Texas Research Guide Digital Download

You'll love this if…

• You're getting started tracing your ancestors in Texas
• You want new ideas and resources to get past a Texas brick wall
• Your genealogy search is focused mainly on Texas

Trace your Texas ancestors with the advice and resources in our State Research Guide! This four-page download includes:

• a how-to article detailing Texas’ history and records, with helpful advice on tracking your family there
• the best websites, books and other resources for Texas research, handpicked by our editors and experts
• listings of key libraries, archives and organizations that hold the records you need
• timeline of key events in the state's history

Here's a sampling of the helpful tips you'll get in the Texas guide:

• When Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, Stephen F. Austin and other empresarios negotiated settlement agreements with the Mexican government. Austin led the "old 300" families, who were among the first US settlers in "Tejas."
• Most marriage records are at the county clerk’s office; Texas didn't record marriages at the state level until 1966. The state government has a continually updated index of marriages and divorces.
• The Texas General Land Office holds land grant records, dating back to the Stephen F. Austin colony.

Plus, each guide contains active web links for one-click access to every recommended online resource. You can view this PDF on your computer and print pages for reference.