Callahan County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Callahan County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Callahan County, Texas | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Texas, United States Genealogy | |||||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | February 1, 1858 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | Baird | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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| Address | Callahan County Courthouse 400 Market Street Baird, Texas 79504-5305 325-854-1217 Callahan County Website | ||||||||
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Places / Localities
- 3 Resources
- 4 Societies and Libraries
- 5 Websites
- 6 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for James Hughes Callahan, an American soldier in the Texas Revolution. The County is located in the north-central area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903,
marriage, probate, and land records from 1877;
District Clerk has divorce and court records[2]
County Clerk
100 W 4th St. Suite 104
Baird 79504-5300
Phone: 325-854-1217
District Clerk
100 W. 4th St. Suite 300
Baird 79504-5396
Phone: 325-854-1800
Callahan County Website
Callahan County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1877 | 1903 | 1879 | 1877 | 1877 | 1829 |
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:[4]
| Cities | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Ghost towns | ||
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Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Brown • Coleman • Eastland • Shackelford • Taylor • Jones • Stephens
Resources[edit | edit source]
- Look-Up Volunteer for Callahan County~Callahan County, TXGenWeb
- Other Callahan County Resouces~Useful resources of Callahan County~Callahan County, TXGenWeb
African American[edit | edit source]
- 1865 - 1870 https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1989155 Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870](images) - FamilySearch
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 |
| BillionGraves (name) | Cemeteries of TX | |
| GenWeb Archives | Texas Cemeteries | |
| BillionGraves | Linkpendium | |
| TXGenWeb | FamilySearch Places | |
| See Texas Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Additional Cemetery Sources
- African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American cemeteries
- Cemetery Junction ~ Links to cemetery transcriptions
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 3,453 | ||
| 1890 | 5,457 | 58.0% | |
| 1900 | 8,768 | 60.7% | |
| 1910 | 12,973 | 48.0% | |
| 1920 | 11,844 | −8.7% | |
| 1930 | 12,785 | 7.9% | |
| 1940 | 11,568 | −9.5% | |
| 1950 | 9,087 | −21.4% | |
| 1960 | 7,929 | −12.7% | |
| 1970 | 8,205 | 3.5% | |
| 1980 | 10,992 | 34.0% | |
| 1990 | 11,859 | 7.9% | |
| 2000 | 12,905 | 8.8% | |
| 2010 | 13,544 | 5.0% | |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | |||
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.
- Texas Christian Church Directory ~ ChurchAngel
- Catholic Parishes in Texas
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
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.
- Callahan County General Index of Deeds Callahan County Homepage
- Texas Land Grants Database Search from the Texas General Land Office
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1906 - 1989 Texas, Naturalization Records, 1906-1989 — index and images
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Callahan 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.
- Early Days in Callahan County, 1966, by Brutus Clay Christman.
- I Remember Callahan, 1986 Callahan County Historical Commission.
Order from: Georgia Yawn, Chairman
100 West 4th Street, Suite 100
Baird, Texas 79504
Name index to I Remember Callahan from the Callahan County Homepage. - Belle Plain, Texas: The Ghost Town in Callahan, 1972 by Thomas Robert Havins
- Cottonwood's My Home: Recipes, Memories, History, 2007, Cottonwood Historical Association. Also, Supplement to Cottonwood's My Home, and Cottonwood's My Home: Vol. 2. Cottonwood History, Family Histories, Recipes, Old Photographs.
- Cross Plains Remembered : Photos, Memories & A Little Bit of Everything Else, 2011, Cross Plains Remembered, Volume 2, 2012 and Cross Plains Remembered, Volume 3, 2012 by the Barbarian Festival Committee. 352 pages each. Available at the Cross Plains Library.
- Footsteps of Approaching Thousands, a History of the Early Days of Cross Plains, 2011 by Ann Beeler. Available from the Cross Plains Library.
- Crossties to Callahan: The Family of Alfred Dayton Williams, 1981, by J. D. Williams.
- The Hills of Home, 1949 by John Berry. Story of the author's growing up in Clyde, Texas.
- Nubbin Ridge: My Boyhood on a Texas Farm, 1960 by Lewis Nordyke. Story of Nordyke's growing up in the Cottonwood/Turkey Creek area in the 1910s-1920s.
- 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 TXGenWeb site
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military[edit | edit source]
- Cross Plains Veterans Memorial website Listing of all of the 3000+ veterans from Cross Plains and the surrounding area, from Civil War through Afghanistan, whose names are on the memorial. Photographs of the stone tablets, photographs, obituaries and information on of many of the veterans.
- 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[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
- 1835 - 1836 Texas Muster Rolls and Military Records for 1835 & 1836 Complete List ~ TXGenWeb
- 1838 - 1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- Confederate Pension Applications ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Regiments. Service men in Callahan County, Texas Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Callahan County, Texas Genealogy:
- 6th Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company E
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 Callahan County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Census Diggins 1830-1930
- Do a Callahan County, Texas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
- Baird Banner
- Clyde Journal
P O Box 979117
So. 1st St.
Clyde, Texas 79510
325-893-4244 - Cross Plains Review
P O Box 519116
S.E. 1st St.
Cross Plains, Texas 76443
254-725-6111 - Back Issues of the Cross Plains Review, 1911-1975, and the Baird-Callahan County Star, 1888-1935, are available for viewing on microfilm at the Cross Plains Library.
- Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has digitized Abilene newspapers that may include residents from Callahan County.
- Wikipedia has a list of online newspaper archives for Texas.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Obituaries of Callahan County ~ Partial listing of Obituaries For Callahan County ~ Hidden Ancestors
- 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[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1800 – 1990 Texas Probate Records 1800-1990 at FamilySearch — images
- Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records Ancestry.com (subscription)
- 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- Texas Land Title Abstracts ~ Ancestry.com (subscription)
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 ($) — index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
Certified birth and death certificates or birth and death verifications can be ordered online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. Copies can also be obtained from the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred and are often less expensive. You can also order them online through a third party company.
Marriages records can be obtained from the county the marriage occurred. Only marriage verifications can be obtained from the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health.
See Texas Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Texas.
- Vital Records of Callahan County ~Birth, Death, Marriage, and Divorce Records for Callahan County
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1840 - 1981 Texas Births and Christenings 1840-1981 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1903 - 1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
- 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index)- FamilySearch
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — 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 $
- 1877 - 1965 Callahan County Marriages Index 1877-1965 from the Callahan County Homepage
- 1966 - 2005 Texas Marriage Records 1966 - 2005 Hidden Ancestors
- Marriage Records of Callahan County ~Partial list of Marriages of Callahan County~Hidden Ancestors
- 1966 - 2010 Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010 FamilySearch record collection
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
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 Texas Deaths and Burials 1903 - 1973 index) FamilySearch
- 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 to 1998 [no images]
- 1977 - 1986 Texas Deaths 1977-1986 at FamilySearch.org — index
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1850 - 1930 USGenWeb Census Project Texas; 1850 - 1930
- 1968 - 2005 Texas Divorce Records1968 - 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
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Callahan County Historical Commission Facebook Page
Cottonwood Historical Association
P. O. Box 704
Cross Plains, TX 76443
County Public Library and Pioneer Museum
Courthouse, 100 W 4th B1
Baird, TX 79504-5305
325-854-1718
Clyde Public Library
121 Oak St.
Clyde, TX 75910
325-893-5315
Cross Plains Public Library and Genealogy Society
149 N Main St.
P.O. Box 333
Cross Plains, TX 76443
254-725-7722
Hours: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.; Tuesday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Closed Saturday and Sunday
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
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Callahan County, AHGP Site
- Callahan County, TXGenWeb
- Callahan County Homepage
- CrossPlains.com
- FamilySearch Catalog The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Callahan County, Texas," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callahan_County,_Texas. accessed 07/30/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Callahan County, Texas. Page 660 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Callahan 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.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Callahan County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callahan_County,_Texas, accessed 26 March 2019.
