Calhoun County, Texas Genealogy

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Guide to Calhoun County, Texas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Lavaca
Organized: 22 September 1846
Parent County(s): Jackson, Victoria
Neighboring Counties
AransasJacksonMatagordaRefugioVictoria
See County Maps
Courthouse
Texas, Calhoun County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Tx-calhoun.png

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The county was named for John Caldwell Calhoun, the seventh vice president of the United States. The county is located in the south-central area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Calhoun County Courthouse
211 S Ann St
Port Lavaca, TX 77979
Phone: 361-553-4630
Calhoun County Website

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903, probate records from 1863, marriage and land records from 1846, court records from 1850 and military discharge records from 1919.[2]

Calhoun County, Texas Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1863 1846 1903 1850 1846 1849 1829
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1903. General compliance by the 1930s.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

  • 1886 -- Calhoun County Courthouse at Indianola destroyed by hurricane, August 1886.

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

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
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Ghost towns


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Calhoun County, Texas online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Texas Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1850 1,110
1860 2,642 138.0%
1870 3,443 30.3%
1880 1,739 −49.5%
1890 815 −53.1%
1900 2,395 193.9%
1910 3,635 51.8%
1920 4,700 29.3%
1930 5,385 14.6%
1940 5,911 9.8%
1950 9,222 56.0%
1960 16,592 79.9%
1970 17,831 7.5%
1980 19,574 9.8%
1990 19,053 −2.7%
2000 20,647 8.4%
2010 21,381 3.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".


Church Records[edit | edit source]

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Online Court Indexes and Records

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

  • 1846-1890 Deed Records
  • 1838-1934 Survey Records

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Local histories are available for Calhoun County and may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information.

  • Shifting Sands of Calhoun County, Texas, 1980 by the Calhoun County Historical Commission.
  • "Looking Back" Scrapbook for Calhoun County and Matagorda Bay, Texas
  • A History of Indianola, by Lelia Seelingson. Brief history of Indianola, beginning with the arrival of La Salle. Read the book online from The Portal to Texas History.
  • Indianola: The Mother of Western Texas, 1988, by Brownson Malsch.
  • Calhoun County History from The Handbook of Texas Online.
  • Indianola, Texas Hurricane, Sept 1875
  • Texas Indexes (about 20 counties) at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Victoria CountyJackson CountyMatagorda CountyRefugio CountyArkansasTX CALHOUN.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Texas Revolution

Mexican-American War

Civil War

World War I

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Probate records of Texas counties were kept by the probate clerk, usually in "probate minutes."

School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Vital Records of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths were recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. Copies can be obtained from the County Clerk's office, or order certified copies online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. See Texas Vital Records for more information.

Birth[edit | edit source]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Death[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

County Public Library
200 West Mahan St.
Port Lavaca, TX 77979
Website

Museums[edit | edit source]

Calhoun County Museum
301 S. Ann Street
Port Lavaca, TX 77979
Website

Societies[edit | edit source]

County Genealogical Society
PO Box 1150
Port Lavaca 77979
Website

Websites[edit | edit source]

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Wikipedia contributors, "Calhoun County, Texas," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calhoun_County,_Texas. accessed 07/30/2019
  2. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Calhoun County, Texas. Page 660 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  3. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Calhoun County, Texas . Page 658-677 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library 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.
  4. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FSC Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. Wikipedia contributors, "Calhoun County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calhoun_County,_Texas, accessed 26 March 2019.