RESEARCH RESOURCES CHECKLIST

The following list of archival sources can help jumpstart your own historic property research. The resources have been categorized based on their contents and location.

City Directories 

The San Antonio Public Library (SAPL) provides the public with resources from various collections, such as city directories and Sanborn maps. A Public Library card is needed to access most collections.  You can learn more about attaining a library card HERE.

https://ez.mysapl.org/login?url=https://www.heritagequestonline.com

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps 

Published by the Sanborn Map Company, Sanborn maps provide a detailed rendering of U.S. cities and town’s infrastructure from the 19th and 20th century. Sanborn Maps are accessible through various archives, including:  


public records

These resources help with finding out such things as the first appearance of an address in the city directory, who has owned the lot over the years, and if there were any ordinances that have affected the lot over the years. For example, a property may had been residential before re-zoning made it into a public retail space.

Bexar County Clerk 

The public records of the Bexar County Clerk contain documents such as marriage licenses, land records, personal properties, public notices, and houses the Spanish Archives, earliest records of Hispanic Texas.  These records can highlight how a site has been transferred from owner to owner over the years.

https://www.bexar.org/2946/County-Clerk 

Municipal Archives 

Office of the City Clerk, George Whitfield, Jr. Municipal Records Facility, 719 S. Santa Rosa

The digitization of the Municipal Archives has made access to San Antonio records of governance easier for the public. The site also provides finding aids to make navigation easier. These archives house items such as city ordinances that can shed light on any re-zoning that may have affected a site.

https://www.sanantonio.gov/Municipal-Archives-Records/Search-Collections 

BCAD Property Records 

Bexar County Appraisal District Property Records provides property information including value, deed history, and tax information.  

https://bexar.trueautomation.com/clientdb/PropertySearch.aspx?cid=110 

One Stop Map

The City of San Antonio One Stop Map provides the public with an interactive map in which they can look up a specific street address, intersection, neighborhoods, public and residential districts, and other zoning features.

https://gis.sanantonio.gov/DSD/OneStop/Index.html

OHP Explorer 

A GIS interactive map with information derived from San Antonio’s public records. It can help find historic districts or landmarks.  

https://gis.sanantonio.gov/OHP/explorer/index.html 


Local Archives

The following resources can provide further insight into the history of an address or site. For example, if a house is from the 19th century, or beginning of the 20th, there may be historical records of its construction, or the neighborhood it was built in. These archives specialize in the history of San Antonio and can provide invaluable information.

Conservation Society & Archives  

107 King William

The library is open to the public and focuses on the history of San Antonio and South Central Texas. Collection emphasizes historic buildings, objects, places, and customs.  

https://www.saconservation.org/library-resources/ 

SAPL Texana Room 

600 Soledad, 6th Floor

Located on the sixth floor of the Central Library since 1995. The Texana/Genealogy Department provides books, databases, websites, and other resources focused on Texas history.  

https://www.mysapl.org/Services/Collections/Texana 

UTSA Libraries Special Collections  

Aside from the Institute of Texan Cultures, the libraries special collections provide even more research materials, including several digitized materials, such as maps.  

https://digital.utsa.edu/digital/ 

Institute of Texan Cultures 

801 E Cesar Chavez, San Antonio 

The UTSA Special Collections provides various research materials focused on the history and development of San Antonio and South Texas.  

https://texancultures.utsa.edu/?q=rdr 

UNT Portal to Texas History 

University of North Texas’ Portal to Texas History provides research materials from all over Texas, including San Antonio.  

https://texashistory.unt.edu 

Texas A&M University-San Antonio Archives and Special Collections

Texas A&M University-San Antonio houses several collections, including collection of La Prensa and a collection from the Daughters of the Republic.

https://digitalcommons.tamusa.edu/archives/

 The following resources require a subscription, but can provide vital information. These tools are beneficial if someone is producing a more detailed project. For example, a map can be produced for a specific location with information important to the project. Newspapers can provide more information on previous owners, community, or any events that occurred on the site.


Additional Resources

Newspaper Archive 

Requires a subscription fee. Newspaper Archive provides customers with access to a large collection of newspapers from around the world. 

https://newspaperarchive.com 

Historic Aerials 

Requires a subscription fee. Historic Aerials provides a large database of historic aerial imagery from various sources. Images can be printed or downloaded. Can be used to find/analyze a specific location and its surroundings throughout the years.  

https://www.historicaerials.com 

 Texas Natural Resources Information System 

Maps can be produced for a fee. A collection of maps based on various subjects, such as county lines, water planning and development, and other resources. 

https://tnris.org