Jackson County, Texas Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903, marriage, probate and land records from 1836 and court records from 1910; District Clerk has divorce records

County Clerk

115 W. Main, Rm. 101 Edna 77957 Phone: 361-782-3563

District Clerk

115 W. Main, Rm. 101 Edna 77957 Phone: 361-782-3563

Jackson County has been the home of two county seats and four courthouses. Texana served as the county seat at the county's inception in 1836. The first courthouse building was built there in 1858. In 1883 voters elected to move the county seat to the new town of Edna. A new courthouse was built in Edna in 1884; it burned in June 1900. A third courthouse was built in 1906, a three-story brick Beaux-Arts style domed-building. The current courthouse was built in 1954.

Apply for a Birth or Death Certificates contact local Registrar Barbara Williams. Application form - pdf document

Jackson County Government website

Inventory of county records, Jackson County Courthouse, Edna, Texas, 1980. Inventory of records housed in the Jackson County Courthouse. Describes the records of the Commissioners Court, County Judge, County Clerk, County Court, County Attorney, District Clerk, Justice of the Peace, Sheriff, Tax Assessor-Collector, Treasurer, and Auditor. Provides a list of Jackson County records and an index. Digital book online at the Portal to Texas History.

Inventory of the county archives of Texas : Jackson County, no. 120, 1940. Inventory of records housed in the Jackson County Courthouse as of 1936. Describes the records of the County Commissioners Court, County Clerk as Recorder, District Court, County Court, Justices of the Peace, District Attorney, County Attorney, Tax Assessor-Collector, County Treasurer, and other offices. Digital book online at the Portal to Texas History.

History


The county is named after President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) who was in office at the time of the county's formation.

Parent County
1836--Jackson County was created 17 March 1836 from Old Mexican Municipality. County seat: Edna

Boundary Changes
1837-- Jackson County lost a narrow north-south strip of land that is now part of present-day Matagorda and Wharton Counties. Part of the city of El Campo is included in this strip. Jackson county gained a 2x4 mile wedge of land that is now in present day Wharton County and about half of the land between Arenosa Creek and the Lavaca River. The towns of El Toro and Vanderbilt lie in this region.

1844-- Jackson County lost the area 6 miles west of the Lavaca River to Victoria County. Jackson County gained land to the west 35 x 8 miles long, now part of present-day Matagorda and Wharton counties. This land included the town of Palacios.

1846--Part of Jackson County's waterfront on Lavaca, Tres Palacios and Carancahua Bays given to Calhoun County. The rest of the the land between the Arenosa Creek and the Lavaca River given to Jackson county. Half of the area added in 1844 was given to Wharton County. Some area in the north was given to Lavaca County.

1848--Jackson County lost the remainder of the land gained to the east in 1844 to Matagorda County, including the area that contains the town of Palacios.

1905 -- A strip of land in northern Jackson County was removed and attached to Colorado County (the Colorado County "panhandle").


 * Map showing the boundary changes mentioned above.

Record Loss
1900 -- Jackson County Courthouse destroyed by fire on Jun 15, 1900. Records of the County Judge, Assessor and Justice of the Peace were lost.

1906 -- The Jackson County Progress Newspaper plant and offices (along with part of the Edna business district) were destroyed by fire, 12 November 1906.

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
Calhoun •  Colorado  •  Lavaca  •  Matagorda  •  Victoria  •  Wharton

Local Histories

 * The Cavalcade of Jackson County, 1938, by Ira T. Taylor.
 * Jackson County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.
 * Jackson County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.

Maps

 * Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the TXGenWeb site.

Military

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

Mexican-American War

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

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Jackson County News newspaper

Probate
Online Probate Records


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

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records
 * 1903-1935 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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.com — index $
 * 1837-1965 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1837-1973 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1837-1977 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1837-1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1966-2010 Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010 FamilySearch record collection

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * 1890-1976 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.
 * 1903-1973 at FamilySearch.org - index
 * 1903-1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1964-1998Texas Death Index 1964-1998 Texas, Death Index, 1964-1998 - FamilySearch Historical Records Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates of four million people who have died since 1964.
 * 1977-1986 at FamilySearch.org - index

Divorce

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

Societies and Libraries
Jackson County Memorial Library 411 North Wells Street, Room 121 Edna, Texas 77957 website

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.