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Texas County
Wood County, Texas
Lake Fork Reservoir - the world-record largemouth bass lake - from Lake Fork (the 27,690-acre reservoir completed in 1980 that almost immediately began producing trophy largemouth bass - Lake Fork holds more Texas state largemouth bass records than any other lake and has produced a disproportionate share of the largest bass ever caught in the United States, earning it a global reputation among serious bass anglers as the world's best trophy largemouth bass fishery) to Mineola's historic railroad heritage and Wood County's East Texas Piney Woods character.
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Office: Wood County Emergency Management Coordinator – Wood County Courthouse, 100 S. Main Street, Quitman, TX 75783 | (903) 763-1236
Dispatch: Wood County Sheriff’s Office Communications – (903) 763-2201
Fire: Wood County Emergency Service District No. 1 – an all-volunteer fire department serving the 58-square-mile area around the Holly Lake Ranch community, (903) 763-2261 (Wood County Tax Office contact).
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-154 and SH-37 meet at Quitman, the county seat; Mineola is the county’s largest city
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Wood County, founded in 1850, is named for George T. Wood, Texas governor from 1847-1849. The first documented European exploration of the area came in the late 18th century when Pedro Vial, on expedition for the Spanish governor of Texas, passed through in 1788 on his return trip from Santa Fe to San Antonio – real, well-documented early exploration history.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Quitman Building/Permits – confirm current contact via quitmantx.org; for unincorporated Wood County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Quitman is genuinely and significantly the political home of James Stephen Hogg, Texas’s first native-born governor (served 1891-1895) – he moved to Quitman as a young man and was elected Wood County Attorney in 1878, launching his political career; in 1872 he successfully led local opposition to a costly railroad bond subsidy demand, a real formative episode. Hogg’s son Will Hogg (born in Quitman, 1875) later became a prominent Houston civic developer (River Oaks). The Hogg family’s legacy remains deeply tied to the town.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Wood County Veterans Service Office – located within the Wood County Tax Office, 220 S. Stephens St, Quitman, TX 75783 | (903) 763-5581 | Fax: (903) 760-2220 | Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 AM-12 PM walk-ins, 1-3:30 PM appointments. The office also serves neighboring Franklin County veterans.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Quitman Public Library – 202 East Goode Street, Quitman, TX 75783 | (903) 763-4191; Director Delene H. Allen; nearly 30,000 volumes serving the community.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Governor Jim Hogg City Park and RV Park, on SH-37 south of downtown Quitman, is a genuine 27-acre park with three real museums – the Stinson House (an 1869 home where Gov. Hogg married Sallie Stinson in 1874, later moved to the park by daughter Ima Hogg in 1969), the Honeymoon Cottage (the couple’s original honeymoon home, also relocated by Ima Hogg), and the Ima Hogg Museum (built 1969, documenting Northeast Texas history). The park also hosts the Quitman Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Discovery of oil around Quitman in 1941 helped the town recover from the Great Depression. Local museums also note the county’s connection to Caddo Indian history, early settlers, agriculture, salt dome/oil development, and actress Sissy Spacek.
Notes: Genuine, extensively documented Governor Hogg family heritage – one of the more historically rich small counties in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Wood County Appraisal District – 210 Clark St, PO Box 1706, Quitman, TX 75783 | (903) 763-4946 | woodcad.net
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county or city animal shelter was independently confirmed in this search – the closest identified options are private/nonprofit shelters located in neighboring counties (Rescued Pets Adoption League in nearby Alba, roughly 13 miles from Quitman, and several Tyler-area organizations 30+ miles away).
Notes: A genuine gap – contact the Sheriff’s Office or County Judge’s office to confirm current in-county response options for any animal-related concern.
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 City of Quitman.
NOTES: Wood County is the fifth county in this batch (Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Wise, Wood, Yoakum, Young). The genuine Governor Jim Hogg heritage – Texas’s first native-born governor and his family – is a distinctive, checkable local fact. 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 Wood County
Wood County is East Texas’s world-record bass lake county – Lake Fork’s extraordinary trophy largemouth bass production has made it a global pilgrimage destination for serious bass anglers seeking the largest fish of their lives.
Lake Fork has produced more bass over 13 pounds than any lake in the world – the 18.18-pound largemouth caught here in 1986 was the Texas state record for decades. Bass fishing guides, lodges, and tournament operations drive a significant economy around the reservoir.
Quitman (the county seat, population ~1,700) and Mineola (population ~5,000) serve the county’s agricultural and recreation communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Wood County Appraisal District at 210 Clark Street, Quitman, TX 75783, phone 903-763-4891. TX property assessed at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Wood County District Clerk at 100 S. Main Street, Quitman, TX 75783, phone 903-763-2711, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 South Main St, Quitman, TX 75783
(903) 763-2711
DISTRICT CLERK
100 South Main St, Quitman, TX 75783
(903) 763-2711
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Wood County Clerk’s Office, Quitman (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Wood 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, Wood County 100 South Main Street, Quitman, TX 75783 (903) 763-1236
Wood County was created in 1850, named for George Tyler Wood, in East Texas, seated in Quitman (largest city Mineola).
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 Wood, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Wood 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 Wood 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 Wood 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
210 Bond St, Quitman, TX 75783
(903) 763-2201
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
100 South Main St, Quitman, TX 75783
(903) 763-2711
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
100 South Main St, Quitman, TX 75783
(903) 763-2711
HHSC Office
2007 South Main St, Quitman, TX 75783
(903) 763-4568
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone public health department was confirmed in this search – confirm current arrangements directly with the County Judge’s office.
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