William B. Travis portrait donated to Travis County

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 in news. No Comments

Last year, Sally Mauck, a descendant of the D.W. Stallworth family and relative of William B. Travis, very generously donated a portrait of William Barret Travis to Travis County. Travis County was named for William B. Travis in 1839. William B. Travis was the son of Mark Travis and Jemima Stallworth; D.W. Stallworth’s father was […]


A new Archives space

Thursday, July 15th, 2010 in news. No Comments

On Tuesday, July 13, Travis County Commissioners voted unanimously to allocate approximately 5,000 square feet of space to the Archives program for the purpose of archival records storage.  This is excellent news for the program and for the preservation of our county’s historical records. The storage space will not be accessible to the public; however, […]


The Office of the Justice of the Peace

Thursday, May 20th, 2010 in elected officials. No Comments

The origins of the office of Justice of the Peace extend back to the Middle Ages in England, where the King commissioned knights to preserve peace in unruly areas.  Responsible for ensuring that the law was upheld, these knights were known as “keepers of the peace.”  The title “Justice of the Peace” originates from an […]


About the Archives

Monday, May 3rd, 2010 in Uncategorized. No Comments

This video, produced in January of 2010, summarizes the operations of the Archives program since its establishment at the beginning of 2009. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Uhnq7NCK8&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0]


Austin Memorial Park Cemetery historical marker dedication

Friday, April 16th, 2010 in events, historical markers. No Comments

A dedication ceremony of the historical marker for Austin Memorial Park Cemetery will be held on Saturday, April 24, 2010, at 10:30 am.  Austin Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 2800 Hancock Drive, Austin, Texas. The dedication ceremony will be attended by, among others, Mayor Lee Leffingwell, council Member Randi Shade, and members of the Travis County […]


Travis County Officials in 1840

Monday, March 1st, 2010 in collection highlights, elected officials, people. No Comments

Travis County was established on January 25, 1840, by an act of the Fourth Congress of the Republic of Texas, days after the community of Waterloo had been renamed Austin and approved as the capital city.   The county was in operation as early as 1839, prior to its official establishment.  The first election for county […]


Heman Marion Sweatt

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 in people. 1 Comment

“[Heman Sweatt] was an ordinary person, but he had an extraordinary dream to live in a world in which Afro-Americans and whites alike were afforded equal opportunity to sharpen their skills and to hone their skills, to sharpen their minds.” -Thurgood Marshall February is Black History Month, a time to commemorate and to celebrate those […]


Onion Creek

Monday, January 4th, 2010 in explore Travis County, places. 1 Comment

Click on the map to enlarge In some ways, the Onion Creek area has not changed much from the time of its settlement in the mid-1800s.  Situated in southeastern Travis County, this rural area remains primarily agricultural in nature, with open pastureland and wooded, gently rolling hills. In stark contrast to the nearby bustling metropolis […]