Smith County, Texas Genealogy

United States Texas  Counties S  Smith County

Guide to Smith County Texas genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
Smith County Courthouse 100 N Broadway Avenue Tyler, TX 75702-1018 Phone: 903.535.0630 County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903, marriage records from 1848, probate records from 1847, court and land records from 1846

Parent County
1846--Smith County was created 11 April 1846 from Nacogdoches County. County seat: Tyler

Neighboring Counties

 * Cherokee
 * Gregg
 * Henderson
 * Rusk
 * Upshur
 * Van Zandt
 * Wood

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

 * Cemeteries of Smith County ~  alphabetical list  ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Smith County Cemetery Photographs ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Smith County Military Grave Markers/Markings ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Confederate Soldiers Buried in Smith County ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Tombstone Transcription Project ~ Partial transcription of cemetery tombstones ~ USGenWeb
 * Texas Historic Cemeteries ~ Partial indexes to historic cemeteries
 * African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American cemeteries
 * Texas Escapes Listing of Texas cemeteries with transcriptions and lots of pictures.

Census

 * 1850 Census ~  transcription  ~  East Texas Genealogical Society for USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1850 and 1860 Federal Censuses, Smith County, TX ~ book ~ East Texas Genealogical Society
 * 1860 Census ~  transcription  ~  East Texas Genealogical Society for USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1870 Census ~  transcription  ~  East Texas Genealogical Society and USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1870 Federal Census, Smith County, TX ~ book ~ East Texas Genealogical Society
 * 1880 Census ~  transcription   ~  East Texas Genealogical Society for USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Smith County, Texas U. S. Census Index for 1880 &amp; 1880 Mortality Schedule ~ book ~ East Texas Genealogical Society
 * 1890 Tax Record Abstract, Smith County, TX [census substitute] ~ book ~ East Texas Genealogical Society
 * 1900 Census ~  transcription  ~  East Texas Genealogical Society for USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1910 Census ~  transcription  ~  East Texas Genealogical Society for USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1920 Census ~  transcription  ~  East Texas Genealogical Society for USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Smith County, Texas, U. S. Census Indexes: 1900, 1910 &amp; 1920 ~ book ~ East Texas Genealogical Society
 * 1930 Census  ~  transcription  ~  East Texas Genealogical Society for USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Smith County, Texas U. S. Census Indexes for 1930 ~ book ~ East Texas Genealogical Society

Church

 * Presbyterian Beginnings in Smith County ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
 * St. James Baptist Church History ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Mt. Zion Baptist Church ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Lane's Chapel Methodist Church History and Records ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Texas Christian Church Directory~ ChurchAngel
 * Catholic Parishes in Texas

City Directories

 * Smith County 1972 from Historic Map Works
 * Smith County 1981 from Historic Map Works

Court

 * Affidavits of Death and Heirship 1846 - 1909 ~  transcription ~ East Texas Genealogical Society for USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Abstract District Court Minutes Smith County, TX 1847-1857 ~ book ~ East Texas Genealogical Society

Land

 * Deed/Land Records ~  transcription ~ East Texas Genealogical for USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Original Surveys/Land Patents of Smith County, Texas ~ transcription ~ USGenWeb Archives Project

Local Histories

 * Chronological History of Smith County, 1983 compiled by Donald W. Whisenhut for the Smith County Historical Society
 * A History of Tyler and Smith County, 1948 by Albert Woldert. Read the book on line from The Portal to Texas History.
 * Tyler &amp; Smith County, Texas: An Historical Survey, 1978 by Robert W. Glover. Read the book online from The Portal to Texas History.
 * Historical Atlas of Smith County, 1965
 * A History of Smith County, Texas, North Texas State Teachers College Thesis by William R. Ward, 1944, overview of the history of Smith County. Read the thesis online from The Portal to Texas History.
 * The Bullard Area-Its History and People, 1800–1977 by the Bullard Community Library Commission.
 * Smith County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.
 * Some Biographies of Old Settlers ~  excerpts from publication  ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * A History of Smith County ~  USGenWeb Archives Project

Maps



 * Texas Land Survey Maps for (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * City of Tyler Sanborn Insurance Maps for 1877, 1885, 1889, 1898, 1902, 1907, 1912 &amp; 1919. Scroll down the page until you get to Tyler. There are several sheets to each map.
 * Smith County Maps: 1853  1872  1880  1905  from the Portal to Texas History.
 * Smith County 1903 Map from Historic Map Works.
 * Smith County General Highway Map 1939
 * Smith County General Highway Map 1961
 * 1914 Map of Angelina, Gregg, Harrison, Cherokee, Houston, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith &amp; Trinity at www.rootsweb.com

Military

 * Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 - FamilySearch
 * Texas, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 - FamilySearch
 * Confederate Pension Applications ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission
 * 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

Newspapers

 * Home Town News -  Texas Newspaper Index with links
 * Newslink -  Texas Newspaper List (sorted by publication frequency)
 * The Olden Times  -   Historic Texas News Online
 * Boomtown, Bridge and Baseball - The Troup Banner, 1928-1939 Troup, Smith County, Texas ~ book ~ Abstracted and Compiled by Judy Womack for East Texas Genealogical Society
 * Obituaries Recorded in Lindale News &amp; Troup Banner, Smith County, Texas ~ book ~ East Texas Genealogical Society
 * Obituaries Recorded in Tyler, Texas Newspapers 1905-1915 ~ book ~ East Texas Genealogical Sociiety

Obituaries

 * 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
 * Obituaries from the Lindale News and the Troup Banner, Smith County, Texas by Lorene West Conaway ~ East Texas Genealogical Society
 * Obituaries from Tyler newspapers, Smith County, Texas, 1905-1915 by Lorene West Conaway and Ruby Renfro Neilson ~ East Texas Genealogical Society

Probate

 * Smith County Wills and Probate ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records ~  Ancestry.com  (subscription)
 * Texas, Probate Records, 1800-1990 (images) - FamilySearch

Schools

 * Tyler, TX High School: 1940 Basketball Team Photo with names of individuals

Taxation

 * 1890 Tax Record Abstract, Smith County, TX ~ East Texas Genealogical Society

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


 * Marriage Records of Smith County, Texas 1846-1899 ~ East Texas Genealogical Society
 * Marriage Records of Smith County, Texas 1900-1926 ~ East Texas Genealogical Society
 * Texas Marriage Records 1966 - 2005  ~  Hidden Ancestors
 * 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
 * Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010  ~  FamilySearch record collection

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 [with images] 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.


 * 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.

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Divorce

 * Texas Divorce Records 1968 - 2005   ~  Hidden Ancestors


 * USGenWeb Census Project ~ Texas 1850 - 1930

Societies and Libraries
Tyler Public Library 201 S College Ave Tyler, TX 75702 Phone: (903) 593-7323 Library Website Library Catalog

Whitehouse Community Library 107 Bascom Rd Whitehouse, TX 75791 Phone: (903) 839-2949 Library Website

Cameron-J Jarvis Troup Municipal Library 102 S Georgia PO Box 721 Troup, TX 75789 Phone: (903) 842-3101 Library Website Library Catalog

Lindale Library 200 E Hubbard St Lindale, TX 75771 Phone: (903) 882-1900 Library Website Library Catalog

Bullard Community Library 211 W Main St Bullard, TX 75757 Phone: (903) 894-6125

Noonday Community Library 16662 CR 196 Tyler, TX 75703 Phone: (903) 939-0540

Smith County Historical Society 125 South College Ave. Tyler TX 75702 Phone: (903) 592-5993 Fax: (903) 526-0924 Society Website

East Texas Genealogical Society PO Box 6967 Tyler TX 75711-6967 www.etgs.org

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Tyler Texas Family History Center

Society Hill ~  Links and addresses to Texas genealogical and historical societies

Web Sites

 * Smith County ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
 * TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
 * Hidden Ancestors Information on Texas genealogy research as well as genealogy research in general.
 * USGenWeb Texas Archives Vital statistics, maps, obituaries, Bible records, tombstone transcriptions and many other records.