County Clerk Records, 1839-1963 | Travis County Archives

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Collection Overview

Title: County Clerk Records, 1839-1963

ID: 01/CR21

Creator: County Clerk

Extent: 10.1 Cubic Feet

Date Acquired: 01/09/2009

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Records of the County Clerk include financial records (bids, claims, and bonds); county court civil and criminal case papers; contracts; assorted property records; tax records, including Board of Equalization notices and protests; official bonds, deputation records, and oaths of Office; election notices; marriage affidavits; school records, including teacher payroll cards; livestock records; and personnel records.

Bond files include documentation for bonds involving Travis County and City of Austin refunding, bridges, schools, fire stations, airports, etc., as reviewed and approved by the Attorney General of the State of Texas.

Biographical Note

The office of Clerk of the County Court, or County Clerk's office, has been in existence since 1836, when it superseded the office of escribano of Spanish and Mexican Texas. During the Republic and early statehood, the office of the County Clerk was a statutory one. The Constitution of 1866 elevated it to constitutional status, but the newly acquired rank was short-lived. The office was abolished under the Constitution of 1869 and the duties of the Clerk were assumed by the District Clerk in each county. The office was restored in the Constitution of 1876 and it was specified that the County Clerk was to be elected biennially. In 1954, a constitutional amendment changed the term of office to four years.

The Texas County Clerk performs duties that in most other states are divided among two or more officials. The Clerk is the county recorder and as such accepts for filing and recording a wide variety of documents from deeds to marriage licenses to cattle brands. The Clerk is also clerk to the County Court, a court of limited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters, but the principal court for probate matters, and clerk to the Commissioners Court, the governing body of a county. The County Clerk also conducts county-wide special and general elections and early voting for county-wide elections.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions: None.

Related Materials: The bulk of the County Clerk records are maintained by the County Clerk's Office. For requests regarding these materials, visit the County Clerk's web site or call (512) 854-9188. For more information please see http://www.co.travis.tx.us/county_clerk/default.asp.

Preferred Citation: County Clerk Records, Travis County Archives, Austin, Texas.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Financial Records],
[Series 2: Court Records],
[Series 3: Legal Records],
[Series 4: Property Records],
[Series 5: Tax Records],
[Series 6: Official Bonds and Deputation Records],
[Series 7: Election Records],
[Series 8: Vital Statistics Records],
[Series 9: School Records],
[Series 10: Livestock Records],
[Series 11: Personnel Records],
[All]

Series 1: Financial Records

Sub-Series 1: Bids

Box 1

Folder 1: Bids, 1886-1897

Sub-Series 2: Claims

Box 1

Folder 2: Claims, 1894-1895

Sub-Series 3: Bonds

Box 10: Bond Files, #197-7457, 1887-1924
Box 11: Bond Files, #7532-17290, 1924-1937
Box 12: Bond Files, #21829-25965, 1942-1949

Series 2: Court Records

Sub-Series 1: Civil Case Papers

Box 1

Folder 3: 1840-1845, 1913, n.d.

Sub-Series 2: Criminal Case Papers

Box 1

Folder 4: 1840-1869
Folder 5: 1869
Folder 6: 1869
Folder 7: 1869
Folder 8: 1887, n.d.

Sub-Series 3: Jury Records

Box 1

Folder 9: Jury Summonses, 1867-1868
Folder 10: Jury Lists, 1860-1868

Sub-Series 4: Miscellaneous Court Records

Box 1

Folder 11: Remittance of Fines, 1868

Series 3: Legal Records

Box 1

Folder 12: Contracts, 1893

Series 4: Property Records

Box 1

Folder 13: Assorted Property Records, 1839-1908

Series 5: Tax Records

Sub-Series 1: Board of Equalization Records

Box 2

Folder 1: Notices, 1895
Folder 2: Protests, 1895

Sub-Series 2: Record of Land or Town Lots Sold for Taxes

Box 2

Folder 3: 1893

Sub-Series 3: Occupation Tax Receipts

Box 5

Folder 16: 1910

Series 6: Official Bonds and Deputation Records

Sub-Series 1: Bond Records

Item 1: Volume 1, 1852-1875

Sub-Series 2: Official Bonds, Oaths and Deputation Records

Box 2

Folder 4: 1840
Folder 5: 1840
Folder 6: 1841
Folder 7: 1841
Folder 8: 1842
Folder 9: 1843
Folder 10: 1844
Folder 11: 1845
Folder 12: 1846
Folder 13: 1846
Folder 14: 1847
Folder 15: 1848
Folder 16: 1848
Folder 17: 1849
Folder 18: 1850
Folder 19: 1851
Folder 20: 1852
Folder 21: 1852
Folder 22: 1853
Folder 23: 1854
Folder 24: 1854

Box 3

Folder 1: 1855
Folder 2: 1856
Folder 3: 1856
Folder 4: 1857
Folder 5: 1858
Folder 6: 1858
Folder 7: 1859
Folder 8: 1860
Folder 9: 1861
Folder 10: 1861
Folder 11: 1861
Folder 12: 1862
Folder 13: 1862
Folder 14: 1863
Folder 15: 1864
Folder 16: 1864

Box 4

Folder 1: 1865
Folder 2: 1866
Folder 3: 1867
Folder 4: 1868
Folder 5: 1869
Folder 6: 1870
Folder 7: 1870
Folder 8: 1871
Folder 9: 1872
Folder 10: 1876
Folder 11: 1896
Folder 12: 1896
Folder 13: 1898
Folder 14: 1898
Folder 15: 1900
Folder 16: 1902

Box 5

Folder 1: 1903
Folder 2: 1904
Folder 3: 1904
Folder 4: 1905
Folder 5: 1906
Folder 6: 1906
Folder 7: 1907
Folder 8: 1908
Folder 9: 1909
Folder 10: Resignations, 1844-1861

Series 7: Election Records

Sub-Series 1: Notices

Box 5

Folder 11: 1848-1856

Sub-Series 2: Poll Tax Receipts

Box 9

Folder 11: 1903
Folder 12: 1909
Folder 13: 1910
Folder 14: 1913
Folder 15: 1913

Series 8: Vital Statistics Records

Sub-Series 1: Marriage Records

Box 5

Folder 12: Marriage Affidavits, 1905-1909
Folder 13: Marriage Certificates, 1879

Series 9: School Records

Sub-Series 1: Teacher Payroll Records

Drawer 1: Payroll Cards, A-G, 1948-1963
Drawer 2: Payroll Cards, H-Q, 1948-1963
Drawer 3: Payroll Cards, R-Z, 1948-1963

Sub-Series 2: Assorted School Records

Box 5

Folder 14: 1888

Series 10: Livestock Records

Sub-Series 1: Butchers' Records

Box 6

Folder 1: J.A. Beck, 1889-1891
Folder 2: Robert Beck, 1892-1893
Folder 3: Allen Bradley, 1890-1895
Folder 4: Bunton & Porter, 1892-1895
Folder 5: R.E. Caperton, 1892-1898
Folder 6: S.L. Chamberlain, 1892-1898
Folder 7: Otto Clements, 1892-1898
Folder 8: John Coats, 1891
Folder 9: Coker & Pate, 1889-1891
Folder 10: Douglass & Miller, 1894-1895
Folder 11: Douglass & Ruck, 1893
Folder 12: Frick & Schlueter, 1889-1891
Folder 13: A. Haffelder, 1891-1894
Folder 14: Haffelder & Clements, 1889-1891

Box 7

Folder 1: J. Haigler, 1889-1894
Folder 2: Haigler & Douglass, 1892
Folder 3: Hanie Bros., 1892
Folder 4: W. Hechler, 1891
Folder 5: J. Heisner, 1893-1894
Folder 6: J. Hemphill, 1890
Folder 7: Hill & Son, 1890-1894
Folder 8: Hoeke & Haffelder, 1891
Folder 9: E. Hofheinz, 1895
Folder 10: W.J. Johnson, 1890-1891
Folder 11: J.M. Jones, 1893
Folder 12: J.S. Jones, 1891
Folder 13: Jones & Pate, 1893
Folder 14: Kriesle & Co., 1892
Folder 15: J. Lucksinger, 1891-1893
Folder 16: Martin & Garrett, 1891
Folder 17: Martin & Sons, 1891-1898
Folder 18: F. Murray, 1890-1893
Folder 19: Myers & Co., 1894
Folder 20: S.H. Newton, 1885
Folder 21: W.B. Newton, 1891-1895

Box 8

Folder 1: J.B. Pierce, 1898
Folder 2: Pucket & Bro., 1891
Folder 3: W. Rankin, 1892
Folder 4: W.C. Redd, 1893-1898
Folder 5: Sauer & Robinson, 1886-1894
Folder 6: R. Schieffer, 1893-1895
Folder 7: Schieffer & Benson, 1887
Folder 8: Schieffer & Hoeke, 1889-1891
Folder 9: J. Schlueter, 1891-1895
Folder 10: Schleuter & Greaser, 1893-1894
Folder 11: Schleuter & Menzer, 1893
Folder 12: Searight & Co., 1894-1909
Folder 13: R. Seekatz, 1890-1891
Folder 14: J. Sheehan, 1891-1898
Folder 15: S.A. Stone, 1902-1903
Folder 16: W. Thiele, 1891-1898
Folder 17: J. Traugott, 1892-1898

Box 9

Folder 1: A.J. Trautwein, 1894-1895
Folder 2: W. Ulit, 1892-1898
Folder 3: J.A. Velen, 1891
Folder 4: J.K. Warren, 1884
Folder 5: Williams & Co., 1889-1891
Folder 6: P. Wolff, 1892

Sub-Series 2: Assorted Cattle Records

Box 9

Folder 7: 1885-1909

Sub-Series 3: Estray Records

Box 9

Folder 8: 1889-1892

Sub-Series 4: Records of Inspection

Box 9

Folder 9: 1883-1891

Sub-Series 5: Glanders Reports

Box 9

Folder 10: 1893-1894

Series 11: Personnel Records

Sub-Series 1: Applications

Box 5

Folder 15: Employment Applications, 1896-1897