Lamar County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Lamar County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Lamar County
In 1860 the census counted 2,833 enslaved people in Lamar County, 28% of everyone living there. Seven years later 772 freedmen registered to vote there, 30% of the county's voters. Many were born in Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina, and 310 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 2,833
- Enslaved in 1860
- 28%
- Of the county in 1860
- 2,572
- Registered voters
- 772
- Freedmen
- 30%
- Freedmen
- Tennessee
- Largest birthplace
- 10 years
- Median time in Texas
- 64
- Register pages
Help finish Lamar County. 443 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Lamar County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 69 | 21% |
| Virginia | 59 | 18% |
| South Carolina | 33 | 10% |
| Alabama | 29 | 9% |
| Kentucky | 25 | 8% |
| Texas | 23 | 7% |
| Mississippi | 22 | 7% |
| North Carolina | 19 | 6% |
| Arkansas | 17 | 5% |
| Georgia | 16 | 5% |
| Missouri | 8 | 2% |
| Louisiana | 5 | 2% |
| Maryland | 2 | under 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Lamar County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1840s | 86 |
| 1850s | 101 |
| 1860s | 140 |
Surnames of freedmen in Lamar County
Lamar County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Lamar County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
Every freedman who registered in Lamar CountySearch Lamar County freedmen records by name
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. Lamar County's entries fill 64 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Lamar County was formed out of Red River County by 1840.
Questions about the Lamar County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Lamar County, Texas?
Search the Lamar 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 Lamar County in 1867?
772 freedmen registered in Lamar County between 1867 and 1870, 30% of the county's 2,572 registered voters.
Where were Lamar County's freedmen born?
Tennessee (69), Virginia (59) and South Carolina (33) were the birthplaces reported most often; 23 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Lamar County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 2,833 enslaved people in Lamar County, 28% of everyone living there. In 1867, 30% of Lamar County's registered voters were freedmen, 772 of 2,572. 310 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Lamar County: Red River County, Hopkins County.
For African American genealogy beyond Lamar County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Lamar County