New and Updated
New and Updated Collections
This page provides information about what is new or has been updated within the Texas Digital Archive (TDA). The page is updated as new records are added to the archive, and is listed in reverse chronological order (newest first). Links will take users to the finding aid page related to the collection that was added.
March 2023
Updated: Supreme Court M Case files
An additional set of Supreme Court M Case files have been digitized and added to the TDA. This addition is comprised of 120 cases totaling 394 individual records. This brings the total number of case files to 2,871 with 6,244 individual records. To read more about the Supreme Court M Case files and to access the records click here.
March 10, 2023
New: Texas State Board of Education Minutes and Agenda
The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) is the policy-making body of the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which coordinates all public educational activities and services except those of colleges and universities. The SBOE approves the plan of organization for TEA; adopts policies, rules, and regulations; approves budgets; executes contracts for the purchase of textbooks and instructional materials as recommended by the commissioner; directs the investment of the Permanent School Fund; passes on appeals made from the decisions of the commissioner; reviews the educational needs of the state; and evaluates programs under the direction of TEA. To read more about this collection and to access the photographs click here.
March 6, 2023
Updated: Department of Public Safety photographs H-series
The H-series of the Department of Public Safety photographs collection has been digitized and added to the TDA. This addition is composed of three written documents and 469 sets of photographs. Photographs were made by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) photographers to document or promote the activities of the various divisions, personnel, training, equipment, and facilities. To read more about this collection and to access the photographs click here.
March 2, 2023
February 2023
New: Texas Index Cards Collections
he Texas Index Cards Collections are four sets of index cards digitized from a card catalog held in the archives reference room. The index card collections are: the Biographical Index, Colonial Ship Lists, Customs House Ship Lists, and Ships at Texas Ports. To read more about these index cards and to begin using them for research, click here.
February 16, 2023
January 2023
New: Muster roll index cards
The Muster roll index cards provide a brief overview of the military service for individual listed on muster rolls, payrolls, rosters, returns, etc. Information points can include name of soldier, unit served under, commanding officer, and more. Not all information points are available for each individual and can also vary by type of service. To read more about these index cards and to begin using them for research, click here.
January 17, 2023
December 2022
New: Secretary of State City Charters and Amendments
Beginning in 1913, the Texas state legislature has required each city with a population of more than 5,000 to file certified copies of their city charters and amendments to charters with the Texas Secretary of State. City charters serve as the official record of the creation or incorporation of a city, defining its boundaries and its form of government. Amendments to city charters certify changes to the terms of those charters. The Statutory Documents Section records the charters of home rule cities and files amendments of charters of incorporated towns and villages. These records consist of home rule city charters and amendments to city charters filed with the Texas Secretary of State, 1913-2006. To read more about this collection and to access the records click here.
December 22, 2022
New: Secretary of State Executive Clemency records
One of the constitutional duties of the Texas Secretary of State is to register all official acts and proceedings of the governor, including proclamations. Since 1869, the governor was required to file, in the office of the Secretary of State, his reasons for granting executive clemency. Between 1946 and 1960, the Parole Division of the Texas Secretary of State maintained records and prepared all clemency proclamations issued by the governor. All of these functions are documented in these records, which include executive record books, clemency proclamations, indexes to clemency proclamations, applications for pardons and other forms of executive clemency, and registers of applications for pardons. To read more about this collection and to access the records click here.
December 22, 2022
Updated: Department of Transportation Right of Way records custom search
The Department of Transportation Right of Way records custom search tool has been recompiled to incorporate the substantial completion of the PHR (Pharr) District. The Amarillo District (AMA) is currently being added to the TDA and upon substantial completion of that set of records, the search page will be updated to reflect the additional options available in the TDA. To access this custom search click here.
December 6, 2022
November 2022
New:Texas State Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners minutes
The Texas State Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners conducts exams in podiatric medicine, issues and renews licenses, revokes licenses for due cause, prosecutes persons who violate the Podiatric Medical Practice Act, collects license and renewal fees, and adopts rules and regulations governing the practice of podiatric medicine. All of these functions are documented by these records, which comprise the minutes of the board, dating 1923-1967 (for the Board of Chiropody Examiners), 1967-1995 (for the Board of Podiatry Examiners), and 1995-2017 (for the Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners). To read more about this collection click here.
November 20, 2022
New: Beauford H. Jester Gubernatorial Campaign Recordings
Beauford H. Jester ran for and won the Democratic Party nomination for Texas governor in 1946 against primary opponent Homer P. Rainey. Jester became governor of Texas in 1947. These sound recordings were created in 1946, the bulk between May 4 and August 24, 1946. The recordings are pre-recorded and live radio broadcasts leading up to and including election day. To read more about this collection and to access the recordings click here.
November 17, 2022
New: Beauford H. Jester Railroad Commissioner Campaign Recordings and Transcripts
Beauford H. Jester campaigned for a Texas Railroad Commissioner position in 1942, and served in that role from January 1, 1943, to January 21, 1947, before becoming governor of Texas in 1947. These sound recordings and written transcripts were created in 1942, the bulk between June 22 and August 22, 1942. The recordings are pre-recorded and live radio broadcasts and consist of radio addresses by Jester as well as recorded testimonials from Texans in support of his candidacy for Railroad Commissioner. To read more about this collection and to access the records click here.
November 17, 2022
New: Homer P. Rainey Gubernatorial Campaign Recordings
Homer Price Rainey ran for the Democratic Party nomination for Texas Governor in 1946, but lost to Beauford H. Jester. These sound recordings were created between May 5 and August 24, 1946, from pre-recorded and live radio broadcasts leading up to and including the election day. The recordings contain addresses from Homer P. Rainey covering issues such as education, health, old-age pensions, farming, and socioeconomic inequalities. Additional addresses consist of other Texans voicing their support of Rainey…to read more about this collection and to access the records click here.
November 17, 2022
New: Texas State Board of Control Confederate Home for Men records
The primary functions of the Texas State Board of Control were controlling and supervising the state eleemosynary institutions (state schools, hospitals and sanatoriums, orphanages, and juvenile training schools), the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation, the Confederate Homes, the State Cemetery, and more. Records consist of Confederate Men’s Home records of the Texas State Board of Control. Types of materials include applications of admission to the Texas Confederate Home for Men, correspondence, index cards, patient files, rosters, and visitor registers. A portion, but not the entirety, of these materials has been digitized and is part of the Texas Digital Archive. To read more about this collection and to access the records click here.
November 17, 2022
New: Texas Municipal Retirement System minutes
The Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS), created in 1948, administers a retirement and disability pension system for employees of participating Texas cities. Records of TMRS are minutes of its Board of Trustees and committees, 1947-2021, that were created to document in a thorough but summary fashion the actions of the board and committees at their meetings. Minutes since 2019 are in electronic format and are in the Texas Digital Archive. To read more about this collection and to access the records click here.
November 3, 2022
New: Texas Animal Health Commission meeting records
The Texas Animal Health Commission works to protect the animal industry from, and/or mitigate the effects of domestic, foreign and emerging diseases; to increase the marketability of Texas livestock commodities at the state, national and international level; to promote and ensure animal health and productivity; to protect human health from animal diseases and conditions that are transmissible to people; and, to prepare for and respond to emergency situations involving animals. These records consist of minutes, with supporting documentation and audio cassette tapes, of Texas Animal Health Commission meetings and public hearings. To read more about this collection and to access the records click here.
November 3, 2022
New: Texas Attorney General Open Records Letter Rulings
The attorney general is the lawyer for the people of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to defend the laws and the Constitution of the State of Texas, represent the state in litigation, and approve public bond issues. Open records letter rulings are informal rulings in response to a request by a member of the public to a government entity; they are based on established law and practice under the Texas Public Information Act. To read more about this collection and to access the records click here.
November 2, 2022
Updated: Texas International Women’s Year Coordinating Committee records
Several video recordings from the Texas International Women’s Year Coordinating Committee records have been digitized and added to the TDA. The include a multi-part recording of the first planning meeting and a production video titled Remember the Ladies. To read more about this collection and to access the records click here.
November 2, 2022
Updated: Supreme Court M Case files
An additional item has been digitized for Supreme Court M case file M-00913 and added to the TDA. Previously, there was a single item, which means this case file document count now stands at two. For additional information regarding the Supreme Court M case files and to access the records, click here.
November 1, 2022
October 2022
Updated: Texas Department of Transportation Right of Way Division – Pharr District files
The PHR or Pharr District files have been added to the TxDOT Right of Way Division records. The PHR District conisits of the following counties: Brooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Starr, Willacy and Zapata. Click here to access this updated collection.
June 24, 2022
September 2022
Updated: Texas Health and Human Services Commission
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is the oversight agency for certain state agencies with health or human services functions. Services provided include Medicaid for families and children, long-term care for people who are older or who have disabilities, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance for families, behavioral health services, services to help keep people who are older or who have disabilities in their homes and communities, and services for women and people with special health needs. The update includes recent additions to the meeting files of many of the commission’s advisory committees, dating 1996-2022. Click here to access the collection.
September 19, 2022
New: Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners serves the following functions: to license qualified dentists and dental hygienists (by examination and/or by credentials); to register dental assistants after examination; to register qualified dental laboratories; to renew licenses and registrations annually; to investigate all complaints; to prosecute complaints through informal or formal disciplinary means; and to monitor on-going compliance of disciplined licensees/registrants with board orders. Those functions are documented by these records, which include copies of minutes, agenda, transcripts, press releases, committee membership lists, and a brochure, dating 1961-2005, 2018-2020. Click here to access the collection.
September 15, 2022
New: Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) inspects, supervises, and regulates the business of manufacturing, importing, exporting, transporting, storing, selling, advertising, labeling, and distributing alcoholic beverages in Texas. These records date 1964-2021 and include copies of minutes, agenda, and transcripts of meetings of the Texas Liquor Control Board (TABC’s predecessor from 1935 to 1969) and the TABC; correspondence, memorandums, and reports from the executive division; and press releases issued by the agency. Click here to access the collection.
September 15, 2022
New/Updated: Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar papers
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, second elected president of the Republic of Texas, was a statesman, soldier, historian, and poet. These are Lamar’s personal and official papers as well as material gathered by Lamar as a collector of historical documents with a particular interest in the histories of Texas and Latin American republics. Documents include correspondence, historical manuscripts, clippings, drafts, notes, editorials, poems, maps, reports, legal documents, histories of Texas and Mexico, and biographies of prominent regional figures. Dates are 1756-1859 and undated, bulk 1821-1859. The 1982 publication Calendar of the Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar includes a detailed chronological listing of the papers. This calendar and the Texas Declaration of Independence broadside have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to access the collection.
September 14, 2022
New: Texas Legation (U.S.) correspondence
The Texas legation in Washington, D.C., headed by a Minister Plenipotentiary, conducted diplomacy between the Republic of Texas and the United States. Records of the legation document that diplomatic business, consisting of correspondence (272 items) and an index, dating 1835-1839, 1841, 1843-1845, and undated, bulk 1836-1839. Subjects include U.S. recognition of Texas independence, proposals for annexation of Texas to the U.S., boundary issues, Native Americans, the slave trade, relations with Mexico (including the repudiated public and secret Treaties of Velasco), the Texas Navy, financial arrangements for loans, bonds, queries regarding land claims, emigration plans, news of relatives supposedly in Texas, etc. The repudiated public and secret Treaties of Velasco have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to access the collection.
September 14, 2022
Updated: Court of Appeals index look-up table
The Court of Appeals index and register volume covering the period of 1900-1922 has been transcribed and the transcription has been added to the TDA. This is in addition to the transcription fo rthe volume covering 1892-1900. The transcription is in a spreadsheet format, one per volume, and can be found alongside the digitized indexes. A look-up table derived from the spreadsheets can be found at the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals Index look-up table page. Use this table to look up information by Appellant, Appellee, or case number.
September 9, 2022
Updated: Confederate Pension Application records
Another set of Confederate Pension Application records have been added to the TDA and released for public access. This new set adds from application number 35,001 through application number 42,500, an additional 7,467 applications. Click here to read more about the Confederate Pension Application records, access the collection, and use the index database to find service members corresponding to an application number.
September 1, 2022
August 2022
Updated: Supreme Court M Case files
An additional set of Supreme Court M Case files have been digitized and added to the TDA. This addition is comprised of 108 cases totaling 235 individual records. This brings the total number of case files to 2,751 with 5,920 individual records. To read more about the Supreme Court M Case files and to access the records click here.
August 30, 2022
Updated: NAGARA records
Two photographs have been digitized and added to the collection of NAGARA records available in the TDA. The additional photographs are part of the Project files series, listed as Photographs for potential use in publications. Click here to read more about the collection and access materials.
August 26, 2022
July 2022
Updated: Supreme Court M case files
An addition set of Supreme Court M case files has been digitized and added to the TDA. This set comprises 63 cases, which may have more than one document, with a total of 154 records. To access more information of the Supreme Court M Case files please see our descriptive guide. For assistance finding specific cases, we recommend using our Supreme Court case files search page as it provides a filterable table and links to specific cases.
July 14, 2022
Updated: Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875 records
The Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875 records has received a new addition in the TDA in the form of the “Ordinances of the Constitutional Convention of 1875.” This bound volume includes laws or regulations related to topics under discussion but not actually included in the Texas Constitution. Click here to access additional information about the collection.
July 7, 2022
June 2022
Updated:Texas Department of Transportation Right of Way Division – Laredo District files
The LRD or Laredo District files have been added to the TxDOT Right of Way Division records. The LRD district is made up of the following counties: Dimmit, Duval, Kinney, La Salle, Maverick, Val Verde, Webb and Zavala.Click here to access this updated collection.
June 24, 2022
Updated: Supreme Court M case files
An additional set of Supreme Court M case files has been digitized and added to the TDA. This set comprises 100 cases, which can have one of more documents each. To access more information of the Supreme Court M Case files please see our descriptive guide. For assistance finding specific cases, we recommend using our Supreme Court case files search page as it provides a filterable table and links to specific cases.
June 23, 2022
Updated:Texas Department of Transportation Right of Way Division – San Angelo District files
The SJT or San Angelo District files have been added to the TxDOT Right of Way Division records. The SJT district is made up of the following counties: Coke, Concho, Crockett, Edwards, Glasscock, Irion, Kimble, Menard, Reagan, Real, Runnels, Schleicher, Sterling, Sutton and Tom Green. Click here to access this updated collection.
June 6, 2022
May 2022
New: Allan McCree papers
Allen McCree was the architect of the Capitol of Texas from 1988 to 1992 and oversaw the interior preservation and underground extension of the Capitol Building. These Allen McCree papers, dated 1975-1997 primarily document McCree’s involvement in architectural projects in the state and include plans for the Capitol project, general architectural materials, newspaper clippings, correspondence, memos, notes, architectural plans and specifications, budgets, reports, pamphlets, drafts, and slides and a script for a lecture on the history of the Capitol. Click here to access the collection.
May 12, 2022
New: “On This Day of New Beginnings”
A reference publication entitled “On This Day of New Beginnings” has been uploaded to the TDA and added to the reference tools collection. The publication includes the transcripts of inaugural speeches given by 12 Texas Governors, from 1846 to 1963. Click here to access the reference tools page and to link to the publication.
May 17, 2022
New: Compiled Index to Elected and Appointed Officials of the Republic of Texas, 1835-1846
A reference publication entitled “Compiled Index to Elected and Appointed Officials of the Republic of Texas 1835-1846 has been uploaded to the TDA and added to the reference tools collection. This index transcribes information appearing in two registers of Elected and Appointed Officials for the Republic found within the Secretary of State’s records. Click here to access the reference tools page and to link to the publication.
May 17, 2022
April 2022
New: José Bernardo Maximiliano Gutiérrez de Lara papers
José Bernardo Maximiliano Gutiérrez de Lara, Mexican revolutionary and diplomat, played a significant part in the Mexican War of Independence against the Spanish. These papers date 1811-1841, undated, and include correspondence as well as a 62-page portion of Gutiérrez de Lara’s bound diary, dating November 1811-May 1812. The fragmentary diary recounts his journey from Tennessee to Washington DC, his stay in the area, and his return to Natchitoches, Louisiana, to recruit volunteers for the Gutiérrez-Magee expedition. The diary described in this finding aid has been digitized and is part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to access the diary.
April 29, 2022
Updated: Reports of arrests added to the Adjutant General’s Reconstruction records
Three volumes of records have been digitized and added to the existing collection of Adjutant General’s Reconstruction records. These are a Register of reports, and Records of arrests. This collection already contained Records of Murders and Assaults under the 5th Military District series. Click here to access the collection.
April 6, 2022
Updated: Lamar Calendar
The Lamar Calendar previously posted on the TDA has been reprocessed to enhance readability and formatting. The updated version is now available in the TDA and replaces the original version. Links to the original version will no longer work and should be replaced with a link to the current version. Click here to access a page describing the Lamar Calendar and its usage. Click here to access the Lamar Calendar directly.
March 2022
New: Bradford Smith Audiovisual Materials
Bradford Smith started his career in Texas print and broadcast media in the Rio Grande Valley. In 1958, he moved to Austin to be Texas State Traffic Safety Director and later a member of Governor Price Daniel’s staff. These audiovisual materials, created by Smith while serving in those roles, date 1958-1962 and consist of black-and-white photographs and negatives, 16mm motion pictures, color transparencies, a framed drawing of a political cartoon, and an open reel audiotape. Most photographs document events of Governor Daniel. The motion pictures and audiotape described in this finding aid have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to access the collection.
March 29, 2022
New: Joint Committee to Investigate the Texas State Ranger Force
The Texas Joint Committee to Investigate the Texas State Ranger Force was created in January 1919 during the 36th Texas Legislature to investigate the actions taken by the Texas Ranger Force during the period from 1914 to 1919. The investigation is frequently referred to as the” Canales Investigation, “after Representative José T. Canales who instigated it. The original copy of the proceedings was filed with the Chief Clerk of the Texas House of Representatives on February 28, 1919. Records consist of digital copies of the original three-volume transcript of proceedings conducted by the committee during January and February of 1919. Click here for additional information and to access the collection.
March 24, 2022
Updated: Battleship Texas collection
New files have been added to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Battleship Texas collection. This new set of 81 Battleship Texas ships plans were more fragile and required extra attention during digitization. The records document the ship during active duty including building the ship, updates, and repairs, dating 1900-1948, 1984, undated. The records consist of over 3,000 blueprints, blueline prints, brownline prints, blackline prints, drawings, manuals, and booklets. Click here to access this updated collection.
March 11, 2022
Updated:Texas Department of Transportation Right of Way Division – Lubbock District files
The LBB or Lubbock District files have been added to the TxDOT Right of Way Division records. The LBB district is made up of the following counties: Andrews, Crane, Ector, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward and Winkler. Click here to access this updated collection.
March 8, 2022
Updated: Confederate Pension Application records
Another set of Confederate Pension Application records has been released for public access. This additional release covers the collection from pension application 16,500 thru 24,000; bringing the overall application range from application 00001 thru 24000. There are 22,349 applications online at this time with an additional 26,086 remaining, excluding Confederate Home pension applications and rejected pension applications. Click here for a brief overview and access to the records. Click here to access the searchable database of pension applications for assistance in identifying which pension application belongs to which individual.
March 1, 2022
February 2022
New:
Texas Department of State records of legislative and executive bodies prior to the Republic
Prior to the regular government established by the Republic of Texas Constitution of 1836, a variety of governmental entities, both legislative and executive, succeeded one another. The draft 1836 Texas Constitution in English and Spanish that is part of Series 69: Acts of Convention has been digitized and is in the Texas Digital Archive. Click here learn more about the collection.
February 23, 2022
New: William Barret Travis Letter from the Alamo, 1836 February 24
This document, written by Commander William B. Travis, dated February 24, 1836, and signed Victory or Death, is the one that has come to be known simply as The Travis Letter among the other missives issued by Travis from the Alamo. Travis called for reinforcements with this heroic message, carried from the Alamo by Captain Albert Martin of Gonzales and passed to Lancelot Smither, both of whom added notes to the letter. Smither delivered this appeal to the citizens’ committee in San Felipe, where several copies were made, and transcripts of the letter began to appear in newspapers as early as March 2. Santa Anna’s troops broke through on March 6, and all of the defenders of the Alamo died. Click here learn more about the letter.
February 23, 2022
New: Texas Declaration of Independence, 1836 March 2
This document is the Texas Declaration of Independence, completed and approved by vote on March 2, 1836. The 59 delegates attending the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos, each representing one of the settlements in Texas, signed the declaration over the next several days, after which five copies were made and dispatched to the designated Texas towns of Bexar, Goliad, Nacogdoches, Brazoria, and San Felipe. One thousand copies were ordered to be printed in handbill form by the printer in San Felipe, to circulate the news. Click here learn more about the document.
February 23, 2022
New: Texas 3rd Court of Appeals records, 1891-2009
The Texas 3rd Court of Appeals has intermediate appellate jurisdiction of both civil and criminal cases appealed from lower courts in the 3rd Supreme Judicial District of Texas; in civil cases where judgment rendered exceeds $100, exclusive of costs, and other civil proceedings as provided by law; and (since 1981) in criminal cases except in post-conviction writs of habeas corpus and where the death penalty has been imposed. The records of the Texas Court of Appeals, Third District (previously the Court of Civil Appeals, Third District), are composed of indexes and registers, dockets, minutes, opinion records, case files, fiscal records, and motions that range in date from 1891 to 2009. Originally the 3rd Supreme Judicial District included all of south, west, and central Texas, but it eventually was reduced to 24 counties in central Texas; it meets in Austin. A portion of these materials has been digitized and is part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here learn more about the collection.
February 18, 2022
Updated: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Case files, 1892-2012
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the highest criminal court in the state, holding the same position in the area of state criminal law that the Supreme Court holds in civil law. The Court of Criminal Appeals has appellate jurisdiction in all criminal cases (both felonies and misdemeanors). These records document the activities of the court. They consist of minutes, opinions, orders, dockets, indexes, account books, correspondence, press releases, and case files that may include transcripts, briefs, exhibits, statements, memoranda, motions, warrants, questionnaires, writs, photographs, videotapes, audio cassettes, and floppy discs, dating 1892-2012.
Currently, only one case file has been digitized: TxCCA #37900-State of Texas vs Jack Rubenstein Alias Jack Ruby. Click here learn more about the collection.
February 18, 2022
January 2022
New: German diary found in Austin, Texas
The collection consists of one 42-page portion of a bound journal written in German, dating September 1843-September 1844. The diary has not been translated, but upon cursory inspection it appears a substantial amount was written in Germany. H.R. Nieman Jr., obtained this diary during his time as the executive director for the State Building Commission. A contractor found the item while demolishing an old residence in Austin, Texas. Click here learn more about the collection.
January 27, 2022
December 2021
New: Allan Shivers audiovisual materials
Allan Shivers served as governor of Texas from 1949 to 1957. These audiovisual materials mainly document Shivers’s 1954 gubernatorial campaign for reelection and consist of 16mm films, open reel audiotapes, instantaneous recordings, and phonograph records dating 1949-1956, bulk 1954. Click here learn more about the collection.
December 3, 2021
Updated: Confederate pension applications
An additional set of Confederate pension applications has been added to the existing set of records in the TDA. With this addition the records now go from application number 1 to application number 16500. The next release of pension applications is expected on February 1, 2022. Click here to read more about the Confederate Pension Application records and to access the materials.
December 1, 2021
October 2021
Updated: Battleship Texas collection
New files have been added to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Battleship Texas collection. The new set of Battleship Texas ships plans document the ship during active duty including building the ship, updates, and repairs, dating 1900-1948, 1984, undated. The records consist of over 3,000 blueprints, blueline prints, brownline prints, blackline prints, drawings, manuals, and booklets. Click here to access this updated collection.
October 27, 2021
New: Civil War special topics collection
A new topics collection has been added to the TDA. This is a selection of records in the TDA related to the Civil War in the United States of America, which occurred between 1861 and 1865. Some records are related to the Civil War but are not contemporaneous, such as the confederate pension application records. As the TDA continues to grow, this selection will be updated but may not include all records in the TDA from the Civil War period. Also, this selection does not represent all Texas State Library and Archives Commission holdings dating from the Civil War period. Click here to access this topical collection.
October 14, 2021
New: Department of Transportation Right of Way records custom search
To better facilitate better access to the comprehensive and ever growing set of Texas Department of Transportation Right of Way records, we have created a customized search. With this search page you can select from the range of currently available districts, counties, and conveyance types. Options change dynamically as you select options. You can also limit your search by date range, a specific control number, and any desired text. Click here to access the customized search page or click here to access descriptive information about the collection.
October 5, 2021
September 2021
New: George Gordon papers
George Gordon lived at Moore’s Bluff, Liberty County, Texas, where he farmed and worked on steamboats that plied the Trinity River. The George Gordon papers document the lives of Gordon and his family during the 1870s as well as the steamboat trade on the Trinity River during that period. Materials consist of George Gordon’s diary, dating between 1873-1879; an 1862 document appointing Gordon to carry dispatches from the British Consulate in Galveston, Texas, to their consulate in Richmond, Virginia; transcribed Bible records on the Gordon family; a 1938 Houston Post clipping containing excerpts from the diary; and a book of poetry by Robert Burns, possibly dated around 1786, that belonged to Gordon. Materials date about 1786, 1862-1879, 1938, 1975, with the bulk dating 1873-1879. The manuscript diary of George Gordon described in this finding aid has been digitized and is part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to access more information about the George Gordon papers.
September 28, 2021
New: Secretary of State General Correspondence letterpress book
The Secretary of State general correspondence covers the wide variety of duties of the Secretary of State, including the following: appointments and resignations of notaries public, oaths (particularly during Reconstruction years, 1867-1870), and more. The letterpress books consist of 186 books containing copies of outgoing correspondence sent by the Secretary of State or the Chief Clerk of the Department of State, dating 1860-1861, 1865-1866, and 1870-1905. Within that set of books, a single volume has been digitized and is part of the TDA. Additional volumes are not scheduled for digitization at this time. Click here for more information and to access the letterpress volume.
September 7, 2021
New: Confederate Pension applications 1-1,000
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows. The Confederate pension applications files provide detailed documentation of these persons, as well as the process. This subseries consists of more than 54,600 Confederate pension applications files created by the Texas Comptroller’s office, dating 1899-1979. Applications 1-1,000 represents the first of many sets to be added to the TDA. Every 3 months an additional set of applications will be made available. Click here to access additional information about the Confederate Pension application records and how to access records in and outside of the TDA.
September 1, 2021
Updated: Supreme Court M-Case files
An additional set of Supreme Court M-Case files has been digitized and added to the TDA. This addition brings the total number of Supreme Court M-Case files document in the TDA to 5306. Click here to learn more about the Supreme Court M-Case files and to access the records. Please note that a customized search page has been created to facilitate access to these records.
September 1, 2021
August 2021
New: Harry Lund photograph collection
The Harry Lund photograph collection consists of commercial views and portraits photographed by the Morales Studio of Brownsville, Texas. Although mostly unidentified and undated, the photographs were taken in Brownsville and Harlingen, Texas; Matamoros, Mexico; and the surrounding Rio Grande Valley area in the early part of the twentieth century. The images primarily reflect aspects of Mexican-American life in the Brownsville area, including family, social, and religious activities such as weddings, funerals, and communions; commerce, agriculture, and railroads; interiors and exteriors of homes and businesses; activities of the Woodmen of the World, a fraternal benefit organization; and people, fortifications and sites associated with the Mexican Revolution…Click here for information and access to the descriptive guide.
August 27, 2021
New: Texas Department of Criminal Justice building construction project files
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice provides for the confinement, supervision, rehabilitation, and reintegration of the state’s convicted felons. These records are the department’s building construction project files for 22 prison units, dating 1982-2010. Types of records include proposals, bid documents, progress reports (daily and monthly), change orders, proposed and pending change orders, logs, transmittals, submission of transmittal forms, requests for information, punch lists, requests for equitable adjustments…Click here for information and access to the descriptive guide.
August 11, 2021
New: Texas State Library and Archives Commission Lorenzo de Zavala Building Literary Landmark commemoration materials
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) appoints the state librarian and assistant state librarian; approves the State Library’s strategic plans, policies, appropriations requests, and operating budgets; and develops rules for administering the State Library’s legislative mandates. December 3, 2009, marked the 100th anniversary of TSLAC. In commemoration, an event was held at which a Literary Landmark designation was issued to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for the use of its library resources and archives for the research and inspiration of prominent Texas authors. Speakers included State Librarian Peggy Rudd and former First Lady Laura Bush. These records consist of one Mini-DV, two digital photographs, one printed program, and one printed mailer that document this event, dated November-December 2009. Click here for more information and access to the descriptive guide.
August 4, 2021
July 2021
New: TDA Help/Search Tips now on the TDA
For technical reasons the general search tips and help pages meant to guide users through the searching and browsing process was hosted on the main agency website (https://www.tsl.texas.gov/). Those technical reasons have recently been resolved and search tips pages are now hosted in the TDA platform for unified user experience. Users can access the pages through the Reference Tools section of the TDA. If you are needing assistance and the search/help topics don’t cover your needs, please reach out to the reference staff for assistance. If there is a search/help topic not covered that you believe needs to be added, please contact us.
July 30, 2021
May 2021
New: Texas Constitutions collections
A government constitution sets out the fundamental principles and common rules by which that government operates. A constitutional convention is used to either draft or re-draft a government’s constitution. This can be differentiated from a constitutional amendment, which either adds to or alters specific aspects of an existing constitution without re-writing the whole. These collections represent the records of specific constitutional conventions. Click here for more information about these collections.
May 19, 2021
New: Reference Tools!
Tools to facilitate access to collections with the TDA have been consolidated into the TDA website in a new section called Reference Tools. This section contains customized search pages for material in the TDA as well as digitized versions of tools (such as card catalogs) which are meant to facilitate access to standard collection materials. This new section is accessible on the TDA homepage as well as the top navigation menu. Tools to facilitate access to standard collection materials are also available by browsing to the reference section of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission records in the TDA. Click here to go the new Reference Tools section of the TDA.
May 11, 2021
Updated: The TDA has been restructured!
To facilitate better and more organized browsing of the TDA, all records that fall within the purview of Texas State Government have been consolidated into a Texas State Government section. Standard webpages with summary descriptive information and links into the records have changed. Any webpage with descriptive information about records related to Texas State government with a URL beginning with https://tsl.access.preservica.com/tda/ will now begin with https://tsl.access.preservica.com/tda/texas-state-government/. For example, the URL for the Texas Department of Insurance webpage was https://tsl.access.preservica.com/tda/texas-state-agencies-homepage/tdi/ and is now https://tsl.access.preservica.com/tda/texas-state-government/texas-state-agencies-homepage/tdi/. URLs for items and folders beginning with https://tsl.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/ have not changed. User should update any links into the TDA accordingly. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
May 11, 2021
New: Texas State Archives Broadsides and printed ephemera collection
The Broadsides and printed ephemera collection is an artificial collection assembled by Texas State Archives staff beginning in the early 20th century. It consists of approximately 700 documents related to Texas and United States history. Printed ephemera was produced to distribute information as events unfolded, and it offers unique snapshots of Texas’s and the nation’s past. The ephemera in this collection includes both originals and copies of various formats, dating 1645-1999, bulk 1835-1930s. The original documents in this collection have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here for more information and to access the collection.
May 4, 2021
April 2021
Updated: Historic Flags exhibit
A recent upgrade to the TDA resulted in some difficulties with navigating the Historic Flags online exhibit. To restore functionality and help make it more user friendly, the exhibit has been completely restructured. We welcome feedback on this new structuring. The entry page for the exhibit is located here. Enjoy.
April 29, 2021
Updated: Collection links updated
A recent upgrade to the TDA has resulted in PURL links no longer functioning. All links in the TDA have been updated to their normal “human readable” counterparts. If you have saved a PURL link instead of the normal version of a link, it is recommended that you re-navigate to the webpage and save the link in the url bar. If you have saved a page link via bookmarking in your web browser this change will have no effect as web browsers use the human readable link. PURLs in the TDA were formatted like this: https://tsl.access.preservica.com/?p=[4 digit page number].
April 28, 2021
Updated: Special Collections renamed to Special Format Collections
To remove confusion as to the nature of special collections held in the TDA, “Special Collections” has been renamed to “Special Format Collections.” The new name more accurately reflects that the key characteristic of these collections is the format of its material. The change is meant to eliminate confusion with the general term Special Collections, which has an alternative meaning in university archive settings. Prints and Photographs has been linked to Special Format Collections.
April 19, 2021
Updated: Texas Governors Collections renamed
To better help researchers locating which Governors’ records are application to their needs, the names of records collections of Texas Governors held in the TDA have been updated. Governors’ records while browsing the TDA will now read as “Last Name, First Name (dates in office)”. For example, “Houston, Sam (1859 – 1861).”
April 19, 20201
March 2021
Updated: Price Daniel audiovisual materials and related papers
Price Daniel served as Texas attorney general, US senator, and Texas governor. These audiovisual materials and related papers date 1952-1962, 1980, undated, and encompass Daniel’s service in these offices, as well as his US Senate and Texas gubernatorial campaigns, and contain one item from after his political career. Topics covered include narcotic laws, segregation, states’ rights, traffic safety, and Texas business and agriculture. The most common film format is 16mm black-and-white film, and audio materials include open reel audiotapes and instantaneous recordings. Some audiovisual materials include accompanying documents. Click here to access the collection.
March 1, 2021
February 2021
Updated: Texas Department of Transportation, Right of Way Division
February 28, 2021
Updated: Texas Tourist Development Agency
A technical issue resulted in multiple versions of the collection name for the Texas Tourist Development Agency photographs and audiovisual materials. One version with and one without Texas in the name. This inconsistency has been resolved to the correction collection name of Texas Tourist Development Agency photographs and audiovisual materials. Any bookmarks or links derived from the incorrect collection name will need to be updated.
February 12, 2021
Updated: Supreme Court M case files
An additional selection of Supreme Court M case files have been digitized and added to the TDA. This is the latest of several additions to the online collection of Supreme Court case files. Additional cases will be added as digitization continues. Click here to access the collection, or click here to access our customized search tool.
February 4, 2021
Updated: Senate Recordings
The Texas Senate recordings have been updated to categorize recordings previously grouped together as “Broken Audiocassettes” into their corresponding legislative sessions. Limited additional information has been added to some of these newly filed recordings and they have been added to the Senate Recordings search pages to help with searchability. If browsing through the recordings, these recordings will be filed loosely within the appropriate section of a legislature. Two recordings were unable to be categorized. Click here to access the senate recordings.
February 3, 2021
New: Capitol Building Payroll index cards
As part of an agreement with Ancestry.com, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission has received certain collections for preservation and access in the TDA. The Capitol Building Payroll index cards is a collection of index cards created by Archives Staff that lists the names of people and companies involved in the building of the Texas State Capitol between 1882 and 1888. This is a reference tool only and is meant to help researchers locate records related to the people listed. Click here to browse the index cards. The index are also still accessible on Ancestry.com.
February 3, 2021
January 2021
Updated: Texas Tourist Development Agency slides
An additional set of Texas Tourist Development Agency slides have been added to the TDA. The Color slides and transparencies series consists of 35mm color slides, 2¼-inch transparencies, and 4 x 5-inch transparencies that document the activities of the Texas Tourist Development Agency and its work to increase the state’s share of the national tourist market. As it is only a sampling of the series, not a complete digitization, this marks the last addition of digitized materials to the slides series. Click here to access additional information about this collection and the slides series.
January 20, 20201
November 2020
Updated: NAGARA records
A technical issue affecting the NAGARA records digitized conference programs has been resolved. This resolution removes a “click through” to access the digitized items and unintended access to individual page scans. Links to the digitized programs have been updated as part of this process, please update any saved links accordingly.
November 20, 2020
Updated: Legislative Bills and Resolutions filed
The technical issue affecting the Legislative Bills and Resolutions filed has been fixed! This resolves the issue where both individual page scans in addition to the compiled PDF of a document were visible. Now only a document in PDF is available for access, if you wish to obtain a individual scanned page please contact the Reference Desk to make a request. One layer of “click through” has also been removed so you will no longer be required to click on a folder for a specific law before clicking on the individual document. Finally, to make the documents easier to navigate, the laws have been segmented into Congress of the Republic of Texas and Legislature of the state of Texas divisions. All links within this collection have been changed and you will need to update saved links by re-navigating to an item and copying the new link location.
November 20, 2020
Updated: Civil War military rolls
The technical issue affecting the Civil War military rolls as described on November 9, 2020 has been resolved. Descriptive information was stripped from items during this process but the information has since been restored. Please contact the Reference Desk if you come across a descriptive information error. As part of this correction items were consolidated to remove the need for “click through” to access individual military rolls. As a result links to individual items and some folders has changed. If a link into the collection is no longer working, please navigate to the item manually and copy the new link.
November 20, 2020
Updated: Secretary of State Post Office papers re-uploaded to the TDA
A technical fix that enhanced access to the Secretary of State legislative bills and resolutions filed (General and special laws) resulted in an improper rendering of the Post Office papers. To resolve this rendering issue it was necessary to re-upload the Post Office papers to the TDA. The documents are identical but folder and item links have changed. If you have linked into items or folders for this collection, please use the browse feature and navigate back to the location for the link. Collection level links remain the same. Click here to navigate to the collection level in the TDA.
Novembver 17, 2020
Notice: Temporary interruption to access on some collections
A technical problem within the Texas Digital Archive has required that certain collections be updated. This update has removed the metadata (descriptive information) for items within the collections being updated. This issue is temporary and the metadata will be restored soon. During that time, browsing to items is still possible, but searching for the collection items is not. Any links to items in the TDA will continue to work. This affects the Civil War Military Rolls, Legislative Bills and Resolutions filed, and certain part of the NAGARA collection. Please contact the reference desk if you need assistance.
November 9, 2020
New: Natural Resource Conservation Commission Office of the Hearing Examiners hearing files
The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission was charged to protect the environment and public health and safety by reducing the release of pollutants and contaminants in the air and water, regulating the management and disposal of waste, and expediting the cleanup of contaminated sites. Records consist of hearing examiner files compiled by the commission’s Office of the Hearing Examiner’s predecessors. The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission is a predecessor to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Click here for more information and to access the records.
November 4, 2020
New: Governor Thomas Mitchell Campbell letterpress volumes
The governor of Texas is the chief executive officer of the state elected by citizens every four years. Thomas Mitchell Campbell served as governor of Texas from January 15, 1907, to January 17, 1911. Records of Governor Campbell’s term in office relate to the state penitentiary, the Santa Fe railroad merger, relations with Mexico, and state agency business. Click here for more information about these records and to access the letterpress volumes.
November 4, 2020
October 2020
New: Special Collections section of the TDA
A new section of the TDA has been created called Special Collections. Special Collections are collections brought together based upon what type of thing it is, such as artifacts or broadsides. Special Collection materials were either obtained by the archives with the specific intent of being added to a special collection or separated from an existing collection due to the nature of the material. Artifacts, previously a section of the TDA, is now a collection within the Special Collections section. Soon to be one of several collections.
October 23, 2020
Updated: Supreme Court M case files
More Texas Supreme Court records M case files have been digitized and added to the TDA. This addition includes 91 morecases, totaling 171 new documents. At this time there are 2,292 case files, with a total of 4,854 documents. To learn more about this collection and to access the case files, click here.
October 15, 2020
New: Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission minutes
The Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission, established in 2009 and administratively attached to the Texas Historical Commission, ensures that resources are available to students, educators, and the general public regarding the Holocaust and other genocides. These efforts aim to prevent future genocides. To read more about this collection, click here.
Please note: Restrictions apply to these records.
October 13, 2020
New: Texas Low-Level radioactive Waste Disposal Authority records
The objectives of the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority (TLLRWDA) were to update existing statutes governing radioactive materials and to establish a state-operated low-level radioactive waste disposal program. To read more about this collection, click here.
Please note: Restrictions apply to these records.
October 2, 2020
September 2020
New: Minnie Sneed Wilcox collection now in the TDA
The Minnie Sneed Wilcox collection is an assembly of scrapbooks, correspondence, organization reports, and other materials that document the activities of Minnie Sneed Wilcox in three Texas music clubs between 1920 and 1945, bulk 1923-1941: the Wednesday Morning Music Club, the Texas Federation of Music Clubs, and the Texas Music Teachers Association. To read more about this collection or to access the records, click here.
September 28, 2020
Updated: Supreme Court M case files
More Texas Supreme Court records M case files have been digitized and added to the TDA. This is the seventh batch of M case files to be made available and represents an additional 230 cases. To learn more about this collection and to access the case files, click here.
September 22, 2020
August 2020
Updated: Supreme Court M case files
More Texas Supreme Court records M case files have been digitized and added to the TDA. This is the seventh batch of M case files to be made available and represents an additional 136 cases. To learn more about this collection and to access the case files, click here.
August 3, 2020
July 2020
Updated: Department of Public Safety photographs
The I-series of the Department of Public Safety photographs have been digitized and added to the TDA. This photograph series deals with Identification or Intelligence. To read more about this collection or to access the records, click here.
July 24, 2020
New: Governor Richard Coke letterpress books
Richard Coke served as governor from January 15, 1874, to December 1, 1876. Overall, the collection mainly document Governor Coke’s tenure during Reconstruction. Of those records, the letterpress volumes have been digitized and added to the Texas Digital Archive. Click here for information about these records and to access the digitized volumes.
July 22, 2020
Updated: Texas Tourist Development Agency films
A selection of the Moving Image materials series films have been digitized and are now available in the Texas Digital Archive. This is in addition to the existing selection of images from the Color slides and transparencies series. Click here to access the films directly, or click here to access an overall description of these records.
July 17, 2020
June 2020
New: Governor Edmund Jackson Davis letterpress volumes
Edmund Jackson Davis served as governor from January 8, 1870, to January 15, 1874. Overall, the collection records mainly document Governor Davis’ tenure during Reconstruction. Of those records, the letterpress volumes have been digitized and added to the Texas Digital Archive. Click here for information about these records and to access the digitized volumes.
June 11, 2020
Updated: Texas Tourist Development Agency
Due to an internal error, several sets of digitized slides within the Color slides and transparencies series were not made available in the Texas Digital Archive. This issue has been resolved and an additional 9 sets of images are now available. Click here to access these additional slides.
June 4, 2020
May 2020
New: Texas Tourist Development Agency
The Texas Tourist Development Agency photographs and audiovisual materials document the activities of the Texas Tourist Development Agency (TTDA) and its work to increase the state’s share of the national tourist market using a variety of mass media. A selection of the color slides and transparencies series has been digitized. Additional digitization of this collection is underway. Click here to read more and access the digitized material.
May 29, 2020
Updated: More Supreme Court Case files!
Another set of Supreme Court M-Case files have been digitized and made available on the TDA. This addition represents 464 new case files for researchers to access online. As a continuing digitization effort, more case files will be added in the coming months and/or years. Stay tuned.
May 6, 2020
New: Favorites function
The Texas Digital Archive underwent an upgrade at the end of April that enhanced or added some functions. A new function called “favorites” and indicated by a heart icon is now available for items. Normally colored blue, when an item is marked as a favorite, the heart icon will be colored red. This acts much like a shopping cart and you can select up to 12 favorites at a time per TDA session. To access saved favorites click on the heart icon in the menus section of any TDA page. From there you can quickly access and download your favorite items. Please be aware that this function is “cookie” based and may not work if you have your browser set to block cookies. Favorites may be lost between browse session so please remember to download favorited items before leaving the site. Enjoy.
May 6, 2020
April 2020
Updated: Governor Rick Perry records
For technical reasons some scanned documents and all email files in Governor Rick Perry’s records were re-uploaded to the TDA. While the majority of the affected records are not openly accessible due to possible exceptions to the Public Information Act, the URL for some of the records publicly accessible through the TDA have changed. If a saved link to a record in the Rick Perry files is not currently working, you may need to re-navigate to the item to get the current link. Affected collections are: Budget, Policy and Planning Office records; Press Office records; Economic Development and Tourism Division records; Executive Office records; Texas Film Commission records; General Counsel General Correspondence; General Counsel Legal Opinions and Advice records; General Counsel Plans and Planning records; Legislative Affairs Office records; Texas Music Office records; First Lady Anita Perry’s files; Governor’s Mansion records; Scheduling and Advance Office records.
April 3, 2020
March 2020
Updated: Civil War military rolls
The Civil War military rolls within the Military Department records have been updated at the item level to include two new pieces of information. For ease of tracking which military rolls have been reviewed, a title has been added to each which specifies the order of the individual sheet within the roll. For example, previously military roll sheets were identified strictly by identifier but the title as viewed on the record read the same roll name for each sheet; now the title reads as MR ####-01, MR ####-02, etc. In addition, a new information field has been added specifying which military organization a specific sheet is attributed to. As units previously assigned to one organization, such as the Texas State Troops, were absorbed by other organizations, such as the Confederate States Army, certain aspects of the record may have changed. The added information should help users keep track of those differences in an easier manner and, as the additional information has been provided as a clickable link, users can now view all military rolls attributed to a specific military organization at one time.
March 11, 2020
Updated: House recordings
For technical reasons the transcripts of the house recordings housed within subfolders called “Audio with Captions” have been updated from plain text files to PDF files. This should make the transcripts easier to view as well as search. Please note when reading the raw transcript that the transcript is computer generated using artificial intelligence and has not been proof-read for accuracy. Segments of transcript text are divided in hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds (i.e. 00:05:23,760 –> 00:05:36,660 is the span between 5 minutes 23 seconds 760 milliseconds and 5 minutes 36 seconds 660 milliseconds).
February 2020
New: Governor Elisha Marshal Pease records
The letterpress books of Governor Pease’s third term outgoing correspondence have been added to the TDA. Governor Elisha Marshall Pease served his third term as governor of Texas from August 8, 1867, to September 30, 1869. Overall, the records of Governor Pease’s third term relate predominately to the progress of Reconstruction in post-Civil War Texas. Click here to read more about the Governor Pease records and access the letterpress copybooks.
February 12, 2020
December 2019
New: Senate Recordings Search Page
The Texas Senate Recordings has a new search page! After transitioning the senate recordings to the TDA, TSLAC has created a set of search pages to help users better get to the recording they need. These pages leverage TDA search functions as well as the recently enhanced and standardized descriptive information to better target recordings users are trying to find. Click here to start using the search pages!
December 30, 2019
New: Texas Governors’ records
The letterpress copybooks from the Sam Houston, Francis Richard Lubbock, and Pendleton Murrah records have been added to the TDA! Each letterpress book contains copies of the outgoing correspondence for that governor as a bound volume. Because the records of Governor Rick Perry is now one amongst several Texas Governors, all governors’ records will be accessible through the new Texas Governor webpage. Click here to read more about each of the Governors’ records and to access the letterpress copybooks.
December 20, 2019
New: Adjutant General’s Reconstruction records
During the Congressional phase of Reconstruction, the military affairs of the State of Texas, and many aspects of civil government, were controlled by the commander of the District of Texas (1866-1868) or of the 5th Military District (1868-1870). These records are of those districts, and of the State Police and the State Guard and Reserve Militia, both created in 1870 and commanded by a newly restored state adjutant general.
Click here to read more about the reconstruction records.
December 18, 2019
New: Attorney General Martin C. Crawford Audiotape
Crawford Martin served as attorney general of Texas from 1967 to 1972. He filed successful litigation against commercial drug manufacturers for price-fixing of antibiotics and encouraged Texas consumers to file claims for a refund from money awarded in the suit. This 1969 recording informs Texas consumers how to file for the refund.
Click here to read more about the audiotape.
December 11, 2019
October 2019
Updated: Bachman Family photographs
Due to a minor data entry error, the images in the Richard Bachman collection photographs were not discoverable using the clickable link or Refine your selection options for the collection name. That error has been corrected and the full collection is now available through those links. 1593 items were affected. Click here to see the new results of this search.
October 31, 2019
Updated: Department of Public Safety Photographs
The Education group of photographs from the Department of Public Safety Photographs collection have been digitized and are now available in the TDA. You can access this newly available group of images here or click here to read more about the collection.
October 16, 2019
Updated: Department of Public Safety Photographs
The Driver’s License group of photographs from the Department of Public Safety Photographs collection have been digitized and are now available in the TDA. You can access this newly available group of images here or click here to read more about the collection.
October 10, 2019
New: NAGARA records
Through institution-based membership, the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA) encourages the exchange of information, cooperative approaches, and professional development and standards, and promotes awareness of government records issues. As an outgrowth organization from its predecessor, the National Association of State Archives and Records Administrators (NASARA), NAGARA was founded in 1984 to meet the needs of the government archives and records administration profession on all levels of United States government. These materials document the history and activities of NAGARA’s organizational pursuits with local, state, and federal governments as well as late NASARA endeavors with state governments. The NAGARA records include administrative files, correspondence, events files, meeting minutes, project and grant files, and records concerning relations with professional organizations, dating 1974-2018, undated, bulk 1984-1996.
Click here to read more about the records.
October 8, 2019
August 2019
New: Texas House of Representatives House recordings
The Texas House of Representatives is one arm of the Legislature of the State of Texas (the other being the Texas Senate), which the Texas Constitution (Article III, Section 1) vests with all legislative power of the state. House of Representatives recordings mainly contain floor debates, with some committee proceedings included. They span the 57th Legislature, Interim Term, in 1962, as well as the 63rd Texas Legislature, 1st Called Session, through the 68th Legislature, 2nd Called Session, from 1973 to 1984.
Click here for access to the house recordings.
August 13, 2019
New: Texas Historical Commission meeting records
The Texas Historical Commission protects and preserves the state’s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, economic benefit, and enjoyment of present and future generations. Records are minutes, agenda, and exhibits of the Texas State Historical Survey Committee meetings, from 1953 to 1973; and of the Texas Historical Commission meetings, dating 1973-2018. Records in the TDA are specific to the Historical Commission meetings in 2018.
Click here to read more about the meeting records.
August 13, 2019
New and Improved: look and feel for TDA webpages
After additional feedback from various stakeholders, webpages in the TDA have been simplified to provide essential information about collections without the high level of detail previously provided. This has allowed for a sharp reduction in number of pages users may have to go through to find what they need. If you need additional contextual information or access to detailed inventories, that information is still available in the online finding aids on Texas Archival Resources Online. Webpages in the older format will be removed from the TDA in the coming weeks. To assist users who may have created direct links to webpages, we have created a table of the old links and the corresponding new link here. If you would like to provide feedback on this new design, please contact the reference staff at reference.desk@tsl.texas.gov.
August 1, 2019
April 2019
New: look and feel for the TDA
After feedback from various stakeholders, the TDA interface has been changed to simplify the background and make certain records easier to read. Certain text-based files without an official background color of their own (such as .txt files) were found to have transparent backgrounds instead of the default standard white color normally expected. A border now surrounds the window pane for viewing records as well.
April 2, 2019
New: George Washington Smyth papers
George Washington Smyth was a surveyor, land commissioner, judge, and congressman in the early days of both the Republic of Texas and the United States governments. As a member of the Texas Convention of 1836, Smyth co-wrote and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence and signed the Constitution of the Republic of Texas in early March 1836. The George Washington Smyth papers relate chiefly to his time as a surveyor and land commissioner at the eastern boundary of Texas, near Nacogdoches. The bulk of the papers consist of documents and correspondence created during Smyth’s work with the boundary commission. Documents include boundary commission accounts, purchasing inventories, meeting minutes, a land title, and memoranda, dating 1833-1856, undated, bulk 1836-1841.
Click here to read more about the Smyth papers
April 25, 2019
November 2018
New: Department of Agriculture commissioners’ records
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) promotes production agriculture, consumer protection, economic development, and healthy living. The majority of the records are administrative correspondence, subject files, and speeches from Commissioner Susan Combs, dating 1997-2006, undated, bulk 2000-2003. Also included are biographical information, photographs, bumper stickers, and newspaper clippings of Commissioner John White, dating 1952-1995, undated. Records are paper with a small amount of electronic.
Click here to read more about the Agriculture commissioners’ records.
November 20, 2018
New: Representative John Lujan records
The Texas House of Representatives is one arm of the Legislature of the State of Texas (the other being the Texas Senate), which the Texas Constitution (Article III, Section I) vests with all legislative power of the state. Representative John Lujan’s records document his representation of House District 118 during the 84th Texas Legislature (2016-2017) through his legislative interests. Records include Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) investigation reports and correspondence relating to safe tire disposal in San Antonio, referred to as Applewhite clean up files, dating February-October 2016. Records are paper as well as electronic.
Click here to read more about Representative Lujan’s records.
November 14, 2018
New: Texas (Republic) Department of State Post Office records
The postal system of the Republic of Texas was established to facilitate mail transportation within and outside the Republic. Records of the post office were created as a result of the establishment and daily management of the postal service of the Republic of Texas and document the legal, financial, and administrative activities of the office. These records consist of correspondence; vouchers, receipts, and other accounting records; lists of post offices, postmasters, and mail routes; and related documents of the Republic of Texas Post Office, dating 1836-1847, undated.
Click here to read more about the Post Office papers
November 6, 2018
October 2018
New: Subject term list for the TDA!
The Texas Digital Archive has over 1900 unique subject terms for items. Unfortunately, during a search users can only see the top 100 subject terms related to the results in the options under the “Refine your search” sidebar menu. To help users know what the TDA holds, and better navigate the holdings, we have created a special page listing just the subject terms, with links to activate a search using that option. In some cases, clicking on a subject term will show no results, which means that the related item(s) is not publicly accessible and a user will need to request access for those related items. Requests will be reviewed and access determined by the nature of the content. Click here to view subject terms for items currently in the TDA. As the TDA continues to expand, this list will be updated to add new subject terms.
October 31, 2018
New: John Hancock Diary
John Hancock was a congressman, judge, and lawyer who made his home in Austin, Texas. In 1851 Hancock was elected district judge of the Second Judicial District. In 1860 he was elected to the Texas legislature as a Unionist Democrat. He was expelled from the legislature in March 1861 when he declined to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederate States. He remained a conscientious objector throughout the Civil War and continued working as a lawyer. He left Austin for Mexico in 1864 to avoid conscription in the Confederate army. Several months later he moved to Union-held New Orleans, Louisiana, and spent his time helping “Texas Refugees”—those who had fled Texas due to Union sympathies or who had deserted from the Confederate army. Hancock kept this personal diary, dating November 1864-June 1865, during the time he was in New Orleans. He recounts daily life, news of the war, the struggle to obtain and sell cotton and livestock, meetings with prominent Texans and the Louisiana legislature, and his sadness at being separated from his wife and child. Click here to read more about the John Hancock diary.
October 23, 2018
New: Parks and Wildlife Infrastructure Division records
The Infrastructure Division administers the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Capital Program, which includes all new construction, restoration, renovation, maintenance, and repair projects. It is responsible for all design and construction contracts for the department, and it provides professional design, construction, and project management services to state parks, wildlife management areas, hatcheries, and other department facilities. Records include manuals, project files, correspondence, office memorandum, contracts and invoices, research notes, topographical plans, maps, and photographs. The records cover the division’s administrative, financial, and operational activities, topographical research and land surveys, and special projects. Records date 1916, 1918, 1927, 1935-1944, 1950-2016, undated, bulk 1968-1997, undated. Click here to read more about the Infrastructure Division records.
October 2, 2018
September 2018
New: Samuel Hamilton Walker papers
Samuel Hamilton Walker served as a Texas Ranger and in the Mexican War. His papers include correspondence, military orders, quartermaster invoices and receipts, social invitations, pamphlets, and newspaper clippings of Samuel Hamilton Walker and his family, dating 1836-1905, about 1982, and undated. The correspondence is from family, social, business, and military sources. The bulk of the papers are from the last few years of Walker’s life and focus on his military activities in Texas, beginning with several letters in 1843 when Walker was in Mexican prisons after the Mier expedition. Afterwards, most of the papers are from Walker’s service in the Mexican War, 1846-1847. During this period, there is correspondence with Samuel Colt on the development of the Walker-Colt revolver. A biographical sketch of Walker dates about 1982. Click here to read more about this collection.
September 14, 2018
New: Texas Supreme Court
The Texas Supreme Court has final appellate jurisdiction in most civil and juvenile cases. It also has the authority to conduct proceedings for the removal or involuntary retirement of state judges; supervises State Bar operations; promulgates rules and regulations for the discipline, supervision, and disbarment of lawyers; and has supervisory and administrative control over the judicial branch. The records consist of case files, applications, opinions, dockets, indexes, registers, and minutes covering the period 1840-2004. Also present are the records of the Texas Commission of Appeals, consisting of opinions, dockets, and minutes, dating 1879-1892, 1918-1943. A portion of these materials have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to read more about this collection. This is part of an on-going digitization project. New case files will be added periodically as they are digitized.
September 14, 2018
New: Mexican-American War lithographs
These Mexican-American War lithographs are part of the publication The war between the United States and Mexico illustrated, embracing pictorial drawings of all principal conflicts, by George Wilkins Kendall, published by Appleton & Co. of New York and Philadelphia. The twelve hand-colored prints are based on paintings created by artist Carl Nebel and were printed and lithographed by Alfred Lemercier and Adolphe Jean Baptiste Bayot around 1851. The images are of battles of the Mexican-American War. Prints from this collection have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to read more about the collection.
September 12, 2018
August 2018
New: Horald V. Watson collection
The Horald V. Watson collection includes one set of Daisetta water control records, two prescription sheets from Bell’s Pharmacy and Drugs, an official pocket seal, and photographs of Batson, Hull, Daisetta, and Galveston, Texas, dating 1917-1920s, about 1940, 1954, 1957, undated. Photographs from this collection have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to read more about this collection.
August 11, 2018
New: Greg D. Box photograph collection
The Greg D. Box photograph collection consists primarily of photographs of oil workers, equipment, and oil fields in Sour Lake, Texas, dating about 1900-1910. Views of the town include a fire at the Sour Lake National Bank. This collection has been digitized and is part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to read more about this collection.
August 7, 2018
July 2018
New: Representative Warren Chisum records
The Texas House of Representatives is one arm of the Legislature of the State of Texas (the other being the Texas Senate), which the Texas Constitution (Article III, Section I) vests with all legislative power of the state. Representative Warren Chisum’s records document his representation of House District 84 (1989-1993) and House District 88 (1993-2013) through his legislative activities and general office operations. Records include bill files (including drafts, amendments, and analyses), fiscal notes, talking points, speeches, correspondence, press releases, testimonies, news clippings, position papers, legislative summaries, research reports, memorandums, committee reports, publications such as newsletters and brochures, calendars, biographical sketches, nomination forms, digital images, and graphic images. Records date from 1989 to 2012, undated, bulk 2007-2011. Subjects include natural resources, environmental issues, energy, public education, government funding and appropriations, health care, marriage definitions and requirements, abortion regulation, tax reform, and disaster planning. Click here to read more about Representative Chisum’s records.
July 16, 2018
May 2018
New: Tina Q. Odim photograph collection
The Tina Q. Odim photograph collection includes seven studio portraits of African American men and women dating about 1880-1890s, 1905, undated. These images include portraits taken by Frank E. Beach of Lampasas, Texas, and the Star Gallery in Burnet, Texas. The majority of the images are albumen cabinet card studio portraits of unidentified individuals. Click here to read more about this collection.
May 24, 2018
April 2018
New: Mary Stark Collard daguerreotype
Mary Stark Collard was the wife of Texas pioneer and surveyor Elijah Simmons Collard and mother to Jonathan, Lemuel Miller, Job Stark and James Harrison Collard, who all fought for Texas independence. This daguerreotype is a portrait of Mary Stark Collard created by an unknown photographer while she was living in Texas, dating about 1845-1862. Click here to read more about this collection.
April 4, 2018
Updated: Laws of the 12th Legislature
Due to a minor clerical error, the laws of the 12th Legislature found within the Secretary of State’s office have been re-uploaded to the TDA. This does not change the content of the materials, but does change links to individual laws and files. If you have previously saved a link to a law or specific file you will need to manually navigate back to the correct item and copy the new link.
April 9, 2018
March 2018
New: Fannie Ratchford photograph collection
The Fannie Ratchford photograph collection contains photographic material gathered and created by Ratchford for a project to describe and document architecturally noteworthy Texas houses built in the nineteenth century. The collection includes over 2,500 photographs, nine postcards, seven pencil sketches, and one woodcut, dating from about 1933 to 1947. Apparently lack of funds and time combined to prevent the completion of the projected book, but the images documenting her research are an invaluable resource of the Texas building arts. Click here to read more about the Fannie Ratchford collection and link to the photos.
New: Artifacts collection
The Artifacts collection at the Texas State Archives is an artificial collection consisting of approximately 590 three-dimensional objects related to Texas history. Primarily dating from 1860 to 1970, the collection comprises objects dating from possibly 1500 to 1987 as well as fossilized items that are likely from the Cretaceous Period and arrowheads that may date as early as 14000 BCE to 1600 CE. This wide assortment of artifacts helps document in material form the lives of those who have resided in Texas over the centuries, from the prehistoric and Pre-Columbian eras to the time that Texas has existed as a colony, republic, and state. Click here to read more about the Artifacts and link to the collection
February 2018
New: State Department of Highways and Public Transportation Travel and Information Division films and audiotapes
The Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation (TSDHPT) was responsible for the building and maintenance of Texas roads and highways and for developing public mass transportation in state from 1975 to 1991. The agency was formed in 1975 when Texas legislature merged the Texas Highway Department and the Texas Mass Transportation Commission into this single agency. Both TSDHPT and the Texas Highway Department operated a Travel and Information Division that promoted travel to and within the state of Texas, highway safety, and tourism through the distribution of publications, audiovisual programs, and news media materials. Records consist of 76 film projects made up of 16mm motion pictures and motion picture components, 0.25-inch open reel audiotapes, a 35mm work print, and an audiocassette, dating 1963-1990, bulk 1970-1985. Projects comprise Texas tourism and other films, as well as radio and television news stories, commercials, and public service announcements that were produced by the division. Subjects include bridge construction, anti-littering campaigns, tourist attractions around Texas, highway safety, highway funding, and public transportation. Included are different motion picture production components, such as work prints, internegatives, sound tracks, film clips and stock shots. Click here to read more about State Highway department films and link to the records.
February 28, 2018
January 2018
New: Texas Historical Commission Architecture Division
The Texas Historical Commission protects and preserves the state’s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, economic benefit, and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Architecture Division works to preserve and protect Texas’ diverse architectural heritage by monitoring historical landmarks, awarding preservation grant funds for restoration work on historical structures, and offering advice and technical consultation for the restoration of or changes made to the state’s architectural resources. These records consist of grant reports, minutes, agenda, correspondence, clippings, photographs, needs assessment files, compact discs, master plans, completion reports, and architectural drawings, dating 1981-2017. Records document meetings of several trust fund associated boards (Texas Prese…click here to read more about the Architecture Division and link to the records.
January 29, 2018
New: 8th Album of the Texas Legislature
The Texas Album of the Eighth Legislature was created by William De Ryee and R.E. Moore and published by Miner, Lambert & Perry of Austin, Texas, in 1860. The album includes 129 individual albumen portraits of members of the 8th Texas Legislature and other state officials, including Governors Hardin R. Runnels and Sam Houston, Lieutenant Governor Edward Clark, and Speaker Marion DeKalb Taylor. Accompanying many of the portraits are the name of the county each member represented in the legislature and biographical information. Click here to read more about the Texas Album of the 8th Legislature and link to the this new collection.
January 12, 2018
Updated: Historic Marker files for the Texas Historical Commission.
A new accession from the Texas Historical Commission has provided 249 new Historic Marker files, which are now accession in the TDA. It covers digitized marker files records from 1962-2006. This is a significant increase from the 133 marker files previously available, which covered the period of 2007-2016. Previously available Historic Marker files are still available, but the URLs for individual files have changed due to the added volume, so you may need to browse through the records to access those files. Click here to read more about the History Programs Division and link to the newly available records.
January 11, 2018
November 2017
New: Republic of Texas Passports
Passports were issued by the government of the Republic of Texas to allow persons to freely leave and re-enter. These records consist of requests for passports, orders to issue passports, and one proclamation granting entrance into the Republic. Dates covered are 1836-1845, 1855, 1858. These passports have been digitized and are available in the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to read more about this collection.
November 27, 2017
New: Terry’s Texas Rangers Reunion Panorama
The 8th Texas Cavalry, popularly known as Terry’s Texas Rangers, was a group of Texas volunteers for the Confederate States Army assembled by Colonel Benjamin Franklin Terry in August 1861. This panorama is a group photographic portrait of the Terry’s Texas Rangers reunion in Houston, Texas on November 10, 1908. This is a single item photograph collection. Click here to read more about this collection.
November 7, 2017
October 2017
Updated: Final additions to the Secretary of State Legislative Bills and Resolutions Filed (General and Special Laws)
We have added the 10th Legislature, Regular Session, 1863, General Laws and Special Laws and Joint Resolutions, 10th Legislature, 1st Called Session, 1864, General Laws and Special Laws, 10th Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1864, General Laws and Special Laws and Joint Resolutions, 11th Legislature, Regular Session, 1866, General Laws and Special Laws and Joint Resolutions, 12th Legislature, Regular Session, 1871, General Laws and Special Laws and Joint Resolutions, 12th Legislature, Called Session, 1870, General Laws and Special Laws, 12th Legislature, Adjourned Session, 1871, General Laws and Special Laws, Joint and Concurrent Resolutions, 13th Legislature, Regular Session, 1873, General Laws and Special Laws and Joint Resolutions. Click here to access the descriptive guide for the General Laws and Joint Resolutions filed.
October 25, 2017
August 2017
New: Jean Laffite Collection added to the TDA!
Jean Laffite, along with his brother Pierre, engaged in piracy and smuggling in New Orleans, Louisiana, and then Galveston Island, Texas, during the 1810s-1820s. The Jean Laffite collection has two components. One component consists of original journals, documents, photographs, and publications allegedly written or owned by Jean Laffite or other Laffite family members. These materials were in the possession of claimed Jean Laffite descendant John A. Laffite. The second component consists of documents, photographs, postcards, maps, publications, clippings, research materials, manuscripts, and artwork that were collected by former Texas Governor Price Daniel Sr. The collection pertains to Jean Laffite’s career as a pirate/privateer…Click here to read more about the Jean Laffite collection.
August 23, 2017
Updated: Miscellaneous Series photographs for the Department of Public Safety now available.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the state police agency, charged with enforcing laws, preserving order, and protecting the rights, privileges, property, and well-being of Texas citizens. Photographs were made by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) photographers to document or promote the activities of the various divisions, personnel, training, equipment, and facilities. These records consist of photographs created by the DPS photo lab. Dated photographs span the period 1937-1965. The Miscellaneous series is comprised of 222 folders of photographs. Click here to read more about this collection. A shortcut to these images is also available through the Prints and Photographs collection.
August 25, 2017
July 2017
New: World War I materials added to the TDA!
2017 marks the centennial of United State entry into World War I. In honor of this, we have added digitized copies of selected TSLAC materials related to the Great War. The Frank S. Tillman collection is available at this link; it contains printed material, diaries, rosters, lists of wartime deaths, and assorted material produced between 1915 and 1939, documenting and describing the participation of Texas soldiers in World War I. The 36th Division Association papers relate to Texans experience during World War I, railroads in Texas, and the San Jacinto Monument. The General John A. Hulen papers photographs series have been augmented with selected panoramas, oversized photographs and military portraits. For research convenience, we have added a new section to the TDA providing access to material based on special subject interests. The homepage for that section can be found at this location.
July 25, 2017
Updated: Texas Historical Commission, History Programs Division records
We have added additional marker files for the History Programs Division records and updated descriptive information about the existing markers to make information easier to find. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) administers programs to preserve the architectural, archeological, historical and cultural resources of Texas. The History Programs Division of the THC provides preservation assistance to county historical commissions, museums, nonprofit preservation organizations, state and federal agencies, local governments, students, educators, and the general public. Records in these files include correspondence, memos, minutes, surveys, inscriptions, lists and project files of historical markers…click here to read more about this collection.
July 19, 2017
June 2017
New: Online exhibits page and Historic Flags collection exhibit now in the TDA
TSLAC’s online exhibits are now accessible through the TDA website. This is part of a larger effort to streamline access to the Texas State Archives’ electronic holdings to a central area. Click here to access the new online exhibits homepage. The Historic Flags of Texas exhibit and collection have also been added to the TDA and are accessible through this link.
June 13, 2017
New: Employees Retirement Systems of Texas records
The Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) oversees retirement and health benefits for State of Texas employees to provide for, protect, and enhance the economic well-being of members, retirees, and their beneficiaries through effectively managing benefit programs, using sound actuarial principles and available resources consistent with applicable laws. The programs offered by ERS include benefit payments for both service-related and disability-related retirements and benefits for survivors of active and retired members. The new records in the TDA represent files in the Reports part of the ERS records. Click here to read more about the ERS records.
June 6, 2017
May 2017
New: House of Representatives House Photography records
The Texas House of Representatives is one arm of the Legislature of the State of Texas (the other being the Texas Senate), which the Texas Constitution (Article III, Section 1) vests with all legislative power of the state. House Photography records contain black-and-white and color photographs, contact sheets, negatives, slides, letters received, photograph order forms, policy statements, and product manuals produced and collected by the House Photography department of the Texas House of Representatives, dating 1971-1975, 1977-1979, 1981-1997. Records are from the 62nd through 74th Legislative Session. The department accumulated these records in the course of its work to make photographic portraits of individual state representatives, to photograph events on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives and in other related entities of state government, and to provide photographs at the request of members. Currently only photos from the 67th Legislature have been digitized. More will be posted when other sessions are digitized. Click here to read more about the House Photography records.
May 23, 2017
Updated: Communications Series photographs for the Department of Public Safety now available.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the state police agency, charged with enforcing laws, preserving order, and protecting the rights, privileges, property, and well-being of Texas citizens. Photographs were made by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) photographers to document or promote the activities of the various divisions, personnel, training, equipment, and facilities. These records consist of photographs created by the DPS photo lab. Dated photographs span the period 1937-1965. The Communications series is comprised of 19 folders of photographs. Click here to read more about this collection. A shortcut to these images is also available through the Prints and Photographs collection.
May 18, 2017
New: William Deming Hornaday photograph collection
This collection consists of photographs, photographic postcards, photoengravings and negatives amassed by William Deming Hornaday (1868-1942) to accompany the various articles written in his capacity as a journalist and Director of Publicity for the University of Texas. The images were created by a variety of photographers, the names of whom are mostly unknown. Dates covered are about 1890-about 1940, undated. The photographs depict notable people, places, and events across Texas. The collection also portrays a variety of locations outside the contiguous United States, most notably Mexico, Australia, China, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Fiji, and Hawaii. Subjects covered include agriculture, bridges, cattle, cityscapes, dwellings, factories, harbors, hunting, hydraulic structures, irrigation farming, landscape, military bases and personnel, mineral industries, the petroleum industry, physical geography, politicians, public buildings, railroads, ranches, and the wool industry. Click here to read more about the Hornaday photograph collection.
May 11, 2017
Updated: Addition to the 9th Legislature Regular and Called Sessions
We have added to the Secretary of State General Laws and Joint Resolutions filed the 9th Legislature General Session and Called Session. These new sets of laws available in the TDA include general laws, joint resolutions filed, and special laws. Click here to access the descriptive guide for the General Laws and Joint Resolutions filed and for access to the addition laws (within the 9th Legislature Regular Session and 9th Legislature Called Session).
May 10, 2017
New: House of Representatives Textbook Investigating Committee audiotapes, 1962
In response to controversy over the content of public school textbooks and assigned student reading in Texas in the 1950s and 1960s, the Texas House of Representatives Textbook Investigating Committee was created (House Simple Resolution 736, 57th Texas Legislature, Regular Session) in 1962 to study the contents of public school American history textbooks that had been approved for use in Texas schools and report its findings to the House of Representatives before the end of the regular session of the 58th Legislature. Economics and home economics textbooks, in addition to literary works used as assigned reading, also came under the committee’s consideration. Audiotapes, dating from 1962, document all of the committee’s public hearings in Austin, Amarillo, and San Antonio, and its two meetings held after the hearings. Click here to read more about the audiotapes.
May 9, 2017
Updated: Addition to the 8th Legislature Special Laws and Joint Resolutions filed
We have added to the Secretary of State General Laws and Joint Resolutions filed 8th Legislature General Session, Special Laws. This set of laws now includes Chapters 126 to 253, and Joint Resolutions 1 through 5. Click here to access the descriptive guide for the General Laws and Joint Resolutions filed and for access to the addition laws (within the 8th Legislature General Laws).
May 2, 2017
April 2017
NEW: Specialty Fire Insurance Maps search page
To facilitate easier searching of the large collection of fire insurance maps available in the TDA, we have created a specialty search page with drop-down search options. This additional search option replaces the original fire insurance maps searchable database. Access to this page can be found through the Other Online Collections page, the fire insurance maps descriptive guide page, and directly at this page.
April 26, 2017
NEW: Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar papers
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, second elected president of the Republic of Texas, was a statesman, soldier, historian, and poet. These are Lamar’s personal and official papers as well as material gathered by Lamar as a collector of historical documents with a particular interest in the histories of Texas and Latin American republics. Documents include correspondence, historical manuscripts, clippings, drafts, notes, editorials, poems, maps, reports, legal documents, histories of Texas and Mexico, and biographies of prominent regional figures. Dates are 1756-1859 and undated, bulk 1821-1859. The 1982 publication Calendar of the Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar includes a detailed chronological listing of the papers. The calendar has been digitized and is available in the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to read more about the calendar and papers.
April 13, 2017
NEW: Erminia Thompson Folsom papers
Mariana T. Folsom and her daughter, Erminia T. Folsom, were deeply involved in the woman’s suffrage, peace, and temperance movements in Texas and nationally. Mariana Folsom was also a minister in the Universalist church, while Erminia T. Folsom was active in prison reform and the Herbert Hoover presidential campaign of 1928 and had an interest in Universalism. The Erminia Thompson Folsom papers contain correspondence, literary productions (including lectures), minutes, printed materials, financial documents, and memorabilia, dating 1856-1965 and undated. Although the personalities and careers of these two women can be elucidated to some extent by these papers, particularly through the correspondence and the lectures, fully five-sixths of the collection pertains to the movements themselves, especially suffrage and temperance. The papers document the organization, membership, principles, and activities of these reform movements. The strongest bodies of materials are those dealing with woman’s suffrage (1856-1919) and temperance (1909-1964). The material relating to prison reform (1917-1932) and the peace movement (1866-1960), although small, is rich. A portion of the records have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to read more about the papers.
April 19, 2017
Updated: Hulen, Graham and Hunnicutt collection URLs
To be as accurate as possible to the nature of the overall collections, we have moved the Hulen, Graham and Hunnicutt collection associations away from the Prints and Photographs and into the Manuscripts. As the content in the TDA is primarily photographs, you will still be able to access the collection pages through the Prints and Photographs. However, the URL has changed to reflect “ownership” by the Manuscripts. Your bookmarks may need to be updated. Please navigate to these collections through the Manuscripts page to obtain the correct URL.
April 19, 2017
NEW: Richard Bachman collection
The Richard Bachman collection is an assembly of papers, ephemera, photographs, and other materials that document the lives and activities of several Texas families from 1825 to 1983, bulk 1840-1920. The families represented, related by marriage, are Elmore, Miller, Obenchain, Wall, Rugeley, Bachman, Hawkins, Guinn, and Pigford. . . Photographs make up a significant portion of the collection and cover nearly 130 years of family and photographic history. The collection contains images in a variety of photographic formats, including cased images, card photographs, snapshots, and Polaroids. The variety of images include a young Confederate soldier, Company C of the Texas Rangers, various family members, and several unidentified individuals. The photographs in this collection have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to read more about the papers.
April 13, 2017
Updated: Unidentified Series photographs for the Department of Public Safety now available.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the state police agency, charged with enforcing laws, preserving order, and protecting the rights, privileges, property, and well-being of Texas citizens. Photographs were made by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) photographers to document or promote the activities of the various divisions, personnel, training, equipment, and facilities. These records consist of photographs created by the DPS photo lab. Dated photographs span the period 1937-1965. The Unidentified series represents the photographs that were unable to be associated with the other existing series. Click here to read more about this collection.
April 13, 2017
Updated: 7th and 8th Legislature laws now available in the TDA
This addition encompasses the 7th and 8th Regular Legislative sessions. Since 1837, Texas law has required the Secretary of State to contract for the printing of the laws, and to arrange for their distribution. Since 1846, Texas law has required the Secretary of State to receive bills from the Texas Legislature which have become laws, and to bind and maintain such bills and enrolled joint resolutions; and also to deliver a certified copy of these laws (with indices) to the public printer. These laws are an addition to the sets of laws previously digitized and made available through the TDA. Click here to read more about these laws and to access the records.
April 10, 2017
NEW: General John A. Hulen papers
Papers documenting the military career and life of Brigadier General John A. Hulen, who commanded the 72nd Infantry Brigade (1917-1919) and the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas National Guard (1922-1935), consist of correspondence, photographs, and scrapbooks, dating 1887-1960, undated. The records in the Texas Digital Archive include only a subset of the photographs series. Click here to read more about the papers.
April 10, 2017
March 2017
Updated: S Series photographs for the Department of Public Safety now available.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the state police agency, charged with enforcing laws, preserving order, and protecting the rights, privileges, property, and well-being of Texas citizens. Photographs were made by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) photographers to document or promote the activities of the various divisions, personnel, training, equipment, and facilities. These records consist of photographs created by the DPS photo lab. Dated photographs span the period 1937-1965. The S series represents the Safety group of photographs. Click here to read more about this collection.
March 29, 2017
NEW: Texas International Women’s Year Coordinating Committee records
The Texas International Women’s Year (IWY) Coordinating Committee, also known as the Texas Coordinating Committee, was created by Congress in December 1975 with the passage of Public Law 94-167 (HR 9924, 94th Congress, 1975-1977) for the purpose of holding state meetings to elect delegates and adopt resolutions that promoted equal rights to be presented at the National Women’s Conference. The committee planned and held the Texas Women’s Meeting in Austin from June 24 to 26, 1977, where participants voted on delegates and resolutions for the National Women’s Conference held in Houston later that year. A portion of the records have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. Click here to read more about the collection.
March 14, 2017
February 2017
Updated: More early Texas Legislature laws now available in the TDA
This addition encompasses the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 14th Legislative sessions. Since 1837, Texas law has required the Secretary of State to contract for the printing of the laws, and to arrange for their distribution. Since 1846, Texas law has required the Secretary of State to receive bills from the Texas Legislature which have become laws, and to bind and maintain such bills and enrolled joint resolutions; and also to deliver a certified copy of these laws (with indices) to the public printer. These laws are an addition to the sets of laws previously digitized and made available through the TDA. Click here to read more about these laws and to access the records.
February 7, 2017
January 2017
NEW: Clyde and Thelma See Glass Plate Negatives Collection
The Clyde and Thelma See glass plate negatives collection consists of 122 glass plate negatives and eight contact prints of Hardin County, Texas, dating about 1905-about 1920. One image was created by Fletcher Photo Company; other creators are unknown. Images are of group portraits, street scenes, and the surrounding area of Saratoga and Batson, Texas. Some of the plates are cracked, broken, or damaged. Click here to read more about the glass plate negatives and to access the records.
January 25, 2017
NEW: L.J. Whitmeyer Glass Plate Negatives Collection
The L.J. Whitmeyer glass plate negatives collection consists of 39 glass plate negatives of Hardin County, Texas, dating about 1890-about 1910. Select images within this collection were created by photographers Hughes and Lane of Batson, Texas. Images are of group portraits, street scenes and the surrounding area of Saratoga and Batson, Texas. Some of the plates are cracked, broken or damaged. Click here to read more about the glass plate negative and to access the records.
January 25, 2017
NEW: Department of Insurance Fire Insurance maps now available in the TDA
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) regulates the Texas insurance industry. The Texas State Fire Marshal is a division of the TDI that promotes fire safety through prevention, education and protection. These Department of Insurance State Fire Marshal fire insurance maps are commercially printed and hand-drawn and were used by the State Fire Marshal’s office to determine fire insurance rates for Texas cities and towns. Maps date from 1906 to 1992, undated, bulk dating from 1920 to 1980. Click here to read more about the Fire insurance maps and to access the records.
January 20, 2017
NEW: Representative Sylvester Turner records now in the TDA
The Texas House of Representatives is one arm of the Legislature of the State of Texas (the other being the Texas Senate), which the Texas Constitution (Article III, Section I) vests with all legislative power of the state. Representative Sylvester Turner’s records document his representation of House District 139 (1989-2015) through his legislative activities, constituent casework, and general office operations. Records include correspondence, bill files (including drafts, amendments, and analyses), witness and contact lists, presentations, reports, transcripts, talking points, speeches, meeting minutes and agenda, memorandums, digital images, charts and spreadsheets, labels, news clippings, press releases, and other background materials. Records date 1974, 1981-2015, undated, bulk 2005-2015. Subjects include utilities affordability and accessibility, the criminal justice system, programs aimed at…click here to read more about Representative Turner’s records.
January 12, 2017
NEW: House of Representatives Committee on Saving Taxes public hearing audiotapes and transcript now in the TDA
The Texas House of Representatives Committee on Saving Taxes, appointed during the 56th and 57th Texas Legislature, was given the charge to investigate ways to reduce costs and waste in state government and to devise operational plans for all state departments, agencies, and institutions to provide economical and efficient services to the public. Records of both committees are audiotape recordings of public hearings at which primarily state agency personnel testified, held during 1959-1960 and 1962, and one transcript of the hearing held on March 4, 1960. Each agency’s staff was asked questions concerning the agency’s operations, current expenditures and revenue generated by the agency, and what cost-saving measures could be implemented at the agency itself and throughout state government. The audio recordings described in this finding aid have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive.. . . Click here to read more about the Committee on Saving Taxes public hearing audiotapes.
January 10, 2017
December 2016
NEW: Parks and Wildlife Department Battleship Texas records now in the TDA
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) manages the conservation of the state’s natural and cultural resources, conservation education and outreach, and interpretation of cultural and historical resources. Through the TPWD’s efforts in these areas, the USS battleship Texas has become both a National Historic Landmark and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark. The records consist of prints, ships plans, and a poster reproduction of a painting of the USS Texas from both the U.S. Navy and the TPWD; six audiocassettes containing recordings of Battleship Texas Commission meetings, the campaign to save the Battleship Texas, and the decommissioning ceremony; one 7-inch reel-to-reel audio tape containing a recording of the decommissioning ceremony; one VHS videocassette from the TPWD depicting a condition report and the retirement of the battleship. . . Click here to read more about the Battleship Texas records.
December 14, 2016
Updated: Governor Rick Perry Economic Development and Tourism Commission files now in the TDA
The Economic Development and Tourism Division (EDT) of the Texas Governor’s Office under Governor Rick Perry specialized in encouraging in-state business expansion and relocation as well as promoting domestic and international tourism via partnerships with local convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, and private travel-related organizations. These records document the regular activities of several sections of the EDT, along with predecessor agencies the Texas Department of Commerce and Texas Department of Economic Development, during the terms of governors Rick Perry, George W. Bush, and Ann Richards. . . Click here to read more about the Economic Development and Tourism records.
December 8, 2016
NEW: Governor Rick Perry Texas Music Office files now in the TDA
The Texas Music Office (TMO) of the Texas Governor’s Office is a state-funded business promotion office and information clearinghouse for the Texas music industry. These records document the TMO’s activities primarily during the terms of office of governors George W. Bush (1995-2000) and Rick Perry (2000-2015), but also include a small amount of materials from the terms of Ann Richards, Bill Clements, and Mark White. Dates range from 1985 to 2015 and undated, with the bulk dating 1993-2012. Records in this series involve both analog and electronic record types including incoming and outgoing correspondence, memoranda, reports, presentations, speeches, invitations, drafts, meeting minutes, spreadsheets, organization charts, press releases, notes, clippings, floppy discs, audiocassettes, compact discs, DVDs, and videocassettes. . . Click here to read more about the Texas Music Office records.
December 1, 2016
NEW: Governor Rick Perry’s General Counsel Public Information Request files now in the TDA
These records were created and maintained by the General Counsel staff to document public information requests (PIR) received by the Governor’s office during Texas Governor Rick Perry’s term in office and the response to those requests. Many of the public information requests concern appointments to boards and commissions by the governor, his calendars and schedule, correspondence with prominent individuals, criminal justice, education, health and human services, legislation, and litigation. Records include incoming and outgoing requester correspondence and affected third-parties…Click here to read more about the Public Information Request files. Please note that these records are restricted and will require a public information act request if you wish to access them.
October 1, 2016
October 2016
NEW: Governor Rick Perry’s General Counsel Public Information Request files now in the TDA
These records were created and maintained by the General Counsel staff to document public information requests (PIR) received by the Governor’s office during Texas Governor Rick Perry’s term in office and the response to those requests. Many of the public information requests concern appointments to boards and commissions by the governor, his calendars and schedule, correspondence with prominent individuals, criminal justice, education, health and human services, legislation, and litigation. Records include incoming and outgoing requester correspondence and affected third-parties…Click here to read more about the Public Information Request files. Please note that these records are restricted and will require a public information act request if you wish to access them.
October 1, 2016
NEW: Governor Rick Perry General Counsel Plans and Planning and other materials now in the TDA
The Office of the General Counsel in the Texas Governor’s Office was responsible for providing legal advice to Governor Rick Perry. Records include plans and planning records related to issues of Indian affairs within the state of Texas, along with agency rules, policies and records of internal General Counsel staff procedures. Materials date 1990-1993, 1995-2005, 2008. Types of records includeThe Office of the General Counsel in the Texas Governor’s Office was responsible for providing legal advice to Governor Rick Perry. Records include plans and planning records related to issues of Indian affairs within the state of Texas, along with agency rules, policies and records of internal General Counsel staff procedures. Materials date 1990-1993, 1995-2005, 2008. Types of records include…Click here to read more about the Plans and Planning and other materials records. Please note that these records are restricted and will require a public information act request if you wish to access them.
October 2, 2016
NEW: Governor Rick Perry General Counsel General Correspondence now in the TDA
The Office of the General Counsel in the Texas Governor’s Office was responsible for providing legal advice to Governor Rick Perry. The general correspondence of Texas Governor Rick Perry’s General Counsel consists of incoming and outgoing letters and attachments such as court records, legislation, and one audiocassette tape, dating 1995, 1999-2014. Topics covered in this correspondence concern executive clemency requests, inmate and parole matters, nursing homes and state health services, child protective services, legislative matters, and emergency management and disaster response services after Hurricanes Alex, Katrina, Rita, and Ike, along with fires, droughts, floods, and the West, Texas, explosion. Click here to read more about the General Correspondence. Please note that these records are restricted and will require a public information act request if you wish to access them.
October 6, 2016
September 2016
NEW: Governor Rick Perry’s Press Office records now available
Major responsibilities of the Press Office (also known as Communications) under Texas Governor Rick Perry included providing public relations support for Governor Perry and First Lady Anita Perry by issuing press releases and media advisories on their activities and actions; writing speeches and public service announcements for them; and creating visual and audio documentation of their public events. Records of this office comprise paper and electronic records including event files, speech files, subject files, and staff files, dating 1997-2015, undated. Types of records include news releases, event briefs, talking points, question and answers, fact sheets, and various subject files of importance to Governor Perry. Click here to read more about the Press Office records and get direct access to them.
September 1, 2016
June 2016
NEW: Governor Rick Perry’s Legislative Affairs Office Records now available
The Governor’s Legislative Affairs Office advised the Texas governor Rick Perry on legislative matters and assisted in developing and promoting the governor’s legislative goals. Records are bill descriptions, draft bills, correspondence with legislators, bill tracking documents, memoranda, digital images, notes on bills signed and bills vetoed, briefs of meetings with legislators and bill signing ceremonies, a governor’s budget report, mailing lists, legislative member directory, and related legislative records. Click here to read more about the Legislative Affairs Office and get direct access to the records.
June 24, 2016
UPDATED: Department of Public Safety photographs Narcotics images now available
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the state police agency, charged with enforcing laws, preserving order, and protecting the rights, privileges, property, and well-being of Texas citizens. Photographs were made by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) photographers to document or promote the activities of the various divisions, personnel, training, equipment, and facilities. Overall, the photographs span a period of 1937-1965. The Narcotics photographs roughly span the years 1938-1959. Click here to read more about the DPS photographs collection and get direct access to these records.
June 15, 2016
UPDATED: 17th Legislature Laws available
The Regular Session (General Laws, Special Laws, Joint and Concurrent Resolutions) and the Called Session of the 17th state legislature are now available as part of the Secretary of State’s records. The Laws represent the first session of the legislature in the 1880s, covering the years 1881 and 1882. Click here to read more and get direct access to these records.
June 14, 2016
UPDATED: 16th Legislature Laws available
Both the Called Session and Regular Session of the 16th state legislature are now available as part of the Secretary of State’s records. The Regular Session includes General Laws, Joint Resolutions and Special Laws. All together, these Laws cover the legislative session for 1879, the last session of the 1870s. Click here to read more and get direct access to these records.
June 13, 2016
UPDATED: 15th Legislature Laws available
The General, General Laws and Joint Resolutions, and Special Laws of the 15th state legislature is now available as part of the Secretary of State’s records. These Laws cover the legislative session for 1876, a period just after Reconstruction ended in Texas. Click here to read more and get direct access to these records.
June 8, 2016
UPDATED: Republic of Texas 7th Congress Laws available
The General and Special Laws of the 7th Congress’ General Session is now available for research. The Republic (and later the state) required that any law passed by the Congress have its official copy filed with the Secretary of State. Thus, these records may be found in the archival records of the Government Filings Section of the office of the Secretary of State. Click here to read more about this collection.
June 6, 2016
May 2016
NEW: Governor’s Office of Financial Accountability
The Texas Office of Financial Accountability (OFA), a division of the Governor’s Office, promoted open and accountable government and assisted state agencies and institutions of higher education to do the same. Records of the OFA created and maintained during Governor Rick Perry’s term of office include correspondence, news clippings, reports, presentations, plans, legal documents, meeting agenda, and memorandums, that date 1999-2014 and undated. Click here to read more.
May 28, 2016
UPDATED: Republic of Texas 5th Congress Laws available
The General and Relief Laws of the 5th Congress’ General Session is now available for research. Held within the Government Filings Section, these are the laws officially filed with the Secretary of State by the Congress of the Republic for the 1840-1841 session. Click here to read more.
May 11, 2016
NEW: Governor Rick Perry Economic Development and Tourism Office added
The Economic Development and Tourism Division (EDT) of the Texas Governor’s Office under Governor Rick Perry specialized in encouraging in-state business expansion and relocation as well as promoting domestic and international tourism via partnerships with local convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, and private travel-related organizations. Click here to read more information about these records.
May 9, 2016
NEW: Governor Rick Perry General Counsel Legal Opinions and Advice added
The Office of the General Counsel in the Texas Office of the Governor was responsible for providing legal advice to Governor Rick Perry. These records of legal opinions and advice consist of correspondence and memoranda maintained by the Office of the General Counsel during Governor Rick Perry’s tenure, dating 1985-1989, 2000-2014, bulk 2001-2003. Click here to read more.
May 9, 2016
NEW: Governor Rick Perry General Counsel Litigation Files added
The Texas governor’s general counsel provides legal advice and handles litigation filed against the governor or the Governor’s Office, in conjunction with actions of the Attorney General on the governor’s behalf. These records are litigation files maintained by the Texas Governor’s Office of the General Counsel for cases completed during Governor Rick Perry’s tenure. Click here to read more.
May 9, 2016
UPDATED: More Republic Congressional and State Legislative records added
The laws and resolutions filed for 4th Congress of the Republic and 18th Legislature of the State have been added to the Secretary of State Government Filings Section in the TDA. The 4th Congress covers laws from 1839-1840, and the 18th Legislature covers laws and resolutions from 1884. Click here to read more.
May 5, 2016
