Tyler County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Tyler County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Tyler County
In 1860 the census counted 1,148 enslaved people in Tyler County, 25% of everyone living there. Seven years later 256 freedmen registered to vote there, 41% of the county's voters. Many were born in Georgia, North Carolina and Louisiana, and 16 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 1,148
- Enslaved in 1860
- 25%
- Of the county in 1860
- 620
- Registered voters
- 256
- Freedmen
- 41%
- Freedmen
- Georgia
- Largest birthplace
- 12 years
- Median time in Texas
- 15
- Register pages
Help finish Tyler County. 240 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Tyler County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 3 | 19% |
| North Carolina | 3 | 19% |
| Louisiana | 2 | 13% |
| Mississippi | 2 | 13% |
| Alabama | 1 | 6% |
| Florida | 1 | 6% |
| South Carolina | 1 | 6% |
| Tennessee | 1 | 6% |
| Texas | 1 | 6% |
| Virginia | 1 | 6% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Tyler County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1840s | 4 |
| 1850s | 8 |
| 1860s | 4 |
Surnames of freedmen in Tyler County
Tyler County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 16 names in the Tyler County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Busby, William | Texas | 1848 | |
| Calaway, Richard | Virginia | 1863 | |
| Calhoon, Lewis | Mississippi | 1855 | |
| Carlile, Isaac | South Carolina | 1859 | 8 |
| Felps, George | Louisiana | 1857 | |
| Frazer, Henry | Tennessee | 1853 | |
| Gregory, Frank | Alabama | 1861 | |
| Horne, Nero | North Carolina | 1849 | 16 |
| Jackson, Henry | North Carolina | 1857 | |
| Kincade, James | North Carolina | 1847 | 9 |
| Mimms, Allen | Florida | 1857 | |
| Ralls, Joseph | Georgia | 1847 | |
| Shepard, Lewis | Georgia | 1853 | |
| Smith, Esshields | Louisiana | 1860 | |
| Williams, Lewis | Georgia | 1862 | |
| Wlliams, Shederick | Mississippi | 1857 | 11 |
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. Tyler County's entries fill 15 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Tyler County was formed out of Liberty County by 1850.
Questions about the Tyler County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Tyler County, Texas?
Search the Tyler 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 Tyler County in 1867?
256 freedmen registered in Tyler County between 1867 and 1870, 41% of the county's 620 registered voters.
Where were Tyler County's freedmen born?
Georgia (3), North Carolina (3) and Louisiana (2) were the birthplaces reported most often; 1 was born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Tyler County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 1,148 enslaved people in Tyler County, 25% of everyone living there. In 1867, 41% of Tyler County's registered voters were freedmen, 256 of 620. 16 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Tyler County: Liberty County.
For African American genealogy beyond Tyler County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Tyler County