Anderson County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Anderson County, Texas ancestry, family history and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Anderson County, Texas | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Texas | |||||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | March 24, 1846 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | Palestine | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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| Address | Anderson County Courthouse 500 N. Church Street Palestine, TX 75801 | ||||||||
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Contents
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Kenneth L. Anderson, who had been the last Vice President of the Republic of Texas (died 1845). The County is located in the northeast area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Anderson County Courthouse
500 N Church Street
Palestine, TX 75801
Phone: 903-723-7403
District Clerk has divorce records; County Clerk
has birth and death records from 1903, marriage,
probate and land records from 1846 and court records;
cities have birth and death records from 1953[2]
County Clerk
500 N. Church Street, #10
Palestine TX 75801
Phone: 903-723-7402
Fax: 903-723-4625
District Clerk
P.O. Box 1159
500 N. Church St. Rm 18
Palestine 75801
Phone: 903-723-7412
Fax: 903-723-7491
Anderson County Courthouse History
Anderson County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1846 | 1903 | 1846 | 1846 | 1846 | 1829 |
Start with These[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
Certified birth and death certificates or birth and death verifications can be ordered online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. Copies can also be obtained from the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred and are often less expensive. You can also order them online through a third party company.
Marriages records can be obtained from the county the marriage occurred. Only marriage verifications can be obtained from the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health.
See Texas Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Texas.
Births[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1840 - 1981 Texas Births and Christenings, 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 only) - FamilySearch
- 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (images and index) - Ancestry ($)
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
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 - 1965 - Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1837 - 1973 - Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973 at FamilySearch — index
- 1837 - 1977 - Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977 at FamilySearch — 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
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Deaths[edit | edit source]
Online Death Indexes and Records
- 1903 - 1973 Texas Deaths and Burials, 1903-1973 at 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 Texas Death Index, 1964-1998 (no images)
- 1977 - 1986 Texas Deaths, 1977-1986 at FamilySearch.org — index
Divorces[edit | edit source]
- 1968 - 2005 Texas Divorce Records 1968 - 2005 ~ Hidden Ancestors
- 1968 - 2010 Texas Divorce Index 1968-2010 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| FindAGrave | Family History Library | FindAGrave |
| TX Gravestones | WorldCat | Tombstone Project |
| Billion Graves (name) | Cemeteries of TX | |
| USGW Archives | Texas Cemeteries | |
| Billion Graves (cemetery) | Linkpendium | |
| USGW Cemeteries | Genealogy Trails | |
| Interment | FamilySearch Places | |
| See Texas Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Additional Cemetery Sources
- Anderson County Cemeteries Complete list of cemeteries within Anderson County with partial transcriptions.
- Cemetery Junction ~ Links to cemetery transcriptions
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 2,684 | — |
| 1860 | 10,398 | 287.4% |
| 1870 | 9,229 | −11.2% |
| 1880 | 17,395 | 88.5% |
| 1890 | 20,923 | 20.3% |
| 1900 | 28,015 | 33.9% |
| 1910 | 29,650 | 5.8% |
| 1920 | 34,318 | 15.7% |
| 1930 | 34,643 | 0.9% |
| 1940 | 37,092 | 7.1% |
| 1950 | 31,875 | −14.1% |
| 1960 | 28,162 | −11.6% |
| 1970 | 27,789 | −1.3% |
| 1980 | 38,381 | 38.1% |
| 1990 | 48,024 | 25.1% |
| 2000 | 55,109 | 14.8% |
| 2010 | 58,458 | 6.1% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1850-1930 USGenWeb Census Project ~ Texas
Land[edit | edit source]
After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions, including deeds and mortgages, have been recorded by the county. You can obtain copies of these land records by writing to the county clerk at the county courthouse. For more information, see Texas Land and Property.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists microfilm copies of deeds, trust deeds, and mortgages of many counties.
- Texas Land Heritage Registry ~ TXGenWeb
- Land Survey Abstract Indicies ~ TXGenWeb Archives Project
Naturalizations and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1906 - 1989 Texas, Naturalization Records, 1906-1989 — index and images
Probate[edit | edit source]
Probate records of Texas have been kept by the probate clerk in each county courthouse. You can obtain copies of the records from the clerk's office. In most counties, all information pertaining to a probate case is recorded in the "probate minutes."
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records.
See the Wiki page Texas Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
- Selected Wills and Probate Extracts from Anderson County ~ TXGenWeb
- 1846 - 1879 Anderson County Probate Index 1846-1879 ~ TXGenWeb
- Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records ~ Ancestry.com (subscription)
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1800-1990 Texas, Probate Records at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This collection contains images of probate records from seventy-five different counties in the state of Texas. The content and time period of these records vary by county.
- 1800–2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry.com — index and images $
Then Try These[edit | edit source]
African American Resources[edit | edit source]
- 1865 - 1870 Texas, 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
Church[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death/burial date and place. For general information about Texas denominations, view the Texas Church Records wiki page.
- Anderson County Churches –List of churches in Anderson County, Texas
- Churches in Anderson County ~ TXGenWeb
- Texas Christian Church Directory ~ ChurchAngel
- Catholic Parishes in Texas
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Anderson County, Texas Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Texas Local Histories.
- 1883 A Memorial and Biographical History of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon Counties, Texas, 1883. Digital book on line from the Portal to Texas History.
- History of Anderson County
- Texas Museums ~ List of all museums in Texas ~ Hidden Ancestors
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- 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
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military[edit | edit source]
- 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 Military Resources ~ Links to research Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
- 1838 - 1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com—index and images $
Mexican-American War[edit | edit source]
- 1845 - 1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War 1845-1848 at Ancestry.com — index $
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1861 - 1865 Texas, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861 - 1865 Texas, Civil War Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- Confederate Pension Applications ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1917 - 1920 Texas, World War I records, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Anderson County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Census Diggins 1830-1930
- Do a Anderson County, Texas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Off-line Newspaper Information
Online Newspapers
- The Palestine Herald
- Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
Online Newspaper Abstracts
Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Anderson County Obituaries ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Obituary Resources ~ Links to research and locate obituaries ~ Hidden Ancestors
- 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 Search Engine- Ancestry
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Texas tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Texas Taxation.
- 1846-1910 Texas, County Tax Rolls 1846-1910 at findmypast ($) — index and images
- 1855 Anderson County Tax List ~ TXGenWeb
- 1876 Anderson County Tax List ~ TXGenWeb
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
East Texas Genealogical Society
PO Box 6967
Tyler, Texas 75711-6967]
Anderson County Genealogical Society
PO Box 2045
Palestine 75801
Palestine Public Library
2000 S. Loop 256
Palestine, TX 75801
Telephone Number: 903-729-4121
Frankston Depot Library
Town Square S
Frankston, TX 75763
Telephone Number: 903-876-4463
Society Hill ~ Links and addresses to Texas genealogical and historical societies
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
History[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1846--Anderson County was created 24 March 1846 from Houston County.
- County seat: Palestine [4]
The county was named for Kenneth L. Anderson, congressman and vice president of the Republic of Texas.
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Ghost towns | ||
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Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Cherokee • Freestone • Henderson • Houston • Leon
Resources[edit | edit source]
- Online Genealogy Resources Anderson County TXGenWeb genealogy resources.
- Anderson County Look-Ups Volunteers for look-up for Anderson County TXGenWeb
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Anderson County TXGenWeb. May have name indexes or other information for this county
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- FamilySearch Catalog The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
- Anderson County ~ USGenWeb Archives Project - may have cemetery transcriptions and other useful information about Anderson County.
- TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
- Cyndi's List - A comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Anderson County, Texas," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_County,_Texas. accessed 24/07/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Anderson County, Texas. Page 658 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Anderson County, Texas . Page 658-677 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 655-665.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Anderson County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_County,_Texas, accessed 26 March 2019.
