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Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
Bible Records
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
Church Records
Court Records
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
Gazetteers
Genealogy
History
Land And Property
Maps
Military Records
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers
Periodicals
Probate Records
Vital Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions
HISTORY The following important events affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements.
Spaniards founded the first permanent settlement near present-day El Paso. Catholic missions Texas became part of the new nation of Mexico. Stephen F. Austin brought the first Anglo-American colonists to Texas. They settled the Austin Colony in south central Texas. Several other impresarios soon brought other colonists.
Texas declared independence from Mexico after a military confrontation. Municipalities were soon organized into counties. The Republic of Texas United States acquired Texas as the 28th state.
Mexico declared war on the United States in an effort to reclaim Texas and other territory claimed by both countries. Over 6,000 Texas citizens served in the Mexican-American War. Texas relinquished its claims to Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
Texas seceded from the Union Most Indians were removed to the Indian Territory The Family History Library has many county and local histories of Texas. A good source for a general background is Frank W. Johnson, History of Texas and Texans, 5 vols. (Chicago: American Historical Society, 1914; FHL book 976.4 H2j; 1916 ed. is on film 1000592). Volumes 3-5 have biographical information.
Bibliographies of local histories include:
Jenkins, John Holmes. Cracker Barrel Chronicles: A Bibliography of Texas Town and County Histories. Austin, Tex.: Pemberton Press, 1965. (FHL book 976.4 H2jc; film 1000609 item 2.)
Munnerlyn, Tom. Texas Local History: A Source Book for Available Town and County Histories, Local Memoirs and Genealogical Records. Austin, Tex.: Eakin Press, 1983. (FHL book 976.4 H23m.)
Large tracts of land were granted by Spain and Mexico between 1716 and 1836. From 1823 to 1830, Mexico established a colonization policy providing land for immigrants to settle in colonies under impresarios such as Stephen F. Austin. Each colony had its own land office. All land offices were closed by the provisional government of Texas in November 1835 due to the pending revolution.
Lists of early settlers and landowners that have been transcribed and published include:
Taylor, Virginia H. Index to Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in Texas. Austin, Tex.: Lone Star Press, 1974. (FHL book 976.4 R2tv.) This includes records not found in the Class 1 Headright Grants described below.
An Abstract of the Original Titles of Records in the General Land Office. 1838. Reprint. Austin, Tex.: Pemberton Press, 1964. (FHL book 976.4 R2u; film 1000607 item 10; fiche 6051319.) This lists the land records of several colonies for the years 1791 to 1836.
Records of headright grants
After the revolution, the General Land Office of the Republic of Texas Land was granted for various reasons. The General Land Office, (Austin Building, 17th and N. Congress, Austin, TX 78701) has over 10,000,000 documents including patents
Confederate scrip lands Miller, Thomas Lloyd. Bounty and Donation Land Grants of Texas, 1835-1888. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1967. (FHL book 976.4 R21m; film 1000608 item 9.)
Miller, Thomas Lloyd. Texas Confederate Scrip Grantees. N.p., 1985. (FHL book 976.4 R2mt.)
Numerous name lists of settlers and landowners have been transcribed and published. These include:
Abstract of Land Titles of Texas Comprising the Titled, Patented, and Located Lands in the State. Galveston: Shaw and Blaylock, 1878. (FHL films 397783-4.) This is arranged by counties for about 1833 to 31 August 1877 and is alphabetical by county.
White, Gifford. Character Certificates in the General Land Office of Texas. [Austin: G. White, 1985.] (FHL book 976.4 R2c.) This includes genealogical data for 1821 to 1835. These character certificates were required by Mexico in order to obtain land.
Abstract of Land Claims, Compiled From the Records of the General Land Office. Galveston: Civilian Book Office, 1852. (FHL film 874497.) These are private land claims submitted up to 1852 for land previously granted by Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, and the State of Texas. It is alphabetical by district.
From 1847 to 1870 the office of the Texas Adjutant General was responsible for verifying land claims of veterans. A fire in 1855 destroyed the records of this office except for copies of the muster rolls of the War of Texas Independence
After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions, including deeds The Family History Library has microfilm copies of deeds, trust deeds, and mortgages of many counties. The library's holdings include:
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1682
soon followed in east Texas.
1821
1836
existed until 1845.
1845
1846-1848
Mexico gave up its claim to Texas.
1850
1861-1865
during the Civil War. In 1870 it was readmitted to the Union.
1870s
in present-day eastern Oklahoma. Some escaped to Mexico.
1901
The oil boom attracted many new residents.
1987
The oil boom collapsed.
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LAND AND PROPERTY
Land Grants by Spain and Mexico
prior to 1 March 1936 are now at the state land office, and are described below.
Grants by the Republic and State of Texas
was established at Austin in February 1837. The Republic of Texas recognized all previous grants and settled any disputes in the state courts. In 1845 Texas became a state-land state and the land office continued to administer land grants.
, plat maps, and indexes, for the following:
, 1836 to 1842. These are records of grants issued to heads of families and single men who settled in Texas. The records are filed and indexed by time periods called classes:Class 1
. Settlers who arrived prior to 1 March 1836 (grants by Spain and Mexico)
Class 2
. Arrivals from 2 March 1836 to 1 October, 1837
Class 3
. Arrivals from 1 October 1837 to 1 January 1840
Class 4
. Arrivals from 1 January 1840 to 1 January 1842
Some of these headright grants have been published in First Settlers of the Republic of Texas: Headright Land Grants, 1840, 2 vols., 1841, Reprint (Nacogdoches, Tex.: Carolyn R. Ericson, 1982—; FHL book 976.4 R2f). This includes the class 1-3 grants.
, January 1845 to 1899. These are homestead or settler's claims given to persons who lived on a tract for three years.
, about 1845-46. The German Emigration Company was created to help German immigrants come to Texas and obtain land. The records include 19 volumes of contracts made with emigrants emigrating from Europe around 1845. The records are in German.
, April 1874 to present. These are records of public lands sold to provide revenue for schools. The records are indexed.
and Donation Lands, 1836 to 1888. Warrants were issued as payment for service in the Army of the Republic of Texas in 1836 when Texas declared its independence from Mexico.
were issued to Confederate veterans who were permanently disabled in the Civil War and to widows of soldiers who were killed during the Civil War. Some of these records can be found in:
from Mexico from 1835 to 1836. After the fire, a Court of Claims was established in 1856 for persons who had been entitled to land grants from the Republic of Texas but had never received them. The muster rolls were used to verify eligibility for a land grant.
County Land Records
and mortgages, have been recorded by the county. You can obtain copies of these land records by writing to the county clerk at the county courthouse.
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