Washington County, Texas · 1867 voter registration

Washington County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration

Slavery in Washington County

In 1860 the census counted 7,941 enslaved people in Washington County, 52% of everyone living there. Seven years later 2,279 freedmen registered to vote there, 53% of the county's voters. 158 reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Map of Texas counties in 1870 with Washington County highlighted
Washington County on the 1870 county map
7,941
Enslaved in 1860
52%
Of the county in 1860
4,323
Registered voters
2,279
Freedmen
53%
Freedmen
15 years
Median time in Texas
109
Register pages

Help finish Washington County. 2,117 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.

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When they arrived in Texas

Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Washington County.

Reported arrival decades for Washington County registrants
DecadeRegistrants
1830s
16
1840s
55
1850s
61
1860s
30

Surnames of freedmen in Washington County

Washington County genealogy: search the register by name

The first 50 names in the Washington County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.

Washington County registrants, by surname
NameBirthplaceArrivedGap
Airs, DavidUnited States184719
Albert, HarrisUnited States18475
Allen, HerbertUnited States1852
Allen, JeffersonUnited States1840
Armburster, JosephUnited States1861
Armsterd, JimUnited States1839
Armstrong, GeorgUnited States1850
Avery, CharlesUnited States1859
Baker, CupidUnited States1851
Banks, AndrewUnited States1844
Banks, HilliardUnited States1845
Banks, RichardUnited States18411
Battemore, JohnUnited States18552
Battimore, JohnUnited States1863
Bayers, AleckUnited States1847
Benson, ThomasUnited States185510
Bolton, EdwardUnited States1855
Brown, AunerUnited States185511
Brown, OrangeUnited States184225
Canada, JamesUnited States1862
Carington, GeorgeUnited States1866
Carter, LouisUnited States1836
Carter, RobertUnited States1839
Cheeck, CharlesUnited States1842
Childs, CharlesUnited States18578
Clay, ClaybornUnited States1853
Clay, JoeUnited States1862
Conley, WilliamUnited States1849
Cook, FleetUnited States1852
Cooper, JamesUnited States1863
Cooper, SamuelUnited States184221
Crayton, RobertUnited States184719
Damon, PeterUnited States1854
Daves, GeorgeUnited States1843
Davison, HomerUnited States1857
Demkins, DanielUnited States1861
Dobey, AthonyUnited States1859
Edward, HenryUnited States1865
Elridge, SamuelUnited States1837
Esthers, AleckUnited States184013
Fare, DanielUnited States1863
Fields, WilliamUnited States18578
Francis, WilliamUnited States1862
Frederick, BenfordUnited States185510
Furnry, IsaacUnited States1854
Gale, AdamUnited States183923
Galer, WashingtonUnited States1862
Gallant, AndyUnited States184125
Giddings, DanielUnited States185412
Giddings, MosesUnited States18425

Every freedman who registered in Washington CountySearch Washington 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. Washington County's entries fill 109 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.

Questions about the Washington County records

How do I find African American ancestors in Washington County, Texas?

Search the Washington 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 Washington County in 1867?

2,279 freedmen registered in Washington County between 1867 and 1870, 53% of the county's 4,323 registered voters.

Was slavery widespread in Washington County, Texas?

In 1860 the census counted 7,941 enslaved people in Washington County, 52% of everyone living there. In 1867, 53% of Washington County's registered voters were freedmen, 2,279 of 4,323. 158 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Keep looking

Counties that share a boundary history with Washington County: Brazos County, Burleson County, Grimes County, Madison County, Montgomery County.

For African American genealogy beyond Washington County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.

All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Washington County