Brooks County was created in 1911
and formed from Starr, Hildalgo, Live
Oak and Zapata Counties. Brooks County was named for John Abijah Brooks, a Texas Ranger and legislator. The County Seat is Falfurrias. The Official County website is located at ?. The Brooks County courthouse was constructed of brick in 1914. Alfred Giles was the architect of this Classical Revival style courthouse and it was built at a cost of $55,000.
PLEASE READ!! 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.
Brooks County Clerk has Court Records from 1911, Land Records from 1911, Probate Records from 1911, Marriage Records from 1911 and Birth/Death Records from 1911 is located at P.O.
Box 427,
Falfurrias, TX 78355-0427; (512) 325-3053 . 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Brooks County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Brooks County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Texas Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Texas Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Vital Records,1100 West 49th Street,
Austin, TX 78756, Please allow up to approximately 6-8 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. They have 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.
Processing Time: 6-8 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
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.
Processing Time: 6-8 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
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 ELECTRONICALLY
Cost: $20 - Fee is for verification only.
Processing Time: 6-8 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
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,
Austin TX 78711-2040. Please include return address on envelope and application form.
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.
Click Here to Search Texas Voter Lists & Census Records! - 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 Brooks County, Texas are 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Brooks County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Brooks County Census Records by clicking the link below:
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 Brooks County Maps. Email us with websites containing Brooks County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Texas Military Records! - 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 Brooks County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Brooks County Military Records by clicking the link below:
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.
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.
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 Brooks County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Brooks County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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 Brooks County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Brooks County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Brooks County Historical Commission, 604 W. Blucher, Falfurrias, TX 78355
Brush Country Genealogical Society,
P.O. Box 291,
Falfurias 78355-0291
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 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.
Texas Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Texas Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. 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.
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 Brooks County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Brooks 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.
Click Here to Search Texas Family Tree Records! - 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 Brooks County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Brooks County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
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.
Texas Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Brooks
County is in the Rio Grande Plain region
south of Corpus Christi on U. S. Highway
281. It is bounded on the north by Duval
and Jim Wells counties, on the east by
Kleberg and Kenedy counties, on the south
by Hidalgo and Starr counties, and on
the west by Jim Hogg County. Falfurrias,
the county's largest town and county
seat, is in northeastern Brooks County
at the junction of U.S. Highway 281,
State highway 285, and Farm roads 2191
and 1418. Other communities include Encino,
Flowella, and Rachal. Brooks County comprises
942 square miles of brushy mesquite land.
Artifacts
dating from the Paleo-Indian period (9,200
b.c. to 6,000 b.c.) suggest that human
beings have lived in the Brooks County
area for approximately 11,000 years.
During the historical era the Indians
of the region belonged to the Coahuiltecan
linguistic group.
In
the sixteenth century the Spanish made
various explorations of the area; however,
because of its distance from the coast,
the lack of a major river, and wide stretches
of deep sand that made travel difficult,
the area remained unsettled. Although
land grants in the Trans-Nueces region
were made as early as 1767, it was not
until the 1800s that an effort was made
to introduce colonists into the territory
that became Brooks County. About twenty-five
land grants were made in the Brooks County
area by the Spanish and Mexican governments.
The earliest, the San Salvador del Tule
grant, was given to Juan José Ballí on
November 8, 1797. Other important early
grants included El Encino en el Poso,
made to Luciano Chapa around 1827, and
El Paisano, made to Ramón de la
Garza around the same time. But because
of its isolation most of the families
receiving grants settled along the Rio
Grande rather than in the Brooks County
area and only sporadically brought their
cattle to the region.
Between
the Texas Revolution and the end of the
Mexican War, Brooks County lay in the
disputed territory between the Rio Grande
and the Nueces River. During these conflicts
many of the original grantees fled to
Mexico, and much of the area was occupied
only by wandering vaqueros. Gradually,
with the cessation of hostilities, some
families returned, but frequent droughts
and lack of transportation discouraged
permanent settlement.
After
Texas independence the area was made
part of San Patricio County. In 1846
San Patricio County was divided to form
Nueces County, which in 1848 was divided
to form Cameron, Webb, and Starr counties;
from the latter two counties Brooks County
was later formed.
The
number of Anglo settlers in the region
was initially very small, but began to
increase after the Civil War.qv Initially,
the advent of these settlers did not
alter the region's economic or social
character. Most of the newcomers were
ranchers, and many of them married into
the most prominent families and adopted
the existing social code. As a result,
the Brooks County area remained largely
Hispanic in character, and many of the
original Hispanic rancheros were able
to hold on to all of their land and to
dominate the local political scene into
the early 1890s. The situation began
to change with the arrival of Edward
C. Lasater,qv who moved to the area in
the early 1890s and quickly emerged as
the dominant figure in the county. In
1895 Lasater set up headquarters a few
miles south of the present site of Falfurrias
at the north entrance to the lower Rio
Grande valley and gradually accumulated
more than 350,000 acres in the area,
including much of what became Brooks
County. The same year he purchased 7,000
cows from the Kenedy Pasture Company
and soon built up his herd to one of
the state's leading cattle breeders.
With
the extension of the San Antonio and
Aransas Pass Railway from Alice to his
ranch in 1904, Lasater founded the town
of Falfurrias and subdivided a large
portion of his ranchland for sale to
farmers. Lured by prospects of abundant
land, numerous settlers arrived to farm
around Falfurrias. Within the span of
a few years the character of economy
changed markedly, from large-scale ranching
to a mixture of farming and ranching,
and Anglos increasingly dominated local
politics.
During
the latter half of the nineteenth century,
the area that was to become Brooks County
was part of Starr County. However, Lasater,
a Republican, had a number of run-ins
with Starr County's political boss, Manuel
Guerra, who sought to maintain his control
of the area. In 1911, after several years
of effort, Lasater, with the help of
State Representative John Abijah Brooks,qv
succeeded in having Brooks County separated
from Starr County, with Falfurrias as
the county seat. The initial plans were
to name the new county Falfurrias County,
but in the end it was decided to name
it Brooks in honor of John Brooks, who
worked diligently for its formation.
Upon organization of the county Amado
de la Garza was elected sheriff and tax
collector, Brooks was elected county
judge, E. R. Rachal tax assessor, Rufino
García, Sr., county and district
clerk, and Lázaro López
county treasurer. Ironically, in the
early 1910s, a different faction of ranchers
in western Brooks County lobbied to have
its own county formed to break free of
Lasater's influence. As a result, in
1913 Jim Hogg County was carved out of
990 square miles of Brooks County, and
Brooks County assumed its present dimensions.
Between
1900 and 1940 the economy of Brooks County
was predominantly based on ranching.
In 1906 E. R. Rachal planted the first
citrus trees, marking the introduction
of the citrus industry into Brooks County.
Freezes, droughts, and other pests, however,
kept the industry from growing, and citrus
fruit has remained of minor importance.
Farming also failed to take hold. Despite
Lasater's attempts to introduce commercial
farming at the turn of the century, the
emphasis remained on livestock raising,
principally of cattle, and the small
amount of farming was geared toward growing
cattle feed. But rather than beef cattle,
many ranchers focused on dairying, particularly
of Jersey cows, which produced milk with
a high fat content; already by the 1920s
the high quality of Falfurrias butter
and other dairy productsqv was widely
recognized.
The
period 1920 to 1930 saw a marked increase
in agriculture in the county. In 1920
there were 394 farms in Brooks County;
by 1930 the number had grown to 513,
and the number of cattle had reached
nearly 40,000. During the Great Depressionqv
of the 1930s most of the area's farmers
suffered hard times, but because of their
reliance on meat, milk, butter, and other
livestock products they fared somewhat
better than farmers in other areas of
the state who raised cotton and similar
crops. Oil, discovered in the county
in 1935, helped some cash-poor farmers
to settle longstanding debts and survive
the depression years, but not until the
early 1940s did the economy began to
recover fully.
The
population of Brooks County grew rapidly
during its early years, from 4,560 in
1920 to 9,195 in 1950, before declining
slightly to 8,005 in 1970. In 1980 the
population again showed modest growth,
reaching 8,428, but nearly half of the
residents (4,164) were retirees. Between
1970 and 1980 the rural population grew
by nearly 41 percent, largely as a result
of a growing influx of retired persons
attracted by the warm climate. Many Mexican
Americansqv were also moving to the area,
and in 1980 Brooks County ranked seventh
among all United States counties in percentage
of residents of Hispanic origin. In 1990
the population was 8,204.
The first school in the county opened in 1912. In 1982 the county had one school
district with three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-10, 1926-29