Calhoun County, Texas Genealogy

Guide to Calhoun 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, probate records from 1863, marriage and land records from 1846, court records from 1850 and military discharge records from 1919

County Clerk

211 South Ann Street Port Lavaca 77979 Phone: 361-553-4411

District Clerk

P.O. Box 658 Port Lavaca 77979 Phone: 361-553-8698

Parent County
1846--Calhoun County was created April 4, 1846 from Jackson, Victoria, and Matagorda Counties. County seat: Port Lavaca

The county was named for John Caldwell Calhoun (March 18, 1782 – March 31, 1850), 7th Vice President of the United States.

Record Loss
1886 -- Calhoun County Courthouse at Indianola destroyed by hurricane, August 1886.

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
Aransas •  Jackson  •  Matagorda  •  Refugio  •  Victoria

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

Court

 * 1847-1914 Calhoun County Court Records available on microfilm - District Court Minutes 1847-1914

Land

 * Calhoun County Land Records available on microfilm -
 * 1) 1846-1890- Deed Records
 * 2) 1838-1934- Survey Records

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1906 - 1989  — index and images

Local Histories

 * Shifting Sands of Calhoun County, Texas, 1980 by the Calhoun County Historical Commission.
 * "Looking Back" Scrapbook for Calhoun County and Matagorda Bay, Texas
 * A History of Indianola, by Lelia Seelingson. Brief history of Indianola, beginning with the arrival of La Salle. Read the book online from The Portal to Texas History.
 * Indianola: The Mother of Western Texas, 1988, by Brownson Malsch.
 * Calhoun County History from The Handbook of Texas Online.
 * Indianola, Texas Hurricane, Sept 1875

Maps

 * 1845 Calhoun County, map showing the area before Calhoun County was formed in 1846.
 * 1862 Calhoun County
 * 1872 Calhoun County
 * 1910 Calhoun County - Southern part of Calhoun County
 * More Calhoun County Maps from the Calhoun County TXGenWeb site

Texas Revolution

 * 1835 - 1845 Index to the Military Rolls of the Republic of Texas 1835-1845

Mexican-American War

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

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1838 - 1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * Confederate Pension Applications from the Calhoun County TXGenWeb site

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Port Lavaca Wave Newspaper
 * Indianola Bulletin newspaper abstracts: Mar 4, 1852, Mar 25, 1852, Jan 6, 1853 - from newspaperarchives.com
 * Newspaper Database of Obituaries, Marriage Records and Birth Records from the Calhoun County Genealogical Society.

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1800 – 1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1846 - 1914 Calhoun County Probate Records available on microfilm - Probate Records 1846-1914

Taxation

 * Calhoun County Tax Records available on microfilm - Tax Rolls 1846-1910

Vital Records

 * Vital Records - Obituaries, Marriage Records and Birth Records from the Calhoun County Genealogical Society


 * Calhoun County Vital Records available on microfilm - Marriage Records 1846-1919, Probate Records 1846-1916, County Clerk and other records.

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * 1903 - 1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
 * 1903 - 1997 https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1949342 Texas, Birth Index, 1903-1997] (index only) - FamilySearch
 * 1840 - 1981 https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1681015 Texas, Births and Christenings, 1840-1981] 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
 * 1903 - 1973 Texas Deaths and Burials 1903 - 1973 (index) FamilySearch
 * 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1964 - 1998 Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 [no images]
 * 1977 - 1986  at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce

 * 1968 - 2010  at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $

Societies and Libraries
Calhoun County Genealogical Society PO Box 1150 Port Lavaca 77979 founded to preserve the genealogy and history of Calhoun County.

Calhoun County Museum 301 S. Ann Street Port Lavaca, TX 77979 website

Calhoun County Public Library 200 West Mahan St. Port Lavaca, TX 77979 website

Websites

 * Calhoun County TXGenWebfamily histories, cemeteries, maps and more.
 * Historica Texas site
 * Calhoun County, TX Old Photos
 * The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.