Grimes County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Grimes County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Grimes County, Texas | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Texas, United States Genealogy | |||||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | 6 April, 1846 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | Anderson | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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| Address | Grimes County Courthouse PO Box 209 Anderson, TX 77830 | ||||||||
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Jesse Grimes, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and early European-American settler of the county. The County is located in the east-central area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Grimes County Courthouse
100 Main Street
Anderson, TX 77830
Phone: 936-873-4400
County Clerk has birth, death and court records from 1903, marriage and probate records from 1848 and land records from 1843[2]
County Clerk
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 209
Anderson, TX 77830
Physical Address:
101 S. Main Street
Anderson, Texas 77830
Phone: 936-873-4410
Fax: 936-873-3308
District Clerk
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 234
Anderson 77830
Physical Address:
114 West Buffington Avenue
Anderson, TX 77830
Phone: 936-873-4433
Fax: Fax: 936-873-2514
- Located in Anderson, Texas. The present courthouse was built in 1894. Four prior courthouses have been destroyed; one by wind and three by fire.
Grimes County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1848 | 1903 | 1903 | 1843 | 1848 | 1829 |
History[edit | edit source]
- Grimes County was named for Jesse Grimes, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
- Grimes County TXGenWeb History and Maps
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1846--Grimes County was created 6 April 1846 from Montgomery County.
- County seat: Anderson [4]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
1853-- Madison County was carved out of northern Grimes County.
1873-- Waller County was formed from territory in the southern part of Grimes County.[5]
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1848--County records were destroyed by fire in late 1848.
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 | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Brazos • Madison • Montgomery • Walker • Waller • Washington
Resources [edit | edit source]
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. | ||
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 4,008 | ||
| 1860 | 10,307 | 157.2% | |
| 1870 | 13,218 | 28.2% | |
| 1880 | 18,603 | 40.7% | |
| 1890 | 21,312 | 14.6% | |
| 1900 | 26,106 | 22.5% | |
| 1910 | 21,205 | −18.8% | |
| 1920 | 23,101 | 8.9% | |
| 1930 | 22,642 | −2.0% | |
| 1940 | 21,960 | −3.0% | |
| 1950 | 15,135 | −31.1% | |
| 1960 | 12,709 | −16.0% | |
| 1970 | 11,855 | −6.7% | |
| 1980 | 13,580 | 14.6% | |
| 1990 | 18,828 | 38.6% | |
| 2000 | 23,552 | 25.1% | |
| 2010 | 26,604 | 13.0% | |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | |||
- Grimes County Census located on Grimes County TXGenWeb page.
- 1850 Grimes County Census USGenWeb Archives Project.
- 1850 Grimes County Slave Census USGenWeb Archives Project.
- 1860 Grimes County Census USGenWeb Archives Project.
- 1900 Russian Immigrants on 1900 census
- 1910 Russian Immigrants on 1910 census
- 1920 Russian Immigrants on 1920 census
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.
- Grimes County Churches Grimes County TXGenWeb
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
Events[edit | edit source]
- Texas Renaissance Festival Located in Todd Mission, south of Plantersville
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.
- 1869-1917 Texas, Grimes County, Deed Records, 1869-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- Austin's Colonists in Grimes County Part of Grimes County TXGenWeb site
- Original Land Owners of Grimes County From USGenWeb Archives for Texas
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Grimes 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.
- Grimes County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.
- History of the Grimes County Sheriff's Office
- Surnames of Grimes County Grimes County TXGenWeb
- Historical Markers of Grimes County Grimes County TXGenWeb
- County Biographies Grimes County TXGenWeb
- Grimes County Historic Homes Grimes County TXGenWeb
Books about Local History - Early History of Grimes County, 1930, by E. L. Blair.
- History of Grimes County, Land of Heritage and Progress, 1982, by Grimes County Historical Commission.
- Saga of Anderson - The Proud Story of a Historic Texas Community, 1957, by Irene Taylor Allen.
- My Hometown: the Bedias Story, by Wallace Davis, 1953, Gulf Publishing Company, Houston
- The Honor Roll of Grimes County, A tribute to men from Grimes County, Texas who served in the U.S. armed forces during World War I.
- Austin Colony Pioneers: Including History of Bastrop, Fayette, Grimes, Montgomery and Washington Counties, Texas, Worth S. Ray, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., January 1995
- Baptist Churches of Grimes County, by Joseph Eugene Boulet, 1936-37, Anderson
- The History and Burial Records of Stoneham Cemetery, Stoneham, Texas, compiled by Frances and Lois Stoneham, 1980
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Texas Land Survey Maps for Grimes County, Texas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- Grimes County TXGenWeb Maps and History
- 1940 Grimes County 1940 Highway Map
- 1961 Grimes County 1961 Highway Map
- Texas Counties Map from TXGenWeb; click on county to go to the county TXGenWeb website
- Texas DOT Map of Grimes County
- 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 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- Grimes County Veterans - TXGenWeb
- Confederate Memorial Plaza in Anderson Grimes County TXGenWeb
- Confederate Memorial Statue in Anderson Grimes County TXGenWeb
Spanish-American War[edit | edit source]
Mexican-American War[edit | edit source]
- 1845 - 1848 - US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War at Ancestry.com — index $http://usgenwebsites.org/TXGrimes/GrimesHistoryMaps.html
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- 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
- 12th Texas Infantry, Company D most appear to be from Grimes County
- Soldiers buried in Grimes County
- Grimes County Confederate Pension Applications
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 Grimes County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Grimes County, Texas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search). https://web.archive.org/web/20121025080619/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~burzynsk/grimesconfederates.html
- The Navasota Examiner
- Newspaper Articles from Grimes County GrimesCounty TXGenWeb
- Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Grimes County Obituaries Grimes County TXGenWeb
- Navasota Examiner Current Obituaries
- Bryan-College Station Eagle Current Obituaries Many obituaries from Grimes County are listed here
- USGenWeb Archives Obituary Project for Texas
- AfriGeneas African American Death Records Database
- Obituary Depot Texas
- Obituary Daily Times
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 $
- Grimes County Probates, Wills, and Estate Records Grimes County TXGenWeb
- 1939-1957 Texas, Grimes County, Probate Records of Births - index and images- - 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 ($) — index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
Certified birth and death certificates or birth and death verifications can be ordered online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. Copies can also be obtained from the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred and are often less expensive.
Marriages records can be obtained from the county the marriage occurred. Only marriage verifications can be obtained from the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health.
See Texas Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Texas.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1840 - 1981 Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981 — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1935 Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index only) - How to Use this Collection
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index
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 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 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1951-1966 Texas, Grimes County, Marriage Records, 1951-1966 - FamilySearch record collection - How to Use this Collection
- 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. 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.
- 1903 - 1973 Texas Deaths and Burials, 1903-1973 — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1903-1982 Texas Death Certificates at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1964 - 1998 Texas Death Index, 1964-1998 (no images) - 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 — index - How to Use this Collection
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1968-2005 Texas Divorce Records (index) - Hidden Ancestors
- 1968 - 2010 Texas Divorce Index 1968-2010 — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1968-2011 Texas Divorces at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Grimes County Heritage Assn
1215 E Washington
Navasota, Texas 77868
Website
Navasota Public Library
1411 E. Washington Ave.
Navasota, Texas 77868;
(936)825-6744
Website
Two Rivers Heritage Foundation
P. O. Box 66
Navasota, Texas 77868
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]
- Grimes County TXGenWeb
- Grimes County USGenWeb Archives
- Grimes County government
- County Resource Page at Rootsweb
- City of Navasota Website, lists historical properties in Navasota.
- 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, "Grimes County, Texas," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimes_County,_Texas. accessed 08/09/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Grimes County, Texas. Page 665 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Grimes 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).
- ↑ Handbook of Texas Online: Grimes County http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcg11
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Grimes County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimes_County,_Texas, accessed 18 April 2019.
