Hays County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Hays County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Hays County
In 1860 the census counted 797 enslaved people in Hays County, 37% of everyone living there. Seven years later 197 freedmen registered to vote there, 32% of the county's voters. Many were born in Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia.
- 797
- Enslaved in 1860
- 37%
- Of the county in 1860
- 614
- Registered voters
- 197
- Freedmen
- 32%
- Freedmen
- Mississippi
- Largest birthplace
- 1 years
- Median time in Texas
- 16
- Register pages
Where Hays County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 35 | 18% |
| Tennessee | 29 | 15% |
| Georgia | 20 | 10% |
| Kentucky | 18 | 9% |
| Louisiana | 18 | 9% |
| Alabama | 17 | 9% |
| Arkansas | 12 | 6% |
| Virginia | 11 | 6% |
| Texas | 10 | 5% |
| North Carolina | 8 | 4% |
| Missouri | 6 | 3% |
| South Carolina | 6 | 3% |
| Maryland | 5 | 3% |
| Florida | 2 | 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Hays County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1860s | 197 |
Surnames of freedmen in Hays County
Hays County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Hays County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam, Abraham | Missouri | 1866 | 1 |
| Addison, Harrison | Virginia | 1866 | 1 |
| Allen, J.V. | Texas | 1868 | 1 |
| Anderson, John | Louisiana | 1866 | 1 |
| Andrews, John | Maryland | 1866 | 1 |
| Arch, Henry | Georgia | 1866 | 1 |
| Arch, Peter | Georgia | 1866 | 1 |
| Ashford, Isach | Alabama | 1868 | 1 |
| Baber, Jack | North Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Barnett, Richmond | Texas | 1868 | 1 |
| Barton, Anthony | Texas | 1866 | 1 |
| Bates, Parry | Tennessee | 1866 | 1 |
| Beard, Peter | Kentucky | 1866 | 1 |
| Blackwell, William | Mississippi | 1866 | 1 |
| Breedlove, David | Kentucky | 1868 | 1 |
| Bridges, George | Mississippi | 1866 | 1 |
| Brixey, Robert | Arkansas | 1866 | 1 |
| Brooks, Charles | Tennessee | 1866 | 1 |
| Brown, Ephraim | Mississippi | 1866 | 1 |
| Brown, Gilbert | Mississippi | 1866 | 1 |
| Brown, Jesse | Alabama | 1866 | 1 |
| Brown, Joseph | Florida | 1866 | 1 |
| Brown, Levi | Louisiana | 1866 | 1 |
| Brown, Moses | Mississippi | 1866 | 1 |
| Bunkley, Abraham | Louisiana | 1866 | 1 |
| Bunkley, Abraham | Alabama | 1866 | 1 |
| Bunton, Elias | Kentucky | 1866 | 1 |
| Bunton, Ranson | Tennessee | 1866 | 1 |
| Burleson, Oliver | Georgia | 1866 | 1 |
| Burleson, Robert | Georgia | 1866 | 1 |
| Burnham, Berry | South Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Burnham, Matt | Alabama | 1868 | 1 |
| Butcher, Myer | Tennessee | 1866 | 1 |
| Cavanaugh, Alexander | Tennessee | 1866 | 1 |
| Cavanaugh, George W | South Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Charles, Harry | Alabama | 1866 | 1 |
| Cheatham, Thomas | Virginia | 1866 | 1 |
| Cone, Augusus | Georgia | 1866 | 1 |
| Cone, Harrall | Georgia | 1866 | 1 |
| Conley, George | Maryland | 1866 | 1 |
| Cox, George | Mississippi | 1866 | 1 |
| Curtis, JOhn W. | Texas | 1866 | 1 |
| Daniel, William | Missouri | 1866 | 1 |
| Davis, George | Georgia | 1866 | 1 |
| Day, Charles | Texas | 1866 | 1 |
| Dickson, Aaron | Louisiana | 1866 | 1 |
| Dickson, Wyiot [Mioh, Mich, Mick] | Louisiana | 1866 | 1 |
| Dixon, Gilford | Louisiana | 1868 | 1 |
| Durham, Berry | Tennessee | 1866 | 1 |
| Elbert, Charles | Mississippi | 1866 | 1 |
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. Hays County's entries fill 16 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Hays County was formed out of Travis County by 1850.
Questions about the Hays County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Hays County, Texas?
Search the Hays 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 Hays County in 1867?
197 freedmen registered in Hays County between 1867 and 1870, 32% of the county's 614 registered voters.
Where were Hays County's freedmen born?
Mississippi (35), Tennessee (29) and Georgia (20) were the birthplaces reported most often; 10 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Hays County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 797 enslaved people in Hays County, 37% of everyone living there. In 1867, 32% of Hays County's registered voters were freedmen, 197 of 614.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Hays County: Travis County, Blanco County.
For African American genealogy beyond Hays County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Hays County