User:RogersBA/Sandbox TX 68

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

Description
The county was named for Mathew Ector, a Confederate general in the American Civil War. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Ector County Courthouse 300 N Grant Avenue Odessa, TX 79761 Ector County Courthouse 300 N Grant Avenue; Odessa, TX 79761 Phone: 915.335.3030 County Clerk has birth, marriage, death, burial, probate, court and land records from 1896; District Clerk has divorce records

 County Clerk P.O. Box 707 Odessa 79760 Phone: 432-498-4130 Fax: 432-498-4177

 District Clerk 300 North Grant, Rm 301 Odessa 79761 Phone: Ector County has had two courthouses. The old red brick courthouse, built in 1904, was torn down in 1938, when the new Art Deco style courthouse opened. In 1964 a new courthouse was built around the 1938 courthouse, changing the look of the courthouse. Inventory of County Records, Ector County Courthouse, 1973, edited by Carolyn Trigg. Read the book online at The Portal to Texas History.

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:

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

Census Records

 * See also Using the Census to find other records about ancestors

Church Records
 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1890 Ector County 1890 Land Office Map from the Portal to Texas History.
 * 1901 Ector County from Historic Map Works.
 * 1940 Ector County Highway Map from the Texas State Library Archives Commission.
 * 1961 Ector County Highway Map from the Texas State Library Archives Commission.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 1838-1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards at Ancestry — index and images ($)

 Mexican-American War
 * 1845-1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War at Ancestry — index ($)

 Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images at partner site
 * 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 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1906-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Newspapers

 * Odessa American Newspaper
 * Odessa American Statesman archives, 1957-61, 1968-73, and 1976-77, at ancestry.com ($)
 * Obituaries from the Acres West Funeral Chapel -- includes obits from 2008-present
 * Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History

Probate Records

 * 1800-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * 1800-2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry — index and images ($)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

 * 1846-1910 Texas, County Tax Rolls 1846-1910 at Findmypast ($) — index and images

Birth

 * 1873-1900 Ector County Births compiled from World War I Draft Registrations. From the TXGenWeb archives.
 * 1903-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage — index ($)

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records
 * 1802-2010 Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 Texas Marriage Collection at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1837-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1837-1973 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1837-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1837-1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index at Ancestry — index ($)
 * Mar 1941 - Jun 1942 Ector County Marriage Records transcribed from the County of Ector Marriage Book No. 3 from the Permian Basin Genealogical Society.
 * 1966-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage — index ($)

Death

 * 1890-1976 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1903-1973 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1903-1982 Texas Death Certificates at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1964-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1977-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Divorce

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Big Spring Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Midland Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Odessa Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Midland Centennial Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Ector County Public Library Southwest Genealogy Section - 2nd Floor 321 West 5th Street Odessa, Texas 79761 Phone: 432-332-0633 website

Societies

 * Permian Basin Genealogical Society c/o Ector County Library 622 North Lee Odessa, TX 79761 website

Websites

 * OdessaHistory.com
 * TXGenWeb project - May have maps, name indexes, history and other information for this county. Select the county.
 * USGenWeb Texas Counties
 * Frontier Times Magazine
 * Historic Texas
 * – 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.