Redfern Genealogical Research Center

Our Collection

Internet Resources
Local Resources
Texas Resources
All State Resources
City Directories
Periodicals
Microform

Internet Resources

Public computers are available for research. Free Wi-Fi is available inside the library and you are welcome to bring your laptop and connect to the Internet.
    TexShare Data Bases
      Heritage Quest--Free Username & Password to patrons with Library Card
      • Census. 1790-1940 online images
      • Books
      • PERSI index
      • Revolutionary War�images of selected records
      • Freedman�s Bank
      • U.S. Serial Set
      Texas Digital Sanborn Maps�includes historic images
      OCLC � online catalog of items held in libraries world wide

    Ancestry.Library.com Free In-Library Use

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Local Resources

Midland Reporter-Telegram All extant issues of the newspaper, dating as early as 1929, are available on microfilm.

Midland High School Year Books Catoico 1929-2016, Rebelee 1962-2016, Hornet 1951-1968. Always accepting donations to fill in missing years and replace damaged copies.

Midland County Records
  • Cemetery Interments 1885-1989
  • Vital Records 1885-1991 (microfilm)
  • Tax Rolls 1885-1910 (microfilm)
  • Biographies of Confederate Veterans buried at Fairview Cemetery
  • Men and Women in the Armed Forces WWII of Midland and Ector counties

Midland Genealogical Society (MGS) has a long history of providing information of interest to genealogists through the Genealogy Section of the Redfern Genealogical Research Center. This information includes transcriptions of local records available through the MGS webpage and in book form at the Redfern Research Center.
  • Thorny Trail 1972-2005 includes many transcriptions of local history and records
  • Midland County Census Records 1900, 1910, 1920
  • Midland County Naturalization Record Book 1885-1888
  • Midland County Wills and Estate Records 1886-1910

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Texas Resources

The Research Center has Texas material dating from the Spanish colonial period to about the middle of the 20th century. The list below contains a sampling of information available for each of the three major time periods.

Colonial Period

  • Benavides. A Name Guide to the Bexar Archives, 1717-1836
  • Taylor. Index to the Spanish Archives of the General Land Office
  • University of Texas. Residents of Texas 1782-1836
  • Winfrey. Indian papers 1825-1916
Republic Period
  • Jenkins. Papers of the Texas Revolution
  • McLean. Papers Concerning Robertson�s Colony
  • Texas State Library. Calendar of Mirabeau Lamar
  • White. 1840 Citizens of Texas
Statehood
  • 1867 � 1869 Voter Register
  • 1850 � 1920 Federal Census, population schedules for entire state
  • Index to Probate (Delayed) Birth Records
  • Index to Texas Deaths 1903 � 1977
  • Texas Birth Indexes 1903 � 1941
  • Military Service Records:
  • Union and Confederate troops
  • Early Texas County Marriages
  • Texas Land Title Abstracts

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All State Resources

The collection contains over 35,000 volumes related to all aspects of genealogical research. These can be accessed through the on-line catalog by author, title or subject. Included in the collection are:
  • Atlases and gazettes
  • Cemetery surveys
  • City Directories
  • Family histories
  • Genealogical compendiums
  • Government records (Federal, State, County)
  • Immigration lists�including Filby�s Passenger and Immigration Lists Index
  • Military Records
  • Native American Resources
  • Research guides
  • Society and lineage directories
  • State, regional and local histories
  • Vital Records

The Research Center holds a substantial collection of books that relate to military personnel and veterans benefits. The most significant of these is a 127 volume set of the War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.

Of special Texas interest is the 5 volume set of The Fighting Men of Texas with individual photos of those who served in World War II.

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City Directories

2,800 City Directories representative of over 45 states, including a COMPLETE set of Midland, Texas. These were donated by patrons from their travels, covering years from as early as 1928 to present. Check the catalog for holdings of your city of interest.

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Periodicals

  • Holdings include hundreds of titles of periodicals, both current and discontinued
  • Most are indexed in Periodical Source Index (PERSI) and Genealogical Periodical Annual Index
  • Most periodicals indexed in Swem's Virginia Historical Index are in the collection
  • All periodicals have been indexed into the collection and can be accessed through our On-line Catalog by author, title or subject

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Microform

The Research Center holds over 3000 rolls of Federal census population schedules, dating 1790-1920, and a few special schedules. Indexes of many of these schedules are also held in book form.

Non-census Microfilm

  • Combined Alphabetical Index to Manuscript Collection -SC State Dept. of Archives and History
  • Draper Manuscripts
  • Index to Tennessee Land Grants
  • Leon S. Hollinsworth Genealogical Card File (GA)
  • McCubbins Collection (NC)
  • Vosburgh Collection (early NY church records)
  • Courthouse records from Texas counties and other localities
Microfiche The microfiche collection contains approximately 5000 fiche. Among the records available in this medium are:
  • Joseph Brown Turner Collection (DE)
  • List of records available from the Illinois State Archives
  • South Carolina Low-Country Church Records
  • Periodical Sources Index
  • Texas Death Index 1974 � 2000

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