Nacogdoches, Texas, U.S., Spanish and Mexican Government Records, 1729-1836

This database contains records from the Nacogdoches Archives Record Group, a unique group of documents related to both Texas and Mexican history. As the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) explains:

The Nacogdoches Archives Record Group includes a variety of records maintained by national, regional, and local officials—both political and military—of the Mexican government from the mid-eighteenth into the early nineteenth century. The records include Spanish colonial and Mexican national government correspondence, decrees, and reports; the correspondence and reports of military and political officials stationed in the Provincias Internas (1776-1824) and, later, the State of Coahuila y Texas; records of the Department of Nacogdoches (northeastern area of Texas), 1830-1836; and municipal records of Nacogdoches and vicinity.

Most of the records are from or about the State of Coahuila y Texas and the Municipality of Nacogdoches. Records are in Spanish up until the 1830s, after which they are a mix of Spanish and English. While there are earlier records, the bulk of the collection spans the years 1773-1836.

TSLAC notes that if the subjects being researched arrived during this time period, but did not come to Texas through Nacogdoches or did not settle in northeastern Texas, their records may be in the Bexar Archives at the Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin or in the Laredo Archives at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Researches can also find additional series descriptions for many of the record types in this database at the TSLAC website (click here to access).