Walker County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Walker County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Walker County
In 1860 the census counted 4,135 enslaved people in Walker County, 50% of everyone living there. Seven years later 1,373 freedmen registered to vote there, 68% of the county's voters. Most were born in Alabama, Virginia and North Carolina, and 1,089 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 4,135
- Enslaved in 1860
- 50%
- Of the county in 1860
- 2,023
- Registered voters
- 1,373
- Freedmen
- 68%
- Freedmen
- Alabama
- Largest birthplace
- 12 years
- Median time in Texas
- 48
- Register pages
Help finish Walker County. 23 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Walker County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 373 | 28% |
| Virginia | 196 | 15% |
| North Carolina | 129 | 10% |
| South Carolina | 105 | 8% |
| Georgia | 102 | 8% |
| Mississippi | 90 | 7% |
| Texas | 87 | 6% |
| Louisiana | 80 | 6% |
| Tennessee | 66 | 5% |
| Kentucky | 49 | 4% |
| Maryland | 26 | 2% |
| Missouri | 18 | 1% |
| Arkansas | 15 | 1% |
| Florida | 4 | under 1% |
| District of Columbia | 3 | under 1% |
| Delaware | 2 | under 1% |
| Africa | 1 | under 1% |
| Illinois | 1 | under 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Walker County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1810s | 2 |
| 1820s | 0 |
| 1830s | 27 |
| 1840s | 182 |
| 1850s | 617 |
| 1860s | 503 |
Surnames of freedmen in Walker County
Walker County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Walker County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbert, Bonds | Louisiana | 1868 | |
| Abbott, Calvin | Alabama | 1852 | |
| Adair, Aaron | Alabama | 1851 | 2 |
| Adair, Charles | Alabama | 1853 | 1 |
| Adams, Joseph | Virginia | 1855 | |
| Adams, William | Virginia | 1839 | |
| Aleck, James | South Carolina | 1853 | |
| Alexander, Emmett | Alabama | 1854 | 13 |
| Alexander, Noble | North Carolina | 1853 | 1 |
| Alexander, Ramsom | North Carolina | 1852 | |
| Alexander, Richard | Alabama | 1868 | |
| Allen, David | Louisiana | 1865 | |
| Allen, Haywood | Georgia | 1847 | |
| Allen, Henry | Maryland | 1854 | 12 |
| Allen, Seyman | Louisiana | 1863 | 1 |
| Allen, Solomon | Alabama | 1855 | |
| Allen, William | Virginia | 1862 | 3 |
| Alston, Dread | Alabama | 1851 | 8 |
| Alston, Jack | Alabama | 1851 | 8 |
| Alston, Kinchim | North Carolina | 1851 | |
| Alston, Solomon | Virginia | 1851 | 8 |
| Alston, Thomas | Alabama | 1851 | 9 |
| Alston, William | Alabama | 1851 | 8 |
| Amos, Henry | South Carolina | 1855 | |
| Anderson, Brumsick | Alabama | 1854 | |
| Anderson, George | Virginia | 1858 | |
| Anderson, Morris | Alabama | 1868 | |
| Andrews, Austin | Louisiana | 1863 | |
| Andrews, Brown | North Carolina | 1863 | |
| Andrews, Dave | Louisiana | 1864 | |
| Archer, Abram | Tennessee | 1851 | |
| Archer, Bob | North Carolina | 1863 | 1 |
| Archer, Branch | Virginia | 1861 | 6 |
| Archer, John | Tennessee | 1849 | |
| Archer, Kingston | Tennessee | 1846 | |
| Archer, Porter | Tennessee | 1851 | |
| Archey, Edward | Missouri | 1850 | |
| Armstead, Nelson | Arkansas | 1868 | |
| Armstrong, Freeman | Alabama | 1853 | |
| Armstrong, Harrison | Alabama | 1855 | |
| Armstrong, Harrison | North Carolina | 1865 | |
| Armstrong, William | Alabama | 1853 | |
| Arnot, James | Mississippi | 1868 | |
| Ashley, Charles | North Carolina | 1858 | |
| Ashley, Daniel | North Carolina | 1862 | |
| Ashley, Prince | North Carolina | 1860 | |
| Ashwell, Madison | Alabama | 1868 | 0 |
| Asten, William | Georgia | 1863 | 3 |
| Atkins, Robert | North Carolina | 1862 | 4 |
| Augustus, Henry | Alabama | 1868 |
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. Walker County's entries fill 48 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Walker County was formed out of Montgomery County by 1850.
Questions about the Walker County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Walker County, Texas?
Search the Walker 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 Walker County in 1867?
1,373 freedmen registered in Walker County between 1867 and 1870, 68% of the county's 2,023 registered voters.
Where were Walker County's freedmen born?
Alabama (373), Virginia (196) and North Carolina (129) were the birthplaces reported most often; 87 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Walker County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 4,135 enslaved people in Walker County, 50% of everyone living there. In 1867, 68% of Walker County's registered voters were freedmen, 1,373 of 2,023. 1,089 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Walker County: Montgomery County.
For African American genealogy beyond Walker County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Walker County