Bee County, Texas Genealogy

United States  Texas  Counties B  Bee County

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

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903, marriage, probate and land records from 1858 and court from 1876; District has divorce records

History

 * Family Histories of Bee County, Texas~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Historic Places of Bee County, Texas ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * History of Bee County, Texas ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Bee County Courthouse History - historictexas.net

Parent County
1857--Bee County was created 8 December 1857 from Goliad, Karnes, Live Oak, Refugio, and San Patricio Counties. County seat: Beeville

The county was named for Barnard E. Bee Sr., (1787-1854). Barnard E. Bee, attorney, soldier, and statesman, was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1787, the son of Thomas B. Bee, member of the Royal Privy Council in colonial South Carolina and of the Continental Congress, lieutenant governor of South Carolina, and justice of the United States Circuit Court of South Carolina during the administration of George Washington.

Boundary Changes
No boundary changes since the county's formation in 1857

Record Loss
1888 -- The second Bee County Courthouse (old courthouse), used at the time as a Masonic Lodge, burned in May 1888, nine years after it had served its usefulness as a courthouse. No record loss, as the records were safely stored in the new Courthouse that had opened in 1879.

1911 -- The third Bee County Courthouse, built in 1879, burned on January 15, 1911. Most of the county records were saved from the fire.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog



Populated Places
Towns and Cities: |  | | Papalote

Neighboring Counties
Goliad • Karnes  •  Live Oak  •  Refugio •  San Patricio

Resources

 * Local Resources of Bee County, Texas~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Volunteer look-ups of Bee County, Texas~ Bee County, TXGenWeb

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 Bee County, Texas Complete list of Cemeteries in Bee County, Texas~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * 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
 * Cemetery Junction ~  Links to cemetery transcriptions

Church

 * Texas Christian Church Directory~ ChurchAngel
 * Catholic Parishes in Texas

Court

 * County Records of Bee County Census, Land, Miscellaneous Records ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Land Deeds of Bee County Partial List of Land Deeds~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Miscellaneous Records-Probate Book "A"~ Complete List ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb

Land

 * Land Deeds of Bee County Partial List of Land Deeds~ Bee County, TXGenWeb

Local Histories

 * Bee County Centennial, 1858–1958, by Grace Bauer.
 * Historical Story of Bee County, Texas, 1973, by Camp Ezell. Read text version of this book online at beeville.net.
 * A History of Bee County, 1939, by Mrs. I. C. Madray.
 * History of Bee County, Texas, 1960, by Joseph Gustav Rountree.
 * Family Histories of Bee County, Texas~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Historic Places of Bee County, Texas ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * History of Bee County, Texas ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Bee County History &amp; Photographs - HistoricTexas.net
 * Museums ~  List of all museums in Texas  ~  Hidden Ancestors

Maps



 * 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

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
 * Veterans of Bee County, Texas~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * 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
Off-line Newspaper Information

Online Newspapers

Online Newspaper Abstracts

Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

Obituaries

 * Obituaries of Bee County, Texas~Partial Listing~ Bee 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 including interactive search function

Probate

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

Vital Records

 * Vital Records of Bee County, Texas~Partial Listing of Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce Records~ Bee County, TXGenWeb

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


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

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm
 * 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
 * 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.
 * 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 $

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 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 - 1973 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   ~  Hidden Ancestors
 * USGenWeb Census Project ~ Texas 1850 - 1930
 * 1968-2010 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $

Societies and Libraries

 * Joe Barnhart Bee County Library 110 W Corpus Christi St Beeville, TX 78102 Phone: (361) 362-4901 Website

Family History Centers

 * Beeville Texas Family History Center


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

Web Sites

 * Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * 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.
 * Cyndi's List ~ Texas
 * Cyndi's List ~ Texas