Dickens County, Texas Genealogy

Guide to Dickens 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 J. Dickens, who died at the Battle of the Alamo. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Dickens County Courthouse PO Box 179 Dickens, TX 79229 Phone: 806.623.5531

County Clerk has birth, marriage, death, burial, divorce, probate and land records form 1891

History of Courthouse

Dickens County Courthouse P.O. Box 120 Dickens, Texas 79229 Phone: 806-623-5531 County Clerk P.O. Box 120 Dickens, Texas 79229 Phone: 806-623-5531 District Clerk P.O. Box 120 Dickens, Texas 79229 Phone: 806-623-5531

Dickens County Jail

History
DICKENS is centrally located in DICKENS COUNTY, eight miles below the escarpment of the Llano Estacado (below the Caprock). It was a ranch supply point for an area where the first settlements were dugouts used as cowboy line camps for the Spur, Pitchfork, and Matador Ranches. In 1886 there was a camp near the present townsite and by 1889 Dickens was settled. The town became the county seat shortly after the county was organized and by 1893 had a post office, wagon yard, hotel, courthouse, saloon, blacksmith shop and a barber shop. The school was in a dugout on the courthouse square. Preaching was also held in the dugout.

In 1890 the county had a population of 195 and most of the people lived in and around Dickens. Soon after 1900, Dickens had a population of 600, the most it has ever had. There was a decline before World War II but when the boys came back home the town took a new growth with the building of new homes and businesses. This lasted for a few years with another downward surge following. In 1964 the town was voted wet and a new upward surge began with a population of 430. Highway 82 runs through the center of Dickens and has helped the town's businesses do well. As of 1997 the town shows another decline with population around 325.

Parent County
Dickens County was formed from Bexar, Young, Baylor and Crosby Territories. Created August 21, 1876 and organized February 9, 1891 from Crosby County. Named in honor of J. Dickens, who died in the siege of the Alamo.

Espuela was the first County seat temporarily from April 2, 1891 to March 17, 1892. Dickens became the County seat from March 17, 1892 to present.

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

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:

Ghost Towns
Draper | Espuela | Gilpin | Glenn

Neighboring Counties
Cottle •  Crosby  •  Floyd  •  Garza  •  Kent  •  King  •  Motley  •  Stonewall

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

Churches
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Bethel Baptist Church, 519 N. Williams, Spur
 * Church of Christ W. Hwy 70, Spur
 * Church of Christ E. Hwy 70, Spur
 * Community Bible Chapel 209 E. Third, Spur
 * Dickens Baptist Church, 1022 Fourth, Dickens
 * Dickens Bible Church of the Nazarene, Afton
 * First Assembly of God Church, third and Cowan, Spur
 * First Baptist Church 120 W. Second, Spur
 * First Christian Church, 610 N. Burlington, Spur
 * First United Methodist Church, 528 N. Burlington, Spur
 * Independent Christian Churches, 507 N. Willard, Spur
 * Lakeside Baptist Church, S. Parker, Spur
 * St. Mary's Catholic Church, E. Sixth, Spur
 * FamilySearch Places

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1906-1989 — index and images

Local Histories

 * A History of Dickens County by Fred Arrington 1971
 * Dickens County, Its Land and People by Dickens County Historical Commission 1986
 * The Spurs, W.J. "Scotch Bill" Elliott published by The Spur Newspaper, 1939. Stories of the ranch land of the Spur Headquarters Ranch and Espuela Land and Cattle Company.
 * Surnames of Dickens County

Maps

 * Maps of Dickens County
 * Afton, Texas
 * Dickens, Texas
 * McAdoo, Texas
 * Spur, Texas
 * 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.com — index and images $
 * Veterans of Dickens County
 * Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice

Mexican-American War

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

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Civil War Veterans
 * Biographies of Civil War Veterans

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Clippings from old Newspapers
 * The Texas Spur
 * Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History

Obituaries

 * Burial list with Obituaries

Probate
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1800 – 1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Taxation

 * 1846-1910 Texas, County Tax Rolls 1846-1910 at findmypast ($) — index and images


 * Taxes, Wills and probate (subscription)

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * 1840 - 1981 — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1935 (images and index) - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903 - 1997 (index only) - 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 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1837 - 1965 - — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837 - 1973 - — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837 - 1977 - — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837-1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1966 - 2010 - FamilySearch record collection - How to Use this Collection
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * 1890-1976 with images - How to Use this Collection 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 — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1903-1982 Texas Death Certificates at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1964-1984 Death Records in Dickens County Archives - TXGenWeb Project
 * 1964 - 1998 (no images) - How to Use this Collection Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
 * 1977 - 1986 — index - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * 1968-2005 Texas Divorce Records (index) Hidden Ancestors
 * 1968 - 2010 — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1968-2011 Texas Divorces at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index

Societies and Libraries
Dickens County Public Library 401 Burlington Spur, Texas Website

Dickens County Historical Commission Website

Websites

 * Dicken County TXGenWeb
 * USGenWeb project - May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.