Texas History: Texas

Begin by searching for your topic in The Handbook of Texas Online. You will find an entry that gives an overview of your topic and a bibliography at the end of the entry to get you started on your research. If you do NOT find an entry, try to broaden your topic.

• When searching for information about Texas towns, we suggest The Handbook of Texas. The Handbook provides an overview and bibliography with sources for further research. Many local histories have been compiled on towns, families, and counties that touch on local history and town founders. You can find many such resources in UTA Libraries Special Collections.
• You can visit a town's local public library for help. Here are links to a variety of public libraries in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex:
  • Allen Public Library 
  • Arlington Public Library
  • Carrollton Public Library
  • Dallas Public Library
  • Denton Public Library
  • Fort Worth Public Library
  • Frisco Public Library
  • Garland Library
  • Grand Prairie Libraries
  • Grapevine Library
  • Plano Public Library
• City and county offices and historical societies may also have historic data. Always call before making a trip and check whether the office has any information, whether you can see it, and what their hours are. Here are examples of local offices and societies:
  • Arlington Historical Society
  • Dallas Historical Society
  • North Fort Worth Historical Society
  • Tarrant County Office of Historic Preservation and Archives

Search the UTA Library Catalog for materials in UTA's Special Collections (6th floor, Central Library). Special Collections specializes in materials which document Texas and Dallas-Fort Worth area history. Special Collections materials on your research topic.

Find local resources for Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex History.