Orange County, Texas Genealogy

Guide to Orange 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 the orange fruit, the common citrus fruit grown by the early settlers of this county near the mouth of the Sabine River. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Orange County Courthouse 801 W Division Street; PO Box 1536 Orange, TX 77631 Phone: 409.882.7055 County Clerk has birth records from 1878, death records from 1903, marriage, land and probate records from 1852, military records from 1898 and court records from 1896; District Clerk has divorce records

County Clerk

123 S. 6th St. Orange 77630 Phone: 409-882-7055 Fax: 409-882-7012

District Clerk

801 W. Division Ave. Orange 77630 Phone: 409-882-7825 Fax: 409-882-7083

The current Orange County Courthouse, built-in 1937, is the fourth courthouse to hold Orange County's offices and records. The first courthouse was built in 1853. The second courthouse, built-in 1884 burned in 1898. The 1898 Courthouse was the county's third courthouse.


 * Orange County Government Website


 * Orange County Clerk's Office Website

Inventory of the county archives of Texas: Orange County, no. 181. Inventory of records of Orange County housed in the Orange County Courthouse as of 1936-1937. Digital book online from The Portal to Texas History.

Inventory of county records Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Texas, 1979. Inventory of records of Orange County housed in the Orange County Courthouse in Orange, Texas; begins with an introduction and explanation of the roles of various county government offices. Inventory describes the records of the Commissioners' Court, County Clerk, County Court, District Clerk, District Attorney, Justice of the Peace, Sheriff, Tax Assessor-Collector, County Treasurer, and Auditor. It also provides a list of Orange County records and an index. Digital book online from The Portal to Texas History.

Orange County; 801 W Division St; PO Box 1536; Orange, TX 77631; Ph. 409.882.7055 Details: (Co Clk has b rec from 1878, d rec from 1903, m, land &amp; pro rec from 1852, mil rec from 1898 &amp; ct rec from 1896; Dis Clk has div rec)

Parent County
1852--Orange County was created 5 February 1852 from Jefferson County.
 * County seat: Orange

Record Loss
1898-- Orange County Courthouse, built in 1884, destroyed by fire, April 14, 1898. All county records were stored in a vault and were not harmed by the fire.

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
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana •  Cameron Parish, Louisiana  •  Hardin  •  Jasper  •  Jefferson  •  Newton

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

Church
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Local Histories

 * Gateway to Texas: the History of Orange and Orange County, 1988, by Howard C. Williams. Read the book online from The Portal to Texas History.
 * Orange County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.

Maps

 * 1862 Orange County 1862 Map from The Portal to Texas History.
 * 1880 Orange County 1880 Map from The Portal to Texas History.
 * 1886 Orange County 1886 Map from The Portal to Texas History.
 * 1895 Orange County 1895 Map from The Portal to Texas History.
 * Aerial Views of Orange County, 1948-1950s: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 from The Portal to Texas History.
 * 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

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

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
Online 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 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

Births
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * 1840 - 1981 - FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1935 - FamilySearch (images and index) - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1997 - FamilySearch (index only) - How to Use this Collection


 * 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Marriages
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 — index and images
 * 1837 - 1973 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1837 - 1977 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1837 - 1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry — index $
 * 1966 - 2010 - FamilySearch - FamilySearch record collection - How to Use this Collection
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index

Deaths

 * 1890-1976 - FamilySearch with images - How to Use this Collection Name index and images of statewide death certificates, 1890-1976
 * 1903 - 1973 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry — index and images $
 * 1964 - 1998 Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 - (no images) - Name index to Texas Statewide Death
 * 1977 - 1986  at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce

 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 1968 - 2010 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry — index $

Societies and Libraries
South East Texas Genealogical and Historical Society c/o Tyrrell Historical Library PO Box 3827 Beaumont, TX 77704-3827 Website

Orange County Historical Society PO Box 1345 Orange, TX 77630 Facebook

Bridge City Library 101 Parkside Place Dr Bridge City, TX 77611 Telephone Number: 409-735-4242 Website

Orange Public Library 220 5th St Orange, TX 77630 Telephone Number: 409-883-1086 Website

FamilySearch Centers

 * Beaumont Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Fred Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Orange Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Port Arthur Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Silsbee Texas FamilySearch Center


 * Calcasieu Parish Public library - an affiliate library
 * Marion & Ed Hughes Public Library - an affiliate library

Websites

 * Orange County TXGenWeb site history, information, lists, links and other Orange County information.
 * — The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.