Most of the microfilm listed in this guide was obtained by the
Archives & Information Services Division through agreement
with the Genealogical Society of Utah. In return for listing records
to be filmed in each county and making pre-filming arrangement
with courthouse officials, the division receives user copies of
the microfilm.
From the beginning of the agreement, the Texas State Library
and Archives Commission, which governs the operations of the Texas
State Library and its divisions, resolved to make the film available
through interlibrary loan to researchers throughout the country.
The worldwide efforts of the Genealogical Society of Utah to
preserve on film public and private records of genealogical and
historical interest are well-known. Filmers from the Society attempt
to capture on film the best possible image of each page of each
document. If a first shooting does not result in film acceptable
to quality control personnel in Salt Lake City, retakes are scheduled.
But best efforts do not always result in microfilm that is easy
to read. Some records are in such poor condition that producing
high-quality microfilm images of them is very difficult. Especially
troublesome are records that were created in the nineteenth century
using iron-based inks. Over the years the iron-based inks have
chipped away, leaving behind a faint reddish-brown "ghost"
script that is extremely difficult to read. When the writing was
done on blue paper, as it often was because of the popularity
of that color with nineteenth century paper manufacturers, the
document is now often illegible or nearly so, even to the naked
eye.
Filmers are also careful in their handling of records during
filming. In the exercise of this care, they sometimes are forced
to sacrifice sharp legibility to avoid damaging a record. For
example, in some counties, record books have been rebound in a
manner that prevents them from being opened fully, making capture
of a legible image of an entire page difficult. Researchers should
attempt to see the original document in those instances in which
the quality of the microfilm is poor.
Some of the microfilm listed in this guide came to the Archives
& Information Services Division from other sources. The tax
rolls were filmed by the State & Local Records Management
Division of the Texas State Library from originals in possession
of the State Comptroller of Public Accounts. The State & Local
Records Management Division also filmed the City Council Minutes
of the City of Gonzales. The microfilm of the Hopkins County Commissioners
Court Minutes and the Wilson County Divorce Minutes resulted from
a pilot filming project conducted under the auspices of the Local
Records Division. The Walker County Scholastic Censuses were the
generous gift of the Honorable Frank Robinson, County Judge of
Walker County.
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