Genealogy Name Search — a Service of the GLO Archives
With over 36 million documents and 45,000 historic maps, the archival collections of the Texas General Land Office are widely used for professional and academic research among surveyors, historians, attorneys, landmen, and teachers to name a few. Additionally, a large percentage of GLO Research Room guests use these resources in hopes of discovering personal family history. Genealogy is a popular pastime among Americans, and for those with families who immigrated to Texas in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the collections here at the GLO may prove to be a wealth of information.
The original land grants and maps of the GLO are housed in Austin, Texas, but in order to provide greater accessibility to the public, the GLO Archives and Records program has been in the process of scanning and digitizing these collections for over a decade. While this wealth of information is a gold mine for many researchers, deciphering and fully understanding what can be found within these documents may be daunting for those who are unfamiliar with the collection and its history.
To assist patrons with the process of extracting pertinent information, the GLO offers a genealogy name search service for $20 per name. Once the Genealogy Name Search Request Form is received, an Archives and Records researcher locates all files within the land grant collection that match the name provided and summarizes the contents of each file for the requesting patron.
It is important to note that this is not an all-encompassing name search where research is conducted on materials outside of the GLO, and results within the collection are dependent upon whether the person received an original land grant from the Crown of Spain, the Republic of Mexico, the Republic of Texas, or the state of Texas. If the person purchased land from a private individual, the GLO would not have a record of this; that would be a county record. Keep in mind, the collections of the GLO do not contain documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, or marriage certificates.
Any genealogical information abstracted in the name search would solely come from the original land grants of Texas and their corresponding files. Examples of primary source documents within the GLO’s archives include Spanish and Mexican titles, Republic of Texas headright grants, bounty and donation grants, pre-emption grants, muster rolls for the Texas Revolution, clerk returns, German immigration contracts, and many more. Within these files, researchers will often find dates of immigration, military service information, dates of occupancy on particular parcels of land, names of witnesses (usually family members, neighbors, or friends), and even signatures.
For those who are interested in taking the research even further, the GLO has created an online interactive GIS Webviewer map that has the capability of showing where original land grants are located on a present-day map. The vast majority of the GLO historical map collection is also accessible online, and reproductions are available for purchase. There are quite a few maps with varying creation years for each county in Texas that illustrate original land grant surveys. Surveys are labeled with the name of the original grantee, so assuming land was indeed granted to the person of interest, patrons conducting genealogy research should be able to find family names on these historical maps.
For years, the Texas General Land Office’s archival materials and its genealogy name search service have been valuable resources for numerous researchers. Whether you’re seeking membership into organizations such as the Sons or Daughters of the Republic of Texas, or you’re simply hoping to learn more about family ancestry, the archives of the GLO may be an excellent place to begin research if you have a family member who received an original land grant.
Here are some helpful links for navigating the GLO Archives website:
Genealogy Name Search Request Form
Informational Forms and Handouts
Online Land Grant Database
Surname Index
Online Maps and Sketches Database
GIS Webviewer
