Bailey County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Bailey County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Bailey County, Texas | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Texas, United States Genealogy | |||||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | August 21, 1876 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | Muleshoe | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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| Address | Bailey County Courthouse 300 S 1st Street Muleshoe, TX 79347-3621 Phone: 806.272.3044 Bailey County Website | ||||||||
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Peter James Bailey, a defender of the Alamo. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Clerk has birth, marriage, probate and court records
from 1918 and land records from 1882; District Clerk has
divorce records[2]
County Clerk
300 South 1st Street, Suite 200
Muleshoe, Texas 79347
Phone: 806-272-3044
Fax 806-272-3538
Email: mailto:rdickerson@co.bailey.tx.us
District Clerk
300 South 1st Street, Suite 130
Muleshoe, Texas 79347
Phone: 806-272-3165
Fax: 806-272-3124
Bailey County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1918 | 1918 | 1919 | 1918 | 1882 | 1918 | 1829 |
History[edit | edit source]
The Texas Constitution of 1876 set aside three million acres of land to erect a new State Capitol. In 1879, Texas made a contract exchanging the three million acres, including Bailey County, for the construction of the present Capitol in Austin. The three million acres eventually became part of the sprawling XIT Ranch from which the Y-L and Muleshoe Ranches of Bailey County were formed in 1902. The first recorded cattle drive took place in 1882 when Tom Lynch drove his cattle from New Mexico to Spring Lake.
Muleshoe wasn't the first settlement in Bailey County. Hurley was the first and was located about three miles northwest of Muleshoe. Hurley was named for New Mexico political leader, Patrick J. Hurley[4]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1876--Bailey County was created 21 August 1876 from Bexar Land District.
- County seat: Muleshoe [5]
The county was named for Peter J. Bailey, (1812-1836). Peter James Bailey, Alamo defender, the son of Gabriel and Sabra (Rice) Bailey, was born in Kentucky in 1812. He graduated from Transylvania University with a degree in law in 1834. In January 1836 he came to Texas in company with Daniel W. Cloud and others from Logan County, Kentucky. They took the oath of allegiance before John Forbes at Nacogdoches on January 14, 1836, and were enrolled in the Texas army. Bailey and Cloud were members of the Tennessee Mounted Volunteers. They perished with David Crockett in the battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. For Bailey's service to Texas, his heirs received land parcels that are now in Archer, Baylor, and Hamilton counties.
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
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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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Ghost towns | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Cochran • Hockley • Lamb • Parmer • Roosevelt County, New Mexico
Resources[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
- 1865 - 1870 Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870 (images) - 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 (cemetery) | Linkpendium | |
| TXGenWeb | FamilySearch Places | |
| Interment | ||
| See Texas Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 4 | ||
| 1910 | 312 | 7,700.0% | |
| 1920 | 517 | 65.7% | |
| 1930 | 5,186 | 903.1% | |
| 1940 | 6,318 | 21.8% | |
| 1950 | 7,592 | 20.2% | |
| 1960 | 9,090 | 19.7% | |
| 1970 | 8,487 | −6.6% | |
| 1980 | 8,168 | −3.8% | |
| 1990 | 7,064 | −13.5% | |
| 2000 | 6,594 | −6.7% | |
| 2010 | 7,165 | 8.7% | |
| 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.
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Enoch
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
Land[edit | edit source]
After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions, including deeds and mortgages, have been recorded by the county. You can obtain copies of these land records by writing to the county clerk at the county courthouse. For more information, see Texas Land and Property.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists microfilm copies of deeds, trust deeds, and mortgages of many counties.
- Original Land Owners of Texas - USGenWeb Archives Project
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Bailey 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.
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
Texas Counties Map. TXGenWeb site.
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Military[edit | edit source]
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 — index
- 1861 - 1865 Texas, Civil War Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1838 - 1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- Bailey County Confederate Pension Applications - USGenWeb Archives Project
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1917 - 1920 Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Bailey County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Bailey 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
- Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
Online Newspaper Abstracts
Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form
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 – 1990 Texas Probate Records 1800-1990 at FamilySearch — images
- 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
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 ($) — index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
Certified birth and death certificates or birth and death verifications can be ordered online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. Copies can also be obtained from the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred and are often less expensive.
Marriages records can be obtained from the county the marriage occurred. Only marriage verifications can be obtained from the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health.
See Texas Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Texas.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1840 - 1981 Texas Births and Christenings 1840-1981 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
- Bailey County Births - USGenWeb Archives Project
- 1903 - 1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index); FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Online Marriage Indexes and Records
- 1802 - 2010 - Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- Bailey County Marriages - USGenWeb Archives Project
- 1814 - 1909 and 1966 - 2011 Texas Marriage Collection 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1837 - 1965 Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1837 - 1973 Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1837 - 1977 Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1837 - 1977 - Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1966 - 2010 Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010-FamilySearch record collection - How to Use this Collection
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
Online Death Indexes and Records
- 1890 - 1976 Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 - with images - How to Use this Collection
Name index and images of statewide death certificates, 1890-1976. - 1903 - 1973 Texas Deaths and Burials 1903 - 1973 (index) FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1977 - 1986 Texas Deaths 1977-1986 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1973 Texas Deaths and Burials 1903-1973 at FamilySearch.org — index - 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 no images FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- Bailey County Divorces - USGenWeb Archives Project
- 1968 - 2010 Texas Divorce Index 1968-2010 at FamilySearch.org — index - 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]
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
Websites[edit | edit source]
- TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
- FamilySearch Catalog The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
- USGenWeb Archives Project - transcriptions and photos
- TXGenWeb Bailey County - transcriptions and information
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bailey County, Texas," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailey_County,_Texas. accessed 07/25/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Bailey 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), Bailey 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.
- ↑ TXGenWeb Bailey County http://txgenwebcounties.org/bailey/history.html
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bailey County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailey_County,_Texas, accessed 26 March 2019.
