User:RogersBA/Sandbox TX 253

Guide to Zapata County, Texas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The County was named for Colonel Jose Antonio de Zapata, a rancher in the area who rebelled against Mexico. The County is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Zapata County has had four courthouses. The first was built in 1874, the second in 1901, the third in 1953. The current courthouse was completed in 2005. Zapata County Courthouse County Clerk 200 E. 7th Ave. Ste. 138 Zapata, TX 78076 Phone: 956-765-9915 District Clerk 200 E. 7th Ave. Ste. 119 Zapata, TX 78076 Phone: 956-765-9930 Fax: 956-765-9931 Justice of the Peace As of 2019 there are four different precincts for the Justice of the Peace. A list can be found on their website.
 * County Clerk : birth records 1870s-1930s, marriage and land records from 1800s, probate and court records from 1900s
 * District Clerk : divorce records
 * Justice of Peace : births from 1930s, deaths

Populated Places
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog



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:

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Sources
 * Texas Historic Cemeteries at Partial indexes to historic cemeteries

Census Records

 * 1850-1930 USGenWeb Census Project Texas1850 - 1930


 * See also Using the Census to find other records about ancestors

Church Records

 * Catholic Parishes in Texas
 * Lopeno Church
 * Texas Christian Church Directory at ChurchAngel
 * Catholic Parishes in Texas

 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
 African Americans
 * 1865-1870 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only

Local Histories
1750 and 1848-- Spanish settlers arrived in 1750. The Texas claim to this land was assured under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.


 * Texas' Last Frontier: A Brief History of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, 1917, by Frank Cushman Pierce.
 * Zapata County Roots Revisited, 1990 by Jean Y. Fish.
 * Zapata County Centennial Celebration, 1858–1958, published in 1958, by the Zapata County Centennial Commission.
 * Falcon Dam and the Lost Towns of Zapata, 1971 by Patsy Jeanne Byfield.
 * Zapata County History from the Handbook of Texas Online

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Zapata County Maps
 * Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the Texas Genweb site
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 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 — How to Use this Collection; Index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images at partner site
 * Confederate Pension Applications at Texas State Library and Archives Commission
 * 1890 Union Veteran Schedule for Zapata County

 World War I
 * 1917-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Newspapers

 * w3newspapers-Texas Newspaper Index with links
 * Newslink-Texas Newspaper List (sorted by publication frequency)
 * The Olden Times - Historic Texas News Online
 * Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History

Obituaries

 * USGenWeb Archives Obituary Project - Texas
 * Obituary Daily Times - Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function at Ancestry ($).

Probate Records

 * 1800-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * 1800-2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records at Ancestry ($)

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

Tax Records

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

Birth

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

Marriage

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

Death

 * 1890-1976 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1903-1973 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1903-1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1903-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1964-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1977-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Divorce

 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 1968-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1968-2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry — index ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Azle Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Decatur Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Weatherford Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Graham Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Mineral Wells Texas FamilySearch Center
 * Fort Worth Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Grapevine Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Southlake Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies

 * Southwest Texas Genealogical Society PO Box 295 Uvalde 78802 [Southwest Texas Genealogical Society Website]
 * Zapata County Historical Commission Box 6305 Zapata, TX 78076

Websites

 * Zapata TX GenWeb part of TXGenWeb
 * Zapata USGWArchives part of USGWArchives Texas Counties
 * Frontier Times Magazine
 * Historic Texas
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.