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. No Comments
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. 5 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 […]
Wednesday, May 6th, 2020 in collections, County Clerk, Portal to Texas History, research. 2 Comments
What are deeds? Deeds are legal records that document the ownership and conveyance of property. Deeds record the transfer of real estate from the current owner (grantor) to a new owner (grantee). How do I search for deeds? The deed is one of the oldest and most common types of county records. Deed records in […]
Monday, April 6th, 2020 in history of Travis County, news, research. No Comments
During the fall of 1918 and the winter of 1919, an epidemic of influenza affected much of the civilized world. An estimated twenty-five million Americans experienced what became known as the Spanish flu; an estimated 550,000 died from the disease. More U.S. soldiers died from the 1918 flu than were killed in battle during the […]
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 […]
Friday, April 15th, 2016 in collections, news, research. No Comments
Have you checked to see what’s new from Travis County on the Portal to Texas History? The Travis County Archives is currently working on a project to digitize County Clerk record books from the 1800s. These records are being made available for viewing and research on the Portal to Texas History (http://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/partners/TCCO/browse/). Check back often, […]
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014 in research. No Comments
In 2008, District Clerk Amalia Rodriguez-Mendoza launched an important project to identify District Court case files of historical significance and to preserve them in their original form for future use and reference. With the assistance of an archivist, and in collaboration with several notable judges, lawyers, and the District Attorney, case files dating from as early as […]
Wednesday, June 25th, 2014 in collection highlights, collections, research. No Comments
In Austin in late 1884-1885, 8 individuals were murdered by what was known as the “Servant Girl Killer.” The victims included Mollie Smith, Eliza Shelley, Irene Cross, Mary Ramey, Orange Washingon, Gracie Vance, Susan Hancock, and Eula Phillips. From http://www.servantgirlmurders.com/: The Servant Girl Murders were a series of crimes, including eight murders, carried out by an elusive […]
