Hays County, Texas
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Hays County Facts

Hays County was created in March 1, 1848 and formed from Travis County. Hays County was named for John Coffee Hays, a leading Texas Ranger and Mexican-American War officer. The County Seat is San Marcos. The Official County website is located at http://www.co.hays.tx.us. See also Extended History for more historical details.

Areas adjacent to Hays County are Travis County (northeast), Caldwell County (southeast), Guadalupe County (south), Comal County (southwest), Blanco County (northwest)

When Hays County originated in 1848, its one public building was a log church-schoolhouse that had to serve as the courthouse, along with its other uses. Although the San Marcos townsite, platted in 1851, contained a court square donated to the county, the forfeiture of a $2,000.00 criminal bond later gave the county funds for building, and in 1861 officials employed contractor C. F. Millett to erect on the Square a 36 x 40-foot, 2-story frame courthouse with a hearing room, jury rooms, and 4 offices. That pine building burned in 1868, and county officials operated from rented quarters until a courthouse of soft, locally quarried limestone was completed in 1871. Damaged by earth shiftings, that 2-story, 45 x 53-foot building was razed (1881) and replaced by a 50 x 60-foot, 2-story building of harder limestone designed by F. e. Ruffini, architect for University of Texas buildings and for courthouses in several other counties. After that 1882-83 structure lost its top story in a fire on Feb. 28, 1908, it also was razed. The fourth and present courthouse, in eclectic style, was designed by C. H. Page & Brother, of Austin. Completed and accepted by the county court on Dec. 13, 1909, it has had interior alterations; it was restored in 1972.

• Hays 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....

Hays 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.

Hays County Clerk has Court Records from 1850, Land Records from 1848 , Probate Records from 1848, Marriage Records from 1848 and Birth/Death Records from 1903 is located at 137 N. Guadalupe, San Marcos, TX 78666; Telephone: (512) 396-2601 .

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 Hays County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Hays County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
• Hays 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.

Hays 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:

---

• 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.

---

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 Hays County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Hays 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.
• Hays 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.

Hays 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 Hays County, Texas are 1850, 1860, 1870, 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 Hays County, Texas are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 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 Hays County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Hays County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Hays 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.

Hays 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 Hays County Maps. Email us with websites containing Hays County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Texas General Land Office Map Collection
• Hays 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.

Hays 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 Hays County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Hays 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.
• Hays 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.

Hays 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 Hays County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Hays County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Hays County, Texas Tax Books at Amazon.com

Hays 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 Hays County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Hays County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Hays County Gen. Society, P.O. Box 503, San Marcos 78666
• Heritage Association of San Marcos, P.O. Box 1806, San Marcos, TX 78666
• San Marcos/hays County Genealogy Society, P.O. Box 503, San Marcos 78667
• 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

Hays 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 Hays County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Hays 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 Hays County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Hays 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.
• Hays County, Texas Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Hays 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 Hays County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Hays 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: [ Hays 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.
• Hays County, Texas Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

 

The many springs in the area that is now Hays County have attracted numerous visitors. Archeological findings indicate the presence of Paleo-Indian people near San Marcos Springs at least 8,000 years ago, and excavations at the Timmeron Site, west of Wimberley, reveal that Tonkawa Indians practiced farming in the area around A.D. 1200. During the Spanish period the region lay at the edge of the main route from San Antonio to East Texas, the Old San Antonio Road. In 1691 Domingo Terán de los Ríos crossed the southern edge of the county on his way to the East Texas missions and the Red River. The Espinosa-Olivares-Aguirre expedition explored the upper San Marcos River in 1709, and Louis Juchereau de St. Denis was attacked by Apaches in 1714 at the San Marcos River crossing. A mission to be called San Marcos was authorized in 1729 near the site of present San Marcos, but the authorization was later rescinded in favor of San Antonio. San Xavier Mission and San Francisco Xavier Presidio were located briefly at the site in 1755-56, but no permanent settlement was attempted until 1807, when some eighty persons were moved to the Old San Antonio Road crossing of the San Marcos River. San Marcos de Neve, one of a chain of defense settlements, was abandoned four years later, after flooding and attacks by Comanche and Tonkawa Indians. To encourage settlement after the Mexican War for Independence, the government of Coahuila and Texas issued land grants in the county to Juan Martín Veramendi in 1831, Juan Vicente Campos in 1832, and Thomas Jefferson Chambers in 1834. The first Anglo-American settler in Hays County, Thomas G. McGehee, was issued a league of land in 1835 by the Mexican government and was farming north of the site of present San Marcos in 1846.

On March 1, 1848, the state legislature formed Hays County from territory formerly part of Travis County. William W. Moon, Eli T. Merriman,q and Mike Sessom, original settlers and members of John Coffee Hays's company of Texas Rangers, worked with Gen. Edward Burleson, a member of the Texas Senate, to have the new county named for Hays. County organization and the designation of San Marcos as county seat gave impetus to settlement; the population grew from 387 in 1850 to 2,126 in 1860. The county shrank slightly on February 12, 1858, when it lost acreage to the new Blanco County and gained a portion of Comal County. On January 10, 1862, the legislature again transferred another small area to Blanco County. Boundaries remained stable for nearly a century, until resurvey of the Hays-Travis county line in 1955 added over 16,000 acres to Hays County.

A stage line from Austin to San Antonio crossed the county in 1848, the year that Edward Burleson built the first sawmill. W. A. Thompson built the first cotton gin in the early 1850s, and between 1855 and 1885 Ezekiel Nance built and operated five gins, five gristmills, a sawmill, a shingle mill, and a beef packery. Alfred B. F. Kerr organized the first church in Hays County in 1847, and a school was built at San Marcos in 1849. Another school was opened at Snake Lake in 1851, and John D. Pitts built a school in Stringtown before 1860. Johnson Institute, founded in 1852 by Thomas Jefferson Johnson, drew students from a large area of Central Texas until it closed in 1872.

The early settlers of Hays County were a mix of old Texans and Georgia and Arkansas immigrants. With the coming of the Civil War a majority of the residents favored secession. Col. Peter C. Woods's Thirty-sixth Texas Cavalry regiment was organized at Camp Clark, in neighboring Guadalupe County, in 1862; Company A was primarily made up of Hays County men. During the war county beef helped to feed Confederate forces. Shortly after the war's end Col. George F. Snyder, a Georgian, established the first newspaper in Hays County, the Pioneer. During Reconstruction a Ku Klux Klan group was formed, and in May 1876 a military organization, the San Marcos Greys, was formed.

George Neill drove the first herd of cattle from Hays County to Kansas in 1867, and other drives followed. Farming also became more profitable in the eastern part of the county and helped encourage a fresh influx of settlers. By 1878 the county was out of debt, several new communities had been organized, and schools had grown in number to match the increased population. Coronal Institute was founded in 1866 and the San Marcos public school system in 1870. Southwest Texas Normal School was authorized at the turn of the century and opened in 1903 as a teacher-training institution; it became Southwest Texas State University in 1969. San Marcos Baptist Academy was established in 1907.

In 1880 the first Hays County rail line, built by the International-Great Northern Railroad, was completed to San Marcos from Austin; it later extended to San Antonio. Another population boom followed the railroad. The county population nearly doubled, from 7,555 in 1880 to 14,142 in 1900, and then remained virtually unchanged for the next fifty years, despite the influences of World War I and the depression of the 1930s. Even the economic stimulus of World War II had only momentary effect. Hays County remained predominantly agricultural; almost 90 percent of the mid-1960s farm income came from livestock. Not until the establishment of the Gary Job Corps Training Center on the site of the former Gary Air Force Base in 1964 and the growth of enrollment at the university in San Marcos did Hays County begin a period of steady growth-from 19,934 in 1960 to 27,642 in 1970, 40,594 in 1980, and 65,614 in 1990. Although agriculture remained significant in county economics, nonagricultural income, primarily at the educational and training facilities, played an even larger role. The 1979 per-capita income of $6,009, however, remained well below the state average of $8,778.

The ethnic and racial composition of Hays County is difficult to document with precision, but certain broad features emerge from the county's census history. One discernible trend is a slow but consistent proportional decrease of African Americans in the county. Slaves were a primary source of labor in the county's early history, and blacks constituted more than a third of the county population by the end of antebellum Texas. Just twenty years after the onset of the Civil War, however, fewer than 20 percent of the residents were black. The decrease slowed briefly during the Great Depression, but by 1950 the black population had dropped to less than 10 percent, and by the 1980 census it amounted to less than 3 percent. There is still less data regarding another major ethnic group in the county, Mexican Americans. The few available figures suggest that Hispanics have constituted roughly a third of the population since 1930. The most reliable information, that from the 1980 and 1990 censuses, shows Hispanic-surnamed residents as 30.5 percent and 27.8 percent, respectively, of the population.

The political history of Hays County nearly mirrors that of the state as a whole. With the exception of the 1956 election, when the county returned to Democratic ranks while the majority of Texans voted for the Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower's reelection, Hays County has consistently voted with the statewide majority. In the mid-1850s the American (Know-Nothing) party registered unusual strength in the county and came within two votes of capturing a majority of the 1856 county vote for president. Thereafter, Hays County remained in the Democratic column until 1928, when Herbert Hoover carried the state. Except for Eisenhower's 1952 victory, the county did not vote Republican again until the Nixon-McGovern contest in 1972. Republican victories in the 1972, 1980, 1984, and 1988 presidential elections may indicate that the traditional Democratic majority in Hays County is in jeopardy, though the county went for William J. Clinton in 1992.

Since early in the century, Hays County has enjoyed a steady influx of tourists attracted by the caves, springs, and spas of Wimberley and San Marcos. Aquarena Springs and Wonder Caveq are particularly well known. Camp Ben McCulloch, near Driftwood, was organized in 1896 as a site for reunions of the United Confederate Veterans; their descendents continue the annual tradition. More recently, the county caught the attention of environmentalists. Ezell Cave, a watery cavern in San Marcos, is the habitat of several rare animal species, including the Texas blind salamander, and six of the ten known varieties of aquatic cave fauna are found only in this cave and its underground waters. The only known habitat of the San Marcos salamander is San Marcos Springs, and two other unique fish of the springs, the fountain darter and San Marcos gambusia, were classed as endangered in 1990. Also on the endangered list is Texas wildrice, which is not known to exist outside a small area near the springs.

During the 1970s and 1980s growth in the northern and eastern parts of the county was influenced by the expanding Austin metropolitan area and the Austin-San Antonio urban strip along Interstate Highway 35. In 1973 Hays County became part of the Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area. In addition to the county seat, San Marcos, which had a population of 28,743 in 1990, other county population centers are Wimberley (1990 population, 2,403) Kyle (2,225), Buda (1,795), Dripping Springs (1,033), and Hays (252).