Many persons believe that birth records in Texas were not kept until 1903. However, the Texas Constitution Convention of 1869 called for the registration of births, deaths, marriages in every organized county and such was set up by legislative action in 1873 and repeled in 1876. A few counties continued to keep birth records of which the number was 43 counties. Of these, 25 counties had their original books. Often when registering a child born during the years 1873-1878, the parents would list all of their previous children, hence there are many quite early dates, as early as 1838. Counties for which birth records are found in this volume are: Anderson, Austin, Bandera, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Brazos, Burnett, Caldwell, Cameron, Cass, Cherokee, Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Dallas, DeWitt, Fannin, Fayette, Gillispie, Gregg, Grimes, Hays, Kaufman, Kendall, Lamar, Lavaca, Lee, Marion, Medina, Menard, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Nueces, Rusk, San Saba, Somerville, Travis, Upshur, Victoria, Washington, and Webb.

" ... provides updated county and town listings within the same overall state-by-state organization ... information on records and holdings for every county in the United States, as well as excellent maps from renowned mapmaker William Dollarhide ... The availability of census records such as federal, state, and territorial census reports is covered in detail ... Vital records are also discussed, including when and where they were kept and how"--Publisher decription.

Arranged alphabetically, this work lists the names and counties of residence of approximately 18,000 Texas taxpayers. (A "poll" tax of one dollar was levied on every white male resident over the age of twenty-one and on women who were heads of household.) By 1846, when Texas became the thirty-sixth state in the Union, there were sixty-seven county governments already organized as functioning units of the state, yet no authorized census of the state was undertaken until 1850. This 1846 poll list, compiled from the original tax rolls housed in the Texas State Archives, is actually the nearest thing we have to a complete census of the period.

In this volume, using the best research techniques of the historian--that of going to the source documents--Chester W. and Ethel H. Geue set out to better understand the German movement to Texas.

Vol. 3: A supplement, edited by Eldon Stephen Branda. Includes bibliographical references.

The vast genealogical records of Texas were created by successive governments over a period of almost 200 years. From the earliest recorded land grants by the Spanish and the Mexicans, to the grants, deeds, and patents of the Republic and State of Texas, the titles to the lands of Texas have remained intact and have passed down by will or deed to the present. These records and masses of other genealogical records are available to the researcher provided he/she knows how and where to find them. This remarkable book holds the key. Texas covers a lot of ground, but this guide cuts it right down to size and makes record searching fast and convenient. In text and maps it provides detailed information on the legal and historical background of the state, the origin of each county, the location of the records for each portion of the county before it was organized into its present boundaries, and the specific records available in the various county courthouses, the Texas State Library, the Texas State Archives, and the Texas General Land Office. In addition, it provides information on the original colonies and districts of Texas, a list of Spanish terms used in land grants and deeds, a list of Texas libraries with resources for genealogical research, and a bibliography.