It’s Tuesday morning, and you suddenly remember that you do not know how to research Harris County’s historical records. You set down your morning coffee and find your way to the Ex Libris Juris series, and as luck would have it - you discover this topic is about to be covered in this post.
By 2005, the Harris County Archives opened its doors after spending the last three years gathering and organizing the historical collection. Today, the Harris County Archives is under the County Clerk, Teneshia Hudspeth, office. Since its early days, the collection managed to provide information that was once hidden and available to the public.
“The archives’ holdings include approximately 6,400 bound volumes, 3,800 cubic feet of processed and unprocessed records, 637 bound volumes of the Houston Post, and over 14,000 rolls of microfilm, including departmental records and the Houston Chronicle and Houston Post newspapers (1976 – 2001). Additionally, the archives include over 600 volumes of scrapbooks and maps, photographs, video and film, and oral histories. ”
There are several ways to view the collection. The Harris County Digital Archives website contains some records available online. Additionally, the Harris County Archives team has also created online exhibits featuring some of its most notable documents. Some of these exhibits feature original J.P. Court filings from landmark cases such as Grovey v. Townsend.
Not only are the exhibits readily available, but you can also navigate the online catalog to view other records. If you prefer to view physical documents, you can make an appointment with Harris County Archives Archivists here.