County Records 

County Records Page 1 of 3.

 

The finding aids are arranged in alphabetical order by office of creation. If there is a completed finding aid for the office, the link occurs at the office name. Many offices do not have finding aids.  A complete list of county offices and departments with records in the Harris County Archives here.  Please contact the archivists with questions about the records.

Assessor and Collector of Taxes (CR01)

  • Records of Paul A. Bettencourt, 1998 - 2008, Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector. 
  • Assessment (1895 - 1997) – Assessors Abstracts, 1895 – 1914, Block Books 1915 – 1997 (includes Block Book Maps) - these have been digitized, Building and Land Assessment Cards ca. 1930 – 1980, Insurance Maps (Sanborn) 1925 – 1938.
  • Tax Collector (1873 - 1992) For a complete listing of all hard copy tax records in the archives.
  • Records on Microfilm (1858 – 1996) - The over 12,000 rolls of film include the following series: Block Books and Maps, 1928 – 1991, Delinquent Tax Returns 1919 – 1996, Tax Rolls and Inventories 1858 – 1983 includes real and personal property, minerals, banks, railroads, mobile homes. These records have been digitized.  Please contact the archives for specific information.
  • Voting Records – Poll Tax and Voters Registration Lists (1931 - 1998). Election Maps (1943 - 2010) 156 maps, Voting Precinct Street Guides (1951 - 2007) 6 cu. ft., Microfiche voter registration records (1975 - 2001), Primary Sample Ballott (1978), Voter Statistics (1967 - 1977).

Bayland Orphan Home (CR30)

The entire collection is available online at https://www.fold3.com/browse/253/hqG56JrBZ . Please note the collection is partially indexed, so use the browse function to view the records.

  • Minutes, financial and legal records, correspondence and printed materials located in nine bound volumes document the activities and functions of the Board of Trustees of the Bayland Orphan Home from 1867 to 1948. The records were microfilmed in June 2007 and a copy placed at the Clayton Library, Houston, Texas, for public access. It should be noted that a significant number of records have been lost and that all of the volumes may not have been accessible to the public until the present. Therefore, secondary sources concerning the history of the home should be treated accordingly.

Community Development (CR29)

  • Directors’ and managers’ records, correspondence, memos, reports, budgets, policy and procedure manuals, personnel files, minutes, program records, photographs, and case files document the functions of Harris County Community Development and Harris County Housing Authority from 1977 to 1998.

County Attorney (CR44)

  • Addicks-Fairbanks Road Sand Company Case Files
    Legal documents, pollution control inspection documents, correspondence, notes, and photographs (1981-1994) document the numerous environmental and health violations committed by the Addicks-Fairbanks Road Sand Company and the litigation that followed.
     
  • Allwaste Case Files
    Pollution control inspection documents, correspondence, legal documents, printed materials, notes, and photographs (1970 – 1992) document the investigation of the Allwaste facility, the ensuing litigation and appeals, and the creation of an environmental conference for the tank cleaning industry.
     
  • American Envirotech, Inc. Permit Application Files
    Correspondence, notices, requests and replies, arguments and briefs, motions, permits, modeling reports, newspaper clippings, financial/expense records, witnesses' testimony and depositions, and hearing transcripts, 1976-1993, document the American Envirotech, Inc. permit application process to build a hazardous waste incinerator in Channelview, Texas.  
     
  • Braes Utility District vs. Harris County Case Files
    Three cubic feet of correspondence, invoices, motions, notices, orders, discovery and pleadings, exhibits, and depositions, 1896-1996, document Braes Utility District vs Harris County Flood Control District.  Of particular interest is Braes Utility District meeting minutes as well as eminent domain research for its historical aspect. 
     
  • Brio Superfund Site Case Files
    Correspondence, notes, an agenda, legal documents, reports, speeches, printed materials, photographs, and a VHS cassette tape 1971 to 1994 document the interest of the Harris County Attorney's Office in the Brio Superfund site and the related litigation.
     
  • Durwood Greene Case Files 
    Bids and construction specifications, legal documents, correspondence, and photographs (1982-1987) document the deceptive trade policies of Durwood Greene construction and G & S Asphalt, and the ensuing litigation. VHS Video tapes relating to this case are also available.
     
  • Environmental Protection Cases and Issues Collection
    Correspondence, legal documents, regulations, investigations and photographs document the Environmental Protection Cases and Issues Collection (1907 – 1986), numerous legal cases involving the State of Texas and Harris County.
     
  • Hazardous Waste Storage Case Files
    Opposed by numerous governmental and environmental groups, Hunter Environmental Services, Inc. based in Southport, Connecticut, sought fourteen permits with the Texas Water Commission in 1989 to construct storage facilities for hazardous wastes, gas and petrochemicals in salt dome caverns near Dayton, Liberty County, Texas. Prehearing and hearing pleadings, hearing transcripts, administrative files, correspondence, news clips, hearing transcripts, and rehearing motions document the Hazardous Waste Storage Case Files, 1990-1992.
     
  • James R. Hunt v. Harris County
    Eleven cubic feet of legal documents, correspondence, property appraisals, maps, depositions and exhibits document James R. Hunt et al. v. Harris County et al. (1936 – 1996) and provide a snapshot into the development of upper middle class neighborhoods in Northwest Harris County.
     
  • Harris County v. Texas Water Commission
    Houston Chemical Services, Inc. applied to the Texas Water Commission to construct and operate a commercial hazardous and industrial waste incineration facility in a previous Quaker Oaks plant in East Harris County. Eight cubic feet of legal records, correspondence, methods for evaluating emissions and hazardous wastes, calculations, drawings, hearing transcripts, and depositions document the Harris County Attorney's efforts to have the application denied.
     
  • The State of Texas v. The Excalibur Club
    One cubic foot of legal records, related cases and properties, charges and violations document the case of the State of Texas v. The Excalibur Club.  One of several prostitution cases brought by Harris County Attorney Mike Driscoll, on August 26, 1988, the Harris County Attorney’s Office was successful in securing a permanent injunction against the sexually oriented business due to habitual prostitution at the site.
  • Kartis Ewing v. Jack Heard
    Legal records, correspondence, exhibits, depositions, and medical records document the complexity of the Harris County Attorney’s defense of Sheriff Department employees in a civil rights civil case brought by Kartis Ewing, a former prisoner of the Harris County Jail.  The case was dismissed in 1996.
     
  • Michael J. Grabowski Case Files
    Correspondence, legal documents, notes, and audio tapes from 1981 to 2002 document Michael J. Grabowski’s employment as a constable for Precinct 4, his ultimate termination, and the ensuing litigation.
     
  • Legal Opinions
    Records document Harris County Attorney opinions from 1953 to 1992, during the terms of County Attorneys: Burke Holman (1953-1956), Joe Resweber (1957-1980), and Mike Driscoll (1981-1995). In addition the collection includes Texas Attorney General financial opinions from 1925-1962 and Indexes listing Attorney General Open Records decisions from 1967-1988.
     
  • Texas v. Lindsay
    29.5 cubic feet of records detail investigations in the County Attorney Office (1993 – 1994) that implicated County Judge Jon Lindsay in a scheme to accept bribes to determine the route of Cypresswood Drive in north Harris County.  Although the statute of limitations expired before charges could be brought, additional investigations showed a misuse of campaign funds resulting in Lindsay’s decision in 1994 not to run for re-election.  
     
  • Loewenstein Wastewater Pollution Case
    Property deeds, proposal, inspection and maintenance reports, legal records, correspondence, violations, and related cases document Harris County, Texas vs. Evan H. Loewenstein. 
     
  • Harry S. Walsweer v. Harris County
    Seventeen cubic feet of records document the lawsuit brought by Harry S. Walsweer in 1985 against Tracy Maxon and four deputy constables.  In 1984 responding to a domestic violence call, five constables opened fire against Walsweer who was standing in the doorway to his home.  Walsweer won a six million dollar judgement against the constables.  On appeal he was able to gain a summary judgement against Harris County and the county was forced to pay the judgement.
     
  • Weibel Landfill Case Files
    Legal documents, correspondence, notes, printed materials, maps, and photographs (1984-1993) document the investigation of the Weibel landfill, the ensuing litigation, and the restoration of the site to a wetlands area.  VHS video tapes relating to this case are also available.

District Attorney (CR055)

  • One hundred forty-four scrapbooks (1971 – 1998), grand jury dockets and photographs, personnel files (ca. 1971- 1973), pastel drawings of the Garth Bates investigation, photographs of office events, and newsletters. Of particular interest is the weekly inner office newsletter (1972 – 1975), established by District Attorney Carol Vance, containing biographical sketches, continuing legal education, reports, and lists of court cases with their outcomes. 

Facilities and Property Management (CR02)

  • Fifteen cubic feet of reports, minutes, correspondence, memorandums, printed materials, manuals, maps, building plans, archeological assessments, and photographs document the work of Facilities and Property Management 1974 – 2001.  Of particular interest is the almost 5 cubic feet of records related to the Houston Sports Authority, the Downtown Ballpark, and the Astrodome.
     
  • 1952 Courthouse Time Capsule Inventory
    Discovered in 2004 during the renovation of the Criminal Courthouse, the Time Capsule contained tokens from the 1884 Courthouse in addition to records and memorabilia documenting Harris County in 1952.
     
  • Harris County Court House Plans, 1922
    Forty architectural drawings on linen record the competition winning designs of Lang and Witchell Architects of Dallas, Texas, for the Harris County Court House. Originally comprised of 43 sheets of drawings (3 are missing), the drawings include floor plans, exterior elevations, plumbing and heating plans, and architectural details. The existent drawings were copied by D. B. McElroy and R. A. Kinnear of Rice University on waxed linen in 1922 from the original plans that had been severely damaged by mold and insects.

Harris County Archives (CR06)

Harris County Parks Development Photograph Collection (1977 - 1997, n.d.)
Transparencies, photonegatives, and photoprints (542) document the functions of the Parks Department from 1997 – 1997, a period when a number of parks were being built in county precincts.  The images record areas of the county prior to and during development along with park uses and activities.  A number of the images are unidentified.  Thirty-nine of the images are available through the Harris County Digital Archives http://archives.hcpl.net/ maintained by the Harris County Public Library.  These photographic materials were discovered in a trash can and may have originally been created by the Engineering Department.

Harris County Commissioner Precinct 2 (CR33)

  • Jamie Bray (1971 - 1974) 
    Please see MC006, Jamie Bray Papers in the Manuscript Collection
     
  • Commissioner Jim Fonteno (1980 - 2002)
    Photoprints (18 albums, .2 linear feet), photonegatives (7 albums), slides (1 album), videos (675) and digital images (1.65 GB) document Precinct 2 in East Harris County, Texas, 1980 - 2002.  Of interest are the various senior activities, community center celebrations, parks and wildflowers and community meetings compile the Jim Fonteno Audio-Visual Collection.  Seven of the videos are available on line at the Texas Archive of the Moving Image.  Also see Fonteno Scrapbook Collection MC015 in the Manuscript Collections.

Harris County Commissioner Precinct 3 (CR34)

  • Commissioners' Subject Files (1940 - 2001, bulk 1980 - 2001).  The General Subject Files (142 cubic feet) are a particularly rich resource  that covers all interests of commissioners from parks and roads to libraries and jails.  The offices of Bob Y. Eckels, Elizabeth Ghrist, and Steve Raddack created the files.  The records are in their original order.  An inventory at the folder level is available in an excel spreadsheet.
     
  • Commissioner Bob Y. Eckels (1973 - 1988)
    Please see MC008, Bob Y. Eckels Papers in the Manuscript Collection.

Harris County Commissioner Precinct 4 (CR35)

  • Commissioner E. A. 'Squatty' Lyons
    Only one cubic foot of correspondence and subject files (1984 – 1989) exist to document the functions of Harris County Commissioner Squatty Lyons.  Of interest are the two inches of correspondence in opposition to animal research (1989) and an application from Pollution Control for a cement batch plant in northern Harris County which includes photographs (1984 – 1986).
     
  • Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Collection
    Newsletters, brochures, manuals, land surveys, guidebooks, and nonprofit affiliate records document the functions and fundraising events relating to the Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. (1979-1999) .25 cubic feet.

Harris County Constable Precinct 8 (CR52)

  • Milton O. Stanley "Bill Bailey" (1982 - 2009)
    Correspondence, memos, speeches, newspaper clippings, administrative paperwork, photographs, artifacts, and campaign materials (1982-2009) document Bill Bailey’s tenure as Precinct 8 Constable. Of particular interest is a 2007 primary application using the name Milton O. Stanley Bill Bailey.

Harris County Fire Marshall (CR78)

  • Floor plans, printed materials, reports, and forms (2005) document the role of the Fire Marshal’s Office during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath in Harris County.  Large sheets of paper posted on the walls of the JIC (Joint Information Center) provide an artifactual record of the time spent dealing with over 250,000 evacuees. Additional reports, proposals, and printed materials (1985 – 2002) record the operations of the Fire Marshal’s Office.

Harris County Historical Commission (CR56)

  • Administrative Records (1958-2017), Historical Marker Files (1962-2007), Printed Materials (1966-2005), Serials and Monographs (1842-2006), Photographs (1974-2004), Works of Art (1978-1991), Maps (1900, 1970), Videos (1986-2005), and Artifacts (1973-1975) document the activities and interests of the Harris County Historical Commission.
  • Catalog of monographs and serials.

Harris County Hospital District (CR28)

  • Media files consisting of scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, photographs, and video tapes, document the history of the Harris County Hospital District and public health issues from 1938 through 1998.