Wednesday, April 26th, 2023 in collection highlights, elected officials, history of Travis County, people. No Comments
Author William Sidney Porter lived in Austin from 1884-1896. Later known by his pseudonym O. Henry, he wrote in 1894, “It is a well-known tradition in Austin and vicinity that there is a buried treasure of great value on the banks of Shoal Creek, about a mile west of the city…” During the 1890s, Austin […]
Friday, February 10th, 2023 in Announcements, collection highlights, criminal records, District Clerk, research, Uncategorized. No Comments
Travis County District Civil Courts have original jurisdiction in all divorce cases, cases involving title to land, election contest cases, and civil matters in which the amount of money or damages involved is $200 or more. Travis County Criminal District Courts preside over felony cases. Court minutes are the record of courtroom proceedings, such as the […]
Monday, August 1st, 2022 in collection highlights, criminal records, District Clerk, exhibits, explore Travis County, history of Travis County. No Comments
The archives is proud to announce a new online exhibit, “Law and Lawlessness in Early Travis County”. This exhibit explores the environment of lawlessness in early Travis County using county criminal court records, photographs and newspaper clippings. The exhibit also looks at the response of law enforcement and the criminal justice system to the criminal […]
Wednesday, March 9th, 2022 in collection highlights, County Clerk, District Clerk, genealogy, people, Portal to Texas History, research. No Comments
Naturalization is the process by which an alien becomes an American citizen. Prior to 1906, immigrants could file for naturalization in any court at the local, county, state or federal level. In Travis County, naturalization records can be found in the records of the District and County Courts and date from 1887-1906. In 1906, the […]
Monday, August 31st, 2020 in collection highlights, history of Travis County, Portal to Texas History, research. No Comments
Convict leasing was a system of penal labor in which prisoner labor was leased to private parties. The practice began in Texas and other southern states shortly after the Civil War, when officials realized they had a large population of prisoners to care for and very little money. Leasing the inmates to private individuals appeared to offer […]
Thursday, August 6th, 2020 in collection highlights, history of Travis County, Portal to Texas History, research. No Comments
In Texas, one of the duties of the Commissioners’ Court is the construction and maintenance of county roads and bridges. County roads are public roads that are located outside of city limits but within the county boundaries. City roads are the responsibility of cities, and interstate highways and farm to market (FM) roads are the […]
Wednesday, July 29th, 2020 in collection highlights, explore Travis County, history of Travis County, Portal to Texas History, research. 1 Comment
In a series of posts, we will be highlighting some of Travis County’s lesser known records and the unique information they contain. Travis County Poor Farm Record: 1890-1900 (1 volume). Ledger includes an inventory of property belonging to the Travis County Poor Farm; list of paupers; list of hands hired; list of county convicts sent […]
Monday, May 18th, 2020 in collection highlights, collections, County Clerk, Portal to Texas History, research. 35 Comments
One of the most frequently asked questions we get asked at the Archives is: “Do you have a copy of my property survey?” The short answer is no, and here’s why. Land surveys are documents that establish the boundaries of a property. Surveys document boundaries when new parcels of land are being developed, and also […]
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016 in collection highlights, exhibits. No Comments
In Hall of Government at 700 Lavaca Street is the latest exhibit from the Austin Friends of Folk Art collection at the Travis County Archives. This exhibit features the work of Herón Martínez Mendoza, a celebrated potter from Acatlán de Osorio, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Chuck Snyder, 1982 On display are numerous pieces by Martínez, both large and small. Following […]
Wednesday, April 20th, 2016 in collection highlights, collections, research. No Comments
Interested in researching your property in Travis County? The Austin History Center has produced a handy guide about the variety of resources available to assist in your research. http://www.austinlibrary.com/ahc/downloads/Property_Information_Sources.pdf Property records in the Travis County Archives include Tax Rolls and County Surveyor Records. Tax records provide the names of property owners and the tax assessed […]
