ENCINAL COUNTY, TX HISTORY AND LOOKUP (EXTINCT COUNTY, 1856-1899)

County History Books

*None Listed

Encinal County, Texas: A Genealogical Overview

Encinal County is one of Texas’s “ghost counties,” an entity that was legally created by the legislature but never formally organized with a functioning government. For the entirety of its 43-year existence on paper, it remained a sparsely populated ranching frontier attached to its parent county for all administrative and judicial matters. For genealogists, the key takeaway is that no records were ever created under the name “Encinal County.” All research for ancestors and land within its historical boundaries must be conducted in the records of Webb County.

I. County Formation and Evolution

Encinal County’s history is one of legislative creation and eventual dissolution, without the development of any independent government or record-keeping.

  • 1856: County Created: Encinal County was established by the Texas Legislature on February 1, 1856.
  • Parent County: Its territory was carved entirely from the eastern portion of Webb County.
  • Administrative Attachment and Abolition: From its creation in 1856 until its abolition in 1899, Encinal County was attached to Webb County for all judicial, surveying, tax, and law enforcement purposes. Due to a continued lack of population sufficient to support a government, the Texas Legislature officially abolished Encinal County on March 12, 1899, and its territory was fully and formally reabsorbed into Webb County.
  • Name Origin: The name “Encinal” is the Spanish word for “oak grove” or “oak stand,” a reference to the landscape of the region.
  • County Seat History: Encinal County never had a county seat. While an early legislative act designated a theoretical location for a seat, it was never established. Note: The modern town of Encinal, Texas, is located in La Salle County and has no historical connection to the territory of the former Encinal County.

II. Settlement and Early History

The history of the Encinal County area is that of the broader South Texas borderlands—a region of vast ranches and sparse settlement.

  • Early Inhabitants: The area was the traditional territory of various Coahuiltecan-speaking indigenous groups.
  • Spanish and Mexican Era: During the Spanish colonial period, the region was part of the province of Nuevo Santander. The Spanish and later Mexican governments issued large land grants (porciones) to ranching families, establishing a pastoral economy based on cattle, sheep, and goats that dominated the area.
  • Republic and Statehood Era: The region remained a remote and sparsely populated frontier known for its large-scale ranching operations. The persistent lack of towns, farms, and a significant settled population was the primary reason why Encinal County failed to ever organize a government. Its existence was more of a legislative plan for the future than a present-day reality.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

Absolutely no records will be found under the name Encinal County. Researching families from this specific geographic area requires focusing exclusively on the records of its parent and successor county.

  • The Primary Rule of Research: All legal and civil records for people, property, and events that occurred within the designated boundaries of Encinal County between 1856 and 1899 were recorded and filed in Webb County.
  • Primary Record Repositories: To find any genealogical information for this area, researchers must consult the records in Laredo, the county seat of Webb County:
    • Webb County Clerk’s Office: Holds all land records (deeds, land grants, mortgages), marriage licenses, and other vital records for the entire period. Any land transaction within Encinal County’s boundaries would have been filed here.
    • Webb County District Clerk’s Office: Holds all civil and criminal court case files. Any legal dispute involving a resident of the Encinal County territory would have been adjudicated and recorded here.
  • State-Level Records:
    • Texas General Land Office (GLO): Located in Austin, the GLO is the essential repository for all original Spanish, Mexican, Republic, and State of Texas land grant records for this region. These are often the earliest documents to name settlers in the area.
  • Bordering Jurisdictions (during its paper existence):
    • Webb County (west and south)
    • La Salle County (north)
    • Duval County (east)

Please share any resources you have and will do lookups or links to resources you are aware of. Thanks