Austin County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Austin County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Austin County, Texas | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Texas, United States Genealogy | |||||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | March 17, 1836 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | Bellville | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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| Address | Austin County Courthouse 1 E Main Street Bellville, TX 77418 Phone: 979.865.5911 Austin County Website | ||||||||
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Stephen F. Austin, who facilitated the Anglo-American colonization of Texas and is known as the "Father of Texas". The County is located in the southeast area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903,
marriage, land and probate records from early 1800’s,
cemetery, court, military discharge and naturalization
records; Discharge Court has divorce records[2]
County Clerk
One East Main
Bellville, Tx 77418
Phone: 979-865-5911
Fax: 979-865-0336
District Clerk
One East Main
Bellville, Tx 77418
Phone: 979-865-5911
Austin Texas County Website
Austin County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1824 | 1903 | 1824 | 1826 | 1827 | 1829 |
History[edit | edit source]
- Austin County History
- Pioneers of Austin County~Austin County TXGenWeb
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1836--Austin County was created 17 March 1836 from Old Mexican Municipality.
- County seat: Bellville [4]
The county was named for Stephen F. Austin, founder of the Anglo-American colony that eventually became Texas
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
See an interactive map of Austin County border changes.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1960--The Austin County Courthouse, built in 1888, was destroyed by fire on April 5, 1960. Courthouse records were saved.[5]
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]
| Cities | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Ghost towns | ||
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‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Colorado • Fayette • Fort Bend • Waller • Washington • Wharton
African American[edit | edit source]
- 1865-1870 Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Texas African American Griots ~ USGenWeb
- AfriGeneas ~ African Ancestored Genealogy
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| FindAGrave | Family History Library | FindAGrave |
| TX Gravestones | WorldCat | Tombstone Project |
| Billion Graves (name) | Cemeteries of TX | |
| USGW Archives | Texas Cemeteries | |
| Billion Graves | Linkpendium | |
| TXGenWeb | FamilySearch Places | |
| See Texas Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Additional Cemetery Sources
- Austin County Cemetery Index of Names ~ Austin County TXGenWeb
- African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American cemeteries
- Cemetery Junction ~ Links to cemetery transcriptions
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 3,841 | ||
| 1860 | 10,139 | 164.0% | |
| 1870 | 15,087 | 48.8% | |
| 1880 | 14,429 | −4.4% | |
| 1890 | 17,859 | 23.8% | |
| 1900 | 20,676 | 15.8% | |
| 1910 | 17,699 | −14.4% | |
| 1920 | 18,874 | 6.6% | |
| 1930 | 18,860 | −0.1% | |
| 1940 | 17,384 | −7.8% | |
| 1950 | 14,663 | −15.7% | |
| 1960 | 13,777 | −6.0% | |
| 1970 | 13,831 | 0.4% | |
| 1980 | 17,726 | 28.2% | |
| 1990 | 19,832 | 11.9% | |
| 2000 | 23,590 | 18.9% | |
| 2010 | 28,417 | 20.5% | |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | |||
Church[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death/burial date and place. For general information about Texas denominations, view the Texas Church Records wiki page.
- Austin County, Texas Churches ~Austin County, TXGenWeb
- Early Church Records of Austin County~partial record listing.
- Texas Christian Church Directory ~ ChurchAngel
- Catholic Parishes in Texas
Lutheran[edit | edit source]
- Records of Trinity Lutheran Church, New Ulm, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Austin County, Texas Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Texas Local Histories.
- Texas Museums ~ List of all museums in Texas ~ Hidden Ancestors
- Austin County History
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Texas Land Survey Maps for Austin County, Texas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- Historical Maps From the Republic to the Turn of the Century ~ Hidden Ancestors
- Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the TXGenWeb site
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Military[edit | edit source]
- 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
- Military Resources ~ Links to research Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
Mexican-American War[edit | edit source]
- 1845 - 1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War 1845-1848 at Ancestry.com — index $
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1861 - 1865 Texas, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1861 - 1865 Texas, Civil War Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Confederate Pension Applications ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission
- 1838 - 1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1917 - 1920 Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Austin County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Austin County, Texas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Off-line Newspaper Information
Online Newspapers
- Sealy News, serving Sealy and Austin County.
- Daily Texan
- Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
- Online Newspaper Abstracts
- Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1966 - 1978 Pete E Etlinger Funeral Home of Bellville Notices 1966 - 1978 ~Complete Index~Austin County, TXGenWeb
- Obituaries of Austin County, Texas Partial listing of obituaries published in Austin County, Texas~Austin County, TXGenWeb
- 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[edit | edit source]
Probate records of Texas, United States Genealogy have been kept by the probate clerk in each county courthouse. You can obtain copies of the records from the clerk's office. In most counties, all information pertaining to a probate case is recorded in the "probate minutes."
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records.
See the Wiki page Texas Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1903 - 1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 - FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Texas tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Texas Taxation.
- 1846-1910 Texas, County Tax Rolls 1846-1910 at findmypast ($) — index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
Certified birth and death certificates or birth and death verifications can be ordered online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. Copies can also be obtained from the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred and are often less expensive.
Marriages records can be obtained from the county the marriage occurred. Only marriage verifications can be obtained from the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health.
See Texas Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Texas.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1840 - 1981 Texas Births and Christenings 1840-1981 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1935 Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Online Marriage Indexes and Records,br.
- 1802 - 2010 - Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 1814 - 1909 and 1966 - 2011 Texas Marriage Collection 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1824 - 1920 Early Marriages of Austin County, Texas 1824-1920 ~Complete Index~Austin County, TXGenWeb
- 1837 - 1965 Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1837 - 1973 Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1837 - 1977 Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1837 - 1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1966 - 2005 Texas Marriage Records 1966 - 2005 - Hidden Ancestors
- 1966 - 2010 Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
Online Death Indexes and Records
- 1903 - 1973 Texas Death and Burials 1903-1973 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1903 - 2000 Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000 (index) - FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1964 - 1998 Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998- FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
- 1977 - 1986 Texas Deaths 1977-1986 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1968 - 2005 Texas Divorce Records 1968 - 2005 ~ Hidden Ancestors
- 1850 - 1930 USGenWeb Census Project ~ Texas 1850 - 1930
- 1968 - 2010 Texas Divorce Index 1968-2010 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
- 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
The Bellville Historical Society
Concordia Hall, 953 S. Tesch Street
PO Box 67
Bellville, Texas 77418
E-mail address:BellvilleHistoricalSociety.com
Austin Genealogical Society
PO Box 1507
Austin 78767-1507
Bellville Public Library
12 W Palm St
Bellville, TX 77418
Telephone Number: 979-865-3731
Virgil and Josephine Gordon Memorial Library
917 N Circle Dr
Sealy, TX 77474
Telephone Number: 979-885-7469
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
1000 E Rutherford Ln
Austin, Travis, Texas, United States
Phone: 512-837-3626
Hours: M,T,Th & Sat 10am-1pm; W 9am-3pm, & 6pm-8:30pm
Closed: all major holidays
5201 Convict Hill Rd
Austin, Travis, Texas, United States
Phone: 512-892-6483
Hours: Tues, Wed, Sat,10am-2pm; Wed. 6pm-9pm
Closed: Closed July 4th Weekend, Thanksgiving Week, Christmas Holidays - December 20 through January 1, 2011
Websites[edit | edit source]
- TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
- Austin TXGenWeb. May have name indexes, history or other county information.
- USGenWeb Archives Project. Name indexes and other information.
- FamilySearch Catalog The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
- Cyndi's List ~ Texas
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Austin County, Texas," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_County,_Texas. accessed 24/07/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Austin County, Texas. Page 658 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Austin County, Texas . Page 658-677 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 655-665.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ GenDisasters.com - Bellville, TX Courthouse Fire, Apr 1960 http://www.gendisasters.com/texas/10017/bellville-tx-courthouse-fire-apr-1960
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Austin County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_County,_Texas, accessed 26 March 2019.
