Gillespie County, Texas Genealogy

United States Texas CountiesG  Gillespie County

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

County Courthouse
Gillespie County Courthouse 101 W Main Street PO Box 551 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 Phone: 830.997.6515 County Clerk has birth, marriage and probate records 1850, death records from 1902, land records from 1848 and court records from 1954; District Clerk has divorce records

Vital Records, Public Record Search Indexes from Gillespie County Courthouse

History
A cholera epidemic in 1849 took a heavy toll of the early settlers.

Parent County
1848--Gillespie County was created 23 February 1848 from Bexar and Travis Counties. County seat: Fredericksburg

Record Loss
1850--Courthouse and many county records were destroyed by fire in July 1850.

Places / Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Neighboring Counties
Blanco • Kendall • Kerr • Kimble • Llano • Mason

African American

 * Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870(images) - FamilySearch
 * Texas African American Griots ~  USGenWeb
 * AfriGeneas ~  African Ancestored Genealogy
 * Texas African American Genealogy ~  Access Genealogy

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

Additional Cemetery Sources

 * Access cemetery information for Gillespie County at Fredericksburg Genealogical Society. This index to burials includes a surname and maiden name search. Cemetery information is found by clicking on a cemetery name.  Individual photos are accessed by clicking on the camera icon.  There are some maps with cemetery section plans. This site includes about 3,500 cemetery photos and 50 cemeteries.
 * Gillespie County Cemeteries ~ 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

Individual cemeteries:


 * Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Stonewall BillionGraves

Census

 * 1850 Census ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1860 Census ~ USGenWeb Archives Project

Church

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

Lutheran

 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Court

 * Naturalization Records ~  USGenWeb Archives Project

Land

 * Land Survey Abstract Indicies Gillespie County ~  USGenWeb Archives Project

Local Histories

 * Books on Gillespie County ~  TXGenWeb
 * Texas 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

 * 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 $
 * Confederate Pension Applications ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission
 * Civil War Pension Applications ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Confederate Indigent Families ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Korean War Casualties ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 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
 * Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 - FamilySearch
 * Texas, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 - FamilySearch

Newspapers
Access obituaries January 1, 1980 through December 31,2004 at the Fredericksburg Genealogical Society website. These obituaries came from two newspapers, The Fredericksburg Standard and ''The Fredericksburg Radio Post. ''The Pioneer Memorial Library has copies of Fredericksburg newspapers on microfilm, with issues beginning in 1890.

Obituaries
Access obituaries January 1, 1980 through December 31,2004 at the Fredericksburg Genealogical Society website. These obituaries came from two newspapers, The Fredericksburg Standard and The Fredericksburg Radio Post.


 * Gillespie County Obituaries ~  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

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 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
 * 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


 * 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 - 1977 (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     Hidden Ancestors
 * 1968-2010 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * USGenWeb Census Project Texas 1850 - 1930

Societies and Libraries
Pioneer Memorial Library 115 W Main St Fredericksburg, TX 78624 Phone: (830) 997-6513 Website

Harper Library 23797 Us Hwy 290 West Harper, TX 78631 Phone: (830) 864-4993 Website


 * Fredericksburg Genealogical Society (The organization dissolved in 2008, but still keeps a website with Gillespie County information)

Family History Centers

 * Fredericksburg Texas Family History Center

106 E Driftwood Fredericksburg, Gillespie, Texas, United States Phone: 830-997-5018 Hours: Th 11am-6pm; click on link above for current hours


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

Web Sites

 * Gillespie County Archives ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Gillespie 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.
 * USGenWeb Texas Archives Vital statistics, maps, obituaries, Bible records, tombstone transcriptions and many other records.