SAN ANTONIO PUBIC LIBRARY
South Texas
Researcher
Introduction
Volume 7, Number 10
October 2009
Inside This Issue
Introduction
1
News and Calendar
2
New In Texana
9
Websites
11
Note: the South Texas Researcher is also now available on the San Antonio
Public Library’s web site (www.mysapl.org) under “News & Events” then “News &
Newsletters.” Backfiles will soon be added.
Please remember that the purpose of this newsletter is to keep librarians,
historians, archivists, genealogists, archæologists, and those in other allied fields
informed of what is going on that may be helpful in these fields so they may pass
this information on to other interested parties in their locations.
South Texas is being broadly
defined as beginning in Val Verde
County in the west; moving east
to Austin (Travis County); and
then southeast through Caldwell,
Lavaca, Jackson, and Calhoun
counties to the Gulf of Mexico.
I am willing to include important events or acquisitions from other areas, in some
instances, if they may be of particular usefulness to those in our area. News from
our neighboring Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and Coahuila would
also be welcome.
If you have items you or your organization would like others to know about, please e-mail
the address at the end of this newsletter.
Feel free to forward this communication to anyone who might be interested.
Thank you!
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News and Calendar of Events
Texana/Genealogy Class Schedule
San Antonio Public Library
Programs are free and held at the San Antonio Central Library,
600 Soledad, San Antonio, Texas, 78205.
E-mail: genealogydesk@sanantonio.gov
To register (so we have enough handouts) or for information please
call the Texana/Genealogy Department at (210) 207-2500 (ask for
Texana) or E-mail: genealogydesk@sanantonio.gov
Saturday, 3 October 2009; 2:00-3:30 p. m. – Traditional Class
Hispanic Genealogy
Learn the basic research principles and techniques for conducting Hispanic
genealogical research. How to begin, where to go, and what you can expect
to find along the way will be discussed. Class will offer clues and strategies
to help as you climb your "arbol de familia".
Tuesday, 6 October; 2:00-3:30 p. m. - Internet Class
Ancestry Library Edition
This collection of databases is available only within the Central Library and
its branches. This class will look at how the site is organized and effective
search techniques. It will be compared with HeritageQuest online for content
and easy of searching. How to print records will also be discussed.
This class is limited to 15 participants so registration is required. Call 210207-2500 and ask for Texana/Genealogy or email
genealogydesk@sanantonio.gov.
Tuesday, 3 November; 2:00-3:30 p. m.
- Internet Class
WorldCat and other library catalogues
WorldCat is the world's largest network of library content and services.
WorldCat libraries are dedicated to providing access to their resources on the
Web, where most people start their search for information.
This class is limited to 15 participants so registration is required. Call 210207-2500 and ask for Texana/Genealogy or email
genealogydesk@sanantonio.gov.
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News From Texana/Genealogy
The Texana/Genealogy department now has a presence on the San Antonio Public Library’s
website, www.mysapl.org. Go to the website, click on “Services,” and scroll down to
Texana/Genealogy. There you will find our blog, back issues of the South Texas
Researcher, our upcoming classes, and some of our “guides.”
The Library Guides are subject bibliographies with a current twist—databases,
websites, event schedule, blogs, as well as books. The department now has the following
guides on the library’s website under “Resources.”
Civil War
Death
Family History
Hispanic Genealogical research
Jewish Genealogy
Local History
Special Collections
Texas History
The Wild West
The Friends of Texana/Genealogy are also on Facebook. So, you may keep up with the
Friends of Texana/Genealogy and the department by becoming a “friend.” There is a video
on the difference between primary and secondary sources, and pictures from our collection
of illuminated manuscript pages, photographs of the 1921 flood, photographs from one of
our lock-ins, and World War I posters. See you there.
As many of you have heard the hours Texana/Genealogy will be open to the public have
been reduced to forty hours a week. Here are our hours beginning 1 October 2009.
Monday
closed
Tuesday
Noon-8:00
Wednesday
9:00-5:00
Thursday
Noon-8:00
Friday
9:00-5:00
Saturday
9:00-5:00
Sunday
closed
The following displays may be seen currently in Texana/Genealogy.
Hispanic Heritage – Quinceañera items
Family History Month
Texas Archaeology Awareness Month/Native American History Month
Texas Natural Wonders
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News and Calendar of Events
Los Bexareños Genealogy Society
Meetings are normally held at 9:30 a.m. every first Saturday of the month on
the first floor, Main Auditorium, of the San Antonio Public Library, 600 Soledad
Street, San Antonio, Texas. Visitors are always welcome to attend. Membership is
not required. Speakers at the meetings are people with a passion for history,
professional historians, genealogists, archaeologists and researchers.
Meeting Date: October 3, 2009 (on the sixth floor of the S.A. Public Library)
Speaker: Miguel Angel Munoz Borrego
Topic: The Aguirre Family During the 17th and 18th Centuries in Saltillo
Note: The Presentation will be in Spanish
The presentation for our next meeting will be on the Aguirre family during
the 17th and 18th centuries in Saltillo, includes General Pedro Aguirre who helped
finance the trip of the Canary Islanders to San Antonio. The presentation will also
focus on the presence of the Borrego y Vidaurri family in Northern Mexico during
the 18th and 19th centuries. These families are part of the Evarito Aguirre Borrego
family from Monterrey.
The presenter will be Mr. Miguel Angel Munoz Borrego a noted genealogist
for his expertise of the old families of Northern Mexico. He has been a staff
member of the Archives for the State of Coahuila, in Ramos Arispe, for a number of
years directing genealogical research. Mr. Munoz Borrego is a resident of Saltillo
where he presently works in the Governor's Office.
Help for the beginning genealogist.
The Society assists individuals in getting started with genealogical research through
beginner's workshops. Beginners also receive assistance from the more experienced
members of the Society. Currently we are offering assistance by appointment only
and on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month between the hours of 10:00am and
2:00pm at the following location:
The San Antonio Genealogical & Historical Society
911 Melissa Drive, San Antonio, TX 78213
Contact one of the following individuals by email or phone to schedule an
appointment:
Dennis Moreno 210-647-5607 dennis.moreno@sbcglobal.net
Yolanda Patino 210-434-3530 patinogil@sbcglobal.net
________________________________________________________________
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News and Calendar of Events
Witte Museum
3801 Broadway
San Antonio, Texas 78209
(210) 357-1900
Queens and Crowns: Fiesta’s Royal Traditions
4 April through 7 Sept 2009
Playing With Time
20 June through 27 September 2009
Fotoseptiembre 2009: Small Town Texas
22 August through 4 October 2009
McNay Art Museum
6000 North New Braunfels
San Antonio, Texas 78209
(210) 824-5368
Tom Slick: American Art Collector
10 June through 13 September 2009
Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey
10 June through 13 September 2009
______________________________________________________________
San Antonio Museum of Art
200 West Jones Ave
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 978-8100
Music in Medieval China
25 June 2009 – 18 October 2009
Culinary Delights
5 September 2009 – 21 February 2010
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News and Calendar of Events
November 6-7, 2009
Omni Hotel San Antonio, 9821
Colonnade Blvd. at IH 10 N
1-800-TheOmni (843-6664) for
reservations
Featured speaker on
Colonial & Military
Records
Also:
Texas multi-cultural genealogy
workshops
(Czech, German, Hispanic, Jewish,
Polish)
Vendors and Door prizes
Lone Star Chapter APG Road Show
(free genealogy consultations)
Partner Society Special Sessions
Round Table Mini-Sessions
Awards Banquet
Craig R. Scott, CG
Research opportunities in San Antonio
San Antonio Genealogical & Historical Society Library
(15 minutes from the Omni Hotel)
San Antonio Central Library (in downtown San Antonio)
Daughters of the Republic of Texas library (on the Alamo grounds)
______________________________________________________________
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San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society
PO Box 790087
San Antonio TX 78279-0087
Telephone: 210-342-5242 Email: saghs@sbcglobal.net
See the Society’s web page (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txsaghs2/) for
membership information. Non-members may use the library for $5.00 a visit.
Library hours:
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Monday 10am-4pm
Wednesday 10am-9pm
Saturday10am-4pm
Sunday 1pm-5pm
The San Antonio Civil War Roundtable
(SACWRT) is a non-profit group that promotes the study of the American “Civil War”.
Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Hungry Horse Restaurant,
12333 West Avenue to discuss topics about the War. The group gathers at 6 p.m. to eat and
visit, with the speaker and discussion at 7 p.m. Meetings also include a raffle and a trivia
quiz.
We are seeking new members. Please visit one of the meetings to see if this group might be
of interest to you. Annual dues are $20 for an individual and $25 for a family. For further
information contact Russ Lane at 491-0676 or by email russlanerok@aol.com.
If you are interested in joining, send your check, made payable to the San Antonio Civil
War Round Table, to Ken Magee, Treasurer, 913 Country Meadow, San Antonio, TX
78253.
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National History Day – 2010
www.nhd.org
Every year National History Day frames students' research within a historical theme. The theme is
chosen for the broad application to world, national or state history and its relevance to ancient
history or to the more recent past. This year's theme is Innovation in History: Impact and
Change.
The NHD theme provides a focused way to increase student's historical understanding by
developing a lens to read history, an organizational structure that helps students place information in
the correct context and finally, the ability to see connections over time.
Transforming Your Classroom with National History Day
Want your students to love history? Then National History Day is the program for you! National
History Day motivates students to discover history by:
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Cultivating interest: students research a topic of their choice
Developing research skills: students act as historians discovering how to uncover primary
sources, build historical context and form historical interpretations
Becoming experts on their research topic: presenting their research to teachers, students,
and historians
Achieving success
-The shy student gains confidence when speaking about a topic he/she has researched
-The apathetic student gains passion by choosing a topic of personal interest
-The high achieving student increases his/her ability to articulate their learning through
presentation
NHD Classroom Calendar: Download the theme book for the theme explanation and sample
topics
September and October 2009
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Support students in choosing a topic.
Help students decide if their project will be done individually or as a group.
Guide students in reading a variety of quality sources.
Help students narrow and ask questions of the topic (e.g. Can I do the topic in the amount of
time allotted? Are there enough resources to support a research project on this topic?).
October, November and December
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Encourage students to read, read, read.
Students need to begin analyzing sources.
Help students develop a thesis.
Explain formulating an interpretation and presenting research.
December and January

Introduce the possible methods of presentation: Web site, Performance, Exhibit,
Documentary, or Paper and support students in being good decision makers.
February 2010: Regional History Fair – dates and times to come. Be sure to stop by to see our
Texas map display.
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New in Texana/Genealogy
The following titles have been donated to Texana/Genealogy by Los Bexarenos
Genealogical Society.
COAHUILA
Matrimonios y Bautismos de la Hacienda de Santa Maria 18041845. Present-day Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila. By Carlos Federico Valdes
Ramos, 2006. [972.14 Valdez Ramos]
1875 Cenzo de Guerrero, Coahuila. By Donald May, 2007.
Census contains 2436 names. [972.14 May]
1828 Census of Abasolo and the Haciendas of Sardinas, Santa Gertrudes and Menchaca,
Coahuila, Mexico. By Rolando Lara and Mickey Garcia in 1999. Reprinted 2007.
[972.14 Lara]
Marriages 1777-1812 of San Fernando de Austria. Present-day
Zaragoza, Coahuila and Baptisms of Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas
de San Saba 1775-1781. By Daniel & Frances Gomez, 2006. [972.14 Gomez]
Bautismos 1684-1799 del Sagrario Metropolitano de Saltillo
Catedral Santiago Apostol. Present day Saltillo, Coahuila. For Arizpe,
Arredondo, Berlanga, Cabello, Cardenas, Davila, Del Bosque, Morales,
Padilla, Reccio, Siller and Zertuche only. By Carlos Federico Valdes
Ramos, 2006. [972.14 Valdez Ramos]
NUEVO LEON
Marriages of Sagrario Metropolitano 1781-1791 Tomo 3. Located
at Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. By Aida Martinez, 2006. [972.13 Marriages]
Baptisms 1757 To 1791 of Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de la
Punta de Lampazos (Present day Lampazos de Naranjo, N.L.). Extracted
By Angel Sepulveda Brown: Input by Sedonia Ann Campbell Gilliland,
2008. [972.13 Sepulveda Brown]
Baptisms 1791 To 1804 of Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de la
Punta de Lampazos (Present day Lampazos de Naranjo, N.L.).
By Angel Sepulveda Brown: Input by Sedonia Ann Campbell Gilliland, 2008.
9
New in Texana/Genealogy
[972.13 Sepulveda Brown]
1875 Census of Villa de Fuente, Gigedo, and Villa de Rosales,
Coahuila. By Dondald May, 2007. [972.14 May]
The Confirmation Lists of St. Anthony Church, Elmendorf, Texas,
1919-1931. By Santiago Escobedo, 2008. [976.435 Escobedo]
Censuses of Bexar 1828, 1831, & 1834-35. By Daniel Gomez and Frances Aguirre
Gomez. 2008. [976.4351 Censuses]
______________________________________________________________________________
The Weekly Dispatch
Texana/Genealogy has acquired microfilm of the Weekly Dispatch as follows:
15 August 1901 – 1 October 1937
12 February 1943 – 1 October 1965
For seventy-seven years the San Antonio Weekly Dispatch was the public voice of
organized labor in San Antonio. One of the oldest continuing labor publications in the
United States, was started as a daily in 1888 by four striking members of the International
Typographical Union. After six months it became a weekly “published in the interest of the
wage earners of Bexar County.” Later it became the official organ of the San Antonio
Trades Council whose activities and monthly meetings were regularly reported. Eventually,
it bore the banner of the AF of L and then of the merged AFL-CIO.
Local union organizing, strikes, elections, educational, practical, and social
activities, the building and support of the San Antonio Labor Temple (which housed the
paper’s offices for about forty years) court cases effecting labor issues, Labor Day
celebrations, and obituaries for union members an “friends of labor” were always included.
Texas state labor and legislative news were reported regularly. The activities and decisions
of the annual Texas State Federation of Labor conventions received extensive coverage, as
did national and international labor news.
World War I, the Depression of the 1930s, unemployment, the New Deal, Social
Security, World War II, Taft-Hartley, and “right-to-work” legislation, and Medicare were
reflected in both news reports and editorials (always from a pro-labor point of view).
Paid advertisements from prominent retail and commercial establishments, as well
“mon and pop businesses,” Southwestern Bell, the local transportation company, and nonprofits (eg. Red Cross, Community Chest) appeared in every issue, as did a list of unions,
their women’s affiliates, and unionized and non-unionized places of employment.
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New in Texana/Genealogy (cont.) & Web Sites of Interest
“Pay your poll-tax” so you can vote reminders were constant. Support for unions,
brotherhood, fair labor standards, social welfare legislation, public education and libraries
never wavered – but the Weekly Dispatch remained a southern publication.
The steep decline of labor’s influence in the 1960s, the pressures of urban renewal,
and steadily declining advertising revenue sounded the paper’s death knell.
“Labor Temple to be vacated [by] Dec. 1, 1965 under plans outlined by the Urban
Renewal Agency which has purchased the site for $125,000” (1)
“Labor Paper Suspended” (2)
(1) Weekly Dispatch, 13 August 1965, page 4
(2) Weekly Dispatch, 1 October 1965
_______________________________________________________________________
York Castle Prison Records
http://www.yorkcastleprison.org.uk
The names and details of thousands of Yorkshire’s worst criminals, imprisoned in
York Castle Prison in the 18th and 19th century, including those who were
transported to America from 1710 to 1775, have recently been made available
online.
Digitized Historic Maps Online
http://www.davidrumsey.com
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/
http://www.uwm.edu/Library/digilib/maps/index.html
Over 270,000 digitized maps available online.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Published by: Texana/Genealogy Department
San Antonio Public Library
600 Soledad
San Antonio, Texas 78205 210-207-2500
e-mail: genealogydesk@sanantonio.gov
Please submit information and articles to the above e-mail.
For the
November 2009 issue by 15 October
December 2009 issue by 15 November
January 2010 issue by 15 December
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