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United States Texas Counties IJ Irion County

Guide to Irion County Texas genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

	Texas Online Records

Irion County, Texas
Map
Location in the state of Texas
Location of Texas in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	March 7, 1889
County Seat	Mertzon
Courthouse
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County Courthouse

Irion County Courthouse
PO Box 736
Mertzon, TX 76941-0736
Phone: 915.835.2421 

County Clerk has birth, marriage, death, divorce, land, probate, military and court records from 1889; Tax Assessor has poll tax records.^[1]

Irion County has had two county seats (Sherwood 1889-1936 and Mertzon 1936-present) and three courthouses.  When Irion County was organized in 1889, Sherwood was chosen as the county seat. Sherwood, however, was bypassed by the railroad and its population declined. In 1927 the town of Mertzon made an unsuccessful bid for the county seat.  In 1936 Mertzon was successful and became the county seat.^[2]

In 1889, the first courthouse was built in Sherwood.  By 1900 construction started on a new two-story stone courthouse.  This new courthouse, completed in 1901 served the county until the county seat until Mertzon became the county seat in 1936.^[3] The building is currently in use as a Community Center. ^[4]

In 1937 the Irion County Courthouse, a two-story brick contemporary style design building, in Mertzon was completed.

The county clerk's office has court records from 1889, land records from 1889, probate records from 1889, marriage records from 1889 and nirth and death records from 1903. ^[5]

History

Early settlements began in the early 1870's.

Parent County

1889--Irion County was created 7 March 1889 from Tom Green County. County seat: Mertzon ^[6]

Irion County was named for Robert Anderson Irion (1804-1861), physician, surveyor, and Republic of Texas secretary of state.

Boundary Changes

Record Loss

Places / Localities

Populated Places

Barnhart | Mertzon | Sherwood

Neighboring Counties

• Crockett
• Reagan
• Schleicher
• Tom Green

Resources

African American

• Texas African American Griots  ~  USGenWeb
• AfriGeneas  ~  African Ancestored Genealogy
• Texas African American Genealogy  ~  Access Genealogy
• Texas Freedman's Bureau Records  ~  Freedman's Bureau Online

Cemeteries

• Arden Cemetery  ~  TXGenWeb
• Rest Haven Cemetery  ~  TXGenWeb
• Mertzon Cemetery  ~  TXGenWeb
• Sherwood Cemetery  ~  TXGenWeb
• Tombstone Transcription Project ~ Partial transcription of cemetery tombstones ~ USGenWeb
• Texas Historic Cemeteries ~ Partial indexes to historic cemeteries
• African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American cemeteries
• Cemetery Junction  ~  Links to cemetery transcriptions
  

Census

1900 Census Index  ~   TXGenWeb

Church

• Texas Christian Church Directory ~ ChurchAngel
• Catholic Parishes in Texas

Court

Land

Original Land Owners of Texas ~  Irion County   ~  USGenWeb Archives Project

Local Histories

• A History of Irion County, Texas, 1966 by Leta Crawford.
• A History of Irion County, Texas, 1978 by Irion County Historical Society.

• Irion County Historical Markers  ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
• Texas Museums  ~  List of all museums in Texas  ~  Hidden Ancestors

Maps

• Historical Maps  ~  From the Republic to the Turn of the Century  ~  Hidden Ancestors
• Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the Texas Genweb site

Military

• Confederate Pension Applications  ~  TXGenWeb
• Military Resources ~ Links to research Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
• Fallen Heroes  ~  Partial Index of casualties from Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
• Honoring Our Veterans ~ Partial index of veterans from Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors

Newspapers

• Home Town News  -  Texas Newspaper Index with links
• Newslink  -  Texas Newspaper List (sorted by publication frequency)
• The Olden Times   -   Historic Texas News Online

Obituaries

• Obituary Resources ~ Links to research and locate obituaries ~  Hidden Ancestors
• USGenWeb Archives Obituary Project  ~  Texas
• Afrigeneas ~ African American death notices, obituaries and funeral programs compiled by users from current newspapers and historical sources
• Obituary Depot  ~  Texas Newspaper Citations
• Obituary Project ~ Hidden Ancestors
• Obituary Daily Times  ~  Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function

Probate

• Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records  ~  Ancestry.com  (subscription)
  

Taxation

Vital Records

• Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 Texas, Death Index, 1964-1998 (FamilySearch Historical Records) Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
• Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 [with images]
  Name index and images of statewide death certificates, 1890-1976. The name index has been created by FamilySearch and is tied to images of the Texas death certificates. Few certificates are available prior to 1903.
• Texas Marriage Records  1966 - 2005  ~  Hidden Ancestors
• Texas Divorce Records  1968 - 2005   ~  Hidden Ancestors
• USGenWeb Census Project ~ Texas  1850 - 1930
  

Societies and Libraries

Irion County Library
111 W Fayette Ave
Mertzon, TX 76941
Phone: (325) 835-2704

Society Hill  ~  Links and addresses to Texas genealogical and historical societies

Family History Centers

• Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

• TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
• Hidden Ancestors  Information on Texas genealogy research as well as genealogy research in general.
• USGenWeb Texas Archives Vital statistics, maps, obituaries, Bible records, tombstone transcriptions and many other records.
• Family History Library Catalog

References

1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Irion County, Texas. Page 666 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
2. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online: Irion County http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hci01
3. ↑ Google Books: Ghost Towns of Texas by T. Lindsay Baker - Sherwood http://books.google.com/books?id=-OxnaXdxjgkC&pg=PA142&sig=j23w2YkkDhnbXNqGTIVhnUd_HMM&hl=en#v=onepage&f=false
4. ↑ Texas Escapes http://www.texasescapes.com/WestTexasTowns/Mertzon-Texas-Irion-County-Courthouse.htm
5. ↑ Family History 101: Irion County http://www.familyhistory101.com/county/tx-county-irion.html
6. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).