Cooke County, Texas Genealogy

Guide to Cooke 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 William Gordon Cooke, a soldier during the Texas Revolution. The County is located in the north-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Cooke County Courthouse 100 Dixon Street Gainesville, TX 76240 Phone: 940.668.5420

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903, marriage, probate, court and land records from 1850; District Clerk has divorce records County Clerk

101 S. Dixon St. Gainesville 76240 Phone: 940-668-8420 District Clerk

County Courthouse Gainesville 76240 Phone: 940-668-5450

Parent County
1848--Cooke County was created 20 March 1848 and organized in 1849 from Fannin County.
 * County seat: Gainesville

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

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog



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
Denton •  Grayson  •  Love County, Oklahoma  •  Marshall County, Oklahoma  •  Montague  •  Wise

African American

 * 1865 - 1870 (images) - How to Use this Collection

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

Census

 * 1850 Federal Tax Index - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1860 Federal Census - USGenWeb Archives Project

Church
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Land

 * 1895-1924 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Original Land Owners of Texas - USGenWeb Archives Project

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1906 - 1989 — index and images

Local Histories

 * Cooke County Bible Records - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Historical Markers in Cooke County - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1913, 1914, 1916 Myra High School Graduations - USGenWebs Archive Project
 * 1945-1991 County Officials- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1849-1948 County Officials - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1849-1991 County Commisioners - USGenWeb Archives Project

Maps

 * Texas Land Survey Maps for (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.


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

Military

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

Mexican-American War

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

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch — index
 * Confederate Pension Applications Index - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Co A 2nd Texas Partisan Rangers USGenWeb Archives Project

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * 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 $

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

Taxation

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

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * 1873 - 1876 — index and images  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1935 (images and index) - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1997 (index only) - 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 $
 * 1800 - 1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1814 - 1909 and 1966 - 2011 Texas Marriage Collection 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 at Ancestry — index $
 * 1837 - 1965 — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837 - 1973 — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837 - 1977 — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837 - 1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry — index $
 * 1849 - 1873 Marriages 1849-1873- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 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. The name index has been created by FamilySearch and is tied to images of the Texas death certificates. Few certificates are available prior to 1903
 * 1903 - 1973 — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry — index and images $
 * 1903 - 2000 (index) - How to Use this Collection
 * 1964 - 1998 (no images) - How to Use this Collection  Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
 * 1977 - 1986 — index - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

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

Societies and Libraries
Cooke County Heritage Society PO Box 150 Gainesville 76240 Website

Crosstimbers Genealogical Society PO Box 197 Gainesville, TX 76240 Website North Central Texas College has a genealogical section in its library supported by Cross Timbers Genealogical Society.

Gainesville Genealogical Group Cooke County College Gainesville 76200 Website

FamilySearch Centers

 * Decatur Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Gainesville Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Graham Texas FamilySearch Center
 * McKinney Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Paris Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Wichita Falls Texas FamilySearch Center


 * Denton Public Library - North Branch - an affiliate library
 * Donald W. Reynolds Library - an affiliate library
 * Sherman Public Library - an affiliate library
 * W Walworth Harrison Public Library - an affiliate library

Websites

 * Cross Timbers Genealogical Society
 * USGenWeb project - May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.