Wise County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Wise County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Wise County
In 1860 the census counted 128 enslaved people in Wise County, 4% of everyone living there. Seven years later 9 freedmen registered to vote there, 3% of the county's voters. Most were born in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas, and 8 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 128
- Enslaved in 1860
- 4%
- Of the county in 1860
- 289
- Registered voters
- 9
- Freedmen
- 3%
- Freedmen
- Mississippi
- Largest birthplace
- 9 years
- Median time in Texas
- 8
- Register pages
Where Wise County's freedmen were born
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Wise County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1850s | 6 |
| 1860s | 3 |
Surnames of freedmen in Wise County
Wise County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 9 names in the Wise County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brouder, Alfred | Kentucky | 1858 | 2 |
| Brouder, John | Tennessee | 1852 | |
| Denton, Samuel | Arkansas | 1866 | |
| Jefferson, William | Mississippi | 1860 | 5 |
| Johnson, Alexander | Mississippi | 1859 | |
| Johnson, Thomas | Missouri | 1861 | |
| Millholland, Martin | Virginia | 1852 | 3 |
| Roberts, Albert | Tennessee | 1852 | 8 |
| Tucker, Dan | Georgia | 1854 | 3 |
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. Wise County's entries fill 8 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Wise County was formed out of Cooke County by 1860.
Questions about the Wise County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Wise County, Texas?
Search the Wise 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 Wise County in 1867?
9 freedmen registered in Wise County between 1867 and 1870, 3% of the county's 289 registered voters.
Where were Wise County's freedmen born?
Mississippi (2), Tennessee (2) and Arkansas (1) were the birthplaces reported most often.
Was slavery widespread in Wise County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 128 enslaved people in Wise County, 4% of everyone living there. In 1867, 3% of Wise County's registered voters were freedmen, 9 of 289. 8 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Wise County: Cooke County.
For African American genealogy beyond Wise County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Wise County