Genealogy Resources
Premium Resources
19th Century U. S. Newspapers Digital Archive
Digital images for hundreds of 19th century United States newspapers. Includes The Galveston Daily News (Texas' oldest newspaper) from 1874 until 1897.*
Access Newspaper Archive (In Library Use Only)
The largest historic newspaper source online containing tens of millions of searchable newspaper pages, dating as far back as the 1700s.
African American Heritage
This collection was created in partnership with leading African American genealogists to develop a comprehensive mix of resources, records, and tools specifically pertaining to African Americans.*
American Civil War: Research Database
Online resource for researching the soldiers, regiments, and battles of the American Civil War contains indexed, searchable information on over four million soldiers and thousands of battles, together with fifteen thousand photographs.*
Ancestry Library Edition (In Library Use Only)
One of the largest collections of family history data online. Ancestry Library Edition is the Ancestry.com database with an interface from Proquest.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index
Index to millions of biographical sketches in thousands of reference books.*
Clayton Microprint Collection
This collection represents a major portion of Clayton Library's holdings, most of which are not listed in the Houston Public Library Catalog.
Clayton Periodical Collection
Clayton Library has over 3000 genealogy and local history periodical titles. The periodical collection covers most US states and many foreign countries.
Fold3
This database contains almost 40 million images of primary source materials. Many are available here for the first time.*
Genealogy Connect
Includes the "how-to" of genealogy research in addition to some ancestor information.*
HeritageQuest Online (Provided by the Texas State Library’s TexShare Program)
U. S. Federal census records and other research materials for tracing family lineages.*
HistoryGeo (Available at Clayton Library Only)
Contains land-ownership maps, historical atlases and other content indispensable for recreating frontier neighborhoods and tracking migrations of families across the United States.
Texas Digital Sanborn Maps (Provided by the Texas State Library’s TexShare Program)
Sanborn 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.*
World Vital Records (Available at Clayton Library Only)
Includes all images and indexes for US censuses 1790-1940. Also contains over 1 billion newspaper articles, full text of modern U.S. newspaper obituaries, and enhanced Social Security Death Index (SSDI) records.
Recommended Websites
Cemetery Records Online
Directory of selected names in cemeteries around the United States and other countries.
Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research
Houston Public Library's genealogical collection.
CountyOffice.org
Find contact information for every county government in the United States.
Family Search
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint's links to genealogical resources on the web.
Find a Grave
Search for your ancestors among 121 million grave records. Also includes a Famous Grave Search.
Harris County Archives
Documents the history of the government and the citizens of Harris County as revealed through the county records and donated materials.
Houston City Directories
Houston City Directories for selected years between 1866 and 1922 are now available through the Houston Public Library Digital Archives.
Portal to Texas History
Digital materials from collections covering the whole gamut of Texas history from prehistory to the present day. Along with all known Republic of Texas Era newspapers, you may discover anything from an ancestor's picture to a rare historical map.
RootsWeb
Many sources and links for genealogical researchers.
USGenWeb Project
Network of volunteers working to create a center for genealogical research for every county in the United States.
Where to Write for Vital Records
Links are provided for users who want direct access to individual state and territory information.