Bandera County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Bandera County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Bandera County, Texas | |||||||
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 Location in the state of Texas, United States Genealogy | |||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||
| Facts | |||||||
| Founded | January 26, 1856 | ||||||
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| County Seat | Bandera | ||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||
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| Address | Bandera County Courthouse Bandera, TX 78003 Phone: 830.796.3332 Bandera County Website | ||||||
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Bandera Pass, which in turn uses the Spanish word for flag. The County is located in the central area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County District Clerk has birth and death records from 1904,
m, div, land, pro, ct & nat rec from 1856 & mil dis rec from 1900[2]
Bandera County has had two courthouses. The first one, built of limestone in 1869, is now a library. It is located on Maple Street, a block from the current courthouse. The current courthouse, also made from limestone, was built in 1890.
Bandera County Courthouse
County Clerk
500 Main Street
P. O. Box 823
Bandera, Texas 78003
Phone: 830-796-3332
Fax: 830-796-8323
Email: tandiem@banderacounty.org
District Clerk
Bandera County Justice Center
3360 State Hwy. 173 North
Suite 100
P.O. Box 2688
Bandera, Tx 78003-2688
Phone: 830-796-4606
Fax: 830-796-8499
Email: districtclerk@banderacounty.org
The Bandera County Clerk's Office
Inventory of the county archives of Texas : Bandera County, 1940. Inventory of records of housed in the Bandera County Courthouse as of 1936. Describes the records of the Commissioners Court, County Clerk as Recorder, District Court, County Court, Justice of the Peace Court, Sheriff, Tax Assessor-Collector, Board of Equalization, County Treasurer, County Board of School Trustees, County School Superintendent, County Surveyor, and Inspector of Hides and Animals (Defunct). Read the book online from The Portal to Texas History.
History and Photographs of the Bandera County Courthouse
Bandera County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1904 | 1856 | 1904 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 | 1829 |
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1856--Bandera County was created 26 January 1856 from Bexar Land District.
- County seat: Bandera [4]
The county's name is derived from Spanish for "flag."
Bandera County History and Information
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
See an interactive map of Bandera County border changes.
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:[5]
| Cities | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Bandera County Towns and Geographical Places
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Bexar • *Kendall • Kerr • Medina • Real • Uvalde
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 | Linkpendium | |
| TXGenWeb | FamilySearch Places | |
| See Texas Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 399 | — |
| 1870 | 649 | 62.7% |
| 1880 | 2,158 | 232.5% |
| 1890 | 3,795 | 75.9% |
| 1900 | 5,332 | 40.5% |
| 1910 | 4,921 | −7.7% |
| 1920 | 4,001 | −18.7% |
| 1930 | 3,784 | −5.4% |
| 1940 | 4,234 | 11.9% |
| 1950 | 4,410 | 4.2% |
| 1960 | 3,892 | −11.7% |
| 1970 | 4,747 | 22.0% |
| 1980 | 7,084 | 49.2% |
| 1990 | 10,562 | 49.1% |
| 2000 | 17,645 | 67.1% |
| 2010 | 20,485 | 16.1% |
| 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.
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.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1906 - 1989 Texas, Naturalization Records, 1906-1989 — index and images
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Bandera 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.
- Pioneer history of Bandera County : seventy-five years of intrepid history, 1922, by J. Marvin Hunter, A history of Bandera County from 1847 to 1922. Read the book online from The Portal to Texas History.
- One Hundred Years in Bandera, 1853–1953, by J. Marvin Hunter.
- History of Bandera County, Texas, 1986 by the Bandera County History Book Committee.
- Bandera County History from The Handbook of Texas Online.
- Families and People of Bandera County
- Bandera County History
- Old Photos of Bandera County Citizens
- Bandera County Historical Photos from banderacounty.org
- Trials and Tribulations on the Frontier
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Bandera County Maps, Old and New
- 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 $
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 Bandera County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Bandera 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
- The Bandera Bulletin Newspaper
- The Bandera County Courier Newspaper
- Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
Online Newspaper Abstracts
Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form
Online Newspaper Archives
Wikipedia has a list of online newspaper archives for Texas.
- Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has San Antonio newspapers from the late 1800's that may include residents from Bandera County.
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
- A Few Early Bandera County Probate Records
- 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 ($) — index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
Certified birth and death certificates or birth and death verifications can be ordered online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. Copies can also be obtained from the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred and are often less expensive.
Marriages records can be obtained from the county the marriage occurred. Only marriage verifications can be obtained from the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health.
See Texas Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Texas.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1903 - 1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index); FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
- A Few Early Bandera County Probate Records
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Online Marriage Indexes and Records
- 1802 - 2010 - Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 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 - 1975 Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 [with images] - 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 $
- 1964 - 1998 Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 [no images] - How to Use this Collection
- 1977 - 1986 Texas Deaths 1977-1986 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 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]
Lakehills Genealogy Society of Bandera County, Texas
7200 FM 1283
Lakehills, TX 78063
website]
Medina Genealogy and Historical Society
Medina Community Library
PO Box 181
Medina, TX 78055
Telephone Number: 830-589-2825
website
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]
- Bandera County TXGenWeb
- TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- 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 - Links to state and county resources
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bandera County, Texas," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandera_County,_Texas. accessed 07/25/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Bandera 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), Bandera 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).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bandera County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandera_County,_Texas, accessed 26 March 2019.
