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Samplings of Texas Genealogical Research Materials Available in the Rosenberg Library and the
Galveston and Texas History Center (GTHC) 

The Galveston and Texas History is a manuscript repository with a limited number of genealogical materials. The following selected sources can be found in the GTHC or in the general library's collections.

Census

F 385 .F37 1959 Ready Ref

Mullins, Marian Day, ed. The First Census of Texas, 1829-36 to which are added Texas Citizenship
lists, 1821-1845 and other early records of the Republic of Texas.
F 385 .M84 Ready Ref Mullins, Marian Day. ed. Republic of Texas Poll Lists for 1846.
F 390 .W59 White, Gifford, ed. 1840 Census of the Republic of Texas.
U.S. Census (Texas only) 1850 - indexed, microfilm on Mezzanine, paperbacks in GTHC Reading Room
U.S. Federal Census Records (United States) 1790-1930 – check library website. www.rosenberg-library.org , click on Library Services then go to Online Databases.

We recommend you visit the Clayton Genealogical Library in Houston to access census indexes. Their website is:   http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/clayton/ 

Tax Records

Reading Room Galveston County Tax Assessor’s Abstracts: 1880-1914. Original ledger books divided by Galveston city lots and out lots.
MSS# 83-0013. Microfilm Galveston County Tax Rolls: 1838-1922. Arranged chronologically then alphabetically by last name.

Vital Statistics

Vital Statistics Office
4700 Broadway
Galveston, TX 77550
(409) 763-8531

F 385 .G72 Gracy, Sumner, and Gentry. Early Texas Birth Records, 1838-78.
 
F 394.25 .G2 R4 v. 1 Galveston City Sexton. Record of Interments, 1859 -1872, Indexed by Peggy Gregory.
F 394.25 .G2 R4 v. 2. Galveston City Sexton. Record of Interments, May 1878 – Nov. 1882. Indexed by Lorena H. Gould.
Microfilm City of Galveston. Record of Interments, 1866 – 1881.
           Indexed. Original ledger book
Microfilm

City of Galveston. Mortuary Records, 1875 – 1926.
            Book 1: Jan 1, 1875 – Dec 31, 1886
            Book 2: Jan 1, 1887 – Aug 9, 1894
            Book 3: Aug 10, 1894 – Mar 30, 1900
            Book 4: Mar 30, 1900 – Dec 31, 1903
            Book 5: Jan 1, 1904 – Jan 31, 1910
            Book 6: Feb 1, 1910 – May 31, 1918
            Book 7: June 1, 1918 – Dec 31, 1926
F 394 .G2E E2 1990 Ready Ref. Galveston County Genealogical Society. Early Texas Death and Legal Records From Joseph Franklin’s Diary and John Griffin’s Sexton Records. Joseph Franklin’s Diary Parts 1 and 2, (1838-1908) and Galveston City Sexton Part 3, (1847-1851).
MSS # 86-0005. Microfilm City of Galveston. [Death certificates], ca. 1880-1910.  Alphabetized by last name.

Cemetery Records

MSS# 77-0033 Cahill Cemetery records, 1923 – 1951.
MSS# 85-0025 [Episcopal Cemetery Register], 1848 – 1994.
MSS# 87-0033 W. K. Herbert & company records, 1919 – 1968. (Includes Rosewood Cemetery Association).
F 392 .G 25 G2. GTHC Ready Ref.

Texas City Ancestry Searchers. Galveston County Tombstones Inscriptions:
 Volume 1: Alta Loma Cemetery; Fairview Cemetery, League City; San Leon Cemetery; City Cemetery, Dickinson; Episcopal Cemetery, Dickinson; Mainland Cemetery, Hitchcock; Perthuis Cemetery, Hitchcock; Campbell’s Cemetery, Texas City.
Volume 2: Campbell’s Cemetery, Texas City (revised); Evergreen Cemetery, Arcadia: Grace Memorial Cemetery, Alta Loma; La Marque Cemetery; High Island Cemetery; Bolivar Cemetery.
  Volume 3: Galveston County Memorial Park Cemetery burial records before 1952 (Hitchcock).
F 394.25 .G2 M3 1994 McBee, Linda and Doug. [Broadway Cemeteries Galveston, Texas] [Cover Title]:
            Book 1, Vol. 1: Oct 1900 – March 1910, A-J
            Book 1, Vol. 2: Oct 1900 – March 1910, K-z
            Book 2, Vol. 1: 1910 – 1920, A-K
            Book 2, Vol. 2: 1910 – 1920, L-Z
            Book 2, Vol. 3: 1920 – 1930, A-K
            Book 2, Vol. 3: 1920 – 1930, L-Z
F 394.25 .G2 L3 1992. GTHC Ready Ref. McBee, Linda, compiler. Lakeview Cemetery Record, Galveston Texas:
            Vol. 1: 1887 – 1908
            Vol. 2: 1908 – 1917
            Vol. 3: 1917 – 1929
F 394.25 .G2 C6 1991 McBee, Linda, compiler. Confederate Veterans “Rest in Peace” Galveston, Texas.

F 394.25 .G2 J4 1995 Beal, Bertha Ellen, compiler. Johnston – Young Funeral Service, [1947 – 1950].

Passenger Lists

HE 601 .U5 S5. GTHC Ready Ref. Galveston County Genealogical Society. Ships Passenger Lists, Port of Galveston, 1846 – 1871. (GTHC, also in reference stacks on 2nd floor)
HE 601 .U5 P3 1985. GTHC Ready Ref. Blaha, Albert, compiler. Passenger Lists for Galveston, 1850 – 1855. These lists were accumulated from German newspapers and newsletters. There is no name index, however, the lists are in chronological order.
F 395 .G3 K6 1995. GTHC Ready Ref. Konecny, Lawrence, compiler. The Galveston-Bremen Project: 1865 – 1896. Immigration from Bremen and Bremerhaven to Galveston, Texas 1865-1896, an analysis by year and by voyage. Information gathered from newspapers. It is not a complete list of immigrants for this time period.
F 395 .G3 F53 1994. GTHC Ready Ref. Kleinecke, Charles, Jr., compiler. Fisher – Miller and GEC Forever: July 1844 – Feb 1846. From the original ship lists contained in the Texas State Archives at Austin, TX (the Fisher Colony Papers).
CS 68 .B32 Baca, Leo. Czech Immigration Passenger Lists, Vol. 1, 2, 3, 6. Includes pictures and information about the ships.
F 395 .G3 G41 Geue, Chester W. and Ethel. New Homes in a New Land: German Immigration to Texas, 1844 – 1847.

There are no official Galveston passenger lists for the years 1872 – 1894. 

We recommend you search for naturalization records for the immigrants in the district clerk’s office of the county courthouse where they settled.  

National Archives. See also http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/natural.html (web site). 

Texas Seaport Museum, Galveston Immigration Database is located at:
http://www.tsm-elissa.org/immigration-login.htm  Access is by password to the database and it is free. Sign up and use their information. 

Immigrant Ships Transcriber’s Guild Database is located at:
http://istg.rootsweb.com/ The information can be accessed by Port of Arrival, Port of Departure, Ship name, Chronologically, and Ship’s Captain. 

Microfilm on Mezzanine Passenger Lists for the Port of Galveston, 1895 – 1948. Indexed. 

City Directories

Galveston City Directories:

1856 – 1860; 1866-1938; Microfilm
1938 – Present; Books in Reading Room
Houston City Directories: 1879 – 1984; Reading Room [not inclusive]
Alvin City Directories: 1967 – 1991; Reading Room
Clear Lake City Directories: 1964 – 1979; Reading Room
Texas City/La Marque City Directories: 1963 – 1993: Reading Room

Church/Temple Records 

MSS# 83-0005. Microfilm First Baptist Church records, 1840 – 1883.
MSS# 83-0006. Microfilm First Lutheran Church records (written in German), 1850 – 1946.
MSS# 76-0039 First Presbyterian Church Papers, 1868 – 1976.
MSS# 89-0012 Grace Episcopal Church Records, 1875 – 1955.
BX 4603.G2 S24 1984 St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Galveston, Texas: baptismal, confirmation, marriage, and death records, 1860 – 1952.
MSS# 83-0008. Microfilm Temple B’Nai Israel Congregation, 1869 – 1953.
MSS# 86-0006 Trinity Episcopal Church Records, 1865 – 1944; (Portions have been microfilmed).
MSS# 89-0023 Zion Lutheran Church Records, [1896 – 1945].

School Records 

MSS# 78-0018 [Scholastic Census: 1900-1912]. Includes all children enrolled in Galveston School District. Separated by City, County, and Race. Microfilm in History Center, records arranged chronologically and then alphabetically by last name.
MSS# 95-0010

Galveston School District Records:
            Ball High School, 1886 – 1892
            First District School, 1884 – 1888 (later Rosenberg School)
            Grammar School, 1881 – 1888, 1882 – 1885
            Second District School, 1881 – 1884
            West District colored School, 1885 – 1891, 1892 – 1902

Newspapers 

Two indexes to proper names and subjects:
1.      Dynix computer under heading “Community Resources:” 1880 – Sep 7, 1900; 1993 – present.
2.      Card catalog newspaper Index in History Center, ca. 1910s – 1992. 

Newspapers on microfilm on Mezzanine level include: [] = scattered issues
      Flake’s Bulletin: [1861 – 1872]
      Galveston Daily News: [1863-69]; 1870 – present
      Galveston News: [1846 – 1863]
      Galveston Tri-Weekly News: [1855 – 1873]
      Galveston Tribune: 1885 – 1965. [Only small portion has been microfilmed.]
      The City Times (African-American); [1900-1927]
      Indianola Bulletin: [1853 – 1860]
      Indianola Courier: [1859 – 1861]
      Indianola Times: April 21, 1866
      Indianola Weekly Bulletin: [1871 – 1872]
      Texas City Times: [May 1, 1909 – Jan 31, 1913]
      Texas City Daily Times: [1913 – 1914]
      Texas City Star: [Oct – Dec 1914]
      The Provost Guard and Texas City Messenger: [Jan 9, 1914 – July 2, 1915] 

The History Center also has several newspaper collections that have not been microfilmed. See the index in the History Center for a complete list of newspaper holdings.