Online research resources

An increasing number of resources are available online to help research people and places from Houston’s past. The list below, arranged by category, offers an overview of some of the most helpful resources available online today, many of which can be accessed free of charge.

We are constantly updating this list; please e-mail us if there’s a resource you think we should include.

Newspapers

Houston Chronicle front page from July 21, 1969, the day after astronauts landed on the moon — *Houston Chronicle* front page from July 21, 1969, the day after astronauts landed on the moon

NewspaperARCHIVE.com [paid subscription required]
NewspaperARCHIVE includes searchable digital archives of newspapers from around the world. Date ranges vary by newspaper. Houston papers include the Daily Court Review, the University of Houston Daily Cougar and the Houston Post from 1893–98 and 1903–24. The Galveston Daily News is also available from 1865–2017. Note: NewspaperARCHIVE is available for free use by Houston Public Library cardholders at any HPL branch.

Newspapers.com [paid subscription required]
Newspapers.com, like NewspaperARCHIVE, includes searchable archives of thousands of newspapers. Houston papers include the Post from 1893–1924 and the Jewish Herald from 1908–11. The Galveston Daily News is also included from 1865–1999.

Houston Public Library resources [free with HPL card]
Many newspaper archives are available online via the Houston Public Library. Selected resources that will help with researching Houston subjects are listed below; click here to see the full HPL newspaper resource list. A Houston Public Library card is required for remote access of these resources.

Houston Post Historical Archive, 1880–1995

Houston Chronicle Historical Archive, 1901–2017

Houston Chronicle issues since 2019
Note: Current issues of the Chronicle are added to the only archive 90 days after their publication. Search the newspaper’s website for articles published within the last 90 days.

Dallas Morning News Historical Archive, 1885–1977

New York Times Historical Archive, 1851–2014

Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers
Includes images for hundreds of 19th-century United States newspapers, including the Galveston Daily News from 1874–97.

Bird’s eye view of Houston, 1891 / Library of Congress Geography and Map Division — Bird’s eye view of Houston, 1891 / *Library of Congress Geography and Map Division*

Maps

Historic map collections

Harris County Archives Municipal Map Collection [free]
Includes maps of Houston from 1873–c. 1967

Historic Maps from the University of Houston Digital Library [free]
Includes maps of Houston, Texas and Galveston from the 19th and early 20th centuries

Old Maps of Houston from Old Maps Online [free]
Includes maps of Houston and surrounding communities from the early 20th century through the 1990s

Historic aerials and topographic maps

HistoricAerials.com offers the ability to view recent and historical aerial photographs and maps for any place in the United States, allowing for analysis, comparison and change detection, as well as identification, measurement, property layout and obtaining geospatial coordinates of features that no longer exist.

The Perry-Castañeda Library at The University of Texas has a collection of topographic maps covering areas across Texas, including Houston and Harris County.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

The Sanborn Map Company, the best known of the U.S. fire-insurance map producers, has made maps since 1867. The fire insurance maps produced by Sanborn show building footprints, building material, height or number of stories, building use, lot lines, road widths and water facilities. The maps also show street names and property boundaries of the time. This collection of maps is historically significant as it offers details on individual buildings that may not be available elsewhere, enabling researchers to learn more about a structure’s materials, context and footprint through the years. Multiple sources of Sanborn maps of Houston are available to online researchers:

Sanborn maps via Houston Public Library [free with HPL card]
Includes complete sets of Houston maps from 1885, 1890, 1896, 1907, 1924 and 1955 (black and white scans only)
Sanborn maps from the University of Texas Libraries [free]
Includes complete sets of Houston maps from 1877, 1885, 1890, 1896 and 1907, plus partial sets from 1917, 1919, 1924, 1946, 1948 and 1950
Sanborn maps from the Library of Congress [free]
Includes complete sets of Houston maps from 1885, 1890, 1896 and 1907, plus partial sets from 1934, 1946 and 1950; filter the collection using location links in the left-hand sidebar

Note: These institutions also offer Sanborn maps of other Texas cities and towns, including some communities in the Houston area.

Other Houston maps of note

“Official Map of the City of Houston and Adjoining Surveys,” 1890, Porter, Pollard & Ruby [Library of Congress]
“Pocket Map Showing the Railroads, Street Railways, Manufactories, Deep Water Connections, Blocks and Subdivisions of the City of Houston,” c. 1890, Wm. M. Thomas & Co. [Library of Congress]
Bird’s eye view of Houston, 1873
Bird’s eye view of Houston, 1891 [Library of Congress]
“City of Houston and Environs,” 1895, Whitty & Stott [Library of Congress]
“Houston — a Modern City,” 1912 (downtown bird’s eye view) [Library of Congress]

Street name changes

This list of some Houston street name changes can help make sense of older city maps.

Missouri Pacific’s Texas Eagle at Houston Union Station, 1953 / Museum of the American Railroad via University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History — Missouri Pacific’s *Texas Eagle* at Houston Union Station, 1953 / *Museum of the American Railroad via University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History*

City directories

City directories were created for salesmen, merchants and others interested in contacting residents of a city or area. Far more detailed than modern telephone books, city directories contained information about residents’ families and occupations as well as their addresses. Beginning in the early 20th century, Houston’s city directories included “street and avenue guides” that listed every occupied address on every street in the city, an invaluable look into the history of specific properties.

Houston City Directories from the Houston Public Library [free]
Includes city directories for most years from 1866 to 1922

U.S. City Directories, 1822–1995, from Ancestry.com [paid subscription required]

Other resources

AIA Historical Directory of American Architects [free]
The AIA Historical Directory provides a searchable repository of information about architects who were members of the American Institute of Architects in the 19th and 20th centuries. Continually updated, it’s a source of research for members, firms and scholars.

Ancestry.com [paid subscription required]
Ancestry.com advertises itself as the world’s largest collection of online genealogical databases. The service includes access to birth, marriage and death records, census and immigration records, court documents, newspaper archives and city directories. A paid monthly or semiannual subscription is required.

If you don’t want to pay for an Ancestry.com subscription, a couple of alternative access options are available:

AncestryLibrary [free with Houston Public Library card]
The library version of the Ancestry.com database, one of the largest collections of family history data online. It includes census, vital, military, and immigration records, as well as newspaper articles and city directories. Note: This resource is usually only available in person at a Houston Public Library branch. Temporary remote access is available for HPL cardholders.

Ancestry.com Texas records [free]
A 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.com 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 (see instructions at the bottom of the linked page). If you have a paid Ancestry.com account, all the resources included in this collection are already available to you.

Tri-captains of Texas A&M University track team, early 1970s / African American Library at The Gregory School, Houston Public Library — Tri-captains of Texas A&M University track team, early 1970s / *African American Library at The Gregory School, Houston Public Library*

FamilySearch [free]
FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization offering genealogical and historical records operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose Family History Library is the largest genealogical library in the world. Resources available include birth, death and marriage records, census and immigration records, military service records and obituaries. Note: Access to the service is free but requires you to create a username and password.

The Handbook of Texas Online [free]
The Handbook of Texas is a digital state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association that is free and accessible on the Internet for students, teachers, scholars and the general public. The Handbook consists of overview, general and biographical entries focused on the entire history of Texas from the indigenous Native Americans and the Prehistoric Era to the state’s diverse population and the Modern Age.

Houston Public Library Digital Archives [free]
The Houston Public Library Digital Archives include materials from Houston Public Library Special Collections, including archival material from the African American Library at the Gregory School, the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research and the Houston Metropolitan Research Center.

Houston City Hall and Market House in the snow, 1895 / Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries — Houston City Hall and Market House in the snow, 1895 / *Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries*

Houston Public Library Houston and Texas Online Resources [free]
A list of online resources and databases available through the Houston Public Library. Note: Many of the resources listed require a Houston Public Library card number for access.

John P. McGovern Historical Collections and Research Center [free]
The John P. McGovern Historical Collections and Research Center at The TMC Library has notable historical collections on the foundations of the medical specialties, Texas medicine, rheumatology and North American public health. The archival collections focus on the development of the institutions and hospitals in the TMC in Houston, the careers of Houston physicians and biographical information on Texas physicians.

A One-Step Portal for Online Genealogy [free]
This site, compiled by genealogical technologist Stephen P. Morse, contains tools for finding immigration records, census records, vital records and for dealing with calendars, maps, foreign alphabets and numerous other applications.

The Portal to Texas History [free]
The Portal to Texas History is a gateway to rare, historical and primary source materials from or about Texas. Created and maintained by the University of North Texas Libraries, the Portal leverages the power of hundreds of content partners across the state to provide a vibrant, growing collection of resources.

Texas Historic Sites Atlas [free]
The Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Historic Sites Atlas features more than 300,000 site records, including data on Official Texas Historical Markers and National Register of Historic Places properties in Texas. Also included are courthouses, museums and cemeteries across the state. Search by name, keyword or location for access to detailed text descriptions, historic photographs and interactive maps.

University of Houston Digital Library [free]
The University of Houston Digital Library is a comprehensive digital library that makes available digital collections of materials documenting the University of Houston, the city of Houston and the state of Texas, as well as other historically and culturally significant materials. Among the collections available online are historic photos, maps and postcards of Houston, as well as archives related to specific institutions, organizations and people from Houston’s history.

Woodson Research Center (Rice University) Special Collections & Archives [free]
The Woodson Research Center at Rice University’s Fondren Library includes digitized materials from the William Ward Watkin and Annie Ray Watkin University Archives. Non-current records from administrative offices, Rice presidents, academic departments, residential colleges and student organizations are preserved and made available for researchers. The archives also contain campus plans, drawings and blueprints; photographs; publications; the Rice Thresher student newspaper; video and audiotapes; ephemeral material; and memorabilia.