Orange County was established in 1852 out of the lands taken from Jefferson County. Like most of the early counties in Texas there were very lean times and at one point the clerk reported that only $6.00 had been received from August to November 1852. And in spite of a courthouse fire, most of the records have survived with only a few scorched. This inventory of those records held in each of the departments of the court house is a wealth of information for those engaged in genealogical and historic research. Included is a fairly detailed history of the county and the various settlements that have occurred in the area since about 1718 when the French made their first attempt to settle the area along the Sabine Rivers just north of the Sabine Lake in eastern Texas. Each of the county departments maintain various records and this is a collection of information about each department.

Example of some of the entries in this volume:

PROBATE Department - Case Papers - #259 PROBATE, May 27, 1852. 40 f.d. (35 f.d. labeled by contained case nos.; 5 f.d. labeled by contained first letters of principals; surnames). Scattered papers, 1915-1921, in (Miscellaneous Papers), entry #3.

Papers of probate cases disposed of, including wills except as filed separately, see entry #262; applications to probate wills, for letters testamentary, letters of administration, and letters of guardianship; judgments of heirship; appraisals of inheritance tax; inventories of estates; letters of administration’; administrators’, executors’, and guardians; bonds and reports....

 

Surnames Included in This Publication

ADCOCK, ALLEN, ASHWORTH, AUSTIN

BALLEW, BANCROFT, BARNES, BEARD, BLAND, BONNER, BOOTH, BREECE, BURNS, BURRELL, BURTON

CARCAMO, CLARK, COALE, COLE

DANIELL, DAVIS, DAY, DELENO, DYKES, DYSON

ELLIS

FAIRCHILDS, FRAISIER

GARNER, GATES, GILMER, GOLDSTEIN, GOODMAN, GRIFFIN, GUPTILL

HARGRAVES, HARMON, HARRIS, HENRIE, HEWSON, HODGES, HOUSTON, HUGH, HUNT, HUTCHINGS

JETT, JOHNSON

KISHI

LOUT, LUTCHER, LYONS

McGREGOR, McLAIN, MERRIMAN, MILATZ, MOORE, MORGAN, MORSE

NIXON, NURKE

OCHILTREE

PALMER, PATRIDGE, PATTILLO

READING, REYNOLDS, RICHEY, ROBINSON, RUSSELL

SACK, SAXON, SIGON, SMITH, STARK, STEEDEM, STEPHENSON, STEVENS, STRONG, SWEARINGER

TAYLOR, THOMAS

WADSWORTH, WASHINGTON, WEST, WHITE, WILSON, WINGATE, WOODS

ZAVALA

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