Bee County, Texas Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Barnard E. Bee, Sr., a secretary of state of the Republic of Texas. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903, marriage, probate and land records from 1858 and court from 1876; District has divorce records County Clerk

105 W. Corpus Christi St. Rm. 103 Beeville 78102 Phone: 361-362-3245 Fax: 361-362-3247

District Clerk

P.O. Box 666 Beeville 78104 Phone: 361-362-3242 Bee County Website

History

 * Family Histories of Bee County, Texas~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Historic Places of Bee County, Texas ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * History of Bee County, Texas ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Bee County Courthouse History - historictexas.net

Parent County
1857--Bee County was created 8 December 1857 from Goliad, Karnes, Live Oak, Refugio, and San Patricio Counties. County seat: Beeville

The county was named for Barnard E. Bee Sr., (1787-1854). Barnard E. Bee, attorney, soldier, and statesman, was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1787, the son of Thomas B. Bee, member of the Royal Privy Council in colonial South Carolina and of the Continental Congress, lieutenant governor of South Carolina, and justice of the United States Circuit Court of South Carolina during the administration of George Washington.

Boundary Changes
No boundary changes since the county's formation in 1857

Record Loss
1888-- The second Bee County Courthouse (old courthouse), used at the time as a Masonic Lodge, burned in May 1888, nine years after it had served its usefulness as a courthouse. No record loss, as the records were safely stored in the new Courthouse that had opened in 1879.

1911-- The third Bee County Courthouse, built in 1879, burned on January 15, 1911. Most of the county records were saved from the fire.

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
Goliad • Karnes  •  Live Oak  •  Refugio •  San Patricio

Resources

 * Local Resources of Bee County, Texas~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Volunteer look-ups of Bee County, Texas~ Bee County, TXGenWeb

African American

 * 1865 - 1870 Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870(images) - FamilySearch
 * Texas African American Griots ~  USGenWeb
 * AfriGeneas ~  African Ancestored Genealogy

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

Church

 * Texas Christian Church Directory~ ChurchAngel
 * Catholic Parishes in Texas

Court

 * County Records of Bee County Census, Land, Miscellaneous Records ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Land Deeds of Bee County Partial List of Land Deeds~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Miscellaneous Records-Probate Book "A"~ Complete List ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb

Land

 * Land Deeds of Bee County Partial List of Land Deeds~ Bee County, TXGenWeb

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1906 - 1989  — index and images

Local Histories

 * Bee County Centennial, 1858–1958, by Grace Bauer.
 * Historical Story of Bee County, Texas, 1973, by Camp Ezell. Read text version of this book online at beeville.net.
 * A History of Bee County, 1939, by Mrs. I. C. Madray.
 * History of Bee County, Texas, 1960, by Joseph Gustav Rountree.
 * Family Histories of Bee County, Texas~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Historic Places of Bee County, Texas ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * History of Bee County, Texas ~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Bee County History &amp; Photographs - HistoricTexas.net
 * Museums ~  List of all museums in Texas  ~  Hidden Ancestors

Maps

 * Historical Maps ~  From the Republic to the Turn of the Century  ~  Hidden Ancestors
 * Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the Texas Genweb site

Military

 * Veterans of Bee County, Texas~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Military Resources ~ Links to research Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * Fallen Heroes Partial Index of casualties from Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * Honoring Our Veterans ~ Partial index of veterans from Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors

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 ~ Texas State Library and Archives Commission

World War I

 * 1917-1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
Off-line Newspaper Information

Online Newspapers

Online Newspaper Abstracts

Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

Obituaries

 * Obituaries of Bee County, Texas~Partial Listing~ Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * Obituary Resources ~ Links to research and locate obituaries ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * USGenWeb Archives Obituary Project ~  Texas
 * Afrigeneas ~ African American death notices, obituaries and funeral programs compiled by users from current newspapers and historical sources
 * Obituary Depot ~ Texas Newspaper Citations
 * Obituary Project ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * Obituary Daily Times ~ (Ancestry) Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1800 – 1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records Ancestry.com (subscription)
 * 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Vital Records

 * Vital Records of Bee County, Texas~Partial Listing of Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce Records~ Bee County, TXGenWeb

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records
 * 1840 - 1981 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1903 - 1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
 * 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 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 - 2005 - Texas Marriage Records 1966 - 2005 Hidden Ancestors
 * 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 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1903 - 2000 Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000 (index) - FamilySearch
 * 1964 - 1998 Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 [no images]
 * Texas Deaths and Burials 1903 - 1973 (index) - FamilySearch
 * 1977 - 1986 at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce

 * 1850 - 1930 USGenWeb Census Project ~ Texas 1850 - 1930
 * 1968 - 2005 Texas Divorce Records 1968- 2005 Hidden Ancestors
 * 1968 -2010 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $

Societies and Libraries
South Texas Genealogical Society, Inc. PO Box 754 Beeville, TX 78104-0754 website

Joe Barnhart Bee County Library 110 W Corpus Christi St Beeville, TX 78102 Telephone Number: 361-362-4901 Website

Family History Centers

 * Beeville Texas Family History Center


 * Society Hill ~  Links and addresses to Texas genealogical and historical societies

Websites

 * Bee County, TXGenWeb
 * TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
 * Bee County USGenWeb Archives Project. Name indexes and other information.
 * The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
 * Cyndi's List ~ Texas