Bailey County, Texas Genealogy

Guide to Bailey County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Texas Online Genealogy Records

Description
The county was named for Peter James Bailey, a defender of the Alamo. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth, marriage, probate and court records from 1918 and land records from 1882; District Clerk has divorce records

County Clerk 300 South 1st Street, Suite 200 Muleshoe, Texas 79347 Phone: 806-272-3044 Fax 806-272-3538 Email: mailto:rdickerson@co.bailey.tx.us

District Clerk 300 South 1st Street, Suite 130 Muleshoe, Texas 79347 Phone: 806-272-3165 Fax: 806-272-3124

Bailey County Website

History
The Texas Constitution of 1876 set aside three million acres of land to erect a new State Capitol. In 1879, Texas made a contract exchanging the three million acres, including Bailey County, for the construction of the present Capitol in Austin. The three million acres eventually became part of the sprawling XIT Ranch from which the Y-L and Muleshoe Ranches of Bailey County were formed in 1902. The first recorded cattle drive took place in 1882 when Tom Lynch drove his cattle from New Mexico to Spring Lake.

Muleshoe wasn't the first settlement in Bailey County. Hurley was the first and was located about three miles northwest of Muleshoe. Hurley was named for New Mexico political leader, Patrick J. Hurley

Parent County
1876--Bailey County was created 21 August 1876 from Bexar Land District.
 * County seat: Muleshoe

The county was named for Peter J. Bailey, (1812-1836). Peter James Bailey, Alamo defender, the son of Gabriel and Sabra (Rice) Bailey, was born in Kentucky in 1812. He graduated from Transylvania University with a degree in law in 1834. In January 1836 he came to Texas in company with Daniel W. Cloud and others from Logan County, Kentucky. They took the oath of allegiance before John Forbes at Nacogdoches on January 14, 1836, and were enrolled in the Texas army. Bailey and Cloud were members of the Tennessee Mounted Volunteers. They perished with David Crockett in the battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. For Bailey's service to Texas, his heirs received land parcels that are now in Archer, Baylor, and Hamilton counties.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

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:

Neighboring Counties
Cochran • Hockley •  Lamb  •  Parmer •  Roosevelt County, New Mexico

African American

 * 1865 - 1870 (images) - FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Texas African American Griots ~  USGenWeb
 * AfriGeneas ~  African Ancestored Genealogy

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Church
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Enoch
 * FamilySearch Places

Land

 * Original Land Owners of Texas -  USGenWeb Archives Project

Maps
Texas Counties Map. TXGenWeb site.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Mexican-American War

 * 1845 - 1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War 1845-1848 at Ancestry.com — index $

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1838 - 1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * Bailey County Confederate Pension Applications - USGenWeb Archives Project

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
Off-line Newspaper Information Online Newspapers Online Newspaper Abstracts Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form
 * Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History

Probate
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1800 – 1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Taxation

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

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records
 * 1840 - 1981 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
 * Bailey County Births -  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1903 - 1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1997 (index); FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
 * 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * 1802 - 2010 Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * Bailey County Marriages- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1814 - 1909 and 1966 - 2011 Texas Marriage Collection 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1837 - 1965 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837 - 1973 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837 - 1977 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837 - 1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1966 - 2010 -FamilySearch record collection - How to Use this Collection
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death

 * 1890 - 1976  - with images - How to Use this Collection Name index and images of statewide death certificates, 1890-1976.
 * 1903 - 1973 (index) FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1977 - 1986 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1973 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1903 - 2000 (index) - FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1964 - 1998 no images FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.

Divorce

 * Bailey County Divorces- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1968 - 2010  at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index

Societies and Libraries
Bailey County Texas Genealogy

FamilySearch Centers

 * Amarillo Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Clovis New Mexico FamilySearch Center
 * Lubbock Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Tucumcari New Mexico FamilySearch Center


 * Amarillo Public Library - an affiliate library

Websites

 * TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
 * The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project - transcriptions and photos
 * TXGenWeb Bailey County - transcriptions and information