Irion County, Texas Genealogy
Guide to Irion County, Texas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information
Description
The county was named for Robert Anderson Irion (1804-1861), a physician, surveyor, and a secretary of state of the Republic of Texas. The county is located in the central area of the state.[2]Irion County has had two county seats (Sherwood 1889-1936 and Mertzon 1936-present) and three courthouses. When Irion County was organized in 1889, Sherwood was chosen as the county seat. Sherwood, however, was bypassed by the railroad and its population declined. In 1927 the town of Mertzon made an unsuccessful bid for the county seat. In 1936 Mertzon was successful and became the county seat.[3] In 1889, the first courthouse was built in Sherwood. By 1900 construction started on a new, two-story stone courthouse. This new courthouse, completed in 1901, served the county until Mertzon became the county seat in 1936.[4] The building is currently in use as a Community Center. [5] In 1937 the Irion County Courthouse, a two-story brick contemporary style design building, in Mertzon was completed.
County Courthouse
Irion County Courthouse
209 N Park View St
Mertzon, TX 76941
Phone: 325-835-2421
Irion County Website
County Clerk has birth, marriage, death, divorce, land, probate, military and court records from 1889.
Tax Assessor has poll tax records.[6]
Irion County, Texas Record Dates
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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1889 | 1889 | 1889 | 1889 | 1889 | 1889 | 1829 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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Populated Places
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:[9]
| Cities | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
- 1850-1930 USGenWeb Census Project Texas 1850-1930
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 870 | ||
| 1900 | 848 | −2.5% | |
| 1910 | 1,283 | 51.3% | |
| 1920 | 1,610 | 25.5% | |
| 1930 | 2,049 | 27.3% | |
| 1940 | 1,963 | −4.2% | |
| 1950 | 1,590 | −19.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,183 | −25.6% | |
| 1970 | 1,070 | −9.6% | |
| 1980 | 1,386 | 29.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,629 | 17.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,771 | 8.7% | |
| 2010 | 1,599 | −9.7% | |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | |||
Church Records
- See Texas Church Records for more information.
- Christian Church Directory for Texas at ChurchFinder
- Catholic Parishes in Texas
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Court Records
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans
- 1865-1870 Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
- African American Griots at USGenWeb
- Texas African American Genealogy at Access Genealogy
- Texas Freedman's Bureau Records at Freedman's Bureau Online
Funeral Homes
Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
- See Texas Land and Property for more information.
- Original Land Owners of Texas Irion County - USGenWeb Archives Project
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Irion County and may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information.
- See Texas Local Histories for more information.
1870s Early settlements began in the early 1870s.
- A History of Irion County, Texas, 1966 by Leta Crawford.
- A History of Irion County, Texas, 1978 by Irion County Historical Society.
- Irion County Historical Markers at USGenWeb Archives Project
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the Texas Genweb site
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
- 1838-1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Mexican-American War
- 1845-1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War at Ancestry — index ($)
Civil War
- 1861-1865 Texas, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images at partner site
- 1861-1865 Texas, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images at partner site
- Confederate Pension Applications at Texas State Library and Archives Commission
- Confederate Pension Application Files at TXGenWeb
World War I
- 1917-1920 Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
Naturalization and Citizenship
Newspapers
- w3newspapers-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
- 1800s-Current Texas, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Obituaries
- USGenWeb Archives Obituary Project Texas
- Obituary Daily Times - Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function at Ancestry.
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
Probate records of Texas counties were kept by the probate clerk, usually in "probate minutes."
- See Texas Probate Records for more information.
- 1800-1990 Texas Probate Records, 1800-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
- 1800-2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records at Ancestry ($)
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index ($) click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
- See Texas Taxation for more information.
- 1846-1910 Texas, County Tax Rolls 1846-1910 at Findmypast — index & images ($)
Vital Records
Vital Records of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths were recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. Copies can be obtained from the County Clerk's office, or order certified copies online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. See Texas Vital Records for more information.
Birth
- 1903-1935 Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1903-1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index; Key to Texas County Codes; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926-1995 at MyHeritage — index ($)
Marriage
- 1802-2010 Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — index ($)
- 1814-2011 Texas Marriage Collection at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1837-1965 Texas Marriages, 1837-1965 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1837-1965 Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1837-1973 Texas Marriages, 1837-1973 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1837-1977 Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1837-1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1966-2010 Texas Marriages, 1966-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage — index ($)
Death
- 1890-1976 Texas Deaths, 1890-1976 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1903-1973 Texas Deaths and Burials, 1903-1973 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1903-1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1903-2000 Texas Death Index, 1903-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1964-1998 Texas Death Index, 1964-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1964-1998 Texas, Death Index, 1964-1998 - FamilySearch Historical Records Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
- 1977-1986 Texas Deaths, 1977-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
Divorce
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1968-2010 Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1968-2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry — index ($)
Research Facilities
Archives
FamilySearch Centers
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
- San Angelo Texas FamilySearch Center
- Tom Green County Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Irion County Historical Society
209 N Park View
Mertzon, TX 76941
Email:Grayins@aol.com
Website
Irion County Library
111 W Fayette Ave
Mertzon, TX 76941
Phone: 325-835-2704
Website
Museums
Societies
Websites
- Irion TX GenWeb part of TXGenWeb
- Irion USGWArchives part of USGWArchives Texas Counties
- Frontier Times Magazine
- Historic Texas
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides
References
- ↑ https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/TX_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#IRION
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Irion, Texas" in "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irion_County,_Texas. accessed 10/08/2019
- ↑ Handbook of Texas Online: Irion County http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hci01
- ↑ Google Books: Ghost Towns of Texas by T. Lindsay Baker - Sherwood http://books.google.com/books?id=-OxnaXdxjgkCsig=j23w2YkkDhnbXNqGTIVhnUd_HMMhl=en#v=onepagef=false
- ↑ Texas Escapes http://www.texasescapes.com/WestTexasTowns/Mertzon-Texas-Irion-County-Courthouse.htm
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Irion County, Texas. Page 666 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Irion 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.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FSC Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Irion County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irion_County,_Texas, Last accessed 16 July 2019.