Liberty County, Texas Genealogy

United States

Texas

Liberty County

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

Texas Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Liberty Organized: May 5, 1831 Parent County(s): Nacogdoches (Old Mexican Municipality) Neighboring Counties Chambers • Hardin • Harris • Jefferson • Montgomery • Polk • San Jacinto See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

The county was named for the popular American ideal of liberty. The county is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse

Liberty County Courthouse
1923 Sam Houston
Liberty, TX 77575
Phone: 936-336-4670
Liberty County Website

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903, marriage records from 1875, probate, court and land records from 1874.
District Clerk has divorce records.

Liberty 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
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1903	1875	1903	1874	1874	1874	1829
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1903. General compliance by the 1930s.

Record Loss

1872--Liberty County Courthouse, built in 1857, was destroyed on December 28, 1872.County records were destroyed. 1874--Courthouse and county records were destroyed by fire in December 1874. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

Parent County(s): Created from Nacogdoches (Old Mexican Municipality) on May 5, 1831. County Seat: Liberty Texas Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Texas Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Texas county boundary changes

Populated Places

Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog Ames Cleveland Devers Dolen Hightower Liberty Raywood

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Ames Cleveland Daisetta Dayton	Dayton Lakes Devers Hardin Liberty (county seat)	Mont Belvieu‡ North Cleveland Old River-Winfree‡ Plum Grove
Towns
Kenefick
Unincorporated communities
Big Thicket Greekmore Village Davis Hill Dolen Eastgate Hightower	Hoop and Holler Macedonia Moss Bluff Moss Hill Rayburn	Raywood Romayor Rye Stilson Tarkington Prairie
Census-designated places
Big Thicket Lake Estates‡	Hull

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Liberty County, Texas online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find a Grave BillionGraves Tombstone Transcription Project TX Gravestones Photo Project Interment Cemeteries of TX USGenWeb Archives TXGenWeb Names in Stone
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find a Grave FamilySearch Places
See Texas Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	2,522	—
1860	3,189	26.4%
1870	4,414	38.4%
1880	4,999	13.3%
1890	4,230	−15.4%
1900	8,102	91.5%
1910	10,686	31.9%
1920	14,637	37.0%
1930	19,868	35.7%
1940	24,541	23.5%
1950	26,729	8.9%
1960	31,595	18.2%
1970	33,014	4.5%
1980	47,088	42.6%
1990	52,726	12.0%
2000	70,154	33.1%
2010	75,643	7.8%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records

• See Texas Church Records for more information.

• Catholic Parishes in Texas
• Christian Church Directory for Texas at ChurchFinder

Calvary Church 300419N 0945426W Dayton
Concord Church 302501N 0944609W Rye
Crossroads Church 301715N 0950820W Fostoria
Eastgate Church 300230N 0950045W Huffman
Faith Tabernacle 301517N 0945812W Tarkington Prairie
First Baptist Church - Romayor Romayor
Grace Church 301758N 0950503W Cleveland
Green Chapel 302605N 0944900W Romayor
Greenville Church 300740N 0945214W Capers Ridge
Hardin Church 300929N 0944520W Capers Ridge
Hi-Way Tabernacle 301844N 0945921W Tarkington Prairie
Little Flock 302354N 0945615W Rayburn
Church
Mount Calvary 301449N 0944135W Hardin
Church
Mount Calvary 301541N 0944047W Arizona Creek
Church
Mount Olive Church 300309N 0945352W Dayton
New Salem Church 301910N 0950339W Cleveland
North Height 300422N 0944723W Liberty
Tabernacle
North Hill Church 301127N 0943743W Hardin
Oak Shade Church 302157N 0945956W Tarkington Prairie
Olive Bethel 301054N 0944552W Capers Ridge
Baptist Church
Pin Oak Church 301839N 0950728W Cleveland
Pleasant Hill 300004N 0944518W Liberty
Church
Prairie Missionary 301738N 0945846W Tarkington Prairie
Church
Rainbow Baptist Church Rye
Rayburn Church 302324N 0945631W Rayburn
Rebekah Church 302325N 0944557W Romayor
Rural Shade Church 301734N 0945838W Tarkington Prairie
Sacred Heart 300422N 0944013W Daisetta
Church
Saint Annes Church 300316N 0950046W East Gate
Saint Johns Church 300459N 0944607W Liberty
Saint Pauls Church 300350N 0944703W Liberty
Saint Thomas 295804N 0944432W Shiloh
Church
Shiloh Church 295656N 0944143W Shiloh
South Dayton 295948N 0945151W Moss Bluff
Church
Turkey Creek 300105N 0944634W Liberty
Church
Winfree Church 295321N 0944847W Moss Bluff

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
  

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Funeral Homes

Allison Funeral Service in Liberty Sterling Funeral Homes in Dayton Wells Funeral Services in Liberty

Land and Property Records

• See Texas Land and Property for more information.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories

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

• See Texas Local Histories for more information.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
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

Military Records

Texas Revolution

• 1835 - 1845 Index to the Military Rolls of the Republic of Texas 1835-1845 at Texas State Historical Association
• 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

World War I

• 1917-1920 Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Newspapers

• 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 ($)

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
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

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

• 1840-1981 Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
• 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 ($) — index
• 1814-2011 Texas Marriage Collection 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 at Ancestry ($) — 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
• 1964-1998 Texas Death Index, 1964-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
• 1977-1986 Texas Deaths, 1977-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Divorce

• 1968-2010 Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
• 1968-2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry ($) — index
• 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index

Research Facilities

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

• Baytown Texas FamilySearch Center
• Cleveland Texas FamilySearch Center
• Kingwood Texas FamilySearch Center
• Houston Public Library Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research - an affiliate library

Societies

Liberty County Genealogical Society
PO Box 723
Liberty, TX 77575
Linkpendium Website

Liberty County Historical Commission
PO Box 23
Liberty, TX 7757

Humble Area Genealogical Society
Website

Websites

• Liberty TX GenWeb part of TXGenWeb
• Liberty 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.