Donley County, Texas Genealogy

United States Texas  Counties D  Donley County

Guide to Donley County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
Donley County Courthouse 300 S Sally Clarendon, TX 79226 Phone: 806.874.3436

County Clerk has birth records from 1877, marriage and land recordsfrom 1882, death records from 1903, probate records from 1923 and military discharge records from 1919

The current Donley County courthouse, a Romanesque Revival design building, was opened in November 1891. The courthouse was restored in 2003. It is the oldest functioning courthouse in the Texas Panhandle and is a recorded Texas Historic Landmark.

Donley County Courthouse 300 S. Sully Clarendon, TX 79226

County Clerk  PO Drawer U Courthouse Annex Clarendon, TX 79226 (806) 874-3436 FAX (806) 874-3351 Donley County Government website

History
Originally named Wegefarth County and organized in 1882, the county was renamed Donley.

Parent County
1876--Donley County was created 21 August 1876 from Bexar Land District, but was not organized until 1882. County seat: Clarendon

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
Clarendon | Hedley | Howardwick | Lelia Lake

Neighboring Counties
Armstrong •  Briscoe  •  Carson  •  Collingsworth  •  Gray  •  Hall  •  Wheeler

African American

 * Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870(images) - FamilySearch

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Additional Cemetery Sources

 * Citizen's Cemetery - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Donley County Cemeteries - TXGenWeb
 * Cemeteries of Donley County -  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * FindAGrave- transcriptions and photographs
 * Donley County Cemeteries - Interment.net
 * Donley County Cemeteries maps, transcriptions and information

Census

 * 1880 Federal Census - images - USGenWeb Archives Project

Baptist
Calvary Baptist Church 806-874-3156 Highway 287, Clarendon TX 79226

First Baptist Church 806-874-3833 300 South Bugbee, Clarendon TX 79226

First Baptist Church 806-874-3326 222 Sherwood Blvd, Clarendon TX 79226

First Baptist Church 806-856-5370 Main Street, Hedley TX 79237

Christian
First Christian Church 806-874-3212 120 East 3rd, Clarendon TX 79226

Church Of Christ
Church of Christ 806-874-2495 300 South Carhart, Clarendon, TX y79226

Methodist
First United Methodist Church 806-874-3367 420 South Jefferson, Clarendon TX 79226

Land

 * Original Land Owners of Texas- USGenWeb Archives Project

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1906-1989 — index and images

Local Histories

 * Donley County: Land O' Promise, 1975, by Virginia Browder.
 * Donley County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.

Maps
Texas Counties Map.TXGenWeb site.

Military

 * 1838 - 1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1845 - 1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War 1845-1848 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1908 Camp San Lantham United American Veterans - USGenWeb Archives
 * Confederate Pension Applications - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 - FamilySearch
 * Texas, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 - FamilySearch

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1800 – 1990 at FamilySearch — images

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
 * Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index)- FamilySearch

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * Texas County Marriage Records, 1837-1977 - FamilySearch. Index to a variety of marriage records (registers, licenses, intentions to marry, etc.) from select counties in Texas.
 * Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973  -  FamilySearch record collection


 * 1814 - 1909 and 1966 - 2011 Texas Marriage Collection 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1837 - 1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * 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.
 * Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000 (index) - FamilySearch
 * Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 [no images] Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
 * Texas Deaths and Burials 1903 - 1973 (index)  -  FamilySearch
 * 1977 - 1986 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Divorce

 * Texas Divorce Records 1968 - 2005 (index)   Hidden Ancestors
 * 1968-2010 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $

Societies and Libraries
Donley County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 116 Clarendon 79226 website

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project - May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project- transcriptions and photographs
 * TXGenWeb Donley County