Shelby County Pioneer is a certificate program, founded in the year-2000, offered by the Shelby County Historical Society, Inc. and is designed to identify and honor the memory of the early residents of Shelby County Alabama. Anyone may apply. Applicants need not be residents of Shelby County Alabama, nor ever lived in the county. Separate certificates will be issued for each ancestor properly submitted.
Due to popular demand we have expanded the Pioneer Certificate Program, effective January 1, 2008.
The Shelby County Historical Society, Inc. will issue three categories of certificates to direct descendants of the early residents of Shelby County Alabama. For many years these ancestors have gone unrecognized. We hope that this certificate will be a source of pride for your family.
(2) SETTLER CERTIFICATE ... 1831 through 1860.
(3) EARLY RESIDENT CERTIFICATE ... 1861 through 1900.
The criteria for Shelby County Pioneer Certificate Program include (1) Current member of the Shelby County Historical Society, Inc. If you are NOT a member of the Shelby County Historical Society, Inc. click here for a membership application. (2) Completion of the Pioneer Certificate Program Application for each certificate. (3) Documentation of proof of direct descent for each generation of each early settler. (4) $20.00 certificate fee for each submission.
SEE PIONEER CERTIFICATE SAMPLE BELOW
Acceptable Sources of "Proof of Direct Descent" for each generation [Please number "Proof of Direct Descent" to correspond to each generation number.]: (1) Census records. (2) Birth records. (3) Death records. (4) Marriage records. (5) Military records. (6) Land records. (7) Wills. (8) Obituaries or Funeral Home records. (9) Tombstone inscriptions or cemetery records, name and location of cemetery. (10) Estate records. (11) Bible records. (12) Books or written articles with proof of copyright date. Please submit copies [do not send original documents] of evidence of direct descent for each generation.
Documentation will be filed in the archives of the Shelby County Museum and Archives to help preserve the history of your ancestor and will be made available for public research.
(2) Copy of documentation of "Proof of Direct Descent" for each generation (3) and $20.00 certificate fee to
SHELBY COUNTY PIONEER CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
Shelby County Historical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 457
Columbiana, AL 35051
[this sample is not the actual size of original certificates]
