Rusk County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Rusk County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Rusk County
In 1860 the census counted 6,132 enslaved people in Rusk County, 39% of everyone living there. Seven years later 1,329 freedmen registered to vote there, 45% of the county's voters. 1 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 6,132
- Enslaved in 1860
- 39%
- Of the county in 1860
- 2,986
- Registered voters
- 1,329
- Freedmen
- 45%
- Freedmen
- 17 years
- Median time in Texas
- 75
- Register pages
Help finish Rusk County. 1,328 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhen they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Rusk County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1850s | 1 |
Surnames of freedmen in Rusk County
Rusk County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 1 names in the Rusk County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muckleroy, Jessee | United States | 1850 |
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. Rusk County's entries fill 75 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Rusk County was formed out of Nacogdoches County by 1845.
Questions about the Rusk County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Rusk County, Texas?
Search the Rusk 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 Rusk County in 1867?
1,329 freedmen registered in Rusk County between 1867 and 1870, 45% of the county's 2,986 registered voters.
Was slavery widespread in Rusk County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 6,132 enslaved people in Rusk County, 39% of everyone living there. In 1867, 45% of Rusk County's registered voters were freedmen, 1,329 of 2,986. 1 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Rusk County: Nacogdoches County.
For African American genealogy beyond Rusk County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Rusk County