Resources 

Special Note: Rains County was not formed until 1870. Before that date, the records would be in Wood, Van Zandt, Hunt or Hopkins County. A fire destroyed all county records in 1879. Although some deeds were re-filed, virtually all records from this period were lost. 

The Rains County Courthouse is currently under renovation. All records are currently housed at the Courthouse Annex, which is located west of the courthouse on Quitman Street. The County Clerk’s office holds birth, death, marriage, and deed records as well as wills and probate. Birth and Death records are not considered “open” records. They are closed to all except “next of kin” for deaths within the last 25 years and births for the past 75 years. You may purchase records for birth from the state or the county in which the event originates. For exact details, see the State of Texas website (Click Here).  For all other records, you need an approximate date for the event and the person’s name. Copies of probate, deeds and wills are $1.00 per page. Certified copies of marriage records are $20.00 with a reduced price for additional copies. I’ve found that a self addressed, stamped envelope can never hurt. The office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.  The county offices observe all state and federal holidays. 

County Clerk
Rains County Courthouse Annex
220 W. Quitman Street
P. O. Box 187
Emory, TX 75440
Phone: 903-473-5000, ext.103
Fax: 903-474-9390

The Rains County Library is located on US Hwy. 69 just northwest of town. They are open Monday through Friday from 10:00 A.M to 6:00 P.M. and Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00. The library has copies of most of the books specific to Rains County and its history, along with copies of most of the books published by the Genealogy Society. The library also has copies of the Rains County Leader from 1904 to 2006 available on microfilm. The library observes state and federal holidays.

Rains County Library
150 Doris Briggs Parkway
Emory, TX 75440
Phone: 903-474-5000 ext 196

The Rains County Genealogical Society Library is located in the Heritage Center on TX Hwy. 276 just northwest of town. The library has books specific to Rains County and it’s history with additional materials pertaining to surrounding counties and the state of Texas.  The library is open by appointment. To arrange an appointment, call Bob Smith at 903-598-6209.

Rains County Genealogical Society Library
410 Tawakoni Dr.
Emory TX 75440