Beginning when the mines closed in 1921, the population of Thurber began to decline. By the time the Texas Pacific Coal and Oil Company offices moved to Fort Worth in 1933, entire neighborhoods had been removed and still more houses sat empty. Thousands of Thurber residents scattered across America finding work in coal mines, brickyards, oil fields, and other industries. Other people chose to return to the countries from which they immigrated to seek employment. Though only a handful of people live in the area today, thousands can follow their ancestry back to Thurber.
Are you a Thurber descendant? Not sure? Libraries, archives, museums, and websites provide a wide range of resources to help you uncover your story.
Free Online Resources
Vital Records
- FamilySearch Record Search (TX Death Certificates)
- Erath County Texas Marriage Index, 1868-1921
Cemeteries
Photographs
Census Records
- HeritageQuest – Provides census images for 1790-1820,1860-1930.
Ask your local library about remote access. - 1880 Index
Immigration
- Ellis Island/Port of New York Passenger Records
- Historic Ellis Island Research Information
- Galveston, Texas, Immigration Database
GenWeb Pages
Libraries & Archives
Courthouses
Libraries
- Dick Smith Library at Tarleton State University
- Texas Tech University Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library
- The University of Texas at Arlington Special Collections
- Haley Library
Thurber Resources