Stephens County, Texas Genealogical Records Information

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Stephens County History and Information

Stephens County Facts

Stephens County was created in as Buchanan County in 1858; Renamed in 1861 (Organized in 1876) and formed from Bosque County. Stephens County was named for Alexander Hamilton Stephens, the only vice-president of the Confederate States of America. The County Seat is Breckenridge. The Official County website is located at http://www.co.stephens.tx.us/. See also Extended History for more historical details.

Areas adjacent to Stephens County are Young County (north), Palo Pinto County (east), Eastland County (south), Shackelford County (west), Throckmorton County (northwest)

Stephens 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.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

Stephens County Court Records

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.

Stephens County Clerk has Court Records from 1876 , Land Records from 1876, Probate Records from 1876, Marriage Records from 1876 and Birth/Death Records from 1903 is located at 200 W. Walker, Breckenridge, TX 76424-4799; T elephone: (254) 559-3700.
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.

Click Here to Search Texas Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

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

Stephens County, Texas Court Books at Amazon.com
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.

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

Stephens County, Texas Tax Books at Amazon.com

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

Stephens County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 350, Breckenridge 76424
Stephens County Historical Association, 201 N. Harding, Breckenridge, TX 76024
Local Texas Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
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.
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.
Texas Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Stephens County Church & Cemeteries

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.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Stephens County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Stephens 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 Stephens County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Stephens County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

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 Stephens County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Stephens County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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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.
Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
Stephens County, Texas Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

Comanches and Tonkawas occupied what is now Stephens County before Anglo settlement began in the late 1850s. John R. Baylor, probably the first white settler in the area, built a cabin on the Clear Fork in 1857, and others soon followed. The Texas legislature established Stephens County in 1858 from lands formerly assigned to Bosque County. By 1860 there were 198 people living in the area; the United States census did not report any slaves living in the county at that time. In 1861, after Texas had left the Union, the small town of Picketville was designated the temporary county seat, and the county was renamed to honor the vice president of the Confederacy. During the Civil War about 100 local residents lived together for protection at Fort Davis, a "citizens' fort" in the area; a school was established at the place. A salt works was operated on Big Caddo Creek at this time. County tax rolls reveal that there were thirty-three slaves in the county in 1864, near the end of the war, possibly brought there by slaveholders who moved to the area during the conflict. Though the Tonkawa Indians were friendly, early settlers were in constant danger of attacks by the Comanches and Kiowas who roamed the area. Samuel P. Newcomb, a pioneer schoolteacher, wrote sadly in 1865, "My pen is incapable of doing justice in recording the horrible depredations committed on this frontier by the barbaric, uncivilized savages." The last large Comanche and Kiowa raids on the Clear Fork took place in 1871, although a few settlers lost their lives to raiders as late as 1873. After Indian removal settlers were free to deal with what Newcomb called the county's "disagreeable peculiarities," which included "sand storms in spring, northers in winter, traveling grasshoppers in the fall, and long, severe, and parching droughts in the summer and all other seasons of the year." The agricultural census for 1870 reported twenty-four farms and ranches in Stephens County. Though settlers grew some corn and vegetables for their own consumption, the economy of the area at that time revolved almost entirely around ranching; while only about 600 bushels of corn were produced in the county that year, more than 43,000 cattle were reported. There were only 300 people living in the county in 1870, and as late as 1875 ranchers were still traveling 200 miles to Tarrant County for flour and other necessities. The county was organized in 1876, and Breckenridge became the seat of government.

During the 1870s thousands of new settlers moved into the area. A coal mine, operated by Jacob Weishar, was established near Hubbard Creek in 1878, and many of the new settlers established farms. By 1880 the county had 567 farms and ranches, encompassing about 96,000 acres. Ranching continued to dominate the local economy; almost 35,000 cattle and more than 4,900 sheep were reported that year. But crop farming was beginning to become established in the area, as more than 3,800 acres were planted in corn that year; about 2,200 acres was planted in wheat, and another 700 acres was devoted to cotton. Reflecting the area's economic growth, by 1880 the county population reached 4,725. About 45 percent of the people had been born in Texas, while most of the rest were from other southern states, particularly Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. In 1880 the Texas and Pacific Railway built across the southeastern tip of the county, tying the area to national markets and encouraging farming and further settlement. The people of Stephens County suffered through the terrible drought and freezes of 1886 and 1887. During the drought, according to one resident, "you could follow the bed of the creek by the buzzards that flew over." Despite setbacks and challenges, the county continued to grow; by 1890 there were 713 farms and ranches, encompassing over 226,000 acres, and by 1900 there were 1,049 farms and ranches. Meanwhile, the population increased to 4,926 by 1890 and to 6,466 by 1900.

Though sheep ranching declined during this period (by 1900 there were only about 1,600 sheep in the area), cattle continued to play an important role in the economy; over 45,000 cattle were reported on local ranches in 1900. But crop farming, especially the cultivation of cotton, was responsible for most of the county's growth during the late nineteenth century. In 1890 more than 5,000 acres was planted in cotton; by 1900 almost 19,000 acres was devoted to the fiber, and it had become the county's most important crop. Corn production also expanded during this period, so that by 1900 more than 15,000 acres was planted in the crop. Cotton expansion continued, and by 1910 almost 29,000 acres was planted in the fiber. Though production of most other crops declined during this decade, wheat briefly became the county's second most important crop, claiming about 13,500 acres by 1910. That year there were 1,375 farms and ranches, and 7,980 people in the county. Cotton farming declined substantially after 1910, however, at least partly because of a boll weevil infestation; more than 13,400 bales were ginned in 1906, for example, but only 1,062 in 1926 and 998 in 1930. The crop would never again be so important to the area. Though some farmers shifted to peanuts, sorghum, and other crops, many farmers left their lands; the number of farms dropped more than 50 percent during the 1910s, and by 1920 only 603 remained. No doubt many of those who left their farms found work in the oil and gas industry, which was just beginning to boom in the area at that time. Wildcatters first drilled for oil in Stephens County land in 1911; a 2,400-foot well eight miles northwest of Breckenridge was abandoned in 1913. Oil was finally found in May 1916, at a depth of 2,470 feet, on the W. L. Carey farm near Caddo. Soon other producing wells were drilled, including Smith No. 1 near Parks, which was the first heavy gas well struck in the county and the one that started the local boom. A terrific boom centering around Breckinridge took off in 1921, when drillers brought in Stoker No. 1 just outside of town. Breckenridge became a forest of wooden derricks; over 200 wells were drilled within the city limits. On September 1, 1921, Keithly No. 1 blew in at 3,068 feet with a huge flow that drenched the countryside until it was harnessed by the Humble Oil Company (later Exxon Company, U.S.A.) after two weeks' work. The Breckenridge oilfield was prodigious. In one year it produced 15 percent of all the oil produced in the United States (more than the combined production of the states of Louisiana and Kansas that year), and supplied one-third of the petroleum produced in Texas. Breckenridge grew quickly, as thousands moved into the area; by the early 1920s the town had two daily newspapers, ten theaters, eighty-nine oil companies, and seventy-nine eating places. The oil boom also led to the construction of two other railroads into the area; the Ranger, Wichita Falls and Fort Worth line built into the county in 1920 and was followed by the Cisco and Northeastern in 1921. Thanks largely to the oil boom, the total population of the county more than doubled between 1910 and 1920, when the census counted 15,403 people; by 1930 the population had increased to 16,560. The number of African Americans increased substantially during this period, rising from four in 1910 to sixty-two by 1920, and to 447 by 1930. One of the less pleasant episodes of the period occurred in 1923, when a unit of the Ku Klux Klan staged a huge parade in the town.

Though cotton farming revived briefly during the 1920s, the crop disappeared almost entirely during the Great Depression of the 1930s. About 10,000 acres was devoted to cotton in 1930; by 1940 only 892 acres was planted, and only 112 bales were produced. Farmers turned to other crops such as wheat, oats, and sorghum. Meanwhile, sheep ranching revived in the area, and sheep and mohair goats were increasingly evident. By 1940 there were 29,000 cattle, 9,100 goats, and 7,400 sheep reported in the county. Oil production also helped to stabilize the economy during the depression; in 1938 more than 1,408,000 barrels of petroleum were produced. Nevertheless, the county suffered a significant population decline during the 1930s, and by 1940 only 12,356 people remained. Droughts, farm consolidations, and the mechanization of agriculture have all contributed to a general decline in population since the 1940s. The number of farms dropped from 957 in 1945 to 685 in 1950 and to 488 in 1959; meanwhile, the population declined to 10,597 by 1950 and to 8,885 by 1960. Except for the 1970s, when oil production rose considerably, the population continued to decline between 1960 and 1990. The census counted 8,414 residents in 1970, 9,926 in 1980, and 9,010 in 1990.

The voters of Stephens County supported the Democratic candidate in almost every presidential election between 1896 and 1948; the only exception occurred in 1928, when they supported Herbert Hoover over Democrat Al Smith. Between 1952 and 1988, however, the voters supported Republicans in every election but two: in 1964, when they backed Lyndon B. Johnson, and in 1976, when they supported Jimmy Carter. In the 1992 presidential election, a plurality of voters supported Republican George Bush over Democrat Bill Clinton and Ross Perot, the independent candidate.

Oil production and related industries remained important to the local economy. About 1,249,000 barrels of crude were produced in the county in 1944, 3,427,000 barrels in 1956, and more than 2,978,000 barrels in 1965. Production reached 3,913,000 barrels in 1978 and more than 4,987,000 barrels in 1982. In 1990, 5,601,323 barrels were produced, and by January 1, 1991, almost 286,548,000 barrels of crude had been produced in the county since discovery in 1916. In the 1990s oil, manufacturing, recreation, and agriculture combined to make a diversified economy. Communities include Breckenridge (1990 population, 5,665), the county seat, Caddo (40), Crystal Falls (10), Eolian (9), Gunsight (6), Ivan (15), Necessity (10), and Wayland (15).

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