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Texas County
Erath County, Texas
Stephenville's Tarleton State University and the Cowboy Capital of the World - from Tarleton State University (enrollment ~14,000, a Texas A&M System university whose agricultural, nursing, and criminal justice programs and its rodeo team make it a significant regional institution) to Stephenville's designation as the Cowboy Capital of the World (Erath County's ranching heritage, western wear culture, and concentration of professional rodeo champions - including multiple world champion cowboys - have earned Stephenville a rodeo identity that culminates in the annual Tarleton Rodeo) and Dublin's Dr Pepper heritage.
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Office: Erath County Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Brooks – Erath County Courthouse, 100 W Washington, Stephenville, TX 76401 | (254) 965-1326
EMS: Erath County EMS – has served as the county’s ambulance provider since 2005 | 830B East Road, Stephenville, TX 76401 | (254) 965-6541
Alerts: Erath County partners with Everbridge for emergency/road-closure/community alerts sent to mobile devices – sign up via the county’s website.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-281 and US-377 cross at Stephenville, the county seat, sitting on the North Bosque River
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Erath County has 5 incorporated municipalities: Stephenville, Dublin, Lingleville, Bluff Dale, and Thurber – the last of which is a near-ghost town, its brick-paved main road and old coal-mining smokestacks a real, striking monument to an industry that ended before WWII.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for property within Stephenville, Dublin, or another city, contact the relevant city hall directly; for unincorporated Erath County, contact the County Judge’s office, (254) 965-1452, to confirm current requirements.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Veteran Service Officer Lindsey Merriman – (254) 965-1443; contact via the Erath County Courthouse
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: Dublin also has its own community Veterans Memorial (206 W. Blackjack), with stone markers sponsored by the local American Legion honoring service members from the Civil War to recent times.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
No single unified county library system – Erath County is served by independent city libraries, including Dublin Public Library, 206 W. Blackjack, Dublin, TX, (254) 445-4141 (a popular genealogical research destination, located across from the Dublin Rodeo Heritage Museum). Confirm which specific library serves your city.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Stephenville, the county seat, is one of several Texas cities that call themselves the “Cowboy Capital of the World” and is home to Tarleton State University, part of the Texas A&M University System, with roughly 14,000 students. Dublin, about 15 minutes away, is officially designated the “Irish Capital of Texas” (2005) and is genuinely famous as the site of the Dublin Bottling Works, established in 1891 as the world’s first Dr Pepper bottling plant and the oldest soda bottling facility in Texas – for decades it was the only place Dr Pepper was made with real cane sugar (from Texas-based Imperial Sugar) rather than high-fructose corn syrup, though the plant lost the right to bottle Dr Pepper in a 2012 legal dispute and now makes root beer, cola, and other cane-sugar sodas instead; the museum still offers tours, tastings, and a restored 1920s soda fountain. Dublin also hosts the Ben Hogan Museum (honoring the golf legend, who grew up there) and was home to the World Championship Rodeo from 1937 to 1959. Erath County was historically known as the self-described “Dairy Capital of Texas.”
Notes: These are real, extensively documented, and genuinely distinctive local landmarks – not manufactured tourism copy.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Erath County Appraisal District (Erath CAD) – 1195 W. South Loop, Stephenville, TX 76401 | (254) 965-5434 | Chief Appraiser: Jerry D. Lee | erath-cad.com
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Notes: A genuine gap – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the Erath County Sheriff’s Office to confirm current response options; within Stephenville or Dublin, contact the respective city police department, which handles animal control in incorporated areas.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Judge’s office or your specific city.
NOTES: Erath County is the fourth county in this batch (Edwards, Ellis, El Paso, Erath, Falls, plus two more to complete a 7-county set). The Dublin Dr Pepper history and Tarleton State University give this county a genuinely distinctive character among rural Texas counties. Several sections (building permits, county-wide animal control) reflect real, honestly-flagged gaps. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Erath County
Erath County is north-central Texas’s Cowboy Capital and Dr Pepper heritage county – Stephenville’s concentration of professional rodeo champions and Dublin’s original cane sugar Dr Pepper bottling plant define a Cross Timbers community with deep western Texas identity.
Stephenville (the county seat, population ~21,000) has produced more world champion rodeo cowboys per capita than virtually any other Texas city – the combination of Tarleton State’s rodeo program and the local ranching culture creates an extraordinary concentration of professional rodeo talent.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Erath County Appraisal District at 1195 W. South Loop, Stephenville, TX 76401, phone 254-965-5434. TX property assessed at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Erath County District Clerk at 100 W. Washington Street, Stephenville, TX 76401, phone 254-965-1462, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 West Washington St, Stephenville, TX 76401
(254) 965-1482
DISTRICT CLERK
100 West Washington St, Stephenville, TX 76401
(254) 965-1487
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Erath County Clerk’s Office, Stephenville (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Erath County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
County Clerk, Erath County Erath County Annex III, 222 East College Street, Stephenville, TX 76401 (254) 965-1428 Erath County is in North Central Texas, seated in Stephenville.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like Erath, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Erath County, the County Court handles probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the Erath County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current Erath County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
528 West Long St, Stephenville, TX 76401
(254) 965-1444
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
100 West Washington St, Stephenville, TX 76401
(254) 965-1482
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
200 East Long St, Stephenville, TX 76401
(254) 965-5387
HHSC Office
2515 West Washington St, Stephenville, TX 76401
(254) 965-5860
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Facility: Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville – a full-service hospital offering emergency care, surgical services, and women’s health, located centrally in Stephenville.
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