Treasures of The Texas Collection
Raking the Bones of Your Past: Genealogy in Texas
Script for KWBU-FM and Texas NPR Stations
By Terri Jo Ryan
HOST (Mary Landon Darden)
The Texas Collection at Baylor University may be one of the first places that
come to mind when researching the collective past of Central Texans. But
what about the individual past? How does it rank when undertaking the
journey of self-discovery that ensues when researching the ol’ family tree?
Terri Jo Ryan, freelance writer and vice-chairperson of the Waco History
Project, recently interviewed the staff at The Texas Collection to learn more
about the quest for information to fill in those missing leaves. . . .
WRITER (Terri Jo Ryan)
Speaking as a long time fan of the place, I must say I was surprised to learn just
how many resources there are for people doing genealogical research. I was taken
on a “behind the scenes” tour of the stacks to see for myself the thousands upon
thousands of books and other kinds of publications, such as pamphlets, church
histories, funeral home records, the Sanborn insurance maps, and even cookbooks.
Cookbooks?
Yes. The Texas Collection has one of the most comprehensive cookbook
collections in the state, if not the country. And many of these cookbooks are the
result of multi-generational family heirloom recipes being handed down from days
of yore. From making church suppers for 300 to a simple dish of Breakfast
Scallops that “passed the Uncle Vernon test,” these cookbooks can offer examples
of unusual but valuable ways of preserving family legacies.
One staff member, for example, pointed me to the Cates Family Cookbook, which
integrated family photos and anecdotes about their favorite culinary delights with
the practical, how-to information on preparation.
Well, before we get too far afield in our hunt for sources, let’s start at the
beginning, shall we?
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Sure. The folks at The Texas Collection report that although they are not an
“official” genealogical library, nor do they have any such specialist on staff, they
try to accommodate as many requests as they are able by steering people to the
right resources. They get several requests a week from people who, for example,
start their story this way:
“My great-great-grandpappy was in a Confederate regiment . . .” or “Great-Great
Uncle Hiram was a Baptist preacher on the frontier,” etc. To save them from a lot
of blind groping at the start, Texas Collection staff recommends starting with the
county records.
In general, Texas began officially recording births and deaths in 1903. So, birth
and death certificates are on file at the Texas Department of Health. Marriage and
divorce records are on file at the county clerk's office of each individual county. It
should be noted, however, that although the state required filing of birth and death
certificates in 1903, this law was not strictly adhered to by many physicians until
years later, so early records are somewhat sketchy. Some earlier vital records are
on file at the county level in only some counties.
For example, The Texas Collection is a Regional History Resource Depository for
the following counties in addition to McLennan County: Bell, Bosque, Burnett,
Coryell, Falls, Hamilton, Hill, Lampasas, Limestone and Williamson.
An RHRD library is one of 23 participating libraries in Texas that receives the
microfilm records of selected counties in our area from their Local Records
Division. These microfilm materials are loaned through the Interlibrary Loan
system and can be requested for off-site use. Patrons can contact a library assistant
to request materials or for more information about the program.
What kind of county records are we talking about?
This is where it gets a little tricky, because it’s only what those particular counties
decided to microfilm. For example, in Hill County, they have the birth, death,
marriage and deed records from 1903 until 1938 microfilmed. They also have the
minutes of the district court’s civil case papers from 1867 until 1932, for example.
They have the minutes from divorce hearings dating back to 1876 – and those are
kind of fun to read because they talk about the grounds for the divorce and the
separation of the property.
Hmm, she gets the mule and he gets the house?
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Exactly, that sort of thing. Hill County has them up to 1947. They also have the
naturalization records from 1896-1913 and the declarations of intent, from 19071913. These are the records that people had to swear before a local official like “I
hereby renounce King so-and-so of such-and-such as I will become an American
citizen.”
Let’s see. . . .Hill County also has the tax rolls from 1853-1910 on microfilm.
If you owned a business, I suppose, the government was going to get its share.
That’s right. Those are just a small example of the kinds of records that are
available. And the thing is, each county is unique – some saved more, some saved
less. The good news is, if you need to research items from a county that is NOT a
part of the Texas Collection’s assigned depository, you can request a loan of
microfilm from another of the libraries in the system. It’s a free service to the
taxpayers of Texas, a library-to-library loan. How cool is that?
Of course, before you get too excited about it, just remember, not all records for all
counties are available on microfilm just yet. Although some records of Texas
courts, such as naturalization and probate records, have been microfilmed; others,
including criminal and civil case papers are available only in paper format.
Can you give us some examples?
Examples of court records the diligent family researcher can hunt through include:
* Justice of the Peace Courts
Justice of the peace courts are among the lowest level of the local trial courts
in the Texas judicial system. Their jurisdiction is restricted to the least
serious of misdemeanor offenses and minor civil matters, including small
claims. Justice of the peace officers also have the power to issue search or
arrest warrants and they serve as the coroner in counties where there is no
provision for a medical examiner.
* County Courts
County courts generally have more authority than that of the justice of the
peace courts but less than that of the state district courts; they have
jurisdiction over appeals of cases from justice of the peace and municipal
courts. The county clerk records a wide variety of documents for the county,
including deeds, marriage licenses, and cattle brands. The main duties of the
county clerk are to serve as clerk of the county court and the county
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commissioners' court, act as recorder of deeds and other instruments, issue
marriage licenses, and take depositions. The clerk is also responsible for
conducting countywide special and general elections and for handling
absentee voting.
* District Courts
The district court is the principal trial court in Texas, usually for both civil
and criminal cases. It is the court of original jurisdiction in all family law
matters and is the court of appeal in probate matters. Courts of original
jurisdiction provide the first hearing on a specific case as opposed to
appellate courts, which hear appeals of cases that were originally tried in
other (lower level) courts.
Sounds like it could be an overwhelming amount of information to sift
through, though.
Agreed. So the people at The Texas Collection may refer questions or patrons to
Bill Buckner, genealogy specialist at the Waco-McLennan County Library system.
He often recommends people begin with the U.S. Census records for their dearly
departed kinfolk. The most recent census for which people can get partial or
restricted information is the 1930 census. Texas’ first federal census, of course,
was 1850 (it became a state in 1845).
It used to be a long and tedious process to sift through those records. But now,
several on-line data bases have digitized some of the data. For example, the Baylor
University Library system subscribes to the Heritage Quest service, which is first
and foremost for the research needs of Baylor students and the university
community.
What do the Census records say?
Census records are great for finding head of households, wives, kids, in-laws,
boarders, and tracking age, education level, professions, whether or not they owned
land, etc. It’s a snapshot of a given day in one year of their life. You can use the
information to chart migration patterns in your family.
However, Census surveys are only taken every 10 years; so if you have no idea
where your ancestor was living in a given year, or the census-taker happened to
misspell the last name, you can find yourself going down a lot of blind alleys.
Other great avenues to pursue, according to Texas Collection staffers, are the area
or county histories compiled by the amateur historians of a region. In most cases,
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they are the compilations of mini-biographies, if you will, of the people of a place
that have been submitted along the years. The Grayson County book, for example,
has the stories of ordinary citizens of that area compiled for more than 100 years –
people who have shared their anecdotes, information and family photographs to
enrich the public record.
The Texas Collection also boasts at least 100 church histories in its records. These
church histories may sometime include minutes of board meetings, baptismal
records, as well as marriage and death records.
How about those books that families give out at family reunions. Is there a
place for them as well in the Texas Collection?
You bet! In fact, the staff mentioned that they welcomed those most of all. People
put a lot of work into creating those family record books, and often have no idea
just how valuable they could prove to some researcher some day. Most people are
unaware that libraries are so keenly interested in those documents. And when they
are told about it, these amateur historians are often flattered that someone would
like to keep a copy for posterity.
One staff member told me about a family that, every generation, designates a
record keeper. Thus, their family history is now in its fifth edition – very
impressive!
What are some other resources likely to be overlooked by beginning
genealogists?
Cemetery records for one. The Texas Collection has an eight-volume set of
cemetery records for Waco and McLennan County. Some of the information was
gleaned Eagle Scouts or other volunteers doing graveyard census research, such as
taking photos and notes on each tombstone inscription they came across.
And don’t forget funeral home records, which document who dies, including when
and where, and often recount some of the circumstances of a death. The accounts
from the pioneer days make fascinating reading – it seems a lot of folks were killed
being run over by wagons or falling from buildings, or sicknesses that we don’t
worry about anymore. The records often indicate if the decedent’s family paid in
cash or had to barter for services.
That is something that would never happen today.
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One staff member alerted me to “The Index to Early McLennan County Deaths,”
by John M. Usry, published in 1987 by the Central Texas Genealogical Society. It
contains close to 33,000 names of people who died before 1917, or folks who were
important in early days of Waco history but whose death dates are unknown. Most
of the information was gleaned from cemetery books, law and health records,
marriage records, obituaries, funeral home records, newspaper accounts, as well as
family and county histories.
Usry became active in the society in 1971 after retiring from the Navy. He served
in most of the offices of the society during the next several years. As a result of his
strict, self-imposed schedule and his leadership, he and the other members gathered
enough information to publish the eight volumes of cemetery records, two volumes
of marriage records as well as a quarterly publication.
He read a lot of old newspapers to gather these obituaries. Some deaths he
recorded for posterity come off as odd: “The walls of trenches collapsed, teams of
horses broke loose, and it seems like one could hardly leave town without a corpse
or two turning up in the countryside. Preachers died in their pulpits, or litigants
were shot in the courthouse.” The phrase “struck in the head by a locomotive,”
comes up. People died of “a cough,” or “suicided” by any variety of poisons
including horse liniment, gunfire or jumps from bridges, barns or barges.
Usry also edited a comprehensive listing of the occupants of Oakwood Cemetery,
which was published in 1979. Ergo, it is already 30 years behind in recording the
final resting places of the latest generation of prominent Wacoans.
Sounds like a good volunteer opportunity or student project. What else is
available?
The Texas Collection also houses many genealogical volumes by researcher Ms.
Frances Terry Ingmire, who chronicled several dozen county histories. One of her
works, originally published in Chicago in 1893, has the ponderously long title of:
(deep breath) “A Memorial and biographical history of McLennan, Falls, Bell and
Coryell Counties, Texas: containing a history of this important section of the great
state of Texas, from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time,
together with glimpses of its future prospects: also biographical mention of many
of the pioneers and prominent citizens of the present time, and full-page portraits
of some of the most eminent men of this section.”
That’s a mouthful, alright!
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Some counties kept records on who was committed to mental institutions. More
than 100 years ago, records were kept of people with epilepsy, for example.
The Texas Collection has the coroner’s inquest records of Anderson County from
1887 until 1928.
And don’t forget to check the scholastic census of various counties. Of course,
before the historic U.S. Supreme Court Brown V. Board of Education decision in
1954, those records would include racial demographic information as well. For
example, we have the McLennan County scholastic census records from 1930 until
1942, broken down by race.
You mentioned the assortment of records from surrounding counties. What
other sorts of records do we have specific to McLennan County here in the
Texas Collection?
Let’s see: the Tax rolls from 1851-1910, birth records from 1903 through 1917,
county court orders from 1850-1858; deeds of trust from 1869-1889; land deeds
from 1850-1906; marriage records from 1850-1916; Declarations of intent from
1887-1906, naturalization minutes from 1891-1900 and naturalization records from
1903-1906; probate records from 1853-1908, as well as two stashes of District
Court civil case minutes. The Fifth District Court minutes are from 1893 until
1904, and the 19th District Court records are from 1851 to 1907. There are neither
criminal records nor adoption records that have been microfilmed for McLennan
County, it seems.
Another path of investigation for the amateur family historian is to search through
the ethnic periodicals, such as Polish Footprints, Czech Footprints, or family
magazines like the Burleson Quarterly. The Texas Collection has more than 100
such titles for use. The various ethnic groups instrumental in the settlement of
Texas are well represented in the library’s holdings.
What about folks with Confederate ancestors?
Many native Southerners are interested in pursuing lines of inquiry about their
Confederate ancestors. Most counties have a military record called the Muster Roll
or enrollment records in their holdings. Military discharge records provide a lot of
information on times, places and circumstances of service. You can also check the
pension applications as a way to verify a veteran or his survivors.’
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Also, check the Cumulative Index of The Confederate Veteran,) a magazine
published between 1893 and 1932. You can hunt by name or by unit through this
three-volume index of 2,700 pages with 500,000 entries, including every name and
significant mention and cross-reference charts as well. On a similar vein, the
National Archives has published a "Consolidated Index to Compiled Confederate
Service Records" on microfilm which is available in many large historical libraries
One of the holdings unique to The Texas Collection, the library assistant told me,
is a six-volume set known as the Biographical Gazetteer of Texas, a 1985
publication of the biographical sketch file of The Texas Collection, an ongoing
project. The Biographical Gazetteer of Texas, indexes more than 200 late 19th and
early 20th century volumes. A finding aid for information about prominent
individuals, it provides the name, a birth or death date, and the title and page
number of the publications where the biographical sketch can be found. Several
libraries across the state keep a copy of it.
How about African-American genealogy? Any particular options for this or
other ethnic groups?
Waco is fortunate to have the records of the Boykins Funeral Home, which served
the black community and kept comprehensive records for the 70 years it was open,
between 1921 and 1991. The index of 215-pages was compiled from 30 volumes
of records with more than 9,000 names, and was printed by the Central Texas
Genealogical Society as a research aid.
And, of course, there are the volumes of cemetery records collected by volunteer
census takers in the greater Waco area.
Again, cemetery records of any type are rich in detail and ripe with pathos: The
Fall and Puckett Funeral Records from 1892-1931, for example, give a lot of
insight into conditions of life in Waco and McLennan County during this roughand-tumble period.
Many deaths were caused by diseases that are almost unheard of today, like
whooping cough, typhoid fever or tuberculosis. Many women lost their lives in
childbirth; and many babies were either stillborn or died soon after their entry into
the world. Gunshot wounds, stabbings, even hanging were listed as causes of
death. Although a few died of simple "old age,” fatal accidents were common.
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You mentioned earlier about bartering for services. How did that work?
It is interesting to me how folks paid for their undertaking services. Cash,
especially in the post-Civil War era, was not especially plentiful. The charges for
funerals seem modest by today’s standards; nonetheless, many families had to
make special arrangements to finance small weekly or monthly payments (less than
$5) on those humble charges for the ceremonies for their loved ones. A loan could
be taken on live stock or real estate, or a community figure could guarantee the
payments to the company on behalf of someone else. McLennan County, of course,
paid for the funerals of paupers or strangers.
An index of some 14,000 names facilitates the search through 68 books of records.
Library assistants note that all names there do not indicate funerals took place. For
instance, some sales tickets were for moving bodies from one place to another, or
from the train to town. A few were for flowers bought by friends, or for caskets
bought by another firm. Other tickets were for use of the ambulance, when that
equipment was available; or for an extra carriage for a funeral. Some funerals held
in Waco were for persons who died elsewhere.
There were also tickets for persons who died in Waco and were buried in other
distant places. This was especially true of the doughboys of World War I’s Camp
MacArthur who died of complications of the Spanish Influenza. The grieving
families of these Wisconsin and Michigan National Guardsmen wanted their loved
ones brought home by train.
Was there consistency in the type of information provided?
Some records give a lot of information, but others very little. For example, there is
space on each page for the date of ticket; name of deceased with the name of
person ordering funeral (usually a friend or relative); the name of person for whom
it is ordered (their next of kin, or person responsible for payment of funeral costs);
cause, time and date of death; place, time and date of interment; the name of
attending physician; the itemized funeral charges when available and the terms of
payment. Sometimes the last known residence of the deceased is mentioned – and
can be verified through use of a period Waco city directory. Some records mention
the date of birth as well as death; and the name of the deceased’s parents (including
maiden name of mother) and the birthplace of each parent.
What a wealth of data! Any other resources that you can tell us about, in
addition to these cemetery records?
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Well, The Texas Collection at Baylor University, naturally, pays special attention
to Baptist history in the Lone Star State. But it also collects the histories of other
denominations as well. For example, the Presbyterians of Houston have a large
history in this collection.
Also, The Texas Collection has amassed a superb collection of high school and
college yearbooks, as well as the yearbooks for several military installations.
Historical researchers will find a variety of published primary sources including
diaries, journals, and memoirs, as well as city, business, and social organizations’
directories. The Texas Collection is also home to a large number of privately
printed autobiographies.
What if your family story goes WAY back, like, say, the days of the Texas
Independence?
The Texas Collection may help there as well. It has the three-volume Encyclopedia
of Frontier Biography, which profiles approximately 4,500 frontier pioneers and
Native Americans. Dan L. Thrapp's comprehensive work will interest scholars,
researchers and general readers curious about the figures that developed, defended,
decorated or deviled the American West.
The famous folks from Daniel Boone and Billy the Kid, Calamity Jane to Cochise,
Gen. George Custer and Buffalo Bill Cody, are included, among others. There are
also entries for some lesser known worthies, such as Big Nose Kate, Doc
Holliday’s girlfriend; and Five-Minutes-to-Midnight, the world’s greatest bucking
horse. Even actors who portrayed westerners are sketched in these volumes.
Author Thrapp has included seventeenth- and eighteenth-century figures in what
was known as New France and New England, as well as the trans-Appalachian
countryside. But the vast majority of the biographies are of the nineteenth-century
men and women, who discovered, settled, fought for, or simply survived in the
wilderness west of the Mississippi River.
Sounds like, if you have any suspicions that an ancestor of yours played any
role of significance in the West, this is a wonderful resource to delve into.
Another source for Wild West data is the Index to Frontier Times. “Frontier
Times” was a magazine published from 1923-1954 by a journalist named J. Marvin
Hunter. Hunter, who lived from 1880 until 1957, was a reporter in West Texas
around the turn of the 20th Century, and quite the amateur historian. He collected
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the true stories of "frontier history, border tragedy, and pioneer achievement,” and
was noted for publishing the autobiography of the outlaw John Wesley Hardin in
1925. He also founded a museum to western heritage in Bandera that grew to
international fame during the years preceding and throughout the Great
Depression.
And that’s just a small sample of what can be found at The Texas Collection, when
looking into genealogical resources. There’s a world of data there just waiting to
be mined.
Terri Jo Ryan, thank you, again, for joining us and sharing some of the rich
historical collections available to us in uncovering the stories of our past.
And thank you for inviting me to delve deeper into the family trees of Central
Texans. It makes me want to start down the path of Ryan family genealogy
someday.
To begin your own family history quest, visit The Texas Collection at the
Carroll Library on the Baylor campus. You may begin your search via
Google with The Texas Collection at Baylor University.
You have been listening to Treasures of The Texas Collection. I’m Mary
Landon Darden.
Property of The Texas Collection at Baylor University
Final Edit: January 9, 2010
_________________________________________________
Terri Jo Ryan, Writer
_________________________________________________
Dr. Mary Landon Darden, Executive Producer
_________________________________________________
Pattie Orr, Vice President of Information Technology and Dean of
University Libraries
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_________________________________________________
John Wilson, Associate Director of The Texas Collection
_________________________________________________
Dr. Thomas L. Charlton, Director of The Texas Collection