Wood County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Wood County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Wood County, Texas | |||||||
| Map | |||||||
 Location in the state of Texas, United States Genealogy | |||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||
| Facts | |||||||
| Founded | 5 February, 1850 | ||||||
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| County Seat | Quitman | ||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||
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| Address | Wood County Courthouse PO Box 338 Quitman, TX 75783-0338 | ||||||
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for George T. Wood, governor of Texas from 1847 to 1849. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Wood County Courthouse
PO Box 338
Quitman, TX 75783-0338
Phone: 903.763.2711
County Clerk has birth and death records Clerk has birth
and death records from 1903, marriage,land and probate
records from 1879, cemetery and court records, military
records from 1918; District Clerk has divorce records[2]
County Clerk
P.O. Box 1796
Quitman 75783
Phone: 903-763-2711
Fax: 903-763-5641
District Clerk
P.O. Box 1707
Quitman 75783
Phone: 903-763-2361
Wood County has had four courthouses. They were built in 1851, 1854, 1883 and 1925, the current courthouse.
Wood County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1879 | 1903 | 1918 | 1879 | 1879 | 1829 |
General compliance by the 1930s. | ||||||
History[edit | edit source]
1824, 1852, 1845 The area was originally Caddo Indian country. The first settler arrived in 1824, the first school opened in 1852 and the first newspaper was published in 1845.
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1850--Wood County was created 5 February 1850 from Van Zandt County.
- County seat: Quitman [4]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
1870--A western section of Wood County was used to form the new Rains County. [5]
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1878--Courthouse and all county records were destroyed by fire in December 1878.
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 | ||
| Towns | ||
|
||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Camp • Franklin • Hopkins • Rains • Smith • Upshur • Van Zandt
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. | %± |
| 1860 | 4,968 | — |
| 1870 | 6,894 | 38.8% |
| 1880 | 11,212 | 62.6% |
| 1890 | 13,932 | 24.3% |
| 1900 | 21,048 | 51.1% |
| 1910 | 23,417 | 11.3% |
| 1920 | 27,707 | 18.3% |
| 1930 | 24,183 | −12.7% |
| 1940 | 24,360 | 0.7% |
| 1950 | 21,308 | −12.5% |
| 1960 | 17,653 | −17.2% |
| 1970 | 18,589 | 5.3% |
| 1980 | 24,697 | 32.9% |
| 1990 | 29,380 | 19.0% |
| 2000 | 36,752 | 25.1% |
| 2010 | 41,964 | 14.2% |
| 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 Wood 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.
- Wood County, 1850–1900, 1976, by the Wood County Historical Society.An overview of Wood County, Texas from roughly 1850 to 1900, includes historical sketches of various aspects of life in the county as well as anecdotes. Genealogical information and documentation are also included for pioneer families in the area. Read the book on line from The Portal to Texas History.
- History of Mineola, Texas; "Gateway to the Pines", 1973 by Lucille Jones. Read the book online from The Portal to Texas History.
- Wood County History from The Handbook of Texas Online.
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Texas Land Survey Maps for Wood County, Texas Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- 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 $
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
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 Wood County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Wood County, Texas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Online Newspapers
- 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 ($) — index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1840 - 1981 Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981 — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1935 Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - How to Use this Collection
- 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index only) - How to Use this Collection
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — 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 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 - 2010 Texas Marriages, 1966-2010 - 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 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 — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1903-1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 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.
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]
Wood County Genealogical Society
PO Box 832
Quitman 75783
Website
Organization for the Preservation of Historical and Genealogical Records
Canton, TX
P. Vinson
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, "Wood, Texas" in "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_County,_Texas. accessed 11/27/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wood County, Texas. Page 676 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wood 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: Wood County http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcw15
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Wood County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_County,_Texas, Last accessed 30 August 2019.
