A detailed, chronological history of Colorado County from 1821-1883, in nine parts, written by Bill Stein. The series was originally published in Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, but has been modified to some degree for this website.

Colorado County Bibliography In Eight Sections Compilation and commentary by Bill Stein through 2008. No other titles have been added to this list since then but a more complete list of Colorado County related items can be generated by using our catalog, or by searching our online collections. Call numbers or other locators for several entries were added to this bibliography in 2013. "Call #" indicates an item on the main library catalog system. "GA" refers to the General Archives collection, and "Bill Stein" the Bill Stein Collection in the vault, followed by the box label and file number. The locations of starred entries are being researched. Several entries need no other locator; they refer to titles in the Bill Stein Texas Room, including: Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Texana, Stirpes, Colorado County newspapers and several Texas magazine titles.

Bill Stein, was the Nesbitt Memorial Library director/archivist from 1997 until his untimely death in December 2008.

Local History Subject Files in Alphabetical Order, letter to legal sized items.

James Gillespie Hopkins and his wife Mary Elizabeth Brune Hopkins were history enthusiasts who researched and presented Colorado County's colorful past for current and future generations. Their writings and extensive collection of articles and photographs pertaining to the county and surrounding region have been given to the Nesbitt Memorial Library archives. The Hopkins Collection is the largest collection in the archives. It contains material on all facets of Colorado County’s history, including political, economic, and socio-cultural information.

Miss Lee Nesbitt was the benefactor of the library. This is an index to the correspondence and other papers of Lee Quinn Nesbitt relating to the establishment and operation of the Nesbitt Memorial Library, and to other matters.

This collection was donated by the family of George McCormick, 1841-1905. McCormick was a confederate army veteran, attorney, judge, and was elected attorney general of the State of Texas in 1878 and served until 1880. He was one of sixty-nine lawyers who met in Galveston in 1882 to organize the State Bar Association.

This collection is comprised of family correspondence, legal documents dealing with Spindletop and genealogical information on the Towell Family of Columbus, Texas. Information on the Shaver, Shaw and McAdams families is also included.

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Online scans of our newspapers

Records of physical newspapers we have stored in our archives

The following items are compilations or transcriptions of certain public records from Colorado County's early history. The original records are fragile and may reside in the office shown.

Linked under manuscript index John S. Shropshire Papers (Ms. 80)

compiled by Bill Stein, Dorothy Albrecht, Ernest Mae Seaholm, and Tracey Wegenhoft

by Bill Stein

by Bill Stein

by Buddy Yoder and Bill Stein

Principal Census Holdings

Ninth Census of the United States (1870) Colorado County, Texas Introduction & Summary of Data compiled by Dorothy Albrecht from an earlier transcription by Angela Boswell, audited by Bill Stein

Tenth Census of the United States (1880) Colorado County, Texas Introduction & Summary of Data compiled by Bill Stein, David Hahn, and Regena Williamson

Eleventh Census of the United States (1890) Colorado County, Texas Special Schedule Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, and Widows, Etc. (Persons Who Served in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps of the United States During the War of the Rebellion) Compiled by Bill Stein

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930

(established 1841): Baptisms, marriages, deaths, and other records, 1841-1844

(established 1844): Records of baptisms 1847-1857, confirmations 1848, 1850, marriages 1847-1879, burials 1847-1881, with indexes and transcriptions by Marilyn Hrncir. transcribed by Amber Hollywood These records were written in Latin, and most of the names of the persons in the records were changed into a Latin form. Rather than guess at what might be correct, we have chosen to leave them in that form.

(established 1845): Records of baptisms, marriages, and burials, plus membership rolls and quarterly conference reports, 1895-1999.

(established 1854): Records of baptisms 1855-1871, marriages 1853-1871, deaths 1855-1875, and confirmations 1857-1869, plus membership lists and other records.

(established 1855): Records of baptisms 1841-1963, burials 1889-1964, communions 1894-1964, marriages 1896-1963, and confirmations 1901-1964; minutes of the congregation 1862-1968; minutes of the church council 1855-1893; financial records 1855-1947.

(established 1856): Records of baptisms 1874-1982, confirmations 1875-1987, marriages 1876-1988, burials 1875-1973, plus lists of members and other records; assorted administrative records and bulletins, 1928-1986.

(established 1870): Records of baptisms 1878-1922, deaths 1879-1890, marriages 1880-1907, list of pastors 1879-1924, lists of members

United Methodist Church of Eagle Lake, Marriage and Baptism Records, 1873-1950

Records of baptisms, 1894-1979, marriages 1894-1979, deaths 1892-1990, lists of members and pastors.

Records of baptisms, marriages, confirmations, and burials, 1924-1994; lists of members and pastors, register of church services, 1938-1945.

Records of baptisms 1905-1945, confirmations 1907-1942, marriages 1904-1946, deaths 1908-1973, with lists of communicants and members of the congregation.

Records of baptisms 1905-1945, confirmations 1907-1942, marriages 1904-1946, deaths 1908-1973, with lists of communicants and members of the congregation.

(established 1909): Lists of pastors, elders, and members, plus records of baptisms, marriages, and deaths, 1909-1996

The library's collection of family files derived from donated materials, reference books, obituaries, and genealogy material provided by families. Amount of available information varies from file to file.