Genealogy & Family History Research
The Family History Research Center at the Clayton Library Campus houses an international collection of family history research materials in book, microprint, and online formats. Staff provide personalized assistance by offering resource recommendations and strategies to help accomplish research goals. Beginning and seasoned researchers are invited to explore their family history research project.
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Getting Started & Finding Aids
- Clayton Microprint DatabaseThis collection represents a major portion of Clayton Library's holdings, most of which are not listed in the Houston Public Library Catalog.
- Clayton Periodical DatabaseClayton Library has over 3,000 genealogy and local history periodical titles. The periodical collection covers most US states and many foreign countries.
- Clayton Funeral Home CollectionThis database searches Clayton Library's funeral home record collections, which consist of the historic Fogle West Funeral Home records (covering approximately 1921 - 1975) as well as the historic Boulevard Funeral Home records (covering approximately 1961 - 1967).
Past Newsletters & Programs
Recommended Resources
Houston & Texas Resources
- America's News - Historical and Current This link opens in a new windowSearchable database of articles from dozens of well-known U.S. news magazines, such as The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and Newsweek. Newspapers include the Houston Chronicle (1901-present) and historical archives of the Houston Post (1880-1995), the Dallas Morning News (1885-1977), the San Antonio Express-News (1867-1990), and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (1902-1991), plus recent issues of Houston-area weekly newspapers (2019-present, with 90-day embargo). Search for content across all titles or browse articles from individual magazine and newspaper issues.
- Ancestry.com Texas This link opens in a new windowA vast collection of digitized documents related to Texas government and history from the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building in Austin and the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty. **Note: Free access to the records that have been digitized by Ancestry is available to Texas residents courtesy of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Users are required to create a free Ancestry.com Texas account (instructions at the bottom of the website's homepage).
- City of Houston Death Certificates (Index/Images), 1874-1900Digital images of Clayton Library's book collection of City of Houston death certificate transcripts (1874-1900).
- Fogle-West Funeral Home Records (Images), 1950-1965Digital images of Clayton Library's book collection of funeral home records from the now-defunct Fogle-West Undertaking Co. (1950-1965).
- Harris County ResearchPortal to access resources of the Harris County Archives, Harris County Clerk, and Harris County District Clerk.
- Houston Chronicle Historical Archive 1901-2017 This link opens in a new windowSearchable digital archive of the Houston Chronicle, from its beginning in 1901 through October 2017 (digital microfilm).
- Houston Chronicle 2017-present This link opens in a new windowSearchable recent digital issues of the Houston Chronicle, October 2017-present. Select See Related Sources for recent issues of Houston Community Weeklies (90-day embargo) and the Houston Chronicle Historical Archive (1901-2017).
- Houston City Directories, 1866-1924Digitized city directories for Houston available through the Houston Public Library Digital Archives. (Partial directories 1925-1959 available on Heritage Quest Online database)
- Houston Post Historical Archive (1880-1995) This link opens in a new windowSearchable archive of the Houston Post from 1880-1995 (digital microfilm).
- Houston Public Library Digital ArchivesHome page for accessing digitized content of the Special Collections of the Houston Public Library.
- Portal To Texas HistoryDigital newspapers, photos, maps, books, documents, articles, and other collections pertaining to early Texas.
- Texas Digital Sanborn Maps This link opens in a new windowSanborn maps are historical large scale plans of a city drawn at a scale of 50 feet to an inch. These maps are used to trace the history and development of cities and are also helpful in genealogical and historical research. Select Texas from the State menu to begin your search.
U.S. & International Resources
- Chronicling America: Historic American NewspapersSearch America's historic newspaper pages from 1777-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
- Cyndi's ListA comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online.
- FamilySearchDiscover your family’s story through historical records. With FamilySearch's collection of billions of records, you can piece together your ancestors’ history and bring their stories to life.
- Find-A-GraveFind the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials or add photos, virtual flowers and a note to a loved one's memorial. Search or browse cemeteries and grave records for every-day and famous people from around the world.
- USGenWeb ProjectThe USGenWeb Project ® was established in 1996 by a group of genealogists who shared a desire to create free online resources for genealogical research. Originally beginning with online directories of text-based resources, their vision has grown into a network of over 3000 linked websites, all individually created and maintained by a community of volunteers. Today you may find a variety of unique county and state resources including photos, maps, transcriptions, historical documents, helpful links, and much more.
- Where to Write for Vital RecordsHelpful inks for requesting birth, death, marriage, and divorce records from U.S. states and territories.
Ways to Research
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