Genealogy: Government Sites (Census, Immigration, etc.)
Genealogy sites from government agencies or organizations that use government information
Census Sites
- Census Links from the National ArchivesInformation and links from NARA.gov for the 1790-1940 U.S. censuses from various outside sources, some free, some for a fee.
- Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-Born Population of the United States: 1850 to 1990Presents selected decennial census data on the foreign-born population of the United States from 1850 to 1990. Updates and expands data on the foreign-born population published in 1975 in Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970.
- 1940 census recordsReleased, April 2, 2012 (72-year restriction on access to census schedules).
- Familysearch.orgMega-site on the level of Ancestry.com, but completely free. All kinds of genealogical records from many parts of the world, including census records and images for the U.S. and numerous other countries.
- U.S. Non population census schedulesDetailed information and links to agricultural, manufacturing, social statistics, and business schedules from NARA and from their digitization partners.
- Ancestry.comSubscription genealogy site known by many, Ancestry.com also provides access to census records from the U.S. and many other countries. Digital images of these on Ancestry.com were filmed from a different copy of the censuses than those on Familysearch.org. If a page from one site is illegible, the other may not be. Ancestry Library Edition is available through the Houston Public Library System.
NARA Microfilms in Fondren
NARA Microfilms in Fondren
Fondren Library has 6270 reels of NARA microfilms generously donated by the Houston Genealogical Forum. All cataloged microfilms are located in the Library Service Center (LSC).
- NARA Microfilms in FondrenSome collections have now been digitized. Check the National Archives site.
Other Government Sites
- Civil War Soldiers & Sailors DatabaseNational Park Service database containing information about the men who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. Includes histories of Union and Confederate regiments, links to descriptions of significant battles, and selected lists of prisoner-of-war records and cemetery records.
- USGS Geographic Names Information SystemContains information about almost 2 million physical and cultural geographic features in the United States. Identifies the federally recognized name of each feature described in the data base, and refers to a feature's location by state, county, and geographic coordinates.
National Records and Archives Administration of the United States (NARA) Collections
NARA microfilm located in the Fondren Library Service Center (LSC). Many of these are passenger lists and other immigration records, although some military records are also included.
The National Archives also has regional centers which provide access to NARA microfilm and commercial databases including Ancestry Library Edition and Fold3.com. The Texas NARA facility is in Ft. Worth. See more information at https://www.archives.gov/fort-worth/.
The following are sample collections available online from the NARA.
- Bankruptcy RecordsPart of the National Records and Archives Administration, this website contains links to individual states containing information on accessing bankruptcy and other court case files, ca. 1940 - 1998.
- Census RecordsPart of the National Archives and Records Administration, this site contains soundex microfiche catalog listings of census data from 1790-1930 as well as links to many other genealogy resources.
- Ethnic HeritagePart of the National Archives and Records Administration, this website contains links to the Ethnic Heritage Bibliography as well as a plethora of ethnic heritage genealogical information by region and ethnicity.
- Immigration Records (Ship Passenger Arrival Records)Part of the National Archives and Records Administration, this site contains links to NARAs microfilm catalog, the AAD Database, Castle Garden, Ellis Island, and Ancestry.com containing immigration records for arrivals to the United States from foreign ports between approximately 1820 and 1982 as well as a variety of related information and resources.
- Land RecordsPart of the National Archives and Records Administration, this website contains links to land records by region through individual State archives, the Bureau of Land Management, the Archival research catalog, and a variety of related genealogical and legal information.
- Military RecordsPart of the National Archives and Records Administration, this site contains links to Federal military service records from the Revolutionary War to the Vietnam War via NARAs microfilm catalog and National Personnel Records Center Military Personnel Records, Access to Archival Databases (AAD), and the Archival Research Catalog (ARC).
- Naturalization RecordsPart of the National Archives and Records Administration, this website links to NARA's microfilm catalog as well as articles, finding aids, and other helpful genealogical information.
- Passport ApplicationsPart of the National Archives and Records Administration, this website contains links to NARA's microfilm catalog, archives.gov, and the U.S. Department of State containing passport applications from Oct. 1795-Mar. 1925 as well as links to a variety of genealogical information and resources.
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