User:RogersBA/Sandbox TX 158

Guide to Matagorda 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 the canebrakes that once grew along the coast (Matagorda is a Spanish word meaning "thick bush"). The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Matagorda County Courthouse 1700 7th Street Bay City, TX 77414 Matagorda County Courthouse 1700 7th Street Bay City, TX 77414 Phone: 979.244.7680 County Clerk has birth records from 1903, marriage records from 1838, death records from 1917, land records from 1827, probate records form late 1800’s, military records from 1919 and court records from 1981

 County Clerk 1700 Seventh St. 202 Bay City 77414 Phone: 979-244-7680 Fax: 979-244-7688

 District Clerk 1700 Seven St. Room 307 Bay City 77414 Phone: 979-244-7621 Matagorda County Courthouse - today County Clerk 1700 7th Street, Room 202 Bay City, TX 77414-5094 (979) 244-7680 District Clerk 1700 7th Street, Room 307 Bay City, TX 77414 (979) 244-7621

Populated Places
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:

Census Records

 * 1850 1850 Index
 * 1870 1870 African-American Families
 * 1870 1870 Palacios Point
 * 1910 1910 Collegeport Community
 * See also Using the Census to find other records about ancestors

Court Records

 * Brands and Marks
 * Early Probate Records
 * Naturalizations
 * Records on Microfilm

Local Histories
Part of Stephen F. Austin's Colony.
 * The Handbook of Texas Online - Matagorda County


 * History Maker Biographies
 * Family Histories

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the Texas Genweb site
 * Texas Historical Commission Atlas
 * 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
 * War Casualties
 * Gold Star Mothers
 * Republic of Texas
 * 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
 * Texas in the Civil War
 * Confederate Military Information

 World War I
 * 1917-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Newspapers

 * Bay City Tribune
 * Matagorda County Advocate
 * Palacios Beacon
 * Newspapers Available at Matagorda County Museum
 * Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History
 * Celebrations - Articles about events

Obituaries
For current obituaries see newspaper sites above
 * Obituaries-Matagorda TXGenWeb

Photographs

 * Matagorda County Photographs - Matagorda TXGenWeb

Voting Records

 * 1867 Voters' Registration
 * Women's Suffrage and 1918 Registration

 Matagorda County For Kids  African-American Information
 * Matagorda County
 * Texas Slavery Project
 * Texas Domestic Slave Trade Project

 Churches


 * Matagorda County Churches

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

 
 * Matagorda County Historical Markers
 * Texas Settlement Region

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Probate Records

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

School Records

 * 1923-1946 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * Matagorda Schools - Matagorda TXGenWeb
 * Texas, Matagorda County, School Census Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

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

 * 1840-1981 Texas, Births and Christenings, 1840-1981 - FamilySearch
 * 1903-1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903 -1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
 * 1903-1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index) - FamilySearch
 * 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage — index ($)

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records
 * 1802-2010 Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1814-1909 and 1966 - 2011 Texas Marriage Collection 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 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 1837-1977 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1966-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage — index ($)

Death

 * 1890-1976 Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 [with images] Name index and images of statewide death certificates, 1890-1976.
 * 1903-1973 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1903-1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 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

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Alvin Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Bay City Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Beeville Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Galveston Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Lake Jackson Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Yorktown Kenedy Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Joe Barnhart Bee County Library - an affiliate library
 * Nesbitt Memorial Library - an affiliate library
 * Rosenberg Library - an affiliate library
 * Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center - an affiliate library

Libraries
Matagorda County Genealogical Society 1100 Seventh Street Bay City, TX 77414-4915 E-mail:[mailto:mcgs@yahoo.com carolsgibbs@yahoo.com]  Website Matagorda County Historical Records PO Box 275 Blessing, TX 77419-0275 Website Bay City Public Library 1100 7th St. Bay City, TX 77414 Website Palacios Library 326 Main St. Palacios, TX 77465 Website Matagorda County Museum 2100 Avenue F. Bay City, TX 77414 Website City By the Sea Museum 401 Commerce Street Palacios, TX 77465 Website

Websites

 * TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county
 * Texas Historical Commission
 * 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.