About the South Carolina Collection
The South Carolina Collection contains unique and rare genealogy and local history materials from Anderson County and surrounding areas dating back to the Revolutionary War. Staff at the Reference Desk can help you explore Anderson County’s robust collections of family histories; local histories; censuses, probate, deed, court, tax, and cemetery records; military rosters; periodicals; genealogical guides; and other reference works.
Online Genealogy Research Tools
Ancestry Library Edition
Ancestry Library Edition, the largest online family history resource available, provides unprecedented access to documents that record the lineage of individuals from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and more. Available in libraries only.
Ancestry TutorialHeritageQuest
Research your family history from anywhere in the 1790-1950 U.S. Census, the full text of over 20,000 family and local histories, an index of 6,300 local history and genealogy periodicals, and a database of Revolutionary War pension and bounty-land warrant files.
HeritageQuest TutorialHistoric American Newspapers
Library of Congress digitized newspapers from 1777 - 1963 including historic SC newspapers.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: South Carolina
Search the Anderson Independent-Mail from 1973-present, The Greenville News from 1881-present, and USA Today from 2009-present.
Universal Class – Continuing Education Courses
More than 600 courses in 35 subject areas, anytime on any device, with real human instructors who grade assignments and provide feedback.
Universal Class TutorialImportant information about our collection materials:
- The collection is primarily for research at the Anderson Main Library.
- No materials are available for Interlibrary Loan.
- Microfilm readers are available; printouts are 10 cents per page.
- Staff is happy to help patrons locate materials, make research suggestions, and aid in the use of the collection’s materials, but cannot do genealogical research for patrons.
Includes newspapers, military records, court records, land records, probate records, tax records, and more. Available to view at the Anderson Main Library.
See our full listing of holdings as a brochure.
Microfilm Collection
Newspapers in chronological order
Miller's Weekly Messenger, 1807 - 1814
Pendleton Messenger, 1818 - 1851
Highland Sentinel, 1840 - 1843
Anderson Gazette, 1843 - 1848
Anderson Intelligencer, 1860- 1906; 1914 - 1916
People's Advocate, 1890 - 1891; 1910 - 1914
Anderson Daily Mail, 1900 - 1971
Keowee Courier, 1913 - 1927
Anderson Independent, 1929 - 2018
Anderson Record, 1931 - 1936
The Tiger, 1939 - 1940
Honea Path Chronicle, 1941 - 1981
Abbeville to Anderson, miscellaneous papers and issues
Federal Census
Federal Censuses are available online using your library card at HeritageQuest (access remotely) and Ancestry Library (in-library use only)
U.S. Census, 1790 - 1930, for Anderson and surrounding counties
U.S. Census, 1930, South Carolina
Soundex, 1880 - 1930, South Carolina
SC Mortality Census, 1850 - 1880
SC Agriculture Census, 1850 - 1880
SC Social Statistics Census, 1850 - 1880
U.S. Census, Georgia and North Carolina, various years and counties
Soundex, Georgia, 1880
Military Records
Anderson County Confederate Pension Applications, 1919 – 1925; available online at SC Department of Archives and History, click "Just take me to the search page", then select Series "Confederate Pension applications, 1919-1938 (S126088)"
General Index to Compiled Service Records of Revolutionary War Soldiers
Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers (SC), War of 1812
Records of the Confederate Historian
Roll of the Dead (SC Troops)
Roll of Honor (SC 1861-1865)
Service Records of Confederate Soldiers by Military Units from the State of SC
1890 Union Veterans and Widows Census Schedule (SC); available online using your library card at HeritageQuest (access remotely).
Court Records
Anderson County Court Equity Bills, 1820 - 1878
Anderson County Court Equity Petitions, 1820 - 1878
Anderson County Records of the Magistrates and Freeholders Court, c.1819 - 1865; Some cases online at SC Department of Archives and History, click "Just take me to the search page," then select Series “L04190 (Trial Papers of the Magistrates and Freeholders Court, (Anderson District))”
SC Court of General Sessions, 1769 - 1776
Anderson County Probate Judge Estate Papers, 1790 – 1868; we have packets 1-3210, after that check HeritageQuest using your library card. It has packets 3216-6466 covering the approximate years of 1876 to 1915. Contact Anderson County Probate Court for later years.
Anderson County Marriage Licenses, 1911 – 56; available online through FamilySearch.org. Create a free account to access, (not affiliated with the Anderson County Library System)
Anderson County Probate Judge: Will Book and Inventories, Appraisements, and Sales Book, 1800 - 1900
South Carolina Will Transcripts, 1782 - c. 1865; view online at SC State Department of Archives and History, click “just take me to the search page,” click Record Groups and choose Will Transcripts, 1782 - c. 1865
Land Records
Anderson City Directories, 1905 – 1960, books are in SC Collection, some city directories are available online using your library card at HeritageQuest (access remotely). A few are online at the University of South Carolina.
Anderson County, Register of Mesne Conveyance (Deeds), 1790 – 1900; see index online at the SC Department of Archives and History
Memorials of 17th and 18th Century South Carolina Land Titles; available online through FamilySearch.org. Create a free account to access, (not affiliated with the Anderson County Library System). Note, some pages are hard to read online.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps; we have black and white maps in the map case; also view online at the South Caroliniana Library and Library of Congress.
South Carolina State Plats, 1784 – 1868; view online at SC State Department of Archives and History, click “just take me to the search page,” click Record Groups and choose Plats for State Land Grants, 1784 – 1868
Tax Records
Anderson Auditor's Tax Books, 1871 - 1900
Internal Revenue Assessment Lists for SC, 1864 - 66; available online through FamilySearch.org. Create a free account to access, (not affiliated with the Anderson County Library System)
Records of the SC Treasury, 1775 - 1780
SC Tax Returns, 1783 - 1800
SC Treasury Ledgers and Journals, 1791 - 1865
State Free Negro Capitation Tax Books, 1811 – 60; available online through FamilySearch.org. Create a free account to access, (not affiliated with the Anderson County Library System)
Miscellaneous
Baptist Missionary Magazine, 1817 – 1909; available online at Hathitrust.org
British Public Records on SC, 1663 - 1782
First Creek Baptist Church Minutes, 1824 - 1911 and 1919 - 1982
Hunt Family Papers
Index to Eastern Cherokee Applications
Lily Strickland: Her Contribution to American Music in the Early Twentieth Century
Maid of the Foothills, available online at Hathitrust.org
Records of Admission to Citizenship, District of SC, 1790 – 1906; available online through FamilySearch.org. Create a free account to access, (not affiliated with the Anderson County Library System)
Slave Record, 1856
U.S. Postmaster Appointments, SC 1832 – 1970, available on Ancestry Library (in-library use only with your library card)
Remote Obituary & Record Requests
You may submit genealogy record requests by mail, email, or using our online form. Staff will respond to requests that require checking specific document indexes (such as land, marriage, or cemetery records) for a name. Staff are not able to do in-depth research or make extensive numbers of copies.
When requesting obituaries, please search the Local Obituary Index or search the SC Department of Public Health Death Index. (You may search for an obituary in the ProQuest Historical Newspapers database with your Anderson County Library card.) We must have at least a month and year of death listed for the individual. Due to staffing limitations, we cannot copy more than five (5) obituaries per request.
The fee for each inquiry is $5.00. If you are requesting physical copies via mail, additional fees apply:
- Copy fees are $0.10 per page for black and white or $0.50 per page for color.
- Mail fees are $2.00 for the first 10 pages and $0.25 for each additional 5 pages (or fraction thereof).
- Make checks payable to Anderson County Library
Please make sure to include a phone number with all requests. Provide an email address if requesting digital copies of the records. Please do not send a second request if you have one already pending.
Mail requests or payments to:
South Carolina Collection Department
Anderson County Library
300 N. McDuffie St.
Anderson, SC 29621
Email requests to research@andersonlibrary.org.
Submit Online Research Request
South Carolina Collection FAQ
We have access to death certificates from 1915-1961 via AncestryLibrary.com. We do not have birth certificates. Birth certificates from 1915 to 1923 are online at the SC Department of Archives and History. For later birth certificates, you will need to contact the Division of Vital Statistics, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201 or call 803-734-4380. You can find the order forms online.
Yes! We have marriage records for Anderson County on microfilm from 1911-1956. If you need a different date, contact the Division of Vital Statistics or the Anderson County Probate Judge’s office at 100 S. Main St., PO Box 8002, Anderson, SC 29622.
We do have land deeds from Pendleton District on microfilm from 1790-1826. Our microfilm deed records for Anderson County cover 1790-1900.
No, we have microfilm grantor/grantee indexes for 1790-1940. The Courthouse Annex will have deeds from 1900 to the present.
We are happy to look for a specific person in a specified set of documents such as a will, deed, or book. However, because of staffing limitations, we cannot conduct extensive research. The Anderson County Genealogy Society has a research room and may conduct some searches upon request. Email the genealogy society for more information.
The majority of our resources are specifically for Anderson County. We do have some resources for counties surrounding Anderson County. We will be happy to direct you to other libraries or agencies that may have the material you need.
We do have published family histories. However, we do not keep looseleaf family files or working genealogies. The Anderson County Genealogy Society’s Research Room does have family files. The Faith Clayton Genealogy Room at Southern Wesleyan University keeps working genealogies and copies of Bible records.