Record Atlas
6 eras · 1690–2026 · 266 places

Texas — Spanish, Mexican, Republic and State

San Antonio, Nacogdoches, Austin, Houston, El Paso, Galveston. Which empire held this ground in which years — and, the part that matters, which archive that means.

Whose archive this ground was

YearsWho held itWhose archive that means
1690–1821 Spanish Texas — province of New Spain FamilySearch

The first Spanish mission in East Texas dates from 1690, and San Antonio began in 1718 as a mission and presidio. The Bexar Archives (1717-1836) are held at the Briscoe Center, University of Texas at Austin, with part in the Bexar County Archives in San Antonio; the Nacogdoches Archives (dated 1729 or 1731 to 1836 depending on the source) are at the Texas State Library and Archives in Austin.
1821–1836 Mexican Texas — from 1824 the state of Coahuila y Tejas FamilySearch

Under the 1824 constitution Texas was joined with Coahuila as the state of Coahuila y Tejas, and land was granted through empresarios under the colonization law (about 3,420 grant applications from immigrants and naturalised citizens). The Texas General Land Office holds land-grant records dating to the 18th century. The Law of April 6, 1830 prohibited further immigration by U.S. citizens.
1836–1846 Republic of Texas FamilySearch

Independence was declared on March 2, 1836. Statehood is dated December 29, 1845, but the Republic's government transferred power on February 19, 1846. Texas claimed the Rio Grande as its southern boundary while Mexico held to the Nueces; the State Library has a guide to pre-Republic and Republic records (1820-1845).
1846–1861 United States — State of Texas FamilySearch · National Archives Catalog (NARA) · Chronicling America

Texas entered the Union as the 28th state. In the Compromise of 1850 it gave up its claims to land now in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Wyoming in return for $10,000,000 in federal bonds.
1861–1865 Confederate States — State of Texas FamilySearch · National Archives Catalog (NARA)

The Ordinance of Secession was adopted on February 1, 1861, approved by referendum on February 23, and took effect March 2, 1861 (the date Texas joined the Confederacy is given as March 2 or March 23 depending on the source). The last battle of the war, at Palmito Ranch, was fought on May 12, 1865, and Union troops took possession at Galveston on June 19, 1865.
1865–2026 United States — State of Texas FamilySearch · National Archives Catalog (NARA) · Chronicling America

Texas was readmitted to the Union on March 30, 1870. Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1903 and of marriages in 1966; the State Library holds indexes, not the certificates, and county clerks hold property and local records.

The rings are approximate — deliberately. They exist to shade which filing system a place fell under, not to adjudicate a border. A place near a ring's edge should be checked against both neighbours.

See the whole span, 1690–2026, on the map →

The map takes a range, and a range that crosses one of the rows above is where records get lost: the family never moved, and the archive on the far side of the handover will tell you it holds nothing.

266 places on this ground

The 200 carrying the most collections are listed; 66 more stand on this ground. Every place has them all.

1809 FamilySearch collections reach this ground

Ranked with the regional ones first — a collection for a province is usually a better lead than a national index, though the national index is often where a name is actually written down. A free account opens the images.

…and 1749 more.

All record regions · The map