Interior view of the Texas State Library and Archives Building. (courtesy of texas.construction.com)
Last weekend I was in Austin, Texas, for a Texas Historical Commission workshop. I played hooky one afternoon to visit the newly renovated Texas State Archives. For years I have researched there. The records and staff were great, but the furniture, equipment, and the green paint of that decade made me feel like I was back in the 1960s. Well, I was right. The Lorenzo de Zavala Building that houses the archives was built in 1959. Now, after three years of renovation, the building is incredibly user friendly with plenty of light, the latest in technology, and a most helpful, knowledgeable staff.
But why do I drive four hours to visit a glorified library? Every state has an archives commission; some under the auspices of the state library and others associated with the secretary of state. But whoever controls the archives, the results are similar. Here are documents, photographs, and letters from the earliest territorial days. In addition, all state records are located in one place. I was looking for county tax rolls from the 19th century for four counties. In Texas these are located either at the state archives or at various repositories around the state. So it was a toss up. Do I go to Austin where I can find many, many records or do I drive all over Northeast Texas to visit two repositories?
I have found records showing that two of my great-great grandfathers served in the Frontier Defense Forces of Texas during the Civil War. I know that in January of 1864 they tried to track down Native American raiders who frequently rode onto the Texas frontier to relieve the settlers of horses. That particular day the ground was frozen and the Frontier Defense Forces returned to their post empty-handed. I know that all the men in their unit was very unhappy when transferred some 175 miles east to track and capture “slackers” who had deserted from both armies and were hiding in the thickets. After all the purpose of the Frontier Defense Forces were to protect the pioneers along the edge of western most settlement. Because that unit was part of Texas and not the Confederacy, the records are not found anywhere else.
When I walk out of a state archives, I always have the sensation that I am reentering the present after a wonderful trip back in time. Try it; it’s a great feeling.