Karnes County, TexasEdit This Page
From FamilySearch Wiki
United States
Texas
Counties K
Karnes County
Guide to Karnes County Texas genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Karnes County, Texas | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
![]() Location in the state of Texas | |||||||||
![]() Location of Texas in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | February 4, 1854 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Seat | Karnes City | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Contents |
County Courthouse
Karnes County Courthouse
101 N Panna Maria Street
Karnes City, TX 78118
Phone: 830.780.3938
County Clerk has birth, death and court records from 1900,
marriage records from 1875, probate records from 1870
and land records from 1854; District Clerk has divorce records
from 1858[1]
History
Parent County
1854--Karnes County was created 4 Febrary 1854 from Bexar, De Witt, Goliad, and San Patricio Counties.
County seat: Karnes City [2]
Boundary Changes
Record Loss
1865--Courthouse and most records of the county clerk were destroyed by fire in July 1865.
Places / Localities
Populated Places
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 |
| WorldCat | ||
| |
||
| |
||
| |
||
| |
| |
| |
| |
| See Texas Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Additional Cemetery Sources
- Karnes County Cemeteries ~ TXGenWeb
- Runge Cemetery ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- New Bremen Cemetery ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Butler Family Cemetery ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Choate Cemetery ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Gillett Cemetery ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- 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
- Texas Escapes Listing of Texas cemeteries with transcriptions and lots of pictures.
Census
1880 Karnes County Census (polish areas) ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
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 Indices of the Original Land Owners of Texas ~ TXGenWeb
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Karnes 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.
- Karnes County Biographies ~ TXGenWeb
- 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
- Karnes County Military Records ~ TXGenWeb
- 1890 Union Soldiers from Karnes County ~ UsGenWeb Archives Project
- Civil War Pension Applications ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Confederate Indigent Families ~ 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 Karnes County, Texas newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Karnes 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
- Karnes County Obituaries ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Karnes County Obituaries ~ TXGenWeb
- 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 Texas, Death Index, 1964-1998 (FamilySearch Historical Records) 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
Kenedy Public Library
303 W Main St
Kenedy, TX 78119
Phone: (830) 583-3313
Falls City Public Library
206 N Irvin
Falls City, TX 78113
Phone: (830) 254-3361
Karnes City Public Library
302 S Panna Maria Ave
Karnes City, TX 78118
Phone: (830) 780-2539
Runge Public Library
311 N Helena St
Runge, TX 78151
Phone: (830) 239-4192
Family History Centers
Society Hill ~ Links and addresses to Texas genealogical and historical societies
Web Sites
- Karnes County Archives ~ USGenWeb Archives Project
- Karnes County ~ TXGenWeb
- 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.
- Family History Library Catalog
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Karnes County, Texas. Page 667 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
Need additional research help? Contact our research help specialists.
Need wiki, indexing, or website help? Contact our product teams.
Did you find this article helpful?
You're invited to explain your rating on the discussion page (you must be signed in).
- This page was last modified on 1 May 2013, at 01:54.
- This page has been accessed 2,175 times.
New to the Research Wiki?
In the FamilySearch Research Wiki, you can learn how to do genealogical research or share your knowledge with others.
Learn More

