About the Regional Historical Resource Depository
(RHRD) System
The Regional Historical Resources Depositories program of the Archives
and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and
Archives Commission collects, preserves, and makes available for
public use the historical records of the local governments of Texas.
The RHRDs operate under Chapter 441.153, Subchapter J, Government
Code. The 24 depositories are located throughout the state in academic
libraries and other institutions that meet criteria adopted by the
Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Since the transfer of records are voluntary on the part of local
governments, and each depository has its own space limitations,
the volume and number of records series vary at each location.
The majority of the record series found at the depositories have
fulfilled their administrative, legal, and fiscal values and are
permanent only because of their historical value. Without the RHRDs,
many of these records would not be as accessible to the public if
the local governments retained them in their possession.
The use of records in each depository is available free of charge,
however the records may not be loaned or removed from the RHRD premises.
At this time, the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center
is the only RHRD that has made the list of its holdings available
online. The county records listings accessed here represent
the paper holdings of the Center only. Microfilmed copies of local
government records from many Texas counties are available and may
be borrowed through the interlibrary loan network. For information
on county records available on microfilm, please visit www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/local/index.html
return
to top
Explanatory Notes and a Key to the County
Listings
This guide is arranged alphabetically by county, then by government,
then by office.
-
The Record Series is the title of the record which has
been standardized according to a key list prepared by the Sam
Houston Center staff which primarily follows the state records
retention schedules. This standardization is significant since
there are many variants of title for the same type of records
series among local governments.
-
Dates are presented as either conclusive or inclusive.
The entry "1940-1960" would indicate that the records are complete
for those years. The entry 1940 ... 1960, would indicate that
there are several months missing and the record series is not
complete or appears not to be complete. The entry "1940; 1950;
1960" indicates that there are only three years of records and
the significant gaps were noted.
-
No. of Vols: This number refers to the total number
of bound volumes that are within the record series. The number
of bound volumes does not indicate physical volume or the size
of the bound records. It can be helpful to the researcher especially
for certain record series to know if the records are bound or
unbound. The dimensions of the bound volumes vary greatly. Unbound
series -- or series where some records are bound and others
are loose -- are indicated with an empty field in the table.
-
Cu. Ft.: This number indicates the physical volume of
the record series. A cubic foot is twelve inches of material
or 1,000 sheets of letter-sized paper. Further processing work
may reduce the volume of materials and future additions to the
record series may increase the volume. The figure ".10 cu.ft."
is the smallest measurement listed inthe guide. This may indicate
a volume of material ranging from one sheet of paper to a stack
of papers 1-inch thick.
The record series are listed within the offices of which they were
found. For example, in some counties, the county treasurer maintains
the finance ledger even though it falls under the purview of the
county clerk. Researchers should check several offices of a local
government before determining that the given record series is incomplete
or unavailable.
The information contained in this guide may change for any of
the following reasons:
-
Records may be returned to the office of origin due to legal
or administrative reasons.
-
The stated retention period may change from "permanent" to
"nonpermanent."
-
The Texas Open Records Act may be revised by future legislation
-
Additional records may be transferred to the Center by local
governments
-
Additional processing work may change the dates, volumes, or
cubic feet of the record series
This guide does not contain all the standard features of the Sam
Houston Center's finding aids. Please note the following:
-
All of the local government records were transferred to the
Sam Houston Center by the appropriate local government officials
from 1977 until 1995. The accession logs and copies of the signed
transfer forms are on file and available at the Center. The
original transfer forms are on file in the Archives & Information
Services Division of the Texas State Library in Austin.
-
The scope and content notes for the records series are not
included for space reasons. The notes are available at the Center
and can be found in other published materials including the
Inventories of County Records. A separate publication describing
all permanent local government record series is under preparation.
-
A listing of related records and other notes are available
at the Center.
return
to top
|