Kent County, Texas Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Jayton
Organized: 8 November, 1892
Parent County(s): Young
Neighboring Counties
CrosbyDickensFisherGarzaKingScurryStonewall
See County Maps
Courthouse
Texas, Kent County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Tx-kent.png

County Information

Description

The county was named for Andrew Kent, who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Kent County is one of six prohibition or entirely dry counties in the state of Texas. The county is located in the northwest area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse

Kent County Courthouse
101 N Main St
Jayton, TX 79528
Phone: 806-237-3373
Kent County Website

County Clerk has birth, marriage, death, divorce, land, probate, military and court records from 1876[2]

Kent 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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1876 1876 1876 1876 1876 1876 1829
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1903. General compliance by the 1930s.

Record Loss

Boundary Changes

Populated Places

Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog

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:[6]

Cities
Census-designated places
Ghost towns


History Timeline

  • County seat:
  1. 1892-1954 - Clairemont
  2. 1954-present - Jayton [7]

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Kent 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

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1880 92
1890 324 252.2%
1900 899 177.5%
1910 2,655 195.3%
1920 3,335 25.6%
1930 3,851 15.5%
1940 3,413 −11.4%
1950 2,249 −34.1%
1960 1,727 −23.2%
1970 1,434 −17.0%
1980 1,145 −20.2%
1990 1,010 −11.8%
2000 859 −15.0%
2010 808 −5.9%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".


Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

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

  • Kent County and Its People, 1983, by Jewell G. Pritchett and Erma B. Black.
  • Kent County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.

Maps and Gazetteers

Crosby CountyDickens CountyKing CountyGarza CountyScurry CountyFisher CountyStonewall CountyTX KENT.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Mexican-American War

Civil War

World War I

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

Obituaries

Other Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

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

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

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

Marriage

Death

Divorce

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

Libraries

Museums

Societies

  • Texas State Historical Association
    PO Box 414
    Jayton, TX 79528
    Website

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. Wikipedia contributors, "Kent, Texas" in "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_County,_Texas. accessed 10/08/2019
  2. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kent County, Texas. Page 667 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), Kent 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. GenDisasters.com - Claremont, TX Kent County Courthouse Fire, Apr 1955 http://www.gendisasters.com/texas/7493/clairemont-tx-kent-county-courthouse-fire-apr-1955
  5. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FSC Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. Wikipedia contributors, "Kent County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_County,_Texas, Last accessed 22 July 2019.
  7. The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).