Genealogical Resources in the Dallas History & Archives Division of the Dallas Public Library
by Misty Maberry
The Genealogy Collection on the 8th floor of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library is world class, but did you know that just one floor below, the Dallas History & Archives Division has many different resources that are also useful in local genealogical research?
We have a collection of city directories including telephone, city, and criss-cross directories for cities across Texas, which can be used to identify an ancestor’s residence every year. They also list occupation, and sometimes the name of a spouse. View the list of city directories that are available in print and microfilm, and also check out selected Dallas City Directories that are available online in cooperation with the Portal to Texas History.
An extensive collection of Dallas and other Texas newspapers are available on microfilm. Newspapers can be useful for obituaries, birth and death notices, and announcements of marriages and anniversaries. Legal notices and news may also be announced in the newspaper, including notices of deeds of transfer, probate matters, and civil and criminal court proceedings. View the list of microfilm newspaper holdings, which are organized by city, to learn more.
The Dallas Morning News is available on any library computer or from home using your Dallas Public Library card. There are also biographical and subject clipping files on the 7th floor – so check with us to see if there is a newspaper clippings file for the name you are researching.
View selected Dallas County records on microfilm when you visit us. Current holdings include Dallas County Civil District Court records produced before 1939, early Dallas County medical and dental registers, and early Justice of the Peace inquest records. A list of available Dallas County documents can be found at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s website, Dallas County Records Available on Microfilm.
We also have published histories for different Texas locales and organizations (check the catalog), yearbooks for Texas schools, and photograph, map, and manuscript collections. Learn more about us at http://dallaslibrary2.org/dallashistory
Make an appointment request online here, or walk-in to visit us anytime! Get in touch at texas@dallaslibrary.org or 214-670-1435 if you have any questions. We hope to see you soon!
