I don’t often focus my posts on resources for just one relatively small location, but I’ve had the need to research several of my husband’s ancestral families who passed through Spartanburg County in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

I’ve noticed through the decades that not much has changed about public accessibility to line resources, so I decided to share what I’ve found.

First, a bit of history. Spartanburg County was formed in 1785, named for the Spartan Rifles. The area opened to settlement after the 1753 treaty with the Cherokees and, originally, was part of the old 96 District. Today, it’s the fifth largest county in South Carolina.

In spite of its size, I’ve found amazingly few records accessible online, even when they exit.

Resources

Linkpendium seems to have the most options for Spartanburg County genealogical information with 542 links. NOTE: Turn off your VPN, if you have one, or the website won’t open.

FamilySearch has records, including land and probate, available online.

Ancestry‘s options are few, but vary your search terms to include South Carolina for a few more options.

The Spartanburg County Public Library has a lengthy list of local histories, particularly church histories. I haven’t ever contacted this library, but I’ve found, in the past, if one calls a local library and asks a reference librarian a SPECIFIC question about information in a book, most are quite happy to help out and will pull the book from the shelves.

Cyndi’s List has a short list of Spartanburg topics.

Empty Branches has links to two Spartanburg County histories digitized online. Look under the header image for the County Histories tab (above).

Last, the South Carolina Digital Library has come collections that pertain to Spartanburg County.

If you are looking to purchase a book, there are a couple of companies to check out, in addition to everyone’s favorite online shopping website.

Southern Historical Press has 27 books on offer that cover not only Spartanburg County, but records from its pre-formation era that include the 96 District and the Pendleton District.

Last, but not least, if you want to locate a specific title to browse in person and you aren’t sure where the closest library might be that has a copy, use WorldCat. Remember, even if the closest copy is hundreds of miles away, it might be available to interlibrary-loan to your local public library. This service is free – although you can’t check the book out of your library. It must be used in your local building. Remember, though, this option is way cheaper than buying books or having to travel long distances!

Hope these suggestions help you expand your search for Spartanburg County genealogy resources.