Jackson County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Jackson County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Jackson County, Texas | |||||||
| Map | |||||||
 Location in the state of Texas, United States Genealogy | |||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||
| Facts | |||||||
| Founded | March 17, 1836 | ||||||
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| County Seat | Edna | ||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||
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| Address | Jackson County Courthouse 115 W Main Street Edna, TX 77957-2733 Phone: 361.782.3563 Jackson County Website | ||||||
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Andrew Jackson, President of the United States from 1829 to 1837. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903,
marriage, probate and land records from 1836
and court records from 1910; District Clerk has divorce
records[2]
County Clerk
115 W. Main, Rm. 101
Edna 77957
Phone: 361-782-3563
District Clerk
115 W. Main, Rm. 101
Edna 77957
Phone: 361-782-3563
Jackson County has been the home of two county seats and four courthouses. Texana served as the county seat at the county's inception in 1836. The first courthouse building was built there in 1858. In 1883 voters elected to move the county seat to the new town of Edna. A new courthouse was built in Edna in 1884; it burned in June 1900. A third courthouse was built in 1906, a three-story brick Beaux-Arts style domed-building. The current courthouse was built in 1954.
Apply for a Birth or Death Certificates contact local Registrar Barbara Williams. Application form - pdf document
Jackson County Government website
Inventory of county records, Jackson County Courthouse, Edna, Texas, 1980. Inventory of records housed in the Jackson County Courthouse. Describes the records of the Commissioners Court, County Judge, County Clerk, County Court, County Attorney, District Clerk, Justice of the Peace, Sheriff, Tax Assessor-Collector, Treasurer, and Auditor. It provides a list of Jackson County records and an index. Digital book online at the Portal to Texas History.
Inventory of the county archives of Texas : Jackson County, no. 120, 1940. Inventory of records housed in the Jackson County Courthouse as of 1936. Describes the records of the County Commissioners Court, County Clerk as Recorder, District Court, County Court, Justices of the Peace, District Attorney, County Attorney, Tax Assessor-Collector, County Treasurer, and other offices. Digital book online at the Portal to Texas History.
Jackson County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1836 | 1903 | 1910 | 1836 | 1836 | 1829 |
General compliance by the 1930s. | ||||||
History[edit | edit source]
The county is named after President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) who was in office at the time of the county's formation.[4]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1836--Jackson County was created 17 March 1836 from Old Mexican Municipality.
County seat: Edna [5]
Boundary Changes[6][edit | edit source]
1837-- Jackson County lost a narrow north-south strip of land that is now part of present-day Matagorda and Wharton Counties. Part of the city of El Campo is included in this strip. Jackson county gained a 2x4 mile wedge of land that is now in present day Wharton County and about half of the land between Arenosa Creek and the Lavaca River. The towns of El Toro and Vanderbilt lie in this region.
1844-- Jackson County lost the area 6 miles west of the Lavaca River to Victoria County. Jackson County gained land to the west 35 x 8 miles long, now part of present-day Matagorda and Wharton counties. This land included the town of Palacios.
1846--Part of Jackson County's waterfront on Lavaca, Tres Palacios and Carancahua Bays given to Calhoun County. The rest of the the land between the Arenosa Creek and the Lavaca River given to Jackson county. Half of the area added in 1844 was given to Wharton County. Some area in the north was given to Lavaca County.
1848--Jackson County lost the remainder of the land gained to the east in 1844 to Matagorda County, including the area that contains the town of Palacios.
1905 -- A strip of land in northern Jackson County was removed and attached to Colorado County (the Colorado County "panhandle").
- Map showing the boundary changes mentioned above.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1900 -- Jackson County Courthouse destroyed by fire on Jun 15, 1900. Records of the County Judge, Assessor and Justice of the Peace were lost. [7]
1906 -- The Jackson County Progress Newspaper plant and offices (along with part of the Edna business district) were destroyed by fire, 12 November 1906.[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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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Calhoun • Colorado • Lavaca • Matagorda • Victoria • Wharton
Resources[edit | edit source]
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 | FamilySearch Places | |
| TXGenWeb | ||
| Names in Stone | ||
| See Texas Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 996 | — |
| 1860 | 2,612 | 162.2% |
| 1870 | 2,278 | −12.8% |
| 1880 | 2,723 | 19.5% |
| 1890 | 3,281 | 20.5% |
| 1900 | 6,094 | 85.7% |
| 1910 | 6,471 | 6.2% |
| 1920 | 11,244 | 73.8% |
| 1930 | 10,980 | −2.3% |
| 1940 | 11,720 | 6.7% |
| 1950 | 12,916 | 10.2% |
| 1960 | 14,040 | 8.7% |
| 1970 | 12,975 | −7.6% |
| 1980 | 13,352 | 2.9% |
| 1990 | 13,039 | −2.3% |
| 2000 | 14,391 | 10.4% |
| 2010 | 14,075 | −2.2% |
| 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.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
- Local histories are available for Jackson 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.
- The Cavalcade of Jackson County, 1938, by Ira T. Taylor.
- Jackson County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- 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 $
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
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 Jackson County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Jackson County, Texas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
- Jackson County News newspaper
- 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 $
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 ($) — index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
Certified birth and death certificates or birth and death verifications can be ordered online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. Copies can also be obtained from the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred and are often less expensive.
Marriages records can be obtained from the county the marriage occurred. Only marriage verifications can be obtained from the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health.
See Texas Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Texas.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1903-1935 - Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — 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
- 1837-1973 Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973 at FamilySearch — index
- 1837-1977 Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977 at FamilySearch — index
- 1837-1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1966-2010 Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010 FamilySearch record 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] 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 at FamilySearch.org - index
- 1903-1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1964-1998Texas Death Index 1964-1998 Texas Death Index, 1964-1998 - FamilySearch Historical Records Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates of four million people who have died since 1964.
- 1977-1986 Texas Deaths 1977-1986 at FamilySearch.org - index
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1968-2005 Texas Divorce Records 1968-2005 (index) - Hidden Ancestors
- 1968-2010 Texas Divorce Index 1968-2010 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 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]
Jackson County Memorial Library
411 North Wells Street, Room 121
Edna, Texas 77957
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]
- 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.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Jackson, Texas" in "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_County,_Texas. accessed 10/08/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Jackson County, Texas. Page 667 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Jackson 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.
- ↑ "Jackson County, Texas," Wikipedia.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Inventory of the county archives of Texas : Jackson County, no. 120, 1940: Historical Sketch, pages 11-13.
- ↑ GenDisasters.com - Edna, TX Courthouse Fire, Jun 1900 http://www.gendisasters.com/texas/7559/edna-tx-courthouse-fire-jun-1900
- ↑ Handbook of Texas Online: Edna, Texas http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hfe01
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Howard County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_County,_Texas, Last accessed 7 July 2019.
