Limestone County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Limestone County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Limestone County
In 1860 the census counted 1,072 enslaved people in Limestone County, 24% of everyone living there. Seven years later 368 freedmen registered to vote there, 33% of the county's voters. Most were born in Texas, and 22 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 1,072
- Enslaved in 1860
- 24%
- Of the county in 1860
- 1,118
- Registered voters
- 368
- Freedmen
- 33%
- Freedmen
- Texas
- Largest birthplace
- 17 years
- Median time in Texas
- 29
- Register pages
Help finish Limestone County. 345 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Limestone County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1 | 100% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Limestone County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1830s | 2 |
| 1840s | 9 |
| 1850s | 9 |
| 1860s | 3 |
Surnames of freedmen in Limestone County
Limestone County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 23 names in the Limestone County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belcher, Joe | United States | 1862 | |
| Belcher, William | United States | 1852 | 5 |
| Cotton, Mitchel (Michael) | Texas | 1845 | |
| Dancy, Charles | United States | 1856 | |
| Daniels, Ceasar | United States | 1839 | |
| Drake, Moses | United States | 1850 | |
| Freeman, John | United States | 1842 | |
| Holly, Stephen | United States | 1860 | |
| Jackson, Bob | United States | 1854 | 8 |
| Jackson, Madison | United States | 1851 | 15 |
| Jackson, Soloman | United States | 1844 | |
| Johnson, Abraham | United States | 1855 | |
| Johnson, Dick | United States | 1855 | |
| Johnson, Frank | United States | 1855 | |
| Johnson, Nathan | United States | 1851 | |
| Kelly, Kimball | United States | 1847 | |
| McGary, William | United States | 1840 | 25 |
| Medlock, Jr., David | United States | 1842 | 22 |
| Phillips, Box | United States | 1839 | 27 |
| Ralph, Long | United States | 1866 | |
| Strond, Abram | United States | 1846 | 20 |
| Trummell, Merick | United States | 1847 | |
| Williams, Andrew | United States | 1845 |
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. Limestone County's entries fill 29 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Limestone County was formed out of Robertson County by 1850.
Questions about the Limestone County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Limestone County, Texas?
Search the Limestone 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 Limestone County in 1867?
368 freedmen registered in Limestone County between 1867 and 1870, 33% of the county's 1,118 registered voters.
Where were Limestone County's freedmen born?
Texas (1) was the birthplace reported most often; 1 was born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Limestone County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 1,072 enslaved people in Limestone County, 24% of everyone living there. In 1867, 33% of Limestone County's registered voters were freedmen, 368 of 1,118. 22 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Limestone County: Robertson County.
For African American genealogy beyond Limestone County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Limestone County