Hidalgo County, TexasEdit This Page
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Texas Counties H Hidalgo County
Guide to Hidalgo County Texas genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Hidalgo County, Texas | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Texas | |||||||||
 Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | January 24, 1852 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | Edinburg | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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Contents |
County Courthouse
Hidalgo County Courthouse
County Clerk's Office
100 N. Closner P O Box 58
Edinburg, TX 78540
Phone: (956) 318-2100
County Clerk has birth, marriage, death, probate,
court and land records; Distric Clerk has divorce records[1]
Hidalgo County has had four county seats: Edinburgh, Hidalgo, Hidalgo, Chapin (Edinburg). In 1852, the town of La Habitacion was renamed Edinburgh and became the county seat. Later, the name of the town was changed to Hidalgo. After a severe flood in 1886, the town was moved two miles north. Later, Edinburgh was moved away from the Rio Grande River - the present site and town of Hidalgo. In 1908, the town of Chapin became the county seat. In 1911, the town's name was changed to Edinburg.
The last county courthouse in Hidalgo is still standing. Built in 1886, the building was once two story with a cupola; after a fire in the early 1900s, the building was repaired and rebuilt as one story.
The 1908 Courthouse at Edinburg served the county for nearly 50 years. It was torn down in 1954, after the opening of the current modern structure. [2] [3]
History
Spanish mission and settlements were established by 1750 and Anglo-American settlements by 1883.
Parent County
1852--Hidalgo County was created 24 January 1852 from Cameron and Starr Counties. County seat: Edinburg [4]
The county was named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, (1753-1811). Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest known as the "father of Mexican independence," was born on May 8, 1753, at his father's hacienda near Guanajuato, Mexico.
Boundary Changes
Record Loss
1886--Flood destroyed the town of Hidalgo, which at that time was the county seat. Presumably, the courthouse was also destroyed or heavily damaged.
Places / Localities
Populated Places
Towns and Cities: Alamo | Alton | Donna | Edcouch | Edinburg | Elsa | Granjeno | Hidalgo | La Joya | La Villa | McAllen | Mercedes | Mission | Palmhurst | Palmview | Penitas | Pharr | Progreso | San Juan | Sullivan City | Weslaco
Neighboring Counties
Resources
African American
- Texas African American Griots ~ USGenWeb
- AfriGeneas ~ African Ancestored Genealogy
- Texas African American Genealogy ~ Access Genealogy
Cemeteries
| Online Grave Transcripts | Published Grave Transcripts | County Cemetery Directories |
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| See Texas Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Additional Cemetery Sources
- Hidalgo County Cemeteries ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Hidalgo County Cemeteries ~ TXGenWeb
- Tombstone Transcription Project ~ Partial transcription of cemetery tombstones ~ USGenWeb
- Texas Historic Cemeteries ~ Partial indexes to historic cemeteries
- African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American cemeteries
- Cemetery Junction ~ Links to cemetery transcriptions
- Some cemeteries for Hidalgo County, Texas are found at Gloria Mayfield's website
Census
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 6,837 | ||
| 1910 | 13,728 | 100.8% | |
| 1920 | 38,110 | 177.6% | |
| 1930 | 77,004 | 102.1% | |
| 1940 | 106,059 | 37.7% | |
| 1950 | 160,446 | 51.3% | |
| 1960 | 180,904 | 12.8% | |
| 1970 | 181,535 | 0.3% | |
| 1980 | 283,229 | 56.0% | |
| 1990 | 383,545 | 35.4% | |
| 2000 | 569,463 | 48.5% | |
| 2010 | 774,769 | 36.1% | |
Church
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death/burial date and place. For general information about Texas denominations, view the Texas Church Records wiki page.
- Texas Christian Church Directory ~ ChurchAngel
- Catholic Parishes in Texas
Court
Land
After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions, including deeds and mortgages, have been recorded by the county. You can obtain copies of these land records by writing to the county clerk at the county courthouse. For more information, see Texas Land and Property.
The Family History Library Catalog lists microfilm copies of deeds, trust deeds, and mortgages of many counties.
Land Survey Abstract Indicies ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Hidalgo County, Texas. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Texas Local Histories.
- The Centennial Celebration of the Organization of Hidalgo County in Texas, 1952, by the Hidalgo County Centennial Corporation
- The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, 1954, by J. Lee and Lillian J. Stambaugh.
- Hidalgo County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.
- Texas Museums ~ List of all museums in Texas ~ Hidden Ancestors
Maps
- Historical Maps ~ From the Republic to the Turn of the Century ~ Hidden Ancestors
- Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the Texas Genweb site
Military
- Civil War Pension Applications ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Confederate Census Applications USGenWeb Archives
- Union Texas Volunteers 1st Regiment Hidalgo County TXGenWeb site
- 1890 Veterans Schedule Census for Hidalgo County Hidalgo County TXGenWeb site
- Hidalgo County World War II Casualties (Four pages of names, be sure to click "next" at the bottom of the page to reach the name you are looking for). Access Genealogy website
- Hidalgo County Korean War Casualties ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Military Resources ~ Links to research Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
- Fallen Heroes ~ Partial Index of casualties from Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
- Honoring Our Veterans ~ Partial index of veterans from Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
Newspapers
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Hidalgo County, Texas newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Hidalgo County, Texas Place-name search for these and other records in the Family History Library Catalog (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search).
- Home Town News - Texas Newspaper Index with links
- Newslink - Texas Newspaper List (sorted by publication frequency)
- The Olden Times - Historic Texas News Online
Obituaries
- Obituary Resources ~ Links to research and locate obituaries ~ Hidden Ancestors
- USGenWeb Archives Obituary Project ~ Texas
- Afrigeneas ~ African American death notices, obituaries and funeral programs compiled by users from current newspapers and historical sources
- Obituary Depot ~ Texas Newspaper Citations
- Obituary Project ~ Hidden Ancestors
- Obituary Daily Times ~ Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function
Probate
Probate records of Texas have been kept by the probate clerk in each county courthouse. You can obtain copies of the records from the clerk's office. In most counties, all information pertaining to a probate case is recorded in the "probate minutes."
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records.
See the Wiki page Texas Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
- Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records ~ Ancestry.com (subscription)
Taxation
Texas tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Texas Taxation.
Texas County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910 lists FHL films with county tax lists. The lists vary by county and year. Most records are between the years of 1846 - 1910.
Vital Records
See Texas Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Texas. Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. United States Vital Records has additional research guidance on researching and using vital records.
A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Texas Vital Records State Department of Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.
- Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 [no images] Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
- Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 [with images]
Name index and images of statewide death certificates, 1890-1976. The name index has been created by FamilySearch and is tied to images of the Texas death certificates. Few certificates are available prior to 1903. - Texas Marriage Records 1966 - 2005 ~ Hidden Ancestors
- Texas Divorce Records 1968 - 2005 ~ Hidden Ancestors
- USGenWeb Census Project ~ Texas 1850 - 1930
Societies and Libraries
Libraries
Alamo Public Library
416 N Tower Rd
Alamo, TX 78516
Phone: (956) 787-6160
Website
Donna Public Library
301 S Main St
Donna, TX 78537
Phone: (956) 464-2221
Website
Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library
1906 S Closner Blvd
Edinburg, TX 78539
Phone: (956) 383-6246
Website
Elsa Public Library
711 N Hidalgo St
Elsa, TX 78543
Phone: (956) 262-3061
Website
Hidalgo Public Library
710 E Texano Dr
Hidalgo, TX 78557
Phone: (956) 843-2093
Website
La Joya Municipal Library
925 S Leo Ave
La Joya, TX 78560
Phone: (956) 581-4533
Website
McAllen Memorial Library
601 N Main St
McAllen, TX 78501
Phone: (956) 688-3300
Website
Mercedes Memorial Library
434 S Ohio St
Mercedes, TX 78570
Phone: (956) 565-2371
Pharr Memorial Library
121 E Cherokee Ave
Pharr, TX 78577
Phone: (956) 787-3966
Website
Speer Memorial Library
801 E 12th St
Mission, TX 78572
Phone: (956) 580-8750
Website
San Juan Public Library
1010 S Standard Ave
San Juan, TX 78589
Phone: (956) 702-0926
Website
Weslaco Public Library
525 S Kansas Ave
Weslaco, TX 78596
Phone: (956) 968-4533
Website
Family History Centers
- Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
- McAllen Texas Family History Center
- Mercedes Texas Family History Center
Museums
Museum of South Texas History
121 E McIntyre
Edinburg, TX
Phone: (956) 383-6911
Fax: (956) 381-8518 website
Donna Hooks Fletcher Museum
129 S. 8th
Donna, Texas 78537
Phone: (956) 464-9989 website
Wed-Friday 10:00am - 1:00pm, Sat 10:00am - 3:00pm
Web Sites
- Hidalgo County Archives USGenWeb Archives Project
- Hidalgo County TXGenWeb Site
- TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
- Hidden Ancestors Information on Texas genealogy research as well as genealogy research in general.
- USGenWeb Texas Archives Vital statistics, maps, obituaries, Bible records, tombstone transcriptions and many other records
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Hidalgo County, Texas. Page 666 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ HistoricTexas.net: Hidalgo County http://www3.historictexas.net/hidalgo-county-texas
- ↑ TexasEscapes.com http://www.texasescapes.com/TOWNS/Edinburg_Texas/HidalgoCountyCourthouseEdinburgTexas.htm
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
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- This page was last modified on 26 April 2013, at 16:46.
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