Reeves County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Reeves County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Reeves County, Texas | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Texas | |||||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | April 14, 1883 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | Pecos | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 History
- 3 Places / Localities
- 4 Resources
- 5 Societies and Libraries
- 6 Websites
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for George R. Reeves, a Texas state legislator and colonel in the Confederate Army. The County is located in the west area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Reeves County Courthouse
PO Box 867
Pecos, TX 79772-0867
Phone: 915-445-5467
County Website
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903, marriage, probate court, and land records from 1885 and some deferred birth records from the 1800s[2]
County Clerk
100 E. 4th Street Ste. 100
Pecos 79772
Phone: 432-445-5467
District Clerk
P.O. Box 848
Pecos 79772
Phone: 432-445-2714
Reeves County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1885 | 1903 | 1885 | 1885 | 1885 | 1829 |
General compliance by the 1930s. | ||||||
History[edit | edit source]
1871--The county's first settlers were Mexican farmers. Anglo-American settlers arrived about 1871.
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1883--Reeves County was created 14 April 1883 from Pecos County.
- County seat: Pecos [4]
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 | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Culberson • Eddy County, New Mexico • Lea County, New Mexico • Jeff Davis • Loving • Pecos • Ward
Resources[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
- 1865-1870 Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records(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 |
| 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. | ||
Additional Cemetery Sources
- Mount Evergreen Cemetery Genealogy Trails History Group
- Saragosa Cemetery Genealogy Trails History Group
- Texas Historic Cemeteries ~ Partial indexes to historic cemeteries
- African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American cemeteries
- Texas Escapes Listing of Texas cemeteries with transcriptions and lots of pictures.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 1,247 | ||
| 1900 | 1,847 | 48.1% | |
| 1910 | 4,392 | 137.8% | |
| 1920 | 4,457 | 1.5% | |
| 1930 | 6,407 | 43.8% | |
| 1940 | 8,006 | 25.0% | |
| 1950 | 11,745 | 46.7% | |
| 1960 | 17,644 | 50.2% | |
| 1970 | 16,526 | −6.3% | |
| 1980 | 15,801 | −4.4% | |
| 1990 | 15,852 | 0.3% | |
| 2000 | 13,137 | −17.1% | |
| 2010 | 13,783 | 4.9% | |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | |||
Church[edit | edit source]
- Reeves County Churches ~ TXGenWeb
- 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.
- Reeves County Land Survey Abstracts ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Reeves 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.
- Reeves County Biographies ~ TXGenWeb
- Reeves County Landmarks ~ TXGenWeb
- Texas Museums ~ List of all museums in Texas ~ Hidden Ancestors
- History of Reeves County - Author: Robert N. Gatewood
- Pecos: A History of the Pioneer West - Author: Alton Hughes
- Henry F. Reeves, His Activities & Possessions - Author: Mary Helen Pax
- History of the Pecos Volunteer Fire Department - Author: Mary Nabers Prewitt
- The Romance of the Davis Mountains & Big Bend Country - Author: Carlysle Graham Raht
- Spirits of the Border: The History & Mystery of the Lone Star State = Authors: Ken & Sharon Kudnall
- Toyah Taproots: A memory book of those who put down roots in Toyah - Compiled by: The Toyah Historical & Centennial Committee
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]
- 1838 - 1900 - Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 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
- WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam Reeves County Casualties ~ TXGenWeb
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]
- 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
- Reeves County Confederate Veterans ~ TXGenWeb
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 Reeves County, Texas Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- TX Newspaper Abstracts (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Reeves County, Texas Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- Home Town News - Texas Newspaper Index with links
- Newslink - Texas Newspaper List (sorted by publication frequency)
- The Olden Times - Historic Texas News Online
- Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 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[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.
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
- Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records ~ 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 ($) — index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1903-1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
- 1903-1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index)- FamilySearch
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — 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 $
- 1966-2006 Texas Marriages 1966-2006 (index) - 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. 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. - 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 to 1998 [no images] Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
- 1977-1986 Texas Deaths 1977-1986 at FamilySearch.org — index
Divorce[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 $
- 1850-1930 USGenWeb Census Project Texas 1850 - 1930
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Reeves County Library
505 S Park St
Pecos, TX 79772
Phone: (432) 445-5340
Website
Family History Centers
[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - link to 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
- Society Hill ~ Links and addresses to Texas genealogical and historical societies
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Reeves County Archives ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Reeves County ~ TXGenWeb
- TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
- USGenWeb Texas Archives Vital statistics, maps, obituaries, Bible records, tombstone transcriptions and many other records.
- 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, "Reeves, Texas" in "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reeves_County,_Texas. accessed 11/25/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Reeves County, Texas. Page 672 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Reeves 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, "Reeves County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reeves_County,_Texas, Last accessed 19 August 2019.
