Crosby County, Texas
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Crosby County Facts

Crosby County was created in 1876 and formed from Bexar and Young Territories. Crosby County was named for Stephen Crosby, a land commissioner. The County Seat is Crosbyton. The Official County website is located at http://www.co.crosby.tx.us. The Crosby County courthouse was built in 1914 of concrete and brick in Texas Renaissance style. It was designed by M.H. Waller & Co. and built by Texas S. Goodrum for $38,000.

Historical Marker Text: Crosby County, created in 1876 and organized 1886, had its first county seat at Estacado (founded 1879 by a colony of Quakers). It was on a mail and stage road, in the northeast corner of the county. Freight hauling of materials was slow. County offices were in dugouts, shacks and wagons for two years, until the first courthouse could be completed in 1888. The second county seat was established in 1890 at Emma (named for the fiancé of R. L. Stringfellow, one of the town's promoters), nine miles west of here. The courthouse at Estacado was taken down, moved and rebuilt at cost of $3,000. It served 20 years. When the Crosbyton-South Plains Railroad was built in 1910, Emma was four miles off its route. Crosbyton won an election as the new county seat, and Julian Bassett (one of the founders of Crosbyton) donated a site for the courthouse. The county court met in the schoolhouse until the building of the present courthouse and jail in 1914. County judge at that time was Pink Parrish. Commissioners were John K. Fullingim, W. E. McLaughlin, J. A. Noble and R. M. Wheeler. This commemoration is by the 1965 Commissioners Court. County judge, Cecil Berry; Commissioners: Leilan Caddell, Curt Hendrick, Jack Henry, W. C. Odom. 1966

Areas adjacent to Crosby County are Floyd County (north), Dickens County (east), Garza County (south), Lubbock County (west)

See also Extended History for more historical details.

• Crosby County, Texas History Books at Amazon.com
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
• Search Historical Newspapers from Texas (1802 - 1993) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
• Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
• Search Texas Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

Crosby County Court Records

See Also Texas Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Crosby County Clerk has Court Records from 1887, Land Records from 1887, Probate Records from 1887, Marriage Records from 1887 and Birth/Death Records from 1903 is located at P.O. Box 218, Crosbyton, TX 79322-0218; (806) 675-2334 .

The County Clerk's Office is the record keeper of the county. The county records include birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, brand registrations, DD214s (military discharges), land / real estate / property records, probate and civil filings.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, Texas Deaths, 1964-98, Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 & 1966-2002, and Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2002. You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which does cover Texas. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Below is a list of online resources for Crosby County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Crosby County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
• Crosby County, Texas Court Books at Amazon.com
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which covers the State of Texas. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.

Crosby County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Texas

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Texas Department of State Health Services, 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756; (888) 963-7111 or (512) 458-7111; Fax: (512) 458-7711. Please allow up to approximately 6-8 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail, or 2-5 Days when you order through VitalChek Express Certificate Services. The Vital Records Department has the following records:

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• Birth Certificates: Birth records maintained by Bureau of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health since 1903 through the present. For births that occurred within the past 75 years, copies can be requested only by the immediate family of the person whose name is on the birth certificate. Cost: The cost of a birth record is $22.00. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $22.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
• Death Certificates: Death records maintained by Bureau of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health since 1903 through the present. For deaths that occurred in the past 25 years, copies can be requested only by immediate family members of the deceased. Cost: The cost of a certified death certificate is $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy issued at the same time for the same certificate. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $20.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
• Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage Verifications from Jan 1966 and Divorce Verifications from Jan 1968. Certified copies of marriage licenses or divorce decrees are only available from the county clerk (marriage) or district clerk (divorce) in the county or district in which the event occurred. Marriage verification or divorce verification letters can now be ordered Online. Cost is $20 - Fee is for verification only.

ORDERING

• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
• Order In Person: The certificates may be ordered by coming into this office.   If you want the copy the same day, our hours for same day service are 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Monday – Friday. The Texas Vital Statistics Office in Austin is located at 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756.
• Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "Texas Vital Records " along with the necessary information to the following address: Texas Vital Records, Department of State Health Services, PO Box 12040. Print Aplication for Birth Certificates, Death Certificates and Marriage & Divorce Certificates.

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There are a few online marriage databases which include: Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, Texas Deaths, 1964-98, Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 & 1966-2002, and Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2002. Below is a list of online resources for Crosby County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Crosby County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Texas newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-10, 1926-29 - Browse by county, then year, then surname, beginning with the first letters of the last name of the person you seek. If you're unsure of the year or location, use the search box under the browse menu. These records can be searched by father's first and last names, mother's first and maiden names, year, county, and city. The certificates include the child and parents' full names, residence, occupations, age, time and date of the birth, and the name of the physician attending the birth.
• Texas Death Certificates, 1890-1976 - These records are searchable by first and last name of the deceased, year, county, and city. A certificate may include the decedent's date, place, and cause of death; age; date of birth; last residence; and marital status. If known, it will also include occupation, birth place, parents' names, and place of burial. Browse by county, then year, then surname, beginning with the first letters of the last name of the person you seek. If unsure of the year or location, use the search box under the browse menu.
• Crosby County, Texas Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

Crosby County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Texas

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

  Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Crosby County, Texas are 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.

The Texas State Library holds microfilm editions for all of Texas' federal censuses. Although the 1850, 1860, and part of the 1870 mortality schedules have been published, all the original mortality schedules are at the Texas State Library and on microfilm The 1830 territorial census of Miller County, Arkansas, enumerates an area that is in today's Texas boundaries. The remaining 1890 population schedules which exist for Texas include: Ellis County (Justice Precinct 6, Mountain Peak, and Ovilla Precinct); Hood County (Precinct 5); Rusk County (No. 6 and Justice Precinct No. 7); Trinity County (town of Trinity and Justice Precinct 2); and Kaufman County (Kaufman). Although Greer County in present-day Oklahoma functioned as part of Texas between 1886 and 1896, the 1890 census for this county was enumerated under Oklahoma Territory.

Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Crosby County, Texas are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

Below is a list of online resources for Crosby County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Crosby County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Crosby County, Texas Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

Crosby County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Arkansas and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Texas showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Texas showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps.

Below is a list of online resources for Crosby County Maps. Email us with websites containing Crosby County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Texas General Land Office Map Collection
• Crosby County, Texas Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

Crosby County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Texas

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Crosby County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Crosby County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Texas Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
• National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
• Texas Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
• National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Texas (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Texas (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Texas (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Texas units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
• Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of Texas (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
• Crosby County, Texas Military Books at Amazon.com
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

Crosby County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Texas tax records constitute one of the most complete sets of available records generated at the county level (by the Commissioners Court) because these documents are maintained by the state. These lists may only include approximately sixty percent of eligible males over the age of twenty-one. Persons exempted from taxes included native Americans, "idiots," "incompetents," and those exempted because of age. This final category of exemptions varied over time. Years without an older age exemption were 1840 and 1862-70. Between 1841-44 exemptions began at forty-five years; in 1845 and from 1850-61 the upward age was set at fifty years. In 1837, 1848, and 1849 the limit was established as fifty-five, and in 1846-7, and 1871 the upward limit was set at sixty years.

Texas Ad Valorem (poll, personal, and real property) tax records for 1836 through 1976 are available in microfilm at the Texas State Library from the date of respective county organization; these are arranged by county and date and are somewhat alphabetized within each division. Microfilm copies are housed in the Genealogy Section. Tax lists for the various counties from creation to 1901 may be borrowed through interlibrary loan. Tax records through 1901-1947 are readily accessible, but not on interlibrary loan. Those for 1948 through 1976 can be obtained upon request. 

Below is a list of online resources for Crosby County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Crosby County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Crosby County, Texas Tax Books at Amazon.com

Crosby County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Texas Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Crosby County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Crosby County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Crosby County Museum
• Crosby County Historical Society, 101 Main Street, Crosbyton 79322
• Texas State Library and Archives Commission, P.O. Box 12927, Austin, TX 78711-2927
  Holdings under the auspices of the Texas State Library are divided. Most important for genealogical research are the Texas State Archives with its Local Records Department, the Records Management Division, and the Information Services Division, which includes a Genealogy Section and a Reference Department.
  The Genealogy Section maintains vertical ties that contain notes, clippings, pamphlets, and correspondence on Texas families. These files may be accessed in person, by phone (512-463-5463, forty-five minute limit), or through correspondence.
• Texas Genealogical Society, 2505 Beluche Drive, Galveston 77551
• Texas Historical Commision
  The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is the state agency for historic preservation. THC staff consults with citizens and organizations to preserve Texas' architectural, archeological and cultural landmarks. The agency is recognized nationally for its preservation programs.
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
• Texas Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Crosby County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Texas

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Crosby County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Crosby County Tombstone Transcription Project.

During Texas's colonization period Roman Catholics were the most numerous, but early citizens included those representing other religious faiths such as Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Christian or Disciples of Christ.

Many cemetery records have been collected and transcribed, including the largest of which is multi-volumes compilation by the DAR and two volumes for Peters Colonists and descendants. The DAR collection, also microfilmed, is available at the Texas State Library and through the FHL.

Some Texas county historical and genealogical societies have published local cemetery and/funeral home records. These are normally available for purchase through the respective society. Two references can help determine which cemeteries have been recorded: Kim Parsons', A Reference to Texas Cemetery Records (Humble, Tex.: by author, 1988), arranged by county; and Sharry Crofford-Gould's, Texas Cemetery Inscriptions: A Source Index (San Antonio, Tex.: Limited Editions, 1977).

Below is a list of online resources for Crosby County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Crosby County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Texas obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Texas newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Texas.
• Crosby County, Texas Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Crosby County, Texas Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Crosby County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Crosby County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local Texas Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Texas Researcher!
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Crosby County ] [ Texas ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• The Texas Family Group Sheet Project
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
• Crosby County, Texas Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

 

Artifacts dating back 13,000 years to the early Paleolithic era have been discovered in Crosby County. Flint-pointed darts used with the atlatl (a type of spear-thrower) have been found and identified as Clovis, Eden, Agate Basin, Angostura, Folsom, Plainview, Meserve, Scottsbluff, and Sandia points. The darts were used to hunt the mammoth, mastodon, saber-toothed tiger, and giant ground sloth, all of which disappeared some 8,000 years ago. The early people of the area were rovers who hunted and gathered plants and differed from neighboring peoples in weapons and tools. In more modern times the area of Crosby County was inhabited by the Comanches, mounted hunters and warriors who dominated much of the South Plains in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries until their buffalo-based culture gave way to settlers and superior technology.

United States Army forces commanded by Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie fought the Comanches at the battle of Blanco Canyon in the future county in 1871. The campaign established what became known as the Mackenzie Trail, used by the first settlers in Crosby County in the late 1870s. From 1874 to 1877 buffalo hunters entered the area, where they took part in the slaughter that exterminated the great buffalo herds. The hunts marked the end of an era. In 1876 the Texas legislature formed Crosby County from lands previously attached to the Young and Bexar districts.

The first permanent settler in the area was Henry Clay Smith, who arrived in 1878 and hauled lumber by ox team from Fort Worth to build his "Rock House" in Blanco Canyon; Smith set up a small cattle ranch. In 1879 Paris Cox established a Quaker colony at Marietta on thirty-two sections purchased from the state for twenty-five cents an acre. Ample underground water supported the efforts of the Religious Society of Friends, and Cox helped early settlers by planting corn, oats, sorghum, melons, and vegetables. In 1880 the census counted eighty-two people living in the county, including one black. Only two farms had been established in the county by that time.

The Quaker colony flourished for a while as a cultural and economic center and attracted merchants and settlers; in 1882 the colony established one of the first schools on the high plains. Crosby County was formally organized after elections held in 1886, with Estacado (the new name of the town formerly called Marietta) designated as the county seat. Open-range grazing continued until the mid-1880s, when barbed wire was introduced and small ranchers and farmers began competing for the land. By 1890 the population of the county was 345. As more settlers moved in to establish farms and ranches, the influence of the Quakers declined and the religious orientation of the community was lost. In 1891 Emma became the seat of government. Until the early twentieth century, the county remained dominated by such large ranches as the St. Louis Cattle Company, the Two-Buckle Ranch, the C. B. Livestock Company (founded in 1901) and smaller spreads. Thanks to plentiful grass and sufficient water holes, and despite the lack of rail transportation in early days, the beef-cattle industry thrived. In 1900, 30,618 cattle were counted in Crosby County, and in 1910 holdings were about the same.

The transition from the era of the giant cattle ranch to one of mixed farming and ranching accelerated during the early twentieth century, when many farmers moved into the area to grow cotton. Only 103 acres was devoted to cotton culture in 1900 and only 324 in 1910. Gins were built at Emma in 1908 and at Lorenzo in 1914, and by 1920 more than 45,400 acres in the county was planted in cotton. The arrival of railroads helped to stimulate economic development between 1905 and 1930, and railroad expansion into the county was closely connected to efforts to subdivide and sell old ranchlands to new farmers. In 1908 the Bar-N-Bar Ranch began selling acreage to farmers. Between 1909 and 1911 the Stamford and Northwestern and the Santa Fe railroads laid tracks into the region, but bypassed Crosby County. In 1910 local investors, including the C. B. Livestock Company, which owned 80,000 acres in the county, raised $75,000 to induce the Crosbyton-South Plains and the Santa Fe to build forty miles of track between Lubbock and Crosbyton. Owners of the C. B. Company hoped to use the new railroad connection to help them sell plots of land in the new settlements they planned to establish at eight-mile intervals between Crosbyton and Lubbock. The towns of Cedric, Lorenzo, and Idalou (the last in Lubbock County) were founded as a result. Emma, the county seat, faded away after the railroad was routed five miles to the north of the town. In 1910 Crosbyton became the new county seat. As development proceeded, the population of the county grew. As late as 1910 only 1,765 people lived in Crosby County, but in 1920 the census counted 6,084 residents.

Farming continued to develop rapidly in the county throughout the 1920s, as the number of farms increased to 1,114 in 1924 and to 1,739 in 1929. In 1924 cotton was planted on more than 81,200 acres in the county, and by 1929 more than 133,467 acres was devoted to the fiber. As more farmers acquired land from the breakup of large ranches, sorghum and wheat cultureq also expanded, and some farmers began fruit production as well. By 1920 more than 15,000 fruit trees were growing in the county, producing mostly apples and peaches (see FRUITS OTHER THAN CITRUS). Poultry production also became a significant part of the local economy during this time; by 1929 farmers in the county owned almost 83,000 chickens, and that year sold more than 395,000 dozen eggs. Meanwhile, livestock continued to be important. Almost 15,000 cattle were counted in Crosby County in 1920, and more than 15,556 in 1929. The county's population figures reflected this farming expansion. By 1930, 11,023 people lived in Crosby County.

The county was hit hard during the 1930s by the Great Depression and Dust Bowl.q Cotton production plunged, especially during the drought of 1933-34, and the county lost 451 farms between 1930 and 1940. On the eve of World War II, only 1,288 farms remained in Crosby County, and the population of the county had dropped to 10,046. Federal control programs and the market needs of the war resulted in a general diversification of crop and livestock production, though cotton continued to be an important crop. Soil-conservation projects were another result of lessons learned during the Dust Bowl. The first soil-conservation district in the county was formed in 1941 to assist in crop rotation, soil building, irrigation, mesquite eradication, and terrace building. The mechanization of farms, which had begun in the 1930s, also helped to stimulate new crop production. Machinery was too expensive for most small farmers, however, and its utilization was one significant reason for the demise of family farms that became obvious in Crosby County by the late 1950s and continued afterwards.

For most of the period since World War II the population of Crosby County has slowly declined. It grew from 9,582 in 1950 to 10,347 in 1960. It dropped, however, to 9,085 in 1970, 8,859 in 1980, and 7,304 in 1990. The discovery of oil in the county in 1955 helped to stabilize and diversify the economy. Oil production was about 41,000 barrels in 1956, 113,300 in 1960, 267,700 in 1978, and 734,300 in 1990. By 1991 more than 14,122,000 barrels of oil had been produced in the county since 1955. Crosby County voters have supported Democratic presidential candidates for most of the county's history. Between 1888 and 1992 they voted for Republicans in national elections only three times, in 1928, 1972, and 1984. In 1990 the economic base of the county appeared stable, with truck farming and oil production contributing significantly. Communities included Ralls, Lorenzo, Farmer, Kalgary, Owens, Robertson, and Wake. In 1992 Crosbyton, the county seat and largest town, had a population of 2,026. For residents and tourists the county offers such attractions as White River Reservoir, Silver Falls,q and Blanco Canyon.