Ask. Search. Connect.
Texas Genealogy Queries
Find the Right Place to Ask
A Good Query Starts with a Texas Place
TXGenWeb was built around local research. If you know the county connected to your ancestor, begin there. County websites may offer surname information, local records, volunteer lookups, contact information, and ways to connect with people researching the same area.
Know the County?
Go directly to the TXGenWeb county site connected to your ancestor and see what local resources or query options are available.
Find a CountyDon't Know the County?
Use our research tools to identify the county from a town, community, historical location, or changing county boundary.
Research the PlaceSearch Older Queries
TXGenWeb preserves historical statewide queries from the early years of online genealogy. They may still contain useful names, places, and research clues.
Browse Historical QueriesBefore You Post
Write a Query Someone Can Answer
A focused question is much easier for another researcher or volunteer to recognize and respond to than a general request for everything about a surname.
Include What You Know
- Full name of the person you are researching, including maiden or alternate names when known.
- Approximate dates for birth, marriage, death, residence, or another important event.
- Texas location — county, town, community, or nearby landmark.
- Family connections such as spouse, parents, children, or siblings when they help identify the right person.
- What you have already found so others do not repeat work you have already done.
Ask One Clear Question
Tell readers exactly what you hope to learn. A specific research question gives someone a much better chance of recognizing the family or suggesting the right record.
Try: I am looking for the parents of William H. Johnson, born about 1848 in Tennessee, who was living in Bell County, Texas, by 1880 with wife Sarah and children James and Mary.
Remember the Volunteers
TXGenWeb is an all-volunteer project. County Coordinators and lookup volunteers may be able to point you toward a record, check a local resource, or share information already available on the county site.
They are not expected to conduct extensive personal research. A courteous, focused request makes it much easier for someone to help.
Treat Queries as Clues
Queries are researcher-submitted information. Names, dates, relationships, and conclusions may not have been independently verified.
Use a promising query as a lead, then confirm the information with original records and other reliable evidence whenever possible.
About the Historical Query Archive
Some TXGenWeb query pages date back to the earliest years of the project. They are preserved because an old message can still provide a valuable clue about a family, surname, migration path, or researcher who was working on the same line.
Because these pages are historical, old email addresses and submission forms may no longer work. The information itself can still be useful for research.
Explore the Query Archive