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:
UT Map Library
The Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection provides Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from 1877-1922. Each year available for San Antonio contains an index and a key to help locate the district and specific address being researched.
Library of Congress
In addition to including a collection of San Antonio Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, the Library of Congress provides a great tutorial on how to read the maps, describing in detail what different colors signify and an understanding of legends and keys.
San Antonio Public Library (SAPL)
SAPL offers access to digital Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps through a ProQuest database. SAPL also holds a digitized collection of Sanborns from the 1930s (1931, 1934, and 1938) that are available on request by email: genealogy@sanantonio.gov.
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.
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.
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.
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.