Brewster County, Texas Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Colonel Henry Percy Brewster, a Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth, probate, military, and court records from 1900, marriage records from 1887, death records from 1903 and land records from 1800: District Court has divorce records

County Clerk

P.O. Box 119 Alpine 79831 Phone: 432-837-3366

District Clerk

P.O. Box 1024 Alpine 79831 Phone: 432-837-6216 [ Brewster County Website]

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

Places / Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog



Populated Places
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:

Neighboring Counties
Jeff Davis •  Pecos  •  Presidio  •  Terrell

Resources

 * Look-Up Volunteers of Brewster County ~ Brewster County, TXGenWeb

African American

 * 1865 - 1870 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 Brewster County~Brewster County, TXGenWeb~ Complete List
 * Elm Grove Cemetery - Hidden Ancestors ~ transcription and photographs
 * African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American cemeteries
 * Cemetery Junction ~  Links to cemetery transcriptions

Church

 * Churches of Brewster County Complete list of churches~Brewster County, TXGenWeb
 * Texas Christian Church Directory~ Church Angel
 * Catholic Parishes in Texas

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1906 - 1989  — index and images

Local Histories

 * Mirages, Mysteries and Reality: Brewster County, Texas, the Big Bend of the Rio Grande, 1972, by Clifford B. Casey.
 * A Most Singular Country: A History of Occupation in the Big Bend, 1990, by Arthur R. Gomez.
 * Brewster County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.
 * Texas Museums ~  List of all museums in Texas  ~  Hidden Ancestors

Maps

 * 1920 Brewster County Texas General Land Office map, online from The Portal to Texas History
 * 1939 Brewster County Texas General Land Office map, online from The Portal to Texas History
 * Historical Maps ~ From the Republic to the Turn of the Century ~ Hidden Ancestors

Military

 * 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

 * 1845 - 1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War 1845-1848 at Ancestry.com — index $

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1838 - 1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * Confederate Pension Applications ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Alpine Avalanche Newspaper, serving Big Bend and the Davis Mountains since 1891
 * Home Town News -  Texas Newspaper Index with links
 * Newslink -  Texas Newspaper List (sorted by publication frequency)
 * The Olden Times  -   Historic Texas News Online

Obituaries

 * Obituaries of Brewster County ~Brewster County, TXGenWeb
 * 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 (Ancestry)

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1800 – 1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records Ancestry.com (subscription)
 * Texas Land Title Abstracts ~ Ancestry.com (subscription)
 * 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Vital Records

 * Vital Records of Brewster County ~ Marriage Records 1966-2002, Death Records 1910-2008, Divorce Records 1968-1996, Births 1904-1934

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * 1840 - 1981  at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1903 - 1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
 * 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index) - FamilySearch

Marriage
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 -1973 [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://familysearch.org/searchapi/search/collection/1681052 Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973 FamilySearch record collection
 * 1837 - 1977 Texas County Marriage Records, 1837-1977 - FamilySearch ndex to a variety of marriage records (registers, licenses, intentions to marry, etc.) from select counties in Texas.
 * 1837 - 1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — 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 record collection

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * 1890 - 1976 Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 [with images] Name index and images of statewide death certificates, 1890-1976.
 * 1903 - 1973 https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1681049 Texas Deaths and Burials 1903 - 1973] FamilySearch.org/ FamilySearch.org] — index
 * 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1903 - 2000 Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000 (index) - FamilySearch
 * 1964 - 1998 *https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://www.familysearch.org/searchapi/search/collection/1375599 Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998] [no images] Name index
 * 1977 - 1986  at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce

 * 1850 - 1930 USGenWeb Census Project ~ Texas 1850 - 1930
 * 1968 - 2005 Texas Divorce Records - 2005 Hidden Ancestors
 * 1968 - 2010  at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $

Societies and Libraries
Big Bend Genealogical Society 300 John Rd W Alpine 75830-2032 Website

Brewster County Historical Commission PO Box 1620 Alpine, TX 79831 Website

Family History Centers

 * Alpine Public Library 203 N 7th St Alpine, TX 79830 Phone: (432) 837-2621Website
 * Big Bend Genealogical Society, Brewster, Jeff Davis and Presidio Counties
 * Museum of the Big Bend, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas
 * Brewster County Historical Commission

Websites

 * Brewster County Texas Old Photos Old photographs and postcards of people and places in Alpine and other parts of Brewster County.
 * TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.