Death
Marriage
Birth
Divorce
Adoption
| Primary | Secondary |
| Information recorded at the time of an event by a knowledgeable participant or witness. | Information recorded by an informant that did not actually participate or witness the event. |
Vital records can contain both types of information. For example, any information about an individual's birth that is recorded on a death certificate is considered secondary information. The only primary information on a document is the information directly related to the specific event that occurred at the time the record was created.
Learn more about using vital records in your genealogy research by watching our how-to videos. Find other videos from our Building and Researching Your Family Tree, a twelve part beginners' series by clicking here.
The McLennan County Archives houses many early records including McLennan County births in 1873, 1874 and 1875.
The McLennan County Health District holds birth and death records from 1910-present. Note: requirements for access to information and fees for documents vary by type and age of record.
The McLennan County Clerk's office has a database for searching McLennan County marriage, birth, and death records. Note: not all records have been entered into this database.
The McLennan County Clerk's office has an index database for court records including probate (1961-present) and guardianship (1990-present) records.