Menard County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Menard County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Menard County, Texas | |||||||
| Map | |||||||
 Location in the state of Texas, United States Genealogy | |||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||
| Facts | |||||||
| Founded | 22 January, 1858 | ||||||
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| County Seat | Menard | ||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||
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| Address | Menard County Courthouse PO Box 1028 Menard, Texas 76859 | ||||||
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Michel Branamour Menard, the founder of Galveston, Texas. The County is located in the central area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Menard County Courthouse
PO Box 1028
Menard, Texas 76859
Phone: 915.396.4682
County Clerk has birth and court records from 1900, marriage records from 1878, death records from 1917, divorce records from 1889, probate and land records from 1880[2]
County or District Clerk
P.O. Box 1038
Menard 76859
Phone: 325-396-4682
This is the third and present-day courthouse for Menard County, Texas. Built-in 1931, it replaced the old 1885 building and provided much-needed jobs for the community at a reported wage of 25 cents per hour.[3]
The county was awarded grant funds in 2004 from the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.[4]A major part of the renovation was completed in 2007 and county officials returned to the courthouse.
- 1885 and 1931 Pictures of 1885 and 1931 courthouse - Menard TXGenWeb site
- History of Menard Co. Courthouse - Menard TXGenWeb site
- County Clerk Contact Information - Menard TXGenWeb site
- Menard Courthouse - Texas Escapes
Menard County; PO Box 1028; Menard, TX 76859; Ph. 915.396.4682 Details: (Co Clk has b & ct rec from 1900, m rec from 1878, d rec from 1917, div rec from 1889, pro & land rec from 1880)
Menard County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Marriage | Court | Land | Probate | Census | ||
| 1900 | 1878 | 1917 | 1900 | 1880 | 1880 | 1829 |
General compliance by the 1930s. | ||||||
History[edit | edit source]
1867--The first permanent Anglo-American settlement was Menardville in 1867. Unfortunately, they were not able to establish their own government until 1871, when Menardville was officially named the county seat.
Menard County was named in honor of Michel Branamour Menard (1805-1856), who was an early settler of Galveston, TX. Located in Central Texas, Menard County is on the edge of the Edwards Plateau and lies within the Colorado River basin.
- Menard County Historical Timeline - Menard TXGenWeb site
- Menard County Formation - Menard TXGenWeb site
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1858--Menard County was created 22 January 1858 from Bexar Land District.
- County seat: Menard [6]
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:[7]
| Cities | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Concho • Kimble • Mason • McCulloch • Schleicher • Sutton • Tom Green
Resources[edit | edit source]
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 |
| Linkpendium | WorldCat | Tombstone Project |
| BillionGraves (name) | Cemeteries of TX | |
| GenWeb Archives | Texas Cemeteries | |
| BillionGraves | TX Gravestones | |
| TXGenWeb | FamilySearch Places | |
| Names in Stone | ||
| See Texas Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1870 | 667 | — |
| 1880 | 1,239 | 85.8% |
| 1890 | 1,215 | −1.9% |
| 1900 | 2,011 | 65.5% |
| 1910 | 2,707 | 34.6% |
| 1920 | 3,162 | 16.8% |
| 1930 | 4,447 | 40.6% |
| 1940 | 4,521 | 1.7% |
| 1950 | 4,175 | −7.7% |
| 1960 | 2,964 | −29.0% |
| 1970 | 2,646 | −10.7% |
| 1980 | 2,346 | −11.3% |
| 1990 | 2,252 | −4.0% |
| 2000 | 2,360 | 4.8% |
| 2010 | 2,242 | −5.0% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Churches[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.
- Church of Christ
- First Baptist Church - 300 Tipton Street, Menard - (325) 396-4701
- First United Methodist Church - 201 Gay Street, Menard - (325) 396-2452
- Lutheran Church
- Menard Cowboy Church - Church website. 2711 Ryan Road, Menard - (325) 396-2319
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Historic)
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church
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.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Menard 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.
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- 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]
- 1838 - 1900 - Texas Muster Roll Index Cards at Ancestry.com — index and images $
Mexican-American War[edit | edit source]
- 1845 - 1848 - US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War at Ancestry.com — index $
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- 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
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 Menard County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Menard County, Texas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Online Newspapers
- Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
Probate[edit | edit source]
Probate records of Texas, United States Genealogy 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.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1800 – 1990 Texas Probate Records 1800-1990 at FamilySearch — images
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 ($) — index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
Certified birth and death certificates or birth and death verifications can be ordered online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. Copies can also be obtained from the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred and are often less expensive.
Marriages records can be obtained from the county the marriage occurred. Only marriage verifications can be obtained from the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health.
See Texas Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Texas.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index) - FamilySearch
- 1903 - 1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
- 1840 - 1981 Texas, Births and Christenings, 1840-1981 - FamilySearch
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Online Birth 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 - 2010 Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010 FamilySearch record collection
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
Online Death Indexes and Records
- 1890 - 1976 Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 with images
Name index and images of statewide death certificates, 1890-1976. - 1964 - 1998 Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 no images Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates
- 1977 - 1986 Texas Deaths 1977-1986 at FamilySearch.org — index
- Menard County, TX Death Index
Menard County, Texas Death Index sorted by surname from Menard TXGenWeb site (partial listing)
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1968 - 2005 Texas Divorce Records 1968 - 2005 (index) Hidden Ancestors
- 1968 - 2010 Texas Divorce Index 1968-2010 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Menard Genealogical Society
P O Box 714
Menard, TX 76859
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- 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]
- Menard County TXGenWeb
- 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, "Menard, Texas" in "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menard_County,_Texas. accessed 11/21/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Menard County, Texas. Page 670 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Menard News and Messenger of March 26, 1931
- ↑ Round IV Grant recipient - Texas Historical Commission Report
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Menard 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, "Menard County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menard_County,_Texas, Last accessed 14 August 2019.
