Rains County, Texas Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Rains County Courthouse PO Box 187; Emory, TX 75440-0187 Phone: 903.473.2461 County Clerk has birth records from 1902, divorce records from 1903, marriage, divorce and land records from 1880 and probate records from 1894

County Clerk

P.O. Box 1150 Emory 75440 Phone: 903-473-5000 Fax: 903-473-5086

District Clerk

P.O. Box 187 Emory 75440 Phone: 903-473-5000 (Ext: 101) Fax: 903-473-5008

Rains County's first courthouse was a log building. It was used until a two-room courthouse was built in 1871; this second courthouse burned in 1879. The log building was again used as a temporary courthouse until two-story building could be built in 1884. The 1884 courthouse burned in 1908. Rains County's current courthouse, shown at right, is the county's fourth Courthouse. It was built in 1908.

Rains County Courthouse 167 E. Quitman Street P. O. Box 158 Emory, Texas 75440

Rains County Government Website

History
1840's--The first Anglo-American arrived in the 1840's.

Parent County
1870--Rains County was created 9 June 1870 from Hopkins, Hunt, and Wood Counties.
 * County seat: Emory

Record Loss
1879 - Rains County Courthouse, built in 1871, burned; All county records were destroyed. 1908 - Rains County Courthouse, built in 1884, burned. County records were save in a fireproof vault.

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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Neighboring Counties
Hopkins •  Hunt  •  Van Zandt  •  Wood

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


 * Emory Cemetery Association -  Rains County TXGenWeb

Land

 * Original Land Owners of Texas -  USGenWeb Archives Project

Local Histories

 * Early Days in Texas and Rains County, 1917 by William Oscar Hebison and Ambrose Fitzgerald.
 * 100th Anniversary of Rains County, 1970
 * Rains 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 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 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

Mexican-American War

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

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Confederate Pension Applications ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Rains County Leader Newspaper

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


 * 1840-1981 Texas, Births and Christenings, 1840-1981 - FamilySearch
 * 1903-1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
 * 1903-1977 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index)- FamilySearch

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 Family Search and is tied to images of the Texas death certificates. Few certificates are available prior to 1903.
 * 1890-1976 Footnote.com ($) has Texas Death Certificates 1890-1976 available online.
 * 1903-1973 Texas, Deaths and Burials, 1903-1973  ~ FamilySearch records collection
 * 1903-1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1903-2000 Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000  ~  FamilySearch records collection
 * 1964-1998 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

Divorce

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

Societies and Libraries
Organization for the Preservation of Historical and Genealogical Records OPHGR email:[mailto:pvinson47@aol.com] P Vinson President Canton, TX email:[mailto:ophgr1@gmail.com%7C1@gmail.com] Website:[mailto:http://www.ophgr.com]

These folks go to county courthouses, churches and other places where old documents and records are housed. They either scan the very old records with their oversized scanner or they transcribe those old documents and then publish them as books. Membership is $10.00/year if you have an email address and you get their Newsletter sent to you quarterly. Visit their web site for Publication Listings as well as membership information.

They also host several workshops during the year. Topics include: Beginning Researcher, Internet Research, Beginner Computer Help as well as Native American/Melungeon/African American Research.

Websites

 * Rains County- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Rains County TXGenWeb
 * TXGenWeb
 * 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.