Hopkins County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Hopkins County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Hopkins County, Texas | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Texas, United States Genealogy | |||||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | March 25, 1846 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | Sulphur Springs | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for the family of David Hopkins, an early settler in the area. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Hopkins County Courthouse
County Clerk's Office
128 Jefferson, Suite C
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482
Phone:(903) 438-4074
Fax: (903) 438-4110
Hopkins County Court House
PO Box 288
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
Phone: 903.885.3929
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903,
marriage, probate, court and land records from 1846;
District Clerk has divorce records[2]
County Clerk
128 Jefferson Ste. C
Sulphur Springs 75482
Phone: 903-438-4074
District Clerk
P.O. Box 391
Sulpher Springs 75483
Phone: 903-438-4081
Hopkins County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1846 | 1903 | 1846 | 1846 | 1846 | 1829 |
General compliance by the 1930s. | ||||||
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1846--Hopkins County was created 25 March 1846 from Lamar and Nacogdoches Counties.
- County seats:
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
1870 - Southwestern Corner of Hopkins County was given to Rains County; land north of the South Sulphur River was given to Delta County. [6]
1871 - Small part of the northeastern corner of Hopkins County was given to Lamar County. [7]
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1894--Hopkins County Courthouse destroyed by fire on February 10, 1894. Nearly all of the records were saved. Those destroyed were in the office of Judge Morris. The fire additionally destroyed the jail, part of the Courthouse square and the offices of the Hopkins County Echo newspaper.[8]
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:[9]
| Cities | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Delta • Franklin • Hunt • Rains • Red River • Wood
Resources[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
- 1865-1870 Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records (images) - FamilySearch
- African American Griots ~ USGenWeb
- AfriGeneas ~ African Ancestored Genealogy
- Texas African American Genealogy ~ Access Genealogy
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| 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. | ||
Additional Cemetery Sources
- 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 | 2,623 | — |
| 1860 | 7,745 | 195.3% |
| 1870 | 12,651 | 63.3% |
| 1880 | 15,461 | 22.2% |
| 1890 | 20,572 | 33.1% |
| 1900 | 27,950 | 35.9% |
| 1910 | 31,038 | 11.0% |
| 1920 | 34,791 | 12.1% |
| 1930 | 29,410 | −15.5% |
| 1940 | 30,264 | 2.9% |
| 1950 | 23,490 | −22.4% |
| 1960 | 18,594 | −20.8% |
| 1970 | 20,710 | 11.4% |
| 1980 | 25,247 | 21.9% |
| 1990 | 28,833 | 14.2% |
| 2000 | 31,960 | 10.8% |
| 2010 | 35,161 | 10.0% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1850 Census Index ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- 1860 Hopkins County Census ~ TXGenWeb
- 1870 Mortality Schedule ~ TXGenWeb
- 1900 Enumeration Districts ~ TXGenWeb
- 1930 Enumeration Districts ~ TXGenWeb
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.
- Hopkins County Church Records and News ~ TXGenWeb
- Texas Christian Church Directory ~ ChurchAngel
- Catholic Parishes in Texas
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.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Hopkins 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.
- Hopkins County and Our Heritage by Florene Chapman Adams
- Hopkins County Biographies ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Hopkins County Histories ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Texas Museums ~ List of all museums in Texas ~ Hidden Ancestors
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Texas Land Survey Maps for Hopkins County, Texas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- 1845 Hopkins County Map ~ TXGenWeb
- 1851 Hopkins County Map ~ TXGenWeb
- 1885 Hopkins County Land Map ~ TXGenWeb
- 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]
- 1838 - 1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- Military Resources ~ Links to research Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
- 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
- Hopkins County Military Records ~ TXGenWeb
Mexican-American War[edit | edit source]
- 1845 - 1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War at Ancestry.com — index $
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
- Confederate Pension Applications ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission
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 Hopkins County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Hopkins County, Texas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
- Home Town News - Texas Newspaper Index with links
- Newslink - Texas Newspaper List (sorted by publication frequency)
- The Olden Times - Historic Texas News Online
- Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Hopkins County Obituaries ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Hopkins County Obituaries ~ 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 – 1990 Texas Probate Records at FamilySearch — images
- 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records ~ Ancestry.com (subscription)
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 ($) — index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
Certified birth and death certificates or birth and death verifications can be ordered online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. Copies can also be obtained from the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred and are often less expensive.
Marriages records can be obtained from the county the marriage occurred. Only marriage verifications can be obtained from the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health.
See Texas Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Texas.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1903 - 1935 Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index only) - How to Use this Collection
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Online Marriage Indexes and Records
- 1802-2010 Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- "Marriage records prior to 1836, if extant, may be in custody of the Roman Catholic church" according to Ancestry.com[1]
- 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 $
- 1966-2005 Texas Marriage Records 1966-2005 - Hidden Ancestors
- 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 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 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; 1968-2005 Hidden Ancestors
- 1968 - 2010 Texas Divorce Index 1968-2010 — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1968-2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1850-1930 USGenWeb Census Project Texas; 1850-1930
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Hopkins County Genealogical Society
611 North Davis
PO Box 624
Sulphur Springs 75482
Telephone Number:903-885-8523
Email:CGS@SUDDENLINKMAIL.COM
Website
Hopkins County Historical Society
416 N. Jackson
Sulphur Springs, TX
PO Box 1066
Sulphur Springs, TX 75483
Telephone Number: 903-885-2387
Sulphur Springs Public Library
611 Davis St N
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482
Telephone Number: 903-885-4926
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
Society HillLinks and addresses to Texas genealogical and historical societies
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Hopkins TXGenWeb
- TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
- Hopkins County Archives ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Hopkins County ~ TXGenWeb
- Hopkins County Genealogy and Family History Links - Linkpendium.com
- Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
- USGenWeb Texas Archives Vital statistics, maps, obituaries, Bible records, tombstone transcriptions and many other records.
- 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, "Hopkins County, Texas," in https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Hopkins_County,_Texas_Genealogy. accessed 10/07/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Hopkins County, Texas. Page 666 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Hopkins 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.
- ↑ Handbook of Texas Online: Hopkins County http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hch18
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, (2).
- ↑ Handbook of Texas Online: Hopkins County http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hch18
- ↑ Handbook of Texas Online: Hopkins County http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hch18
- ↑ GenDisasters.com - Sulphur Springs, TX Hopkins County Courthouse Fire, Feb 1894 http://www.gendisasters.com/texas/17844/sulphur-springs-tx-hopkins-county-courthouse-fire-feb-1894
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Hopkins County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopkins_County,_Texas, accessed 20 May 2019.