Mexico in Microfilm

Elvia Palacios, Practicum Student

sepia-toned photograph of rural homestead in Colombia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The home is a wooden two-story house with front porch and external stairs. A second structure may be a one story home or out-building.
American colonist’s home, Colombia, Mexico, (undated). William Deming Hornaday photograph collection, 1975/070-155.

In 1967 the State University of New York in Oyster Bay held the first International Conference to discuss “Mexico in Microfilm,” an ambitious co-operative project to microfilm great quantities of Mexican documents before they were unrecoverable due to neglect, loss, or destruction. The thirty-four institutional representatives present at the conference supported the importance and purpose of the project, and the following year a national consortium was organized with a priority in filming archives in Guadalajara.

The five Texas delegates who attended the Oyster Bay conference returned to their home state energized and motivated to create a Texas Consortium to support the national consortium by focusing on microfilming documents from different parts of Mexico besides Guadalajara. This passion and collaborative spirit for archiving and making Mexican archival resources accessible to Texas scholars came to fruition in 1969 with the adoption of  “Articles of Agreement for a Texas Consortium to Microfilm Mexican Archival Materials” and an organizational meeting of thirteen Texas institutions to implement the work necessary.

color image of beige map of southwest Texas and northern Mexico, about 1861.
Map of southwest Texas and northern Mexico, about 1861. Texas State Archives Map collection, map no. 01423.

Each member of the consortium agreed to assume responsibility for leading a microfilming program targeting a geographical or functional area of Mexico. In 1971, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) joined the Texas Consortium and shared responsibility with Trinity University in San Antonio and Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) for microfilming in Nuevo León and Coahuila. The Texas Consortium was active for only a few years before problems and challenges put an end to their efforts. 

Now, over fifty years later, you can access a portion of this microfilming project at TSLAC!

There are 380 microfilm reels available that record Nuevo León government and church documents such as birth, death, marriages, baptisms, church and judiciary records, and a miscellany of other records dating 1701 – 1966.

Black and white image from microfilm roll of handwritten documents in Spanish.
Microfilm screenshot of baptism record, Fondo de documentación para la historia del noreste [i.e. nordeste] de Mexico microform collection,1745-1797.

This Nuevo León Microfilm Inventory list describes the general contents of each reel to help pinpoint which reel will benefit your research. The list is organized by locations in Nuevo León (i.e. Abasolo, Agualeguas, Villa de García, and Villa de Santiago), document type, dates of the records, the repository the records came from, and the microfilm’s reel and camera number. You can find the catalog record under the title Fondo de documentación para la historia del noreste [i.e. nordeste] de Mexico microform. If you can’t find what you are looking for in TSLAC’s collection, try searching through Trinity University’s Special Collections and Archives microfilm records of Nuevo León and Coahuila. Their contact us page will direct you on how to get in touch to access their collection.

TSLAC holds publications helpful for Nuevo Leon genealogy and history that can be identified through a search in the online library catalog. If you don’t know where to begin your search, try TSLAC’s Mexican American Genealogy Guide as a starting  point.

For more information on how to access the Nuevo León collection or any other materials, please contact TSLAC reference services at ref@tsl.texas.gov or call 512-463-5455.


Apply for 2025 Research Fellowship in Texas History

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) is now accepting applications for its 2025 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. 
 
Visit www.tsl.texas.gov/arc/researchfellowship to apply by January 15, 2025.

The TSLAC Research Fellowship in Texas History is made possible by the generous support of the Texas Library and Archives Foundation.


Quilts at the Texas State Archives

By Robyn Moore, Reference Librarian

In Texas, the history of quilts is a long (and comfortable!) one. Settlers who came to the state made quilts for many different reasons: necessity, to commemorate a national event, or just as beautiful artworks. Here at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC), you might be surprised to learn that we house several historical quilts in our artifacts collection. The description of this collection says, “Many objects in the collection have little or no accompanying information to provide context for when they were made.” Fortunately, quilts always reveal something of themselves and their makers, even without a written record.

Image of quilt with squares a design in green and brown.
Quilt, Isabel L. Clark collection, 1879 or between 1830-1849. Texas State Archives Artifacts collection, ATF0050. [Click image for larger version.]

For example, the first quilt is part of the Isabel L. Clark Collection, though the name of the maker is unknown. It is all hand stitched and is thought to be made some time in the between 1830 and 1879. The quilt’s pattern is “similar to Bride’s Puzzle, Twelve Crowns and / or Wedding March,” which probably means that this quilt was made by a newly engaged or married woman wanting to create something beautiful for her home. According to the record, “Of note is the use of tan fabric in place of the off-white fabric in several places.” This probably means that the maker was not affluent enough to purchase all the fabric she needed for this quilt and used some (or all) scraps to make it.

close-up image of quilt with green and brown design.
Close-up, Quilt, Isabel L. Clark collection, 1879 or between 1830-1849. Texas State Archives Artifacts collection, ATF0050. [Click image for larger version.]
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Learn about Newspaper Resources at TSLAC on Second Saturday

Patrons curious about the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s (TSLAC) genealogy resources and interested in learning how to use them with the assistance of a professional librarian are invited to visit the Reference Reading Room on Second Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. for Hands-on Help Sessions.

TSLAC Reference Librarians will offer a brief overview of a particular collection or tool that family history researchers may find helpful in tracking down ancestors. No registration is needed, and the sessions are free and open to the public. Hands-on Help Sessions on Second Saturdays this fall are as follows:

    Sept. 14    10:00 a.m.    Vital Statistics at TSLAC
    Oct. 12      10:00 a.m.    Newspaper Resources at TSLAC
    Nov. 9        10:00 a.m.    City Directories at TSLAC    

TSLAC’s collections include books, periodicals, documents, photographs, and artifacts related to Texas history, government, natural resources, businesses, culture, people, and more. Themed exhibits showcasing the wide range of materials available at TSLAC are on view in the lobby of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building on the State Capitol grounds. 

Visitors to the Reference Reading Room are also welcome to log on to computers and explore online databases such as Family Search, Ancestry.com, Fold3, and other products that may contain information available only to on-site patrons. The library is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 512-463-5455 or email ref@tsl.texas.gov for assistance. Learn more at www.tsl.texas.gov/arc.

Family History Day at SHC: Preserving and Digitizing Photographs and Media

graphic promoting event.

The Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty has announced that it will host its second Family History Day of 2024 on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. 

Steven Kantner, Digital Assets Archivist at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC), will share tips and tricks for preserving family photos and media. Photos from yesterday or centuries past all present challenges to those hoping to make the images last for future generations. Morning and afternoon sessions will offer instructions on how to properly care for family photographs and ensure the information is not lost to time. Participants will learn about photograph identification, proper storage and handling, safely creating digital images, digital archiving and other activities related to preserving personal collections.

Family History Day Schedule:            
10 a.m. – 12 noon           Identification and preservation session
12 noon – 1:30 p.m.        Lunch break (on your own)
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.      Digitization and digital archiving session

A free preservation kit will be provided to pre-registered participants. Contact SHC via email at samhoustoncenter@tsl.texas.gov or call (936) 336-8821 to register. Seating is limited.

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. 


Texas Archives Month Poster and Activities

October is Texas Archives Month and the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) and Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) are offering up professional development opportunities, preservation assessments, and the annual poster and webpage is now live!

Visit https://www.tsl.texas.gov/arc/thrab/archivesmonthposter to download your own poster and promote the preservation of newspapers in archival repositories.

While registrants for the Society of American Archivists (SAA) online workshop, Finance Basics for Archives Managers have been selected, applications are still open for an in-person workshop to be held in Austin in November. TSLAC will host the closed SAA workshop, Grant Proposal Writing on November 8 at the Lorenzo de Zavala building from 8:30a.m. to 4:30p.m. Learn more and apply by October 7 here: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/workshops

For those in the El Paso and Far West Texas region of the state, THRAB is offering free preservation assessments for archival repositories. Applications are open through October 14. Visit the Archival Resources section of THRAB’s site to apply: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/arc/thrab/resources

Lastly, stay tuned for THRAB’s announcement of the 2024 Archival Award recipients!

Please let us know if your archive has activities to promote for Texas Archives Month and we will add the event to the Texas Archives Month page calendar.

Happy Archives Month!

The National Historical Publications & Records Commission (NHPRC) supports THRAB initiatives.


Celebrate Constitution Day at TSLAC

graphic with red, white, and blue stripes and white stars promoting constitution day at tslac.

Celebrate Constitution Day with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC)! Visit the lobby of TSLAC’s headquarters in the Capitol Complex on Tuesday, Sept. 17 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and pick up a free, pocket-sized version of the U.S. Constitution. The Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building houses important state government records and also provides access to federal government publications.

Constitution Day offers an opportunity to appreciate democracy and the relevance of an informed citizenry. The commemorative date recognizes the historic occasion when, on Sept. 17, 1787, delegates from the existing twelve states signed the U.S. Constitution, the founding document of U.S. governance. The ceremony took place at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA. The pocket-sized version contains the full text of the document—so pick one up while supplies last!

photo of pocket-sized versions of the U.S. constitution fanned on table.
TSLAC will provide free copies of the U.S. Constitution in the Lorenzo de Zavala Archives and Library Building lobby on September 17 from 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m.

TSLAC is your source for vital information produced by the state and federal government. The state agency’s mission is to ensure citizens have free access to materials that support civic education.

Through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), TSLAC patrons may access federal government publications produced by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) along with a wealth of other materials. Visit the Reference Reading Room from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, or online at www.tsl.texas.gov/reference, to learn more about these and other collections.

Teach students or learn more about the U.S. Constitution through trivia with resources from the FDLP: https://fdlp.gov/constitution-day-trivia.


New Online: Recent Updates to Finding Aids and Digital Images

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)

New Finding Aids

State Records

Texas Department of Agriculture audiovisual materials – nearly all of these materials are part of the Texas Digital Archive
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) promotes production agriculture, consumer protection, economic development, and healthy living. TDA’s Office of Communications provides media information and keeps the public informed of TDA activities and agriculture issues via traditional and social media channels. These 16 mm motion picture films and digital copies of the original audiotape and video recordings document the department’s activities, including many of the agency’s programs and events, public appearances of commissioners Jim Hightower and Rick Perry, and interviews with agricultural producers in Texas, dating 1969-1999 and undated. The majority of the 16 mm motion picture recordings have been digitized and along with the digital copies of the original recordings are part of the Texas Digital Archive.

Christmas meats, Silent film footage of grocery store during holiday season, 1969. Texas Department of Agriculture audiovisual materials. 1994/099-3-2. TSLAC.

Texas Department of Agriculture meeting minutes, agenda, and supporting documentation (replaces description of the portion of these records that had been included in our Texas Department of Agriculture records finding aid, which will be revised for this soon).
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) promotes production agriculture, consumer protection, economic development, and healthy living. These TDA records, consisting of meeting minutes, agenda, and supporting documentation, 1924-2021, bulk 1960-1997, document the activities of various boards and committees operating under TDA oversight. The records include meeting minutes, agenda, transcripts, reports, and supporting documentation. Major topics include administration of programs that provide loans and grants to agriculture-related businesses, promotion of agricultural diversification in Texas, establishment of environmental rules and regulations, management of seed quality and development, pesticides and pest eradication, herbicides, and ground and surface water.

Texas Historical Commission Historic Sites Division presentations – includes electronic records that are part of the Texas Digital Archive
The Texas Historical Commission (THC) protects and preserves the state’s historic resources for the use, education, and enjoyment of present and future generations. THC’s Historic Sites Division is responsible for overseeing the agency’s thirty-six historic properties located throughout the state. Presentations created by the division, 2011-2015, consist of PowerPoint presentation slides and supplemental documentation. They were used to inform the public and conference attendees about the Historic Sites Division’s operations, its historic properties, and Texas history. The presentations cover topics such as the Historic Site Division’s programs at Casa Navarro, preservation and conservation efforts on the state’s historic structures and artifacts, and the lives of Texans during the 19th century.

Slide three: The Trinity Mills Ledger: A Texas Legacy Found, undated. Texas Historical Commission Historic Sites Division presentations. TSLAC. Full presentation in TDA: https://tsl.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_506c5fd2-c033-4790-a9c8-0234b609e50b/

Texas Historical Commission executive director files
The Texas Historical Commission (THC) protects and preserves the state’s historic resources for the use, education, and enjoyment of present and future generations. THC executive director files include correspondence, legislative bills, subject files, reports, memorandums, newsletters, programs, brochures, photographs, meeting agendas and minutes, dating 1953-2009, bulk 1976-1980. Correspondence from Executive Directors Truett Latimer and Curtis Tunnell make up the bulk of these records. Also included are correspondence and other materials regarding the Texas Conservation Fund, the Texas 1986 Sesquicentennial Commission, the State Historic Preservation Officers, and the purchase of the Crockett letter.

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On the Road Again: Historical Travel Diaries

Featured Titles on Display

By Aly Head, Reference Librarian

Often it can be said that the only true constant in life is change. One form such change often takes is through travel. Prior to the invention of faster forms of transportation such as the airplane or automobile, as well as widespread networking of the railroad, travel was inherently Odyssean in nature, spanning months or even years. These ordeals were at times recorded by those undergoing journeys, allowing modern readers a window into the past.

Sepia toned historic photograph of horse-drawn wagon with three horses pulling a wagon with at least five individuals, including one driver with the reins.
First wagon load of forage from San Antonio, Texas, undated. William Deming Hornaday photograph collection, 1975/070-2975. TSLAC.

Some traveled seeking new lots in life, claiming plots of land for their families during the Republic era. Others sought to earn their riches, pursuing the allure of splendor during gold rushes. Some marched to the beat of war drums, documenting their travels as part of conflicts such as the Civil War. Each had their own motivation, means of travel, and struggles along the way.

Sepia-toned photographs of wagon turned upside down and broken on the street.
Wagon flipped over on city street, undated. William Deming Hornaday photograph collection, 1975/070-3120. TSLAC.

In a time before a quick call to roadside assistance for help, a broken axle or run-off mule could leave a traveler stranded for days or weeks. In journeys such as these, every day was life or death, surrounded by largely untamed wilderness. One major hurdle that travelers faced was the crossing of rivers; things could go very wrong, very quickly, and many such travelers never made the trip home.

Sepia-toned photograph of covered wagon crossing a wide river with mountains in the background.
“Crossing the Pecos River on Pontoon Bridge at the Emigrants’ Crossing, Bexar Territory, Texas, about 1869.” Places collection, 1/103-747. TSLAC.
Photograph of San Jose Mission in San Antonio from 1893.
San Jose Mission, view from front, 1893, Second Mission. San Antonio. Owen Wister photograph collection, 1969/072-0019. TSLAC.
Photograph of two men sitting in front of a canvas tent with mountains in the background.
Two men posed seated in front of a tent; hills in background, 1893. Owen Wister photograph collection, 1969/072-47. TSLAC.

In 1893, writer Owen Wister traveled through Texas, photographing and journaling the things he saw, such as the photos above. Now digitized as part of the Texas Digital Archive (TDA), the Owen Wister Photograph Collection serves as a monument to Texas as it was in that time.

Photograph of  a group of men in a field lassoing a horse. Writing in bottom right corner reads, Preparing for a remedy.
Preparing For a Remedy, Group of men lassoing a horse in need of treatment, 1893. Owen Wister photograph collection, 1969/072-35. TSLAC.

Wister’s photographs and writings describing his journeys were published as part of the publication, Owen Wister out West: His Journals and Letters, currently on display in the Reference Reading Room.

Black and white photograph of Indian law officer and others posed at portal of fort/settlement in desert/southwest. The building stretches across the frame with a square opening in the center. Individuals stand in front of the building and under the portico opening. A man on a horse is visible in the background.
Indian Law Officer And Others Posed At Portal Of Fort/Settlement In Desert/Southwest, about 1895. Owen Wister photograph collection, 1969/097-11. TSLAC.

The collections at TSLAC hold a wide variety of historical travel diaries. Some of these materials are currently on display in the Reference Reading Room. Some items listed below are also available online and are linked in the catalog. . More information about our location and hours can be found on our “Visit Us” webpage. For more information about access to the titles on display, please contact TSLAC reference services at ref@tsl.texas.gov or call 512-463-5455.

Title

Author

Call Number

Collection

Diary on trip to Texas from Kansas by wagon train

Olivia Holmes

929.2 H737D

Genealogy

From Virginia to Texas, 1835. Diary of Col. Wm. F. Gray, giving details of his journey to Texas and return in 1835-1836 and second journey to Texas in 1837, with pref. by A. C. Gray; printed for the information of his descendants

Col. Wm. F. Gray

917.64 G795 1965

Main, HathiTrust

The diary of Millie Gray, 1832-1840 (nee Mildred Richards Stone, wife of Col. Wm. Fairfax Gray) recording her family life before, during and after Col. Wm. F. Gray’s journey to Texas in 1935; and the Small journal, giving particulars of all that occurred during the family’s voyage to Texas in 1838

Millie Gray

917.64 G795A

Main

Mary Austin Holley; the Texas diary, 1835-1838

Mary Austin Holley

917.64 H724M

Main

Texas Ranger’s diary & scrapbook

Ann Jensen (editor)

917.64 OD2

Main

Owen Wister out west : his journals and letters

Owen Wister

920.7 W768

Main

Hurrah for Texas! The diary of Adolphus Sterne, 1838-1851

Adolphus Sterne

923.2764 ST45

Main

A diary : written by Judge Robert E. Cowan while on his way from his native Virginia to Texas and thence to Missouri in the year 1867

Robert E. Cowan

923.473 C838d

Main

The Gold Rush diary of William P. Huff

William P. Huff

929.2 H872g

Main

Fighting with Ross’ Texas Cavalry Brigade, C.S.A. : the diary of George L. Griscom, adjutant, 9th Texas Cavalry Regiment

Homer L. Kerr

973.73 R733G

Main

A Texas Cavalry officer’s Civil War : the diary and letters of James C. Bates

James C. Bates

973.7464 B318t

Main

One of Cleburne’s Command : the Civil War reminiscences and diary of Capt. Samuel T. Foster, Granbury’s Texas Brigade, CSA

Capt. Samuel T. Foster

973.7464 F817O

Main

Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd : member of company D Terry’s Texas Rangers, December 4, 1862–January 1, 1864

Ephraim Shelby Dodd

973.782 D661

Main, HathiTrust

Here’s yer mule; the diary of Thos. C. Smith, 3rd Sergeant, Co. ‘G’, Wood’s Regiment, 32nd Texas Cavalry, C.S.A., Mar. 30 1862–Dec. 31, 1862

3rd Sergeant Thos. C. Smith

973.782 SM67h

Main

A Texan in search of a fight : being the diary and letters of a private soldier in Hood’s Texas brigade

John C. West

973.782 W518t 1969

Main, HathiTrust

A rebel wife in Texas : the diary and letters of Elizabeth Scott Neblett, 1852-1864

Elizabeth Scott Neblett

973.82 N279r

Main

Diary of the Alarcón expedition into Texas, 1718-1719

Francisco Céliz

976.402 C33D

Main

Aguayo expedition into Texas, 1721 : an annotated translation of the five versions of the diary kept by Br. Juan Antonio de la Peña

Richard G. Santos

976.402 SA59A

Main

The diary of Michael Erskine : describing his cattle drive from Texas to California together with correspondence from the gold fields, 1854-1859

Michael Erskine

976.4092 ER86D

Main

Voyage to North America, 1844-45 : Prince Carl of Solms’s Texas diary of people, places, and events

Prince Carl Solms-Braunfels

Z N745.8 V948 2000 

Texas Documents

Another year finds me in Texas : the Civil War diary of Lucy Pier Stevens

Vicki Adams Tongate

Z UA380.8 T613an

Texas Documents

Explore History-Making Headlines this Summer at TSLAC

front page of Beaumont Enterprise newspaper with headline, Armstrong and Aldrin Walk on Moon After Dusty Landing, from July 21,1969.
 “Armstrong and Aldrin Walk on Moon After Dusty Landing,” July 21, 1969, Beaumont Enterprise. Sam Houston Center, TSLAC.

Looking for a free (and air-conditioned) outing this summer? Visit the Texas State Library and Archives (TSLAC) in downtown Austin and explore the current exhibit on display in our lobby. Extra! Extra! Eyes of the World on Texas at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library building features seven cases on significant episodes in Texas history that brought national and international attention to our state. Our team curated documents, images, artifacts, and publications related to the JFK assassination, Spindletop and the oil boom, the Galveston storm of 1900, the New London School explosion and other major events that made headlines in the twentieth century.

Color photograph of NASA's mission control central as it was in 1969. There are several rows of computer terminals facing an image on the wall of the kennedy quote in the caption.
The quote on the screen in this image of Mission Control Center at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston reads, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth…” John F. Kennedy to Congress, May 1961. Texas Tourism Development Agency photographs and audiovisual materials,1991077_114_ 011. TSLAC.

By the time of the Apollo II Mission in 1969, televisions were in most American homes and offered a new medium for the simultaneous sharing of experiences. The selection of the Houston area for the site of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) facility focused on sending astronauts to the moon connected Texas to the most-watched event in television history, the moon landing on July 20, 1969. Texas Governor Preston Smith would later present astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin with the Medal of Valor. Dies used to create the medals are housed in the State Archives.

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