Lavaca County, Texas Genealogy

United States Texas  Counties L  Lavaca County

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

County Courthouse
Lavaca County Courthouse PO Box 326 Hallettsville, TX 77964 Phone: 361.798.3612 County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903, marriage and probate records from 1847, land records from 1846, military records from 1918, court and naturalization records

Parent County
1846--Lavaca County was created 6 April 1846 from Colorado, Gonzales, Fayette, Jackson, and Victoria Counties. County seat: Hallettsville

Lavaca County Historyfrom the Handbook of Texas Online.

Places / Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Populated Places
Cities and Towns: Hallettsville | Moulton | Shiner | Sweet Home | Yoakum

Neighboring Counties
Colorado • De Witt • Fayette • Gonzales • Jackson • Victoria • Wharton

African American

 * Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870(images) - FamilySearch
 * Texas African American Griots ~  USGenWeb
 * AfriGeneas ~  African Ancestored Genealogy
 * Texas African American Genealogy ~  Access Genealogy

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

Additional Cemetery Sources

 * Lavaca County Cemeteries ~  Index  ~  TXGenWeb
 * Lavaca County Cemeteries ~  transcriptions  ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Tombstone Transcription Project ~ Partial transcription of cemetery tombstones ~ USGenWeb
 * Texas Historic Cemeteries ~ Partial indexes to historic cemeteries
 * African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American
 * Texas Escapes ~ Listing of Texas cemeteries with transcriptions and lots of pictures.

Census

 * 1850 Census ~  TXGenWeb
 * 1860 Census ~  TXGenWeb
 * 1870 Census ~  TXGenWeb

Church

 * St. Mary's Parish, Halletsville ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Church of the Ascension, Moravia ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Texas Christian Church Directory~ ChurchAngel
 * Catholic Parishes in Texas

Lutheran

 * Records of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Moulton, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Land

 * Original Land Owners of Texas ~  USGenWeb Archives Project

Local Histories

 * Lavaca County Bibliography ~  TXGenWeb
 * Lavaca County Biographies ~  TXGenWeb
 * Lavaca County Family Websites ~  TXGenWeb
 * Family Reunions ~  TXGenWeb
 * Texas Museums ~  List of all museums in Texas  ~  Hidden Ancestors

Maps

 * Texas Land Survey Maps for (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * Lavaca County Maps ~  TXGenWeb
 * Historical Maps ~  From the Republic to the Turn of the Century  ~  Hidden Ancestors
 * Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the Texas Genweb site

Military

 * 1838 - 1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1845 - 1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War 1845-1848 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 - FamilySearch
 * Texas, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 - FamilySearch
 * Confederate Pension Applications ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission
 * Confederate Indigent Families ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Confederate Pension Applications ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Military Resources ~ Links to research Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * Fallen Heroes ~  Partial Index of casualties from Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * Honoring Our Veterans ~ Partial index of veterans from Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors

Newspapers

 * Home Town News -  Texas Newspaper Index with links
 * Newslink -  Texas Newspaper List (sorted by publication frequency)
 * The Olden Times  -   Historic Texas News Online

Obituaries

 * Lavaca County Obituaries ~  TXGenWeb
 * Obituary Resources ~ Links to research and locate obituaries ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * USGenWeb Archives Obituary Project ~  Texas
 * Afrigeneas ~ African American death notices, obituaries and funeral programs compiled by users from current newspapers and historical sources
 * Obituary Depot ~ Texas Newspaper Citations
 * Obituary Project ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * Obituary Daily Times ~ Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function

Probate
Online Probate Records


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


 * Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records ~  Ancestry.com  (subscription)

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
 * Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index)- FamilySearch

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * Texas Marriage Records 1966 - 2005  -  Hidden Ancestors
 * Texas County Marriage Records, 1837-1977 - FamilySearch. Index to a variety of marriage records (registers, licenses, intentions to marry, etc.) from select counties in Texas.
 * Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973  -  FamilySearch record collection
 * Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010  -  FamilySearch record collection
 * 1814 - 1909 and 1966 - 2011 Texas Marriage Collection 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1837 - 1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 [with images] 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.
 * Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000 (index) - FamilySearch
 * Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 [no images] Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
 * 1977 - 1986 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1903 - 1973 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Divorce

 * Texas Divorce Records 1968 - 2005     Hidden Ancestors
 * 1968-2010 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * USGenWeb Census Project Texas 1850 - 1930

Societies and Libraries
Friench Simpson Memorial Library 705 E 4th St Hallettsville, TX 77964 Phone: (361) 798-3243 Website

Shiner Public Library 115 E Wolters 2nd St Shiner, TX 77984 Phone: (361) 594-3044


 * Society Hill ~  Links and addresses to Texas genealogical and historical societies

Web Sites

 * Lavaca County Archives ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Lavaca County ~ TXGenWeb
 * TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
 * Hidden Ancestors Information on Texas genealogy research as well as genealogy research in general.
 * USGenWeb Texas Archives Vital statistics, maps, obituaries, Bible records, tombstone transcriptions and many other records.