Red River County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Red River County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Red River County, Texas | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Texas, United States Genealogy | |||||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | March 17, 1836 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Seat | Clarksville | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for the Red River, which forms its northern boundary. The County is located in the northeast area of the state. [1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Red River County Courthouse
200 North Walnut Street
Clarksville, TX 75426
Phone: 903.427.2401
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903,
marriage records from 1845, probate and land records
from 1835; District Clerk has divorce and court records[2]
County Clerk
200 N. Walnut
Clarksville 75426
Phone: 903-427-2401
District Clerk
400 N. Walnut
Clarksville 75426
Phone: 903-427-3761
Red River County has had five courthouses. [3] The fifth and current courthouse was built in 1885.
Red River County Government Website
Red River County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1845 | 1903 | 1840 | 1835 | 1835 | 1829 |
General compliance by the 1930s. | ||||||
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1836--Red River County was created 17 March 1836 from an Old Mexican Municipality. LaGrange (now called Madras) was named temporary county seat in 1837, until Clarksville was selected as the county seat in 1838. [5]
- County seat:Clarksville [6]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
See an interactive map of Red River County border changes.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
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:[7]
| Cities | ||
|
||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Bowie • Choctaw County, Oklahoma • Delta • Franklin • Hopkins • Lamar • McCurtain County, Oklahoma • Morris • Titus
Resources[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
- 1865 - 1870 Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870 - FamilySearch (images) - How to Use this Collection
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 | FamilySearch Places | |
| Names in Stone | Interment | |
| See Texas Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Additional Cemetery Sources
- African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American cemeteries
- Texas Escapes Listing of Texas cemeteries with transcriptions and lots of pictures.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 3,906 | ||
| 1860 | 8,535 | 118.5% | |
| 1870 | 10,653 | 24.8% | |
| 1880 | 17,194 | 61.4% | |
| 1890 | 21,452 | 24.8% | |
| 1900 | 29,893 | 39.3% | |
| 1910 | 28,564 | −4.4% | |
| 1920 | 35,829 | 25.4% | |
| 1930 | 30,923 | −13.7% | |
| 1940 | 29,769 | −3.7% | |
| 1950 | 21,851 | −26.6% | |
| 1960 | 15,682 | −28.2% | |
| 1970 | 14,298 | −8.8% | |
| 1980 | 16,101 | 12.6% | |
| 1990 | 14,317 | −11.1% | |
| 2000 | 14,314 | 0% | |
| 2010 | 12,860 | −10.2% | |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | |||
- 1850 Census
- 1860 Census
- 1870 Census
- 1880 Census
- 1900 Census
- 1930 Census Index
- 1890 Union Veterans Census
Church[edit | edit source]
- 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 Red River 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.
- Bible Records of Red River County, Texas Genealogical Members, Volume * Bible Records of the following families: Meyer, Lee, Turk, Myers, McCain, Low, Jones, McCuiston, Hall, Johnson, Pinson, Young, Strawn, Turner, Rose, Seale, Smith, Claiborne, Williams, Dyers, Strange, Benton and Hufford. Available from the Red River County Texas Genealogical Society
- Reflections of Red River County 1830's-1890 by Marion Butts. Available from the Red River Co Genealogy Society
- Red River County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.
- Biographies ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Red River County Published Sources ~ TXGenWeb
- Texas Museums ~ List of all museums in Texas ~ Hidden Ancestors
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Texas Land Survey Maps for Red River County, Texas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- Red River County 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 Texas Genweb 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 1838-1900 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
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]
- 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
- Civil War Dead buried in Red River County, Texas, by Lawrence and Sue Dale. Contains all notes from cemetery records, 374 individuals, most without formal Civil War markers. Available from the authors
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 Red River County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Red River County, Texas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
- Wikipedia has a list of online newspaper archives for Texas.
- Home Town News - Texas Newspaper Index with links
- Newslink - Texas Newspaper List (sorted by publication frequency)
- The Olden Times - Historic Texas News Online.
- Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has The Paris News from 1925 that may include residents from Red River County.
- Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Red River County Obituaries ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- 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 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1800 – 1990 Texas Probate Records 1800-1990 at FamilySearch — images
- 1838 Tax List ~ TXGenWeb
- Index to Wills Book A ~ TXGenWeb
- Index to Wills Book B ~ TXGenWeb
- 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 ($) — index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1903 - 1935 Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 - FamilySearch (images and index) - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 - FamilySearch (index only) - How to Use this Collection
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — 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 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 - FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1837-1977 Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977 at FamilySearch — index
- 1837-1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1966-2005 Texas Marriage Records 1966 - 2005 - Hidden Ancestors
- 1966 - 2010 Texas Marriages, 1966-2010 - FamilySearch - 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 - FamilySearch with images - How to Use this Collection
Name index and images of statewide death certificates, 1890-1976. The name index has been created by Family Search 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 $
- 1903 - 2000 Texas Death Index, 1903-2000 - FamilySearch (index) - How to Use this Collection
- 1890-1976 Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 - FamilySearch with 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 at FamilySearch.org — index
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1968-2005 Texas Divorce Records 1968 - 2005 ~ Hidden Ancestors
- 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]
Red River County Public Library
307 N Walnut St
Clarksville, TX 75426
Telephone Number: 903-427-3991
Website
Red River County, TX Genealogical Society
PO Box 516
Clarksville, TX 75426-2720
Website
- Society Hill ~ Links and addresses to Texas genealogical and historical societies
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]
- Red River County Archives ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Red River County ~ TXGenWeb
- TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
- 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, "Red River, Texas" in "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_County,_Texas. accessed 11/25/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Red River County, Texas. Page 672 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ HistoricTexas.net: Red River County http://www3.historictexas.net/red-river-county-texas
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Red River 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: Red River County http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcr05
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Red River County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_County,_Texas, Last accessed 19 August 2019.
