·         United States Research Wiki – Family Search

·         Kindred Trails.com

·         U.S. County Resources at Rootsweb

·         Genealogy Trails History Group

·         n2genealogy.com

·         United States Genealogy Queries

·         Genealogy.com: Resources by county

·         Family Search,  USA IGI Batches, Localities

·         Birth & Marriage Records Indexes for USA

·         Record Search - Family Search.org

·         Genealogy Forum: U.S. States

·         Rootsweb.com – U.S. Message Boards

·         Cyndi's List – United States Index

·         USGenWeb Archives

·         Data Base Collections at Ancestry.com$

·         Linkpendium

·         Histopolis.com – Collaborative Genealogy and History

·         Access Genealogy

·         DistantCousin.com - archive of genealogy records

·         Searchable Death Indexes & Records

·         Census Finder –Free Census and other Records

·          Locality Specific Resources

·         USGenWeb – Pickens County

·         Research Wiki - Pickens County

·         Kindred Trails.com – Pickens County

·         RootsWeb Resources - Pickens County

·         Genealogy Trails History Group – Pickens County

·         n2genealogy.com - Pickens County

·         Genealogy Queries – Pickens County

·         Genealogy Forum - Pickens County

·         Rootsweb Message Board – Pickens County

·         Cyndi's List – Pickens County

·         USGenWeb Archives – Pickens County

·         Ancestry.com Collections  - South Carolina $

·         Linkpendium – Pickens County

·         Histopolis.com – Pickens County

Free Records & Databases

All of the records and databases we’ve collected are FREE and can be accessed and searched online without having to pay for a subscription.   We have divided our collected into 14 record types as follows: Biographical; Birth; Cemetery; Census & City Directories; Church; Court; Death; Immigration & Naturalization; Land; Marriage; Military; Newspapers; Occupational; and Tax Records.    We try not to list any sites that have only a few records for the purpose of getting you to a website that will charge a fee to actually see the record beyond just a name.  

This Link will take you to our

collections of FREE Records.  

Genealogy Reference Library

The following Link will take you to our library of genealogy reference books.   Here you may find books about the history and records of this county and other places such as towns and churches.  The collection also contains research works about military units and personnel during America’s wars, in addition to resource texts about the ethnic and religious groups who may have settled in this locality.

This Link will take you to our

collections of reference books.  

Image Gallery

During our research we have collected images and photographs that are of general interest to a variety of localities.  Some of them are presented on this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives.

Pickens County Courthouse, Pickens, SC

Use this LINK to see the picture

gallery  that pertains to this location.

Use the power of Google™ to find more interesting images about this topic. A Click on this button will link you to the Google Images Search page.   Enter  the topic you are

searching in the box and click “Search Images”. At the “Images” display page you will see the image, as well as the website to which it is linked.

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-- This webpage was last updated on --

01 March 2013