Davis County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Davis County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Davis County
In 1860 the census counted 3,475 enslaved people in Davis County, 41% of everyone living there. Seven years later 986 freedmen registered to vote there, 35% of the county's voters. Most were born in Georgia, Alabama and Virginia, and 599 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 3,475
- Enslaved in 1860
- 41%
- Of the county in 1860
- 2,781
- Registered voters
- 986
- Freedmen
- 35%
- Freedmen
- Georgia
- Largest birthplace
- 12 years
- Median time in Texas
- 67
- Register pages
Help finish Davis County. 328 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Davis County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 230 | 35% |
| Alabama | 106 | 16% |
| Virginia | 63 | 10% |
| North Carolina | 61 | 9% |
| Mississippi | 43 | 7% |
| Tennessee | 41 | 6% |
| South Carolina | 39 | 6% |
| Texas | 23 | 4% |
| Arkansas | 18 | 3% |
| Kentucky | 17 | 3% |
| Louisiana | 5 | under 1% |
| Florida | 4 | under 1% |
| Maryland | 3 | under 1% |
| Missouri | 2 | under 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Davis County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1830s | 6 |
| 1840s | 82 |
| 1850s | 405 |
| 1860s | 165 |
Surnames of freedmen in Davis County
Davis County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Davis County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abernathy, Alex | North Carolina | 1858 | |
| Adam, Lewis | Tennessee | 1863 | |
| Adams, William | Virginia | 1867 | |
| Adkins, Harrison | Texas | 1845 | |
| Adkins, Henry | Texas | 1848 | |
| Adkins, Joe | Virginia | 1854 | |
| Adkins, John | Alabama | 1842 | |
| Alexander, Aaron | North Carolina | 1844 | |
| Allen, Daniel | Georgia | 1866 | |
| Alston, Samuel | North Carolina | 1863 | 4 |
| Anderson, James | Alabama | 1847 | 12 |
| Anderson, John | Georgia | 1860 | |
| Anderson, Robert | South Carolina | 1864 | |
| Appleberry, Edmond | Virginia | 1866 | |
| Archer, Burrill | Georgia | 1859 | |
| Armiston, F. | South Carolina | 1855 | 5 |
| Bacon, Bristo | Georgia | 1855 | |
| Bailey, W. I. [W. J.] | Alabama | 1859 | |
| Baley, Dudley | Kentucky | 1855 | |
| Balis, Elija | Kentucky | 1862 | |
| Banby, Elias | Texas | 1846 | |
| Barber, Lucious | Georgia | 1857 | |
| Barber, Peter | Tennessee | 1853 | |
| Barnett, Joe | Georgia | 1853 | |
| Barns, Burel | Georgia | 1861 | |
| Beckham, Thomas | Virginia | 1858 | |
| Bell, Starlin | North Carolina | 1854 | 12 |
| Benjamin, Ned | Georgia | 1853 | |
| Berston, Allen | Georgia | 1864 | |
| Berston, Stafford | Georgia | 1864 | |
| Betts, Gilbert | Alabama | 1860 | |
| Betts, Peter | South Carolina | 1860 | |
| Bird, Frank | Mississippi | 1850 | |
| Bird, Monday | Mississippi | 1867 | |
| Bissel, Ben | North Carolina | 1860 | |
| Black, Hire | Alabama | 1854 | |
| Black, John | Tennessee | 1848 | |
| Blackwell, Allen | Virginia | 1852 | |
| Blackwell, B. | South Carolina | 1852 | |
| Blackwell, E. | Arkansas | 1852 | |
| Blackwell, Henry | Alabama | 1854 | |
| Blackwell, Jack | Arkansas | 1852 | |
| Blackwell, Moses | Tennessee | 1861 | |
| Blanks, John | North Carolina | 1858 | |
| Blaylock, Rubin | Georgia | 1858 | |
| Bobby, Lawyer | Texas | 1848 | |
| Bonds, Henry | Georgia | 1850 | |
| Bonner, Ben | Georgia | 1867 | |
| Bonner, Edward | Alabama | 1863 | |
| Bonner, Lewis | Georgia | 1852 |
Sources and county history
Figures come from the 1867 to 1870 Texas voter registration held by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The 1860 population figures come from Population of the United States in 1860, printed by the Census Office in 1864. Davis County's entries fill 67 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Davis County was formed out of Cass County by 1865. The registers also spell this county Cass, and entries under either spelling are counted here.
Questions about the Davis County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Davis County, Texas?
Search the Davis County records by surname, then open the entry to read the original handwritten register page. Each entry gives the man's name, his birthplace and the year he reached Texas. Spellings vary, so try the sound of a name as well as its spelling, and names appear in the order men came to register, so a family can sit pages apart.
How many freedmen registered to vote in Davis County in 1867?
986 freedmen registered in Davis County between 1867 and 1870, 35% of the county's 2,781 registered voters.
Where were Davis County's freedmen born?
Georgia (230), Alabama (106) and Virginia (63) were the birthplaces reported most often; 23 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Davis County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 3,475 enslaved people in Davis County, 41% of everyone living there. In 1867, 35% of Davis County's registered voters were freedmen, 986 of 2,781. 599 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
For African American genealogy beyond Davis County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Davis County