Brown County, Texas Genealogy

Guide to Brown 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 Henry Stevenson Brown, a commander at the Battle of Velasco, an early conflict between Texians and Mexicans. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth records from 1900, death records from 1903, marriage, land, probate, court and military records from 1880; District Court has divorce records from 1880

County Clerk

200 S. Broadway Brownwood 76801 Phone: 325-643-2594

District Clerk

200 S. Broadway Brownwood 76801 Phone: 325-646-5514 Brown County Website

Parent County
1856--Brown County was created 27 August 1856 from Comanche and Travis Counties.
 * County seat: Brownwood

The county was named for Henry Stevenson Brown, (1793-1834), early settler, trader, and Indian fighter, who was born in Madison County, Kentucky, on March 8, 1793, the son of Caleb and Jemima (Stevenson) Brown.

Record Loss
1880, 1894--Courthouse and many county records were destroyed by fire in March 1880 and February 1894.

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
Callahan •  Coleman  •  Comanche  •  Eastland  •  McCulloch  •  Mills  •  San Saba

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

Additional Cemetery Sources

Cemetery Books available from the Brown County Historical Society


 * History of Greanleaf Cemetery
 * Eastlawn Memorial Park, Early, Texas, records of over 4,000 tombstones,1951-2001.
 * Zephyr Cemetery Survey Book, 1455 deceased names listed with years of birth &amp; death, updated 2007.
 * Salem Cemetery, Brown County, history and alphabetical listing of persons buried.
 * Fairview Cemetery, Grosvenor, list of known deceased from 1878, history, cemetery plat.
 * Rural Cemetery Inscriptions of Brown County Supplement includes 51 rural cemeteries updated 1970-2002.

Church
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * List of Churches in Brown County from the Brown County TXGenWeb site.
 * St. John's Episcopal Church, Brownwood History from the Brown County TXGenWeb site
 * FamilySearch Places

Court

 * Brown County District Court Records, starting with 1860 are available at the Local History and Genealogy Library, Brownwood, Texas.

Land

 * Brown County Bounty-Land Warrant Files A-S are available at the Local History and Genealogy Library, Brownwood, Texas.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1906 - 1989  — index and images

Local Histories

 * Brown County, Texas, 1956-1985, published 1987 by Estill Franklin Allen, Brown County Historical Society.
 * In the Live and Lives of Brown County People, 23 volumes, available from the Brown County Historical Society
 * The Promised Land: A history of Brown County, 1941, by James C. White, available from the Brown County Historical Society  Partial transcription online at the Brown County TXGenWeb site.
 * Something About Brown, 1958, by Dr. T. R. Havins., available from the Brown County Historical Society
 * Frontier's Generation, 1931, by Tevis Clyde Smit.
 * Blanket, Texas Community History 1983, with an Edition compiled in 2000, by Estill Franklin Allen, available from the Brown County Historical Society
 * Early Communities of Lake Brownood by Pattie Lee Cross Weedon, available from the Brown County Historical Society
 * Pioneer Women of Brownwood, History &amp; Genealogy of Brown County Sheriffs 1858-2008, Last Train to Blanket, and other Brown County Books available from the Brown County Historical Society
 * Frontier Times Magazine by J. Marvin Hunter. Database of magazines 1923-1954 located at the Local History &amp; Genealogy Library  The magazines chronicle life in Western and Central Texas in the mid to late 1800s and early 1900s and feature county and town histories, lives of interesting people, biographies of Texas Rangers, etc.  Index to the magazines at Frontier Times website.

Maps

 * 1940 Brown County General Highway Map from the Texas State Library.
 * 1961 Brown County General Highway Map Detail of Brownwood and other towns in Brown County from the Texas State Library.
 * Map of Historic Brown County with locations of former small communities, schools, etc. available from the Brown County Museum of History and the History and Genealogy Research Library
 * Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the TXGenweb site.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military

 * Veterans Memorials in Brown County from the Heritage Association Brown County.

Brown County World War II Veterans, Surnames A-G with brief biographical sketches. Alphabetical list of veterans who lost their lives; and Brown County World War II Veterans, Surnames H-Z, includes biographical sketches, "Women in the Military" and "Story of Camp Bowie. (In the Life and Lives of Brown County People, Vol. 12 &amp; 13) Available from the Brown County Historical Society.

Mexican-American War

 * 1845 - 1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War 1845-1848 at Ancestry — 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 — index and images $
 * Confederate Pension Applications ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Civil War Veterans of Brown County (In the Life and Lives of Brown County People, Vol. 10) includes 440 Veteran listed alphabetically. Available from the Brown County Historical Society.

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Brownwood Bulletin Newspaper
 * Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History

Brownwood Bulletin and Brownwood Banner newspapers archives are available on microfilm at the Local History &amp; Genealogy Library.

Probate
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1800 – 1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 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


 * Brown County Tax Rolls 1859-1910 are available at the Local History and Genealogy Library, Brownwood, Texas.

Vital Records

 * Brown County Marriage Records, Texas Birth Index 1903-1976 and Texas Deaths 1906-1973 are available on microfilm at the Local History and Genealogy Library, Brownwood, Texas.

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * 1840 - 1981  at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1997 (index only) - FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index

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 — index $
 * 1837 - 1965 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1837 - 1973 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1837 - 1977 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837 - 1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry — index $
 * 1880 - 1920 - Index to Marriages Brown County Texas 1880-1920. Book available from the Brown County Historical Society
 * 1966 - 2010 - FamilySearch record collection - How to Use this Collection
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death

 * 1903 - 1973 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry — index and images $
 * 1910 - 1942 McInnis Funeral Home Records, 1910-1942. Book available from the Brown County Historical Society
 * 1964 - 1998 (no images) - How to Use this Collection
 * 1977 - 1986  at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce

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

Libraries

 * Brownwood Public Library 600 Carnegie Brownwood, TX 76801 325-646-0155  website


 * Local History and Genealogy Library Includes DAR Genealogy Library across the street from the Courthouse 213 S. Broadway Brownwood, TX 76801 325-646-6006  information The library has the Brownwood newspapers on microfilm, City Directories from 1909, phone books, cemetery burial lists, Brown County Tax Rolls, District Court records, World War II records and newspaper clippings, and vital records. The libraries' Genealogy holdings are searchable in the Brown County Public Library catalog. Closed on weekends and Saturdays


 * Walker Memorial Library includes Burress Genealogy Library Howard Payne University 1000 Fisk St. Brownwood, TX 76801 325-649-8602 hours &amp; info Genealogy collections are listed in the library's catalog


 * Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints FamilySearch Center 4503 4th St. Brownwood, TX 76801

Societies
Pecan Valley Genealogical Society 213 S. Broadway Brownwood, TX 76801 Telephone Number: 325-646-6006

Brown County Historical Society Located in the Local History and Genealogy Library 213 S. Broadway PO Box 146 Brownwood, TX 76801-0146 Telephone Number: 325-646-8208

Brown County Historical Commission 305 North Fisk Avenue Brownwood, TX 76801 Telephone Number: 325-643-3322

Museums

 * Brown County Museum of History Located in the Old Jail, Downtown Brownwood P.O. Box 2006 Brownwood, TX 76804-2006 325-641-1926   website Also has an Annex located at 209 Broadway Street, across from the Jail.


 * Blanket Museum of History Located in the former Blanket State Bank building and the former Ernest Allen Drug Store building 712 Main Street Blanket, TX 76432  website

FamilySearch Centers

 * Cleburne Texas FamilySearch Center
 * San Angelo Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Stephenville Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Waco Texas FamilySearch Center


 * Brownwood Texas Genealogical Library - an affiliate library
 * Comanche Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Dublin Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Tom Green County Library - an affiliate library
 * Waco-McLennan County Library - an affiliate library

Websites

 * Brown County TXGenWeb
 * The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
 * TXGenweb Project