Texas History

Use this guide to find primary and secondary sources for the study of Texas history.

Texas Newspapers

Newspapers can be an excellent source for historical research. Resources listed below are for historical news sources, not current news. For a more complete list of historical news sources outside of Texas see the Historical Newspapers Research Guide.

For current news sources see the Newspapers and News Articles Research Guide.

NewspaperArchive: Texas Collection This link opens in a new window
Searchable full image access to many historical newspapers from all across Texas, including the San Antonio Light (1882 -1977) and the San Antonio Express News (1865-1974). (Some years are incomplete.) Database covers 1813-2022.
19th Century U.S. Newspapers (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text access to newspapers from urban to rural regions, large cities to small towns across the U.S. Includes newspapers published by African Americans, Native Americans, women's rights groups, labor groups, the Confederacy, and others. Coverage: 1800-1899.
Austin American Statesman (Historical) (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Covers 1871-1980. Includes the complete paper-cover-to-cover, with full-page and article images in easily downloadable PDF format. Especially strong in central Texas political reporting.
Dallas Morning News Historical Archive (NewsBank) This link opens in a new window
A historical archive of one of Texas's oldest continuously published newspapers and a paper of record for major news, key events, and personalities in Texas history. Broad state and regional coverage, from 1885-1977.
Hispanic American Newspapers 1808-1980 (Readex) This link opens in a new window
A collection of hundreds of searchable full-text / full-image newspapers published in the United States by Hispanics during the 19th and 20th centuries. Papers may be in Spanish, English, or both Spanish and English. Based on Nicolás Kanellos' "Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project."

Portal to Texas History: Newspapers
A digital gateway to historical materials from private collectors and collaborative partners, including libraries, museums, archives, and other historical groups.
Texas Digital Newspaper Program - List of Newspapers on the Portal
Newspapers are listed alphabetically with dates of coverage. The Texas Digital Newspaper Program is a partnership intended to create a digitized newspaper resource that covers a broad geographical area.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Search and view more than a million digitized newspaper pages. Coverage is from 1756-1963. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association (1897-1912)
Texas State Historical Association's original scholarly publication about the history of Texas and the Southwest.
Southwestern Historical Quarterly
The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, continuously published since 1897, is the premier source of scholarly information about the history of Texas and the Southwest. The first 100 volumes of the Quarterly, more than 57,000 pages, are now available with searchable Tables of Contents.

Borderland Collection

Texas Borderlands Newspaper Collection This link opens in a new window
This collection contains scanned images of historical newspapers (1887-1997) from counties at or near the Texas border. Includes titles published in Spanish and French as well as English. Freely available from University of North Texas Portal to Texas History.

Chicano Serial Collection (Borderland Newspapers)
Call Number: E184 .M5 C461
JPL 4th Floor Microfilm Cabinet
We have:
sect.1 - sect.9,
sect.11 - sect. 15,
sect.17
Information Guide

Lists of Newspapers published in Texas, 1813-1846

San Antonio Newspapers

San Antonio Express-News (NewsBank) This link opens in a new window
2018-current – full image
1990-current (text only) Excludes articles excerpted from other news sources, paid ads and obituaries.
1867-2018 – full image (incomplete)
2016-current – (text only) Web edition articles

Other sources:
JPL 4th Floor Microfilm: AN2 .S3 E9 (1868 - current) (with gaps)
Index (print): JPL 3rd Floor AI21 .S3 S26 (1988-1995)
San Antonio Express-News Photograph Collection (1941-1989)
San Antonio Express (Historical) (NewsBank) This link opens in a new window
Full-image of Texas’ oldest major newspaper, which began as a weekly in 1865. Includes ads, classifieds, photos & graphics as well as local, national and international news stories. Collection is still being digitized with more issues forthcoming.
Current coverage: 1867-1875, 1898-1906, 1911-2018

It's Only Rock 'N' Roll
It’s Only Rock ’N’ Roll was an indie music newspaper published in San Antonio from May 1978 to April 1982. The publication chronicled the rise of punk and New Wave music in San Antonio and Austin.
La Prensa - San Antonio
San Antonio bilingual newspaper
Ceased publication June 2018
Microfilm: AN2 .S3 P74 (1913-2002) (JPL 4th Floor Current Periodicals)
Archival copies: Special Collections
Full-Text Electronic Access (1991-June 2018): Ethnic NewsWatch
Portal to Texas History (1913-1923) (open access)
Paisano
Free via web. Student Publication University of Texas at San Antonio
Free via web: UTSA Digital Collection (1981-1998)
Print: Kept for one year only
Other Holdings see Library Quick Search
San Antonio Alamo Star / Herald
Free archive. The San Antonio Alamo Star was renamed the San Antonio Herald in 1855. The Herald was taken over by the San Antonio Daily Times in 1880.
Microfilm: AN2 .S3 H47 (1855-1878) (JPL)
San Antonio Business Journal
Online: American City Business Journals
Users must login with their UTSA email address for access.
Current and Archive (Includes Book of Lists)
Paper: Current issues. (JPL & Downtown)
Microfilm: HF5500 .AS26 (Jan. 1989 - Jan. 1996 ) (JPL)
Free Via Web (current only)
San Antonio Light
Online access to selected issues through Newspaper Archive Texas Collection (1882 - 1977) (UTSA subscription)
JPL 4th Floor Microfilm: AN 2 .S3 L53 (1987 -1993)
Other sources for microfilm: Trinity University (1882 -1992) and San Antonio College (1967-1993)
Photo Archive (UTSA Special Collections Digital Archive)
Portal to Texas History (1883 -1886) (open access)
Paper: Ceased publication 1/28/93
Earlier names: San Antonio Daily Light (1884 -1907)
Light and Gazette.(1907 -2011)
San Antonio Register
Locally focused, Black-oriented weekly newspaper.
Paper: Current in Special Collections (John Peace Library)
Microfilm: AN 2 .S3 R43 (1931-2002) (John Peace Library)
Legacy Index: San Antonio Register Index (May 29, 1931 - 1959)
Portal to Texas History (1931-2000)

San Antonio City Directories

Polk Cross-Reference Directory for Bexar County, Texas
(1958-2004 - with gaps)
Location: UTSA Special Collections, 4th Floor
Worley's San Antonio (Texas) City Directory
(1936 -1957 - with gaps)
Location: UTSA Special Collections, 4th Floor
San Antonio City Directories (Worley's)
Series: City Directories of the United States
Microfilm Location: 4th Floor Current Periodicals/Microfilm
(includes Morrison & Fourmy's & Worley's)
F394 .S2 R473 (1861-1935 -- missing 1933)
Morrison & Fourmy's General Directory of the City of San Antonio
Special Collections F394.S2113 (1883)
Cole's Cross Reference Directory : San Antonio, Texas
Older: UTSA Special Collections, 4th Floor (1973-2008)
Other Specialty Directories
Includes business directories, social directories, etc.

HeritageQuest Online (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
A rich collection of research materials for genealogists and historians to trace family histories and American culture. Includes full-image population schedules from the U.S. Census (1790-1950), U.S. City Directories (1821-1989), U.S. Freedman's Bank Records (1861-1875), U.S. Indian Census Rolls (1885-1940), Canadian Census (1825-1921) and more.