Ector County, Texas Genealogy

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

Texas Online Genealogy Records

Description
The county was named for Mathew Ector, a Confederate general in the American Civil War. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Ector County Courthouse 300 N Grant Avenue; Odessa, TX 79761 Phone: 915.335.3030

County Clerk has birth, marriage, death, burial, probate, court and land records from 1896; District Clerk has divorce records

County Clerk

P.O. Box 707 Odessa 79760 Phone: 432-498-4130 Fax: 432-498-4177

District Clerk

300 North Grant, Rm 301 Odessa 79761 Phone:

Ector County has had two courthouses. The old red brick courthouse, built in 1904, was torn down in 1938, when the new Art Deco style courthouse opened. In 1964 a new courthouse was built around the 1938 courthouse, changing the look of the courthouse.

Inventory of County Records, Ector County Courthouse, 1973, edited by Carolyn Trigg. Read the book online at The Portal to Texas History.

Parent County
1887--Ector County was created 26 February 1887 from Tom Green County.
 * County seat: Odessa

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

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
Andrews •  Crane  •  Midland  •  Upton  •  Ward  •  Winkler

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

Church
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1906-1989 — index and images

Maps

 * 1890 Ector County 1890 Land Office Map from the Portal to Texas History.
 * 1901 Ector County from Historic Map Works.
 * 1940 Ector County Highway Map from the Texas State Library Archives Commission.
 * 1961 Ector County Highway Map from the Texas State Library Archives Commission.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military

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

Mexican-American War

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

Civil War
Online Records
 * 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

 * Odessa American Newspaper
 * Odessa American Statesman archives, 1957-61, 1968-73, and 1976-77, at ancestry.com $
 * Obituaries from the Acres West Funeral Chapel -- includes obits from 2008-present
 * 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 $
 * 1891-1949 Ector County Index to Probates from the Ector County TXGenWeb site.

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


 * 1873-1900 Ector County Births compiled from World War I Draft Registrations. From the TXGenWeb archives.
 * 1903-1935 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Marriages
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * 1802-2010 Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1802-2010 Texas, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 Texas Marriage Collection 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 at Ancestry — index $
 * Mar 1941 - Jun 1942 Ector County Marriage Records transcribed from the County of Ector Marriage Book No. 3 from the Permian Basin Genealogical Society.
 * 1966-2010 at FamilySearch
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index

Deaths

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

Divorce

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

Societies and Libraries
Permian Basin Genealogical Society c/o Ector County Library 622 North Lee Odessa, TX 79761 website

Ector County Public Library Southwest Genealogy Section - 2nd Floor 321 West 5th Street Odessa, Texas 79761 Telephone Number: 432-332-0633 website

FamilySearch Centers

 * Big Spring Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Midland Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Odessa Texas FamilySearch Center


 * Midland Centennial Public Library - an affiliate library

Websites

 * Ector County Texas TXGenWeb site history, photos, cemeteries and more.
 * OdessaHistory.com
 * The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.