Jack County, North Texas
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Fort Richardson Cavalry Hospital Building 1867-1878

Located in central north Texas, Jack County has a rich frontier and ranching history.
 
  Jack County was created from Cooke County in 1856. The first court met on 22 July 1857 in the front yard of T.S. Nettles at Mesquiteville in the Salt Creek community, two miles south of the present courthouse square. The Butterfield Stage Route or Upper California Road and Southern Overland Mail route ran through Jack County until the beginning of the Civil War. The location of the mail route is easily found in the county. The county seat was moved to the present location and the name changed in 1870 to Jacksborough. In 1867, Fort Richardson was established as one of the second line of defense forts against the Indians. From 1875-1876, the Mooar Brothers' buffalo trail led thorugh Fort Richardson and the Old Emigrant Trail passed through Jack County, traveling from Gainesville to Fort Griffin. The county seat became known as Jacksboro in 1874.

Thanks so much to all the people who have contributed to these pages.
Thanks also to the Jacksboro Public Library (The Gladys Johnson Ritchie Library) and Lanora Joslin for giving access to all the old newspapers and school yearbooks. 
(The Wise County Historical Commission helps to maintain these web pages)

Use this 'Searcher' to find names or words on these pages

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Links to Jack County Information
(pages last updated Mar 22, 2024)
Births
Link # of Records Provided By Description
1903-1904   Transcribed by Dorman Holub These old records only have the name and sex. Some do not have the child's first name.
1926-1949 3,744 Gathered together into one alphabetical table by Douglas Harris These have child's name, dates, mother's maiden name & father's name.
Newer
Click to request
  Only births older than 75 years are now public record. We have some of these and will try to do look-ups. These only have the child's name and date. No parents are listed.
Family Search   Family Search is Free Newer than 75 years, and may give parent's names.
2011-Present   Jacksboro Newspapers Online Birth announcements. You have to have subscription to view the old papers.
Marriages
1966-2002 2,648 Gathered together into alphabetical tables by Douglas Harris These are alphabetical by Groom's name and Bride's name and give their ages and date of marriage.
1869-1990   Look in the old newspapers. 'It's On the Record' section has marriage licenses listed. Many good engagement/wedding/anniversary announcements and pictures in the 1980's.
Divorce Records
1968-2010 1,502 Gathered together into alphabetical tables by Douglas Harris These are alphabetical by Husband's name and give the Wife's first name, ages and dates.

Old Lists

1858-1859 Tax Rolls

Transcribed by Dorman Holub

Names from the Jack County Courthouse, Jacksboro

1860

20 slave owners

Transcribed by Dorman Holub

Names of slave owners and number of slaves

1867-1869 Voter's Registration Transcribed by Mary Speakman Name, length of residency, and native of
1911 Phone Book Transcribed by Dorman Holub Jacksboro County Phone Directory
County Records
1948-1961
1980-1990
Sections in newspapers 'Court House Records'  or
'It's on The Record' section in newspaper
Court Records
Deeds
Mineral Leases
Marriage Licenses
Census
1860 24 pages Images of census pages Original images of census pages
1870 19 pages
694 people
Images of census pages
Transcribed by Travis McClure
Original images of census pages
Transcription and index
1880 139 pages
7,435 people
Images of census pages
Transcribed by Travis McClure
Original images of census pages
Transcription and index
1900 10,660 people Transcribed by Travis McClure Transcription and index
1910 12,505 people Transcribed by Travis McClure Transcription and index
1920 10,631 people Transcribed by Travis McClure Transcription and index
1930 194 pages
EDs 1&2
2,979 people
Images of census pages + Maps
Transcribed by Doug Harris
  with added information
Original images of census pages + Maps
Transcription and linking index 
  with added information
1940 268 pages Maps & Images of pages Great maps -Needs index with links to pages
Old Newspapers - 32,631 newspaper pages and PDFs available for download
1869-1990 99 years
4,424 papers
32,631 pages
LARGE images of newspaper pages
Old newspaper history 
Interesting articles pulled from papers:
Rural School Directories
1917 & 1918 Lists of WWI soldiers 
1942-1945 WWII soldiers and Lost Battalion
Business Histories 
Many others
1869 The Flea
1875-1878 The Frontier Echo
1880-1886 The Rural Citizen
1886-1946 The Jacksboro Gazette
1904-1918 The Jacksboro News 
1948-1990 The Jacksboro Gazette-News
(We don't have some of the 1960's and 1970's)
We have searchable PDFs of each year. Email with name and date if you need help finding something. Sue@JackCoTX.com 
Military
1860s Many War Records Dorman Holub, Shari Shanafelt, John R. Petterson & Elnora Frances Cook-Wyrick Civil War Records and Confederate pension applications- give claimant and husband's name
1874 Battle at Lost Valley Battle between Texas Rangers and Kiowa near the Loving Ranch Many articles about the battle. Most are from the Ranger's Museum in Waco.
1867-1878 Fort Richardson Information about Indian Wars, Calvary Hospital, and Officers' Quarters Historical Markers and pictures
Lists and Records WWI & WWII Dorman Holub & Shari Shanafelt List of WWI Registrants and some WWI & WWI records
WWII Service Book WWII Men + Women from Jack County that served in the Armed Forces during WWII Picture and brief bio of each person
1941-1944 Lost Battalion Pictures sent in by Dee Farris Historical Marker and memorial at Fort Richardson
Military Memorial Gibtown Cemetery Memorial to all service members buried at the cemetery Picture of memorial and list of names
Schools - Now with 210 years and 24,076 Yearbook pages online
1897-1954 Class Pictures & Info Class Pictures, booklets, and information that has been sent in (Please send more) Bryson/Keyser, Rocky Point, Salt Creek, Union Ridge, Vineyard & Jacksboro
1904-1950 33 Class Pictures & Info Old newspaper class lists and pictures from before we had yearbooks Graduation lists and group pictures from the newspaper
1885-2002 56 Newspaper Clippings School related articles and pictures taken from the Jacksboro newspapers School history, pictures of buildings, and some lists of students and teachers
1906-1939 School District
Directories
School district map and information from the Jacksboro newspapers 1906 School District Map
1906-1939 District Directories of Teachers and Trustees
1956-1963 1956, 1962 & 1963 
218 Pages
980 Names
Antelope Yearbooks loaned for scanning by Leslie Jackson Antelope Yearbooks. Images of pages & Index of 218 Names with links to those pages.
Now includes Antelope Graduation Pictures from the Jack County Newspapers
1938-1979
1980-2012
67 Years
6,411 Pages
19,467 Names
Bryson Yearbook scans provided by the Gladys Johnson Ritchey Library in Jacksboro Bryson Yearbooks. Images of pages & Index of 19,467 Names with links to those pages.
1941 1 Year
41 Pages
337 Names
Cundiff Yearbook scans provided by the Gladys Johnson Ritchey Library in Jacksboro Cundiff Yearbook. Images of pages & Index of 337 Names with links to those pages.
1922-1979
1980-2015
69 Years
9,079 Pages
35,316 Names
Jacksboro High School Yearbook scans provided by the Gladys Johnson Ritchey Library in Jacksboro Jacksboro Yearbooks. Images of pages & Index of 35,316 Names with links to those pages.
1918-2012 70 Years
8,327 Pages
28,661 Names
Perrin-Whitt Yearbook scans provided by the Gladys Johnson Ritchey Library in Jacksboro Perrin-Whitt Yearbooks. Images of pages & Index of 28,661 Names with links to those pages.
Towns
1856-1930   Jim Wheat's List List by dates and towns in Jack County
1950s 3 Pictures Bryson Quilting Group Group pictures with names
1857-1926 Marker & History Gertrude/Gertrudes About the Cambern/Mason Indian Attacks
  none Old Pictures of towns or ranches Please send. - Would love to post them
Families
Book Index 885 pages 'The History of Jack County Texas' Many family histories and pictures. Will do look-ups
Links Histories   List of names Links to biographies and family histories
Family Pictures   Local old family pictures & histories Please send in old family pictures to post
       
Cemeteries
All Names for Jack County about 13,000
11,412 have new photos
Alphabetical list together of All names from ALL cemeteries Names, dates, information & LINKS to Headstone Pictures
Cemetery Information 16 Updated Individual cemeteries Pictures, directions, layout order, headstone information & headstone pictures
Find-a-Grave Jack County We have over 11,000 headstone pictures on the links above. Feel free to use them on Find-a-Grave.
Funeral Home Records
1940-2004 4,921 Transcribed by Paul Smith Dates and places of birth and death, name of spouse and date of marriage, father and mother's names, siblings and children's names.
Obituaries
1880--   Transcriptions of old obituaries US GenWeb Archives - Jack County TX obituaries
1960s-2023 5,468 Collection of Hazel Dixson Wilton & Lenora Shelton (Plus New Ones) Alphabetical list of obituaries with links to images of the newspaper clippings
Recent   Coker Funeral Home in Jacksboro Obituaries online. There may be some here that were not printed in the newspaper.
Recent   Jacksboro Gazette News & Jack County Herald -- Now Jacksboro Herald-Gazette Recent local obituaries
Recent   Times Record News, Wichita Falls May have some from Jack County
Other Miscellaneous Links
North Texas Genealogy Association Also their Facebook page This includes Jack County
Jack County Archives Dorman Holub and Many Others Some family histories, old pictures, etc.
Historical Markers & Indian Battles From Fort Tour Systems Good map, text of Historical Markers & stories about Indian raids and bat
LDS Family Search Search records for Texas and United States Many free records.
Local Links
Library Jacksboro Gladys Johnson Ritchie Library 626 W College St, 940-567-2240, Mon-Friday
Link to list of some local books 
Museum Jacksboro Jack County Museum 241 W Belknap, 940-567-5410
Fort Richardson Just S of Jacksboro Fort Richardson State Park 228 State Park Rd 61, 940-567-3506
Court House Jacksboro Jack County Court House Offices Also history and links to old pictures
NEED HELP ?

Use the little 'Searcher' at the top of this table that finds All Names on THIS site.

NEW Jack County Email List/Group
Click Here or Email Sue@JackCoTX.com to request to join

QUERIES - Ask and Answer Questions
Jack County Message Board

Alphabetical List of All TXGenWeb County Pages

Problems, Corrections, Additions- Email - County Coordinator, Sue Tackel - Sue@JackCoTX.com

Questions about families or genealogy- Email - County Co Coordinator, David Pitts - paw281@sbcglobal.net

The previous County Coordinators Dorman Holub, Kevin L. Lee, Tami Ramsey, Lois Kennedy, and others have contributed to these pages over the years.
The TXGenWeb State Coordinator is Gina Heffernan (Email Contact)

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For a very large detailed map of Jack County Click Here