Dallas County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Dallas County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Dallas County, Texas | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Texas, United States Genealogy | |||||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | March 30, 1846 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | Dallas | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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| Address | Dallas County Courthouse 500 Main Street Dallas, TX 75202 | ||||||||
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for George Mifflin Dallas, the 11th Vice President of the United States under U.S. President James K. Polk. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Dallas County Courthouse
500 Main Street
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: 214.653.7131
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903,
marriage records from 1846, probate, court and land records;
District Court has divorce[2]
County Clerk
509 Main Street, Ste. 200
Dallas 75202
Phone: 214-653-7099
Fax: 214-653-7176
District Clerk
600 Commerce Street
Dallas 75202
Phone: 214-653-7301
Dallas County, Texas Record Dates=[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1846 | 1903 | 1846 | 1846 | 1842 | 1829 |
History[edit | edit source]
Dallas County, Texas is located in northeastern Texas and includes the city of Dallas and a number of other smaller communities. It was founded in the mid-1800s, and has been known for its fashion, ranching and farming marketplaces.
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1846--Dallas County was created 30 March 1846 from Robertson and Nacogdoches Counties.
- County seat: Dallas [4]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1880--Courthouse interior destroyed by fire. Courthouse was rebuilt adding a third story to the building.[5]
1890--Courthouse destroyed by fire on 7 February 1890. All records were saved except those of the 44th District Court. [6]
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog
- Carrollton
- Cement City
- Cockrell Hill
- Dallas
- Farmers Branch
- Garland
- Grand Prairie
- Highland Park
- Irving
- Kleberg
- Lisbon
- Mesquite
- Oak Cliff
- Richardson
- University Park
- Walnut Creek
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:[7]
| Cities | ||
|
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| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Historic communities | ||
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Collin • Denton • Ellis • Kaufman • Rockwall • Tarrant
Resources[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
- 1865 - 1870 Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870 (images) - How to Use this Collection
- McGowan Funeral Home, searchable database of black-owned funeral home in Dallas, TX from 1955-1990s.
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 |
| Linkpendium | WorldCat | Tombstone Project |
| BillionGraves (name) | Cemeteries of TX | |
| GenWeb Archives | Texas Cemeteries | |
| BillionGraves | TX Gravestones | |
| TXGenWeb | Interment | |
| Names in Stone | FamilySearch Places | |
| See Texas Cemeteries for more information. | ||
- Map to Dallas County Cemeteries Dallas Genealogical Society
- 1891-1999 Texas, Dallas County, Oakland Cemetery Interment Cards, 1891-1999 at FamilySearch — index and images
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 2,743 | ||
| 1860 | 8,665 | 215.9% | |
| 1870 | 13,814 | 59.4% | |
| 1880 | 33,488 | 142.4% | |
| 1890 | 67,042 | 100.2% | |
| 1900 | 82,726 | 23.4% | |
| 1910 | 135,748 | 64.1% | |
| 1920 | 210,551 | 55.1% | |
| 1930 | 325,691 | 54.7% | |
| 1940 | 398,564 | 22.4% | |
| 1950 | 614,799 | 54.3% | |
| 1960 | 951,527 | 54.8% | |
| 1970 | 1,327,321 | 39.5% | |
| 1980 | 1,556,390 | 17.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,852,810 | 19.0% | |
| 2000 | 2,218,899 | 19.8% | |
| 2010 | 2,368,139 | 6.7% | |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | |||
Church[edit | edit source]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[edit | edit source]
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Dallas
Lutheran[edit | edit source]
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Dallas County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).[8]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
Dallas County was organized in 1846.The first court established for civil matters was the 14th District Court. Additional courts have been established: 14th, 44th, 68th, 95th, 101st, 116th, 134th, 160th, 162nd, 191st, 192nd, 193rd, and 298th. Records for the first five civil courts have been microfilmed
Directories[edit | edit source]
- Fold3.com ($) has Dallas City Directories 1878-1923 (8 yrs. missing) available online.
Land Records[edit | edit source]
Land records have been microfilmed and are only available on the second floor of the Records Building, 501 Main Street in downtown Dallas.
The following land records are available in the Genealogy Section of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library.
- Dallas County Deeds – 1846–1899, Grantor and Grantee Index - 112 rolls microfilm
- These records were indexed by members of the Dallas Genealogical Society. See Dallas County Deeds to view the transcriptions.
- These records were indexed by members of the Dallas Genealogical Society. See Dallas County Deeds to view the transcriptions.
- Texas General Land Office – Abstracts of all original land titles comprising Texas land titles to Aug 31, 1845 - 8 rolls microfilm and 76 microfiche
- Abstracts of original titles of record in the General Land Office, Texas General Land Office ( 333.3 T355A)
- "A Cross File of Grantors and Grantees of Town Property of Dallas 1846–1856," abstracted in the DGS publication The Quarterly (March 1966)
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 Dallas 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.
- History of Dallas County, Texas: From 1837 to 1887, 1887, by John Henry Brown. Digitized book online at archive.org.
- Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County, Texas, published 1892, online at The Portal To Texas History. Digitized book online at archive.org: Volume 1 Volume 2
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- 1897 Map of 1897 Dallas County, Texas with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)
- 1900 Sam Street's 1900 Dallas County Map (Texas State Library and Archives)
- Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the TXGenWeb site.
- Dallas County Maps from Texas General Land Office
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1838 - 1900 - Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
Mexican-American War[edit | edit source]
- 1845 - 1848 - US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War 1845-1848 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1845-1848 - Steven R. Butler. Dallas County, Texas and the Mexican War, 1846-1848 : a history and roster. Richardson, Texas : Descendants of Mexican War Veterans, c1995. FHL 976.42811 M2b
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
- Confederate Pension Applications ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Regiments. Service men in Dallas County, Texas Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Dallas County, Texas Genealogy:
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 Dallas County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Dallas County, Texas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
- The Dallas Morning News
- Genealogy Bank - Read years of old copies of the Dallas Morning News online (subscription service).
- Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
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 at FamilySearch — images
- 1800–2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1800-1990 Texas, Probate Records – free. This collection contains images of probate records from seventy-five different counties in the state of Texas. The content and time period of these records vary by county. - 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 ($) — index and images
- Dallas County Tax Rolls, 1846-1896 are available through the Family History Library and Family History Centers on films 2282008-2282009 and 2282160-2282163.
- Dallas County Tax Lists from 1846 are also available online at www.FamilySearch.org. Some of the documents are difficult to read due to dark documents and faded ink.
- 1846-1847: Courtesy of Dallas Genealogical Society
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
Certified birth and death certificates or birth and death verifications can be ordered online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. Copies can also be obtained from the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred and are often less expensive.
Marriages records can be obtained from the county the marriage occurred. Only marriage verifications can be obtained from the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health.
See Texas Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Texas.
Births[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1903 - 1935 Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index only) - How to Use this Collection
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Marriages[edit | edit source]
Online Marriage Indexes and Records
- 1802-2010 Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- Application for Copy of Marriage Record. Copies of marriage records can be obtained from the County Clerk's office. Instructions, plus the form to use, are on the County's web site, but not easily located. Click on this title link and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
- Dallas County Marriage Record Alphabetical Index, 1846-1963, is available on microfilm in the Genealogy Section of the Dallas Public Library.
- Marriage Book O is available on the Dallas Genealogical Society Web site.
- 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 — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1837 - 1973 Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973 — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1837 - 1977 Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977 — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1837-1977 Texas, Select County Marriage Index, 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1906-1964 Texas, U.S., Select County Marriage Records at Ancestry.com — index & images, ($)
- 1966 - 2010 Texas Marriages, 1966-2010 - FamilySearch record collection - How to Use this Collection
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
Online Death Indexes and Records
- 1890-1976 Few certificates are available prior to 1903 and in many counties prior to 1910. Fold3.com has Texas Deaths, 1890-1976 ($) available online.
- 1903 - 1973 Texas Deaths and Burials, 1903-1973 — 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) - How to Use this Collection
- 1964 - 1998 Texas Death Index, 1964-1998 (no images) - How to Use this Collection - Index to Texas statewide death certificates covering 4 million deaths since 1964.
- 1977 - 1986 Texas Deaths, 1977-1986 — index - How to Use this Collection
- Dallas County Mortality Schedules for 1850, 1860 and 1870 are available on the Dallas Genealogical Society Website.
Divorces[edit | edit source]
Online Divorce Indexes and Records
- 1837-1841 Texas divorces were originally handled by the Texas Congress from 1837 to 1841. District courts began to handle divorces in 1841. Abstracts of the District Court (Dallas County) Minute Book A are available on the Dallas Genealogical Society Web site.
- 1846–1905 Divorces, Dallas County, TX, 1846–1905, abstracted by Jim Monaghan (929.37642 M734D), is also available at the Dallas Public Library.
- 1968-2005 Texas Divorce Records 1968-2005 (index) - Hidden Ancestors
- 1968 - 2010 Texas Divorce Index 1968-2010 — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1968-2011 Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2011 available online from Ancestry.com ($). The Dallas Public Library has a library account to Ancestry.com which may be searched for free in the 8th floor Genealogy Department of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. The Dallas Public Library also has the divorce index on microfiche.
- 1968-2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
- Dallas County District Court Civil Case Papers have been microfilmed. They are available on the 7th floor Texas/Dallas History Dept. of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. Microfilm are through 1940. For information contact Genealogy@dallascityhall.com.
- Dallas County District Court Clerk has a case information system accessible at the following web address: https://www.dallascounty.org/services/record-search/
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Un-redacted copies of Family court records may be obtained at the District Clerk’s Records Department:
George Allen Courts Building
600 Commerce Street
Basement - West
Dallas, TX 75202
- Divorce cases are also available on microfilm through interlibrary loan from the Texas State Library and Archives or through a local family history center. These are in order by case number, but there is an index. Check the TSL information for a description.
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Dallas Historical Society
PO Box 150038
Dallas 75315
website
Dallas Genealogical Society
PO Box 12648
Dallas 75225-0648
Website
Dallas County East Genealogical Society
7637 Mary Dan Drive
Dallas, Texas 75217
Website
Dallas Jewish Historical Society
7900 Northaven Road
Dallas TX 75230
Website
Duncanville Genealogical Society
PO Box 381147
Duncanville TX 75138
Website
Grand Prairie Genealogical Society
PO Box 532026
Grand Prairie, Texas 75053
Website
The Grand Prairie Genealogical Society covers parts of the City in two counties. About 2/3 of Grand Prairie are in Dallas County with the remaining 1/3 in Tarrant County. However, this is based on modern boundaries. Before WW II (when Grand Prairie boomed due to, among other things, moving a major avaition plant from Connecticut to Texas) all of Grand Prairie was in Dallas County. As far as I know, GP is not one of the cities in Dallas County that was allowed to record its own vital events.
Hispanic Organization for Genealogy and Research
PO Box 497891
Garland TX 75049-7891
Irving Genealogical Society
PO Box 170881
Irving TX 75017-0881
Lancaster Genealogical Society
220 Main Street, Lancaster
Texas 75146
Website
Mesquite Genealogical Society
PO Box 850165
Mesquite TX 75185-0165
- Dallas Historical Society
- Dallas County Pioneer Association
- Bridwell Library at Southern Methodist University
- Dallas Public Library, Genealogy Section
- Dallas Public Library, Texas/Dallas History
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
- Carrollton Texas Family History Center
- Dallas Texas Family History Center
- Dallas Texas East Family History Center
- Richardson Texas Family History Center
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Dallas County TXGenWeb
- USGenWeb
- US GenWeb Archives
- Jim Wheat's Dallas County, Texas Archives
- FamilySearch Catalog The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Dallas County, Texas," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_County,_Texas. accessed 07/30/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Dallas County, Texas. Page 662 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Dallas 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 Dallas, TX Courthouse Fire, Feb 1890 http://www.gendisasters.com/texas/10185/dallas-tx-dallas-county-courthouse-fire-feb-1890
- ↑ GenDisasters.com Dallas, TX Courthouse Fire, Feb 1890 http://www.gendisasters.com/texas/10185/dallas-tx-dallas-county-courthouse-fire-feb-1890
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Dallas County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_County,_Texas, accessed 3 April 2019.
- ↑ "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: An Inventory of Selected Congregational Records of the American Lutheran Church in Minnesota at the Minnesota Historical Society," Collection Finding Aids, Minnesota Historical Society, http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/01009.xml, accessed 10 June 2013.
Red Book: American State, County, and Town Records, Third Edition (Edited by Alice Eichhotz, Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004)
