Texas County, Missouri Genealogical Records Information

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SEARCH FOR YOUR ANCESTORS IN THESE Missouri GENEALOGICAL DATABASES:

MO Court, Land & Wills

MO Public Records

MO Birth, Marriage & Death

Texas County History and Information

Texas County Facts

Texas County was organized February 14, 1845, from Shannon and Wright counties and named for the Republic of Texas. Originally defined by the legislature as Ashley County on February 17, 1843, the name was changed to Texas upon organization. The County Seat is Houston. Courthouse burned in 1932. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.

Texas County has records of genealogical interest available: Recorder of Deeds: Index to deeds, 1845-1893; Deed records, 1843-1906; Mortgage deeds, 1879-1887; Plat book, 1851-1899; Marriage records, 1855-1916. Clerk of the County Court: Register of births and stillbirths, 1883-1887; Permanent record of deaths, 1883-1887; Register of deaths, 1883-1890; County court record, 1858-1861 and 1866-1867. Clerk of the Circuit Court: Circuit court records, 1873-1887. Clerk of the Probate Court: Index to probate records, 1870-1931; Will records, 1909-1929. The Health Department has Birth & Death Records from 1910-Present. See Court Records for more details on whats available from the courthouse.

Counties adjacent to Texas County are Pulaski County (north), Phelps County (north), Dent County (northeast), Shannon County (east), Howell County (south), Douglas County (southwest), Wright County (west), Laclede County (northwest) . Cities and Towns include Bendavis, Bucyrus, Cabool, Clara, Elk Creek, Ellis Prairie, Eunice, Hartshorn, Houston, Huggins, Kimble, Licking, Maples, Mountain Grove, Plato, Raymondville, Roby, Sherrill, Solo, Success, Summersville, Upton, Yukon

Texas County, Missouri History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

Texas County Court Records

See Also Missouri Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Courthouse was destroyed during the Civil War. February 12, 1881, fire damaged the courthouse. On December 14, 1930, fire destroyed the Courthouse.

All Departments below are in the Texas County Courthouse located at P.O. Box 287, Houston, MO 65483-1226; Telephone: (417) 967-3742 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at ? . See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Texas County Clerk of the Court has Birth & Death Records from 1883-90. County Clerk has state census for 1876
In this office in each county is located an index to common pleas, records of all extant proceedings, chancery minute books, records of births and deaths, county court records, right-of-way and road records, as well as surveyor's records (including field notes and plats made by the county surveyor). This office usually holds the county treasurer's notes, bonds and commissions, records of marks and brands, wolf scalps, stray notices, real estate assessments, and tax books. In some counties, early terms for this court included “Chancery” or the “Court of Common Pleas.”

Texas Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1855 and Land Records from 1843.
The Office of Recorder of Deeds records and files instruments of writing affecting real property or personal property, subdivision plats, federal and state tax liens, and other instruments of writing. Also, the Recorder’s Office issues marriage licenses, and in accordance with the Uniform Commercial Code files termination statements. All recorded instruments are available for public research.

Texas County Probate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1870.
In the smaller counties, probate matters are handled in the same office as the associate circuit court office. (In larger counties, there will be a separate probate court clerk's office and separate probate judges/commissioners).

Texas County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1858.
This office holds the direct index to records such as divorces, debt, dissolution of partnerships, adoptions, judgment, and tax fee books including direct and indirect indexes. They also retain the index to criminal records and criminal files of the circuit court. Adoptions are under the jurisdiction of the circuit court. Naturalization records, including petitions, declarations of intention, certificates, and certificates of allegiance, and granting of citizenship are also located in the clerk's office, as well as an index to civil case files. Some naturalization records have been found with the deeds.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include:Missouri Marriages, 1766-1983, Missouri Marriages to 1850, Missouri Marriages, 1851-1900. You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or Land Patents: 1831 - 1969. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Click Here to Search Missouri Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Texas County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Texas County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Texas County, Missouri Court Books at Amazon.com
Missouri Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

Texas County Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

The Missouri Historical Society has some original tax records; others can be found in the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri, but most extant records remain in the office of the clerk of the county court. The Missouri State Archives has microfilmed some tax records for the counties of Boone, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Chariton, Clay, Cooper, Franklin, Howard, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, St. Charles, St. Francois, and Ste. Genevieve.

Prior to 1850, purchasers of the federal lands in Missouri were exempt from land taxes for five years after purchase. If one finds an ancestor on a Missouri tax list with livestock, etc., but no land being taxed, the individual may have purchased his land from the government within the preceding five years.
Some early delinquent tax lists were sent to the state auditor's office and are now located in the Capitol Fire Documents held by the Missouri State Archives

Below is a list of online resources for Texas County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Texas County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Texas County, Missouri Tax Books at Amazon.com

Texas County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Missouri Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Texas County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Texas County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

South Central Missouri Genealogical Society , 9 Court Square, West Plains, MO 65775
Texas County Genealogical, and Historical Society, P.O. Box 12 , 300 South Grand, Avenue, Houston, MO 65483, Phone: (417) 967-3126
Ozarks Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 3945, 534 West Catalpa, Springfield, MO 65808; Phone: (417) 831-2773 [EMAIL]
Local Missouri Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
Missouri State Archives, Missouri State Information Center, [EMAIL]
P.O. Box 1747, 600 West Main Str, Jefferson City, MO 65102; Phone:(573) 751-3280, Fax: (573) 526-7333
State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Str., Columbia, MO 65201-7298; (573) 882-7083, [EMAIL]
Missouri State Genealogical Association, P.O. Box 833, Columbia, MO 65205-0833
Missouri Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
See the Society page for more statewide Societies and archives
Missouri Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Texas County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search Missouri Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Texas County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Texas County Tombstone Transcription Project.

The Missouri State Archives has published A Brief Guide to Church Records on Microfilm which is a county by county listing, but it is currently out of print. The available church records can be located by using the Archives' Manuscript Register. Church microfilm rolls are not available for purchase, without written consent of the individual church, and must otherwise be used at the Missouri State Archives. The Western Historical Manuscript Collection on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus holds some church records. These can be located by using their descriptive catalogue or microfiche guide. Most church records in Missouri are scattered and remain in private hands

There is no central registry for cemeteries located in Missouri. The following national cemeteries are located in Missouri:

Springfield National Cemetery, 1702 E. Seminole Street, Springfield, Missouri 65804. All known soldiers buried there, including those transferred from towns throughout southwest Missouri were published in Ozar'kin
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 101 Memorial Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63125. There is a card file reference to persons interred there. Inquiries may be made by phone or mail.
Jefferson City National Cemetery, 1024 E. McCarty Street, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101. The researcher may phone or write the Jefferson Barracks for information.

Below is a list of online resources for Texas County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Texas County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Missouri Bible Records, Volume 1: The database is the first volume in a series of Bible records that includes such information as births, marriages, probate information, and deaths of individuals who settled in Missouri.
Texas County, Missouri Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Texas County, Missouri Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Missouri Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Texas County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Texas County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Texas County ] [ Missouri ] [ Main Page ]
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Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
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Missouri Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Texas County, Missouri Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

Courthouse History
Texas County was first known as Ashley County; the name was changed in 1845 when the county was officially organized. Texas County's eight courthouses have a complicated history.

First commissioners appointed by the governor to locate the county seat of Texas County failed to act; a second group likewise failed, so early courts convened at the home of David Lynch on the banks of Big Piney River. In June 1845 another group of commissioners was appointed. They originally selected 40 acres for the county seat and later added an adjoining 40 acres. A year later, Houston was chosen as the name of the county seat.

In September 1846 the commissioners ordered construction of a courthouse and sought bids, but specified that they would accept no bid of more than $150. A plan was filed in the clerk's office and advertisements placed in public places. Apparently, the appropriation was inadequate, for at its March meeting in 1847, the court levied an additional tax of 1/6 of 1 percent and authorized contractor James G. Sweeny (or Sweany) to proceed with construction. James R. Gardner served as superintendent. The adjusted amount prescribed by the court for construction was not to exceed $500.

The court then ordered County and Circuit courts to meet in Houston at the seat of justice after September 1847. The contract established the date of completion as October 1, 1847. Apparently, this courthouse was either burned or badly damaged in about 1850. Court met in December 1850 at the home of Richard Y. Smiley (Smyley), where the plan for a new courthouse was shown.

The new courthouse was to be a brick, one-story, building, 45 by 30 feet with two chimneys. It would be divided into three rooms, one room thirty feet square, the other two rooms, 15 feet square, with a fireplace against the brick partition wall of each room.

In April 1851 the court contracted with Allen Hamer to build the courthouse for $550. R. W. Rogers acted as superintendent. Ten years later, as a new courthouse neared completion, the court ordered this courthouse to be sold in August 1860.

R. Y. Smiley had presented a plan for a new courthouse in March 1858. The County Court Record clearly indicates that construction was anticipated. But, due to some problem that arose, construction was postponed a year. The plans in the December 1858 County Court Record called for a two-story, brick, 44-foot-square building. The plan underwent only minor modifications before the court appropriated $5,000. A Jefferson City paper carried the description and notice to contractors. E. Y. Mitchell acted as superintendent. The court ordered it to be built in the center of the public square. In March 1859 a contract for construction was given to George W. Read (Reed) for $4,650. William Van Winkle appears to have been a subcontractor. A final payment on May 11, 1860, indicated construction had been completed.

Twice Houston was destroyed during the Civil War, and, according to Goodspeed's History of 1889, when peace came there was not a single inhabitant. Some court sessions were held in Licking while resettlement of Houston gradually took place.

In November 1865 the court ordered construction of a temporary courthouse on the northeast corner of the public square. M. C. Keeth (Keith), commissioner, reported an expenditure of $361.96 in construction costs.

During May 1868 the court ordered a tax levy of 40¢ per $100 for building a courthouse on the old foundation on the public square. August 8, 1868, Ira Martin was appointed superintendent and ordered to bring a plan to the court, the cost not to exceed $6,500.

Martin's plan called for a building 44 feet square with two stories. Double doors with stone steps would provide entry on the north and south. Four offices, a library and hall were on the first floor, separated by a north-south center hall; on the north end of the second floor was a courtroom, 44 by 32 feet. A jury room was on the southwest corner. A ridge roof covered the building, with a brick cornice under the eaves. A conical tin roof covered an 8-by-8-by-8-foot cupola on the south end and carried a 12-foot flagpole. A stairway from the jury room provided access to the cupola.

A complete description of the building and its furnishings are in the County Court Record, August 8, 1868. R. Y. Smiley submitted the low bid of $6,000, which the court accepted February 8, 1869. Valentine Sutton became the superintendent. The building appears to have been completed, fenced and landscaped in 1871.

The court ordered R. Y. Smiley and Joseph Parson, who had bought the old temporary courthouse, to remove it in February 1871.

Ten years later, February 12, 1881, fire damaged the 1871 courthouse, but the court ordered brick construction upon the remaining foundation in August 1881. This, too, was a square building with a similar plan, but this time the court chose a hip roof with walnut shingles and a central cupola containing four windows. The court entered a contract with Arthur Bate in July 1881 for construction in the amount of $4,270. The court ordered Bate to complete the work by May 1882, but Jackson Cobble, superintendent, reported the building completed in March 1882, two months early and in a "manner highly honorable to the contractor." No known photographs exist of any 19th century Texas county courthouses.

In 1901 the court authorized Henry H. Hohenschild to make plans for extensive alterations and additions to the 1882 project. In July 1901 George E. Matthews offered the only bid for $5,873, which the court accepted. Matthews completed the work in 1902. On December 14, 1930, fire destroyed this building, which was insured for $23,000.

Texas County residents could not agree on how deeply to go into debt for a new courthouse. Some opted for $75,000; others thought $40,000 was more realistic. The court compromised with a $60,000 proposal. Architect E. S. Johnson of Johnson and Maack, St. Louis, showed plans of Osage and Christian counties' courthouses, but the cost was more than $100,000. The court asked Johnson to submit other plans.

In February 1931 Johnson submitted a plan for a native rubblestone building with face brick and art stone or terra cotta trim. As election time drew near and passage seemed unlikely, the court called off the election. Taking the fire insurance money, they immediately began restoring and rebuilding on the remaining fire-damaged foundation, accepting George H. Gassman Co.'s bid of $20,148 in May 1931. Only enough funds were available to complete the first floor. Voters approved $25,000 in bonds in September 1931 to finish construction on the second story. On April 7, 1932, builders finished the new brick and stone, 95-by-70-foot courthouse, which continues in use today.

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