Smith County, Texas Genealogy
(Redirected from Smith County, Texas)
Guide to Smith County, Texas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for James Smith, a general during the Texas Revolution. The county is located in the northeast area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Smith County Courthouse
100 N Broadway Ave
Tyler, TX 75702-1018
Phone: 903-590-1660
Smith County Website
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903, marriage records from 1848, probate records from 1847, court and land records from 1846.[2]
Smith 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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1846 | 1903 | 1846 | 1846 | 1847 | 1829 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
|
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
|
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:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1930 USGenWeb Census Project Texas 1850 - 1930
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 4,292 | ||
| 1860 | 13,392 | 212.0% | |
| 1870 | 16,532 | 23.4% | |
| 1880 | 21,863 | 32.2% | |
| 1890 | 28,324 | 29.6% | |
| 1900 | 37,370 | 31.9% | |
| 1910 | 41,746 | 11.7% | |
| 1920 | 46,769 | 12.0% | |
| 1930 | 53,123 | 13.6% | |
| 1940 | 69,090 | 30.1% | |
| 1950 | 74,701 | 8.1% | |
| 1960 | 86,350 | 15.6% | |
| 1970 | 97,096 | 12.4% | |
| 1980 | 128,366 | 32.2% | |
| 1990 | 151,309 | 17.9% | |
| 2000 | 174,706 | 15.5% | |
| 2010 | 209,714 | 20.0% | |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | |||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- See Texas Church Records for more information.
- Presbyterian Beginnings in Smith County at USGenWeb Archives Project
- St. James Baptist Church History at USGenWeb Archives Project
- Mt. Zion Baptist Church at USGenWeb Archives Project
- Lane's Chapel Methodist Church History and Records at USGenWeb Archives Project
- 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[edit | edit source]
Online Court Indexes and Records
- 1846-1909 Affidavits of Death and Heirship at transcription at East Texas Genealogical Society for USGenWeb Archives Project
- 1847-1857 Abstract District Court Minutes Smith County at book at East Texas Genealogical Society
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
- 1972 Smith County 1972 from Historic Map Works
- 1981 Smith County 1981 from Historic Map Works
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African Americans
- 1865-1870 Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
|
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
- See Texas Land and Property for more information.
- Deed/Land Records transcription at East Texas Genealogical for USGenWeb Archives Project
- Original Surveys/Land Patents of Smith County, Texas at transcription at USGenWeb Archives Project
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Smith County and may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information.
- See Texas Local Histories for more information.
- Chronological History of Smith County, 1983 compiled by Donald W. Whisenhut for the Smith County Historical Society
- A History of Tyler and Smith County, 1948 by Albert Woldert.Read the book on line from The Portal to Texas History.
- Tyler & Smith County, Texas: An Historical Survey, 1978 by Robert W. Glover. Read the book online from The Portal to Texas History.
- Historical Atlas of Smith County, 1965
- A History of Smith County, Texas, North Texas State Teachers College Thesis by William R. Ward, 1944, overview of the history of Smith County. Read the thesis online from The Portal to Texas History.
- The Bullard Area-Its History and People, 1800–1977 by the Bullard Community Library Commission.
- Smith County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.
- Some Biographies of Old Settlers at excerpts from publication at USGenWeb Archives Project
- A History of Smith County at USGenWeb Archives Project
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
Click a neighboring county
for more resources
for more resources
- Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the Texas Genweb site
- Texas Land Survey Maps for Smith County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- 1853, 1872, 1880, 1905 Smith County Maps: 1853 1872 1880 1905 from the Portal to Texas History.
- 1877, 1885, 1889, 1898, 1902, 1907, 1912, 1919 City of Tyler, Sanborn Insurance Maps. Scroll down the page until you get to Tyler. There are several sheets to each map.
- 1903 Smith County Map from Historic Map Works.
- 1914 Map of Angelina, Gregg, Harrison, Cherokee, Houston, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith & Trinity at www.rootsweb.com
- 1939 Smith County General Highway Map
- 1961 Smith County General Highway Map
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Texas Revolution
- 1835 - 1845 Index to the Military Rolls of the Republic of Texas 1835-1845 at Texas State Historical Association
- 1838-1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
Mexican-American War
- 1845-1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War 1845-1848 at Ancestry ($) — index
Civil War
- 1861-1865 Texas, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images at partner site
- 1861-1865 Texas, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images at partner site
- Confederate Pension Applications at Texas State Library and Archives Commission
World War I
- 1917-1920 Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- w3newspapers-Texas Newspaper Index with links
- Newslink-Texas Newspaper List (sorted by publication frequency)
- The Olden Times - Historic Texas News Online
- Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
- Boomtown, Bridge and Baseball - The Troup Banner, 1928-1939 Troup, Smith County, Texas at book at Abstracted and Compiled by Judy Womack for East Texas Genealogical Society
- Obituaries Recorded in Lindale News & Troup Banner, Smith County, Texas at book at East Texas Genealogical Society
- Obituaries Recorded in Tyler, Texas Newspapers 1905-1915 at book at East Texas Genealogical Society
- 1800s-Current Texas, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- USGenWeb Archives Obituary Project - Texas
- Obituary Daily Times - Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function at Ancestry ($).
- Obituaries from the Lindale News and the Troup Banner, Smith County, Texas by Lorene West Conaway at East Texas Genealogical Society
- Obituaries from Tyler newspapers, Smith County, Texas, 1905-1915 by Lorene West Conaway and Ruby Renfro Neilson at East Texas Genealogical Society
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate records of Texas counties were kept by the probate clerk, usually in "probate minutes."
- See Texas Probate Records for more information.
- 1800-1990 Texas Probate Records, 1800-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
- 1800-2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
- Smith County Court Records Inquiry at Smith County Judicial Search, then select Civil Records, then select Search by Party at upper left to show critical dates for a specific probate and where the record is stored
- Smith County Wills and Probate at USGenWeb Archives Project
- Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records at Ancestry ($)
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records[edit | edit source]
- Old Family Photos at Texas Escapes
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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[edit | edit source]
- See Texas Taxation for more information.
- 1846-1910 Texas, County Tax Rolls 1846-1910 at Findmypast ($) — index & images
- 1890 Tax Record Abstract, Smith County, TX at East Texas Genealogical Society
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths were recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. Copies can be obtained from the County Clerk's office, or order certified copies online or by mail at the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health. See Texas Vital Records for more information.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1903-1935 Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1903-1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index; Key to Texas County Codes; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926-1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1802-2010 Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — 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
- 1837-1965 Texas, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1837-1965 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1837-1973 Texas Marriages, 1837-1973 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1837-1977 Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1837-1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry ($) — index
- 1846-1899 Marriage Records of Smith County, Texas 1846-1899 - East Texas Genealogical Society
- 1879-1965 Texas, U.S., Select County Marriage Records at Ancestry ($) — index & images
- 1900-1926 Marriage Records of Smith County, Texas 1900-1926 - East Texas Genealogical Society
- 1966-2010 Texas Marriages, 1966-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 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 ($) — index & images
- 1903-2000 Texas Death Index, 1903-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1964-1998 Texas Death Index, 1964-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1977-1986 Texas Deaths, 1977-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — 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[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
- Athens Texas FamilySearch Center
- Gilmer Texas FamilySearch Center
- Longview Texas FamilySearch Center
- Tyler Texas FamilySearch Center
- Quitman Public Library - an affiliate library
- Tyler Public Library - an affiliate library
- Whitehouse Community Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Whitehouse Community Library
107 Bascom Rd
Whitehouse, TX 75791
Phone: 903-839-2949
Website
Cameron-J Jarvis Troup Municipal Library
102 S Georgia
PO Box 721
Troup, TX 75789
Phone: 903-842-3101
Website
Library Catalog
Lillie Russell Memorial Library
200 E Hubbard St
Lindale, TX 75771
Phone: 903-882-1900
Website
Bullard Community Library
211 W Main St
Bullard, TX 75757
Phone: 903-894-6125
Website
Noonday Community Library
16662 CR 196
Tyler, TX 75703
Phone: 903-939-0540
Tyler Public Library
201 S College Ave
Tyler, TX 75702
Phone: 903-593-7323
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Smith County Historical Society
125 South College Ave.
Tyler TX 75702
Phone: 903-592-5993
Fax: 903-526-0924
Website
East Texas Genealogical Society
PO Box 6967
Tyler TX 75711-6967
website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Smith TX GenWeb part of TXGenWeb
- Smith USGWArchives part of USGWArchives Texas Counties
- East Texas Genealogical Society
- 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[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Smith, Texas" in "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_County,_Texas. accessed 11/26/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Smith County, Texas. Page 673 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Smith 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, "Smith County, Texas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_County,_Texas, Last accessed 22 August 2019.