Quinn’s work of historical fiction centers around a boarding house in 1950s Washington, DC, and the various women renting rooms from the home’s owner. Join the group for this fun, free, and informal gathering of readers from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. No membership or registration is required.
Featuring fictional works with a connection to the world of museums, archives, and libraries, the SHC book club is open to all and meets in the Center’s main building at 650 FM 1011 in Liberty. Home to extensive archival holdings documenting Southeast Texas, a library collection and a museum, the Center offers an ideal setting for discussions about novels tied to these fields. Each meeting will be led by SHC staff.
Interested participants may obtain a copy of the novels through their local library or favorite bookstore to prepare for the conversation. For more information, contact SHC staff at (936) 336-8821 or via email at SamHoustonCenter@tsl.texas.gov.
The Sam Houston Center is a component of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and serves as the official regional historical resource depository for the 10 Southeast Texas counties of Chambers, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, and Tyler. The Center’s primary mission is to collect, preserve, and provide access to historically significant state and local government records and publications of the designated region and secondarily to serve as a library of Texana and genealogical resources.
Featuring recent selections from our “Throwback Thursday” and other posts on TSLAC’s social media platforms. No subscription required.
July
Mrs. Clara Driscoll Sevier, Austin, Texas, undated. William Deming Hornaday photograph collection, 1975/070-4821.
#OTD July 17, 1945, Clara Driscoll (1881-1945) passed away. Descended from veterans of the Battle of San Jacinto, Driscoll was raised in a wealthy family in the Corpus Christi area. As an educated young woman of eighteen, she turned her interest in historic preservation to the fate of the crumbling buildings left standing on the site of the famous battle of the Alamo. Driscoll financed, with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the purchase of the site and became known as “The Savior of the Alamo.” She went on to engage in other historic preservation efforts, write fiction, serve on various boards and committees, and take over her father’s business interests after the death of her brother.
August
W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel on a bicycle, undated. Prints and Photographs collection, 2009/100.
#TBT W. Lee O’Daniel served as Texas governor and United States senator. Born in 1890 in Ohio, O’Daniel came to Texas at age 29 as a sales manager for Burrus Mills, a flour-milling company in Fort Worth. In 1928, O’Daniel took over the company’s radio advertising and started a country music program to promote the flour. O’Daniel hosted the show and organized a band called the Light Crust Doughboys. Many of the musicians who made Western Swing famous, including Bob Wills, got their start in O’Daniel’s band. In 1935 he organized his own flour company to make “Hillbilly Flour” and began to call his band the Hillbilly Boys. The slogan, “Pass the biscuits, Pappy,” made O’Daniel a household name throughout Texas. O’Daniel takes a spin on a bicycle in this undated photo. Read more about “Pappy” here: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/treasures/characters/pappy.html
September
Texan Theatre, Kilgore, TX, undated. Department of Public Safety records, 1978/023-30.
#TBT This undated photo of Kilgore’s Texan Theatre may have been taken very soon after it opened in 1931. The 1931 film A Connecticut Yankee starring humorist Will Rogers is advertised as running in June at the theatre. A fire destroyed the building in 1942, and a new theatre was constructed in 1944.
October
Harvesting peanuts in Texas, undated. William Deming Hornaday photograph collection, 1975/070-5076.
#TBT Fall is a time for hayrides and pumpkin carving and celebrations surrounding harvest season. This gentleman is using a horse-drawn plow to harvest peanuts somewhere in Texas. The state is a leading producer of peanuts, which have health benefits for people and are also good for the soil. According to our Dept. of Agriculture, Texas is the only state to produce all four types of peanuts: Runner, Virginia, Valencia, and Spanish.
November
Kneeling soldier, 1918. Photographs, 1972/115-189. General John A. Hulen papers.
#OTD Originally referred to as Armistice Day, on Veterans Day we honor all those who have served in the U.S. military. Armistice Day celebrated the end of WWI, which was still ongoing when this photo was taken in 1918. The note reads: “Wounded man on the way back to the hospital, 144th Regiment Infantry (formerly 4th and 6th Regiments Infantry, Texas National Guard), Ville-sur-Tierre, France 8-29-18. Signal Corps Photo 24134. Photo by U.S. Signal Corps.” View more images from this collection in the TDA: https://tsl.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_26bce761-1078-437b-9172-f3bff4545619/
December
Texas Governor’s Mansion in the snow, January 22, 1940. Texas Department of Safety photographs, 1976008_194.
#TBT Will Austin see snow this year like this day back in January of 1940? Governor W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel and his daughter Molly pose in front of the Governor’s Mansion on a snowy day. The first day of winter is around the corner and time will tell!
For more information about the collections at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, contact ref@tsl.texas.gov or 512-463-5455.
As our archives staff work on an ongoing basis to arrange, preserve, describe, and make available to the public the materials under our care, we spotlight new additions to the website in a regular feature from Out of the Stacks. The column lists new and revised finding aids recently made available online, along with fresh uploads to the Texas Digital Archive, our repository of electronic items. For a comprehensive list of all recently added and updated finding aids visit Archives: Finding Aids (New & Revised).
FY 2025 Q2
New Finding Aids
State Records
Vote being taken, 1974. Texas Constitutional Convention of 1974 audiovisual materials,2025/057-0008. View in TDA.
The Texas Constitutional Convention of 1974 was the culmination of a three-part process to revise and simplify the ninety-seven-year-old Texas constitution. These audiovisual materials date 1974 and document the Constitutional Convention of 1974 (convened on January 8 and closed on July 30), which failed to result in a revised constitution to submit to voters. Digital copies of the color slides, film footage of the convention, film productions about the convention, and the original audio recordings regarding the convention, document its ceremonial aspects; selection of convention officers; committee appointments, assignments, and meetings; floor debates; testimonies; press conferences; information prepared for the public; and the film productions The Making of the Texas Constitution and A New Constitution for Texas. These digital copies were created by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission with grant funding provided by the Library Services and Technology Act, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and are part of the Texas Digital Archive.
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles provides title, registration, and license plate services; licenses and regulates motor vehicle dealers, manufacturers, converters, lessors, and lease facilitators; enforces the law regulating motor vehicle dealer sales practices (regarding manufacturers’ warranties and fraud, unfair practices, discrimination, impositions, and other abuses); and investigates consumer complaints under the “lemon law” of 1983. These Texas Department of Motor Vehicle records include correspondence, minutes, organization charts, and a draft of the agency’s sunset self-evaluation report, dating 1997-2022.
The Texas Guardianship Certification Board oversaw the certification, registration, and licensing of state-appointed guardians, under the direction of the Office of Court Administration (OCA) of the Texas Judicial Branch. A legal guardian is a person who has been appointed by a court or otherwise has the legal authority to make decisions relevant to the personal and property interests of another person, known as a ward. These Texas Guardianship Certification Board meeting agenda and minutes, 2006-2013, document aspects of the certification process, disciplinary proceedings against guardians, and committee activities.
Manuscripts
Company H schedule of clothing and material: item 3, 1890s. George Willrich Spanish-American War papers, 1948/016.
George Willrich served as captain of the Fayette Light Guard, first organized in 1886 as part of the Texas Volunteer Guard. On April 24, 1898, he joined for duty and enrolled at La Grange, Texas, to serve as captain of Company H, 1st Volunteer Infantry, during the Spanish-American War and was mustered into service the following month. The George Willrich Spanish-American War papers, 1898-1899, 1928, bulk 1898-1899, document his service and that of Company H in Havana, Cuba, during that military conflict. These papers consist of quartermaster records; correspondence relating to personnel and military court matters; ordnance and ordnance stores records; infantry equipment inventories, schedules, and correspondence; muster rolls; an annual report of the Adjutant-General of the Army to the Secretary of War; and correspondence sent to Willrich in 1928 asking him to organize an encampment of Spanish-American War veterans. These papers have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive.
The Hull-Daisetta Rotary Club was chartered on April 1, 1926, in Hull, Liberty County, Texas. Rotary clubs are local chapters of an international service organization that seeks to build fellowship and understanding between business and professional leaders. In 2006, several local individuals and organizations began working to support renovation of the Hull-Daisetta Rotary Club building and preserve its legacy. It was moved to the grounds of the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in June 2010 and now houses an exhibit on the heritage of Rotary clubs and community service in Southeast Texas. The Hull-Daisetta Rotary Club collection documents some of the activities of the club. These records are attendance and program records, membership rosters, correspondence, financial records, newsletters, photographs, posters, and artifacts. Materials date 1926-1979, 2010, bulk 1949-1979.
Robert Dawson (Bob) Evans was a prominent rice farmer in Devers, Liberty County, Texas. This collection consists of 275 color slides of photographs, maps, and statistical information pertaining to rice production in Southeast Texas, primarily Devers in Liberty County. Materials date 1961-1965.
Governor Coke Stevenson issued proclamation no. 41-29 designating September 7, 1946, as Air Day in Texas. The proclamation was issued in recognition of the important role played by the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, that much of the training of the Air Corps’ pilots took place in Texas, and the increasingly important role that civilian air traffic was playing in Texas. The proclamation noted that Texas had more airports, “more feet of airport runways,” and more privately owned airplanes than any other state.
Front page, Tuesday, July 23, 1946, Valley Morning Star newspaper, Harlingen, Texas. Air Day in Texas, 4-14/154. Texas Governor Coke R. Stevenson records.
Air Day was hosted in Harlingen, home to the Army Airfield (later Harlingen Air Force Base and today Valley International Airport). Attendance at the event was estimated to be between 15-20,000. Approximately 300 aircraft flew to Harlingen. Festivities included performances by military aircraft, including acrobatic and precision flying, simulated combat flying, and an appearance by a new jet-propelled plane that flew over the crowd. The delegation from Cuero, Texas, proposed a stunt that was ultimately not allowed due to safety concerns: dropping a live turkey from a low flying plane onto the audience. A beauty contest was also held, with the contestant from San Antonio named “Miss Air Queen.”
Some of the many dignitaries invited to the event were not able to attend. Governor of California and future Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren sent his regards. Telegram, Governor Earl Warren to Governor Coke Stevenson, September 6, 1946. Air Day in Texas, 4-14/154. Texas Governor Coke R. Stevenson records.
Air Day in Texas followed on the heels of Air Force Day, held on August 1, 1945, and again one year later on August 1, 1946. While the focus of Air Day in Texas was both civilian and military air travel, the Air Force Days were focused exclusively on military applications of flight. August 1 was the anniversary of the founding of the US Army Air Corps in 1907 and the proclamations for each of the Air Force Days noted that more Air Force bases were located in Texas and more Air Force pilots were trained in Texas than in any other state. The US military presence and the veterans who continue to contribute to communities long after their service has concluded, helps define the legacy and spirit of Texas.
Collections at the State Archives help document the long history of civilian and military aviation in Texas. To learn more about these and other materials at the State Archives, visit https://www.tsl.texas.gov/arc or contact reference staff at 512-463-5455 or ref@tsl.texas.gov.
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) is now accepting applications for its 2026 Research Fellowship in Texas History. The fellowship includes a $2,000 stipend and is awarded for the best research proposal utilizing the collections of the State Archives in Austin or the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty, Texas.
The application must include the purpose of the proposed research, collections of interest, a discussion of how this research will contribute to a greater understanding of Texas history, plans for dissemination and a curriculum vitae. The recipient of the fellowship will be asked to present the results of their research at a TSLAC event. Judges may withhold the award at their discretion.
The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Archival Awards. THRAB has named former Vice-President for Digital Media Production at NBC5/KXAS Television Brian Hocker as the recipient of the Advocacy for Archives Award. The David B. Gracy II Award for Distinguished Archival Service has been awarded to John H. Slate of the Dallas Municipal Archives.
The Advocacy for Archives Award acknowledges an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to ensure the preservation and availability of the historical record of Texas. Brian Hocker was instrumental in helping to preserve the extensive media collection of the first television news station in Texas (NBC/5/KXAS-formerly, WBAP-TV) and ensuring the historic footage would be made available to the public. Hocker identified the University of North Texas (UNT) as a partner in this endeavor and coordinated with the University Libraries’ Special Collections to archive and digitize decades worth of footage of events in the North Texas area. He went on to serve on the UNT Libraries Advocacy Board after retirement from NBC5 and engages with various community and business groups to promote the archive.
THRAB has awarded John H. Slate the 2025 David B. Gracy II Award for Distinguished Archival Service. The award recognizes an individual or organization that has provided outstanding leadership, service and/or contributions to the archival profession in Texas. Slate began his professional career in archives in Austin and San Antonio and has served as archivist for the City of Dallas since 2000. In his current role, Slate has led by example and raised awareness about the relevance of municipal archives. The book he co-authored, Managing Local Government Archives, has become a key resource. Slate has contributed to the profession through service on committees and leadership in organizations at every level, including as a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (SAA), the highest honor offered by that group. Slate has presented and written on archival subjects throughout the years and has generously mentored many others in the field.
THRAB congratulates the 2025 archival award recipients and will present each of the awards during Texas Archives Month in October.
About the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB): THRAB serves as an advisory body for historical records planning and supports efforts to preserve and provide access to archival collections throughout the state. Funding for THRAB is provided by the National Historical Publications Records Commission (NHPRC), the grant-making arm of the National Archives and Records Administration. The state archivist is appointed by the governor to preside over the nine-member board.
Autumn creeps into Texas slowly. First, just a breath of cool air to break the baking heat of the sun, then colorful pumpkins, gourds, and squash sprout up in gardens and farms signaling the harvest season. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) has plenty of books to accompany the spirit of fall and currently has select titles on display. Follow Hummingbird as he grows his own garden in Hummingbird’s Squash, or check out titles such as Easy Gardening, Squash at TSLAC to start planning your own harvest for next year.
Squash and gardening aside, there are also eerie themes to explore. You can read the story of one of the most feared ghosts in Texas in Maya’s Children: The Story of La Llorona. Or, if you dare, peer inside Ghost Lore: A Collection of Ghost, Phantom and Legendary Mysteries, Chiefly of Texas and of Old Mexico for a tale that will send a shiver down your spine. Immerse yourself in Texas’ unique scary legends and learn about the Goatman’s Bridge up in Denton, but if you don’t want to go cryptid hunting and risk an encounter with the vengeful spirit, you can visit from the comfort of the library by looking at Geography of Denton County to find the bridge yourself.
Another spooky Texas legend is that of the ghost town; towns that were once booming but are now completely abandoned. If you stand on Main Street, will you hear the whispers of days past? How do these dead places come to be born? Check out one such place in The Birth of a Texas Ghost Town: Thurber, 1886-1933.
Not all Texas ghosts are scary, though. The Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is widely celebrated across Texas, too. Families honor those who have already passed on and celebrate their memories. Read more about this tradition in Corridos & Calaveras, a celebration of the music of Día de los Muertos. Or try Mexican American Holidays and Festivities, published by the Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin for a full picture of the celebrations.
Finally, these are some of the last days to observe the famous Congress Avenue Bridge bats in Austin before they fly away to Mexico for the winter. Though many people are spooked by bats, these little creatures are actually our best friends, especially during a buggy summer. Try the Resource Book on Texas Bats: with Special Emphasis on Mexican Free-tailed Bats, Tadarida Brasiliensis to learn more about our seasonal neighbors.
Search the TSLAC catalog for more publications about these and other spooky subjects! more information about access to the titles on display, please contact TSLAC reference services at ref@tsl.texas.gov or call 512-436-5455.
Title
call number
section
available digitally
Maya’s Children: The Story of La Llorona
398.2 An18m YALL
Ref RR
The Ghost of Sifty-Sifty Sam
813.54 M467g YALL
Ref RR
Ghosts Along the Texas Coast
133.1 W671G
MAIN
Haunted Texas: Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends
133.1 W675h 2017
MAIN
Witchcraft in the Southwest; Spanish and Indian Supernaturalism on the Rio Grande
133.409789 SI47
MAIN
Ghost Stories of Old Texas, III
398.25 F829G 1995
MAIN
Phantoms of the Plains: Tales of West Texas Ghosts
398.25 W671p
MAIN
Spirits of San Antonio and South Texas
398.25 W671S
MAIN
Ghost Lore: A Collection of Ghost, Phantom and Legendary Mysteries, Chiefly of Texas and of Old Mexico
398.4 Y38g
MAIN
The Haunted Hacienda
813 C7862h
MAIN
Famous Modern Ghost Stories
813.5 F211m
MAIN
Humorous Ghost Stories
813.5 H883g
MAIN
Corridos & Calaveras
784.4972 T494 OVER-T
MAIN
Bat-watching sites of Texas.
P400.8 B31WA 2007
TXD
Resource book on Texas bats : with special [sic] emphasis on Mexican free-tailed bats, Tadarida brasiliensis
P400.8 R312BO
TXD
Easy gardening, squash
Z TA245.7 L47 NO.1582
TXD
Bats of Texas
Z TA475.8 B321 2012
TXD
The birth of a Texas ghost town : Thurber, 1886-1933
Z TA475.8 G289BI
TXD
Brujerías: Stories of Witchcraft and the Supernatural in the American Southwest and Beyond
Z TT422.8 G165BU
TXD
More Spooky Texas Tales
Z TT422.8 T493MO
TXD
Texas ghost stories : fifty favorites for the telling
Z TT422.8 T493TE 2004
TXD
Mexican American holidays and festivities
Z UA273.7 B471 NO.35 1990
TXD
America’s neighborhood bats : [understanding and learning to live in harmony with them]
Z UA380.8 T887AM
TXD
The Supernatural: Haunted Houses and Legendary Ghosts
If the Lone Star Menu exhibit on view in our lobby has you craving a conversation about Texas cuisine, the Texas Center of the Book has just the event for you! Please join us on Monday, Sept. 22 from 2:00p.m. to 3:00p.m. for a talk with The Tacos of Texas author Mando Rayo.
Rayo is a taco journalist and the co-creator of the United Tacos of America TV show, host of the Tacos of Texas podcast (now in its fifth season), and author of The Tacos of Texas book. As an avid taco ambassador, food explorer, and street ethnographer, Mando has traveled across the U.S. to uncover the tastiest tacos, from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas to L.A. and from New Orleans to New York City. Mando was also a James Beard Foundation Awards finalist in 2022. He will be in conversation with Texas Center for the Book Coordinator Michele Chan Santos for the September installment of #TXBookChat LIVE.
Hosted in the Public Event Space at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building located in the Capitol Complex, 1201 Brazos St. in Austin, this event is free and open to the public.
Parking is available at the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage across the street. Additional parking options, including handicapped parking, along with directions and maps, is available on TSLAC’s website at www.tsl.texas.gov/visit.
The Texas Center for the Book’s #TXBookChat series has provided a platform for discussions with authors, librarians, and literary professionals since 2020. These informal events offer a quick look into different aspects of the state’s literary world. For more information, and to view videos of past events, visit the website at www.tsl.texas.gov/txbookchat.
U.S. Army Air Corps intelligence school for officers held at DPS Headquarters, Camp Mabry, Colonel L.A. Dayton, School Number Three, commanding, February 1943. Texas Department of Public Safety public relations photographs,1983/112 M-131-10. View in the TDA.
Texas played a significant role in the United States’ involvement in World War II. While the war caused great upheaval, it also opened up opportunities for various population groups. Women could train as pilots, for instance. Read their first hand stories in Women pilots of World War II. In addition, World War II and Mexican American Civil Rights illuminates the ways Mexican Americans showed up to help the war effort and simultaneously push for their rights.
Besides uniquely Texan stories, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) holds government documents and stories from the rest of the country and overseas battlefields during that time. For example, you can watch the documentary France ’44: The Encirclement at Nancy which discusses the XII Corps’ retaking of the French city of Nancy, as well as commentary describing current military tactics. Or, read Hospital at War: the 95th Evacuation Hospital in World War II to learn more about the challenges of evacuation hospitals, where soldiers were taken who were injured on the front before they could make the journey to a safe city for treatment. Many more titles about World War II are available at TSLAC, with a curated selection currently on display in the Reference Reading Room.
For more information about access to the titles on display, please contact TSLAC reference services at ref@tsl.texas.gov or call 512-436-5455.
Preparing for disasters and potential harm to library and archival collections is an important aspect of collections management. While archivists and others maintain disaster plans and may occasionally need to respond to isolated leaks, minor flooding, and various pest infestations, there are times when major events occur and remind us of the tremendous power of nature and the vulnerability of our cultural collections. In recent years in Texas, Hurricane Harvey raised awareness about the urgency of disaster planning and response. Lately, the Central Texas flooding on July 4 once again brought to light the great power of water.
While life and safety are paramount, there may also be a need to recover books, paper, media, and other materials from damage. The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) provides resources online to assist with the planning and response process. We are including here in this post recordings of two webinar series on this topic with handouts available for download where available.
Emergency Preparedness and Planning Series 2019 Rebecca Elder, Elder Preservation, THRAB 2019
Part 1: Emergency Preparedness: Hurricanes, Tornadoes and Fires, Oh My! Creating Your Emergency Preparedness Plan [Recording] Part 2: Emergency Response: Hurricanes, Tornadoes and Fires, Oh My! Responding to Your Emergency [Recording]
